J. Patrick Rooney

J. Patrick Rooney is the former chairman of Golden Rule Insurance Co. and recently founded Medical Savings Insurance Co. which specializes in the health savings accounts created out of President George W. Bush's 2003 prescription drug plan, according to the Washington Post, which first reported on Rooney's backing for People of Color United, a political front group that purports to represent African-Americans (although Rooney is Caucasian). He has provided approximately half the funding for the group, which is running misleading ads on African-American radio stations.

The Post quoted Rooney on August 12, 2006:


 * "Rooney: I have a long history of involvement with and support of the black community. . . For 21 years I have gone to an all-black church. They finally elected me over other black people to their church board. I'm one of them."

In the fall of 2006, Rooney was the primary funder for pro-Republican radio advertising aimed at African-American voters. He contributed $900,000 to America's Pac, which conducted the campaign. The ads included a conversation between two black men about "ho's" and an attempt to link Republican white supremacist David Duke with the Democratic Party. 

Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council
In 1999, Rooney represented Golden Rule Insurance Co. (whose CEO he was at the time) on the Private Enterprise Board of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).