GOP Marketplace

GOP Marketplace LLC was founded by Tommy Hopper, who "went into business with Haley Barbour, the current Governor of Mississippi, Edward Mathias, the managing director of The Carlyle Group, and other powerful GOP interests, to launch a venture called GOP Marketplace. In 2000 GOP Marketplace rolled out a service called the Republican Teleservice Exchange." 


 * "GOP Marketplace was incorporated in Virginia on May 19, 2000, the Virginia records show. An investment company called Helm Partners, with the Washington address of Barbour's lobbying firm, lent GOP Marketplace $246,700.


 * "According to the operating agreement, the loan gave the investors a stake in the company.


 * "The agreement was signed by Barbour's lobbying partner, Edward Rogers, [Allen] Raymond and Tommy Hopper, who worked for Barbour at the RNC and was a state Republican chairman in Tennessee."&mdash;Associated Press, April 18, 2006.

GOP Marketplace was intended to link "'campaigns and committees with telephone vendors online', according to its mission statement." 

Leadership
The group is lead by Allen Raymond, a former New Jersey Republican State Committee staffer. "Raymond cut his political teeth in New Jersey, working for the state Republican committee as well as former Rep. William Martini. He guided Martini's campaign to an upstart 1994 victory, and followed the congressman to Washington, D.C. where he served as chief of staff for two years," Steve Kornacki wrote February 10, 2003. "After Martini was defeated for re-election in 1996 by Democrat Bill Pascrell, Jr., Raymond became a field representative for the Republican National Committee. He served Research Director and Press Secretary of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, and founded his consulting firm three years ago. He is also the Executive Director of the Republican Leadership Council, which is chaired by former Rep. Richard A. Zimmer."

Contact Details
600 Cameron Street, Suite 402 Alexandria VA 22314 Telephone: (703) 340-1621

SourceWatch Resources

 * 2002 Election NH "Phone Jamming" Case
 * Free Enterprise Coalition