Meridian Pacific, Inc.

Meridian Pacific, Inc. is a Republican political campaign consulting firm based in Sacramento, California.

Meridian Pacific's mission is to "develop winning strategies for political and public affairs campaigns through a combination of comprehensive research, strategic planning and precision execution," its website states. 

About: Meridian Pacific, Inc.
Meridian Pacific, Inc. was formed during the 2004 election cycle by Matt Rexroad, a veteran of the war in Iraq where he "served in the Marine's 1st Force Recon," and Tom Ross, who "was pulling double duty running his own consulting firm while also filling in as Political Director for the Republican Senate and Assembly Caucus while Matt was in Iraq." Rexroad and Ross purchased "the consulting firm" Voter Connect Strategies, from which they created Meridian Pacific Inc. As a third partner, they were joined by John Peschong, "who just finished his responsibilities as the Western States Political Director for the Republican National Committee." 


 * Note: A Google search for "Voter Connect Strategies" found only one entry posted on CalRaces.com Blog, which was for "team member" Josiah Keane, Senior Account Executive for Meridian Pacific.

Personnel
According to Meridian Pacific, the following are members of the firm's "Team". CalRaces.com bio links are provided. Meridian Pacific bio links can be found here.
 * Matt Rexroad, Managing Partner; also see Rexroad.com
 * Tom Ross, Partner
 * John Peschong, Partner
 * Josiah Keane, Senior Account Executive
 * Andre Levesque, Senior Account Executive
 * Elizabeth Hansell, Account Executive
 * Helen Seliverstov, Account Executive

Front Groups
Central Coast Taxpayers Association has "three board members and one volunteer who answers the phone and was originally given the title of executive director": "county assessor Tom Bordonaro [who] is opposing ballot measures and promoting Wal-Mart and possibly violating the law by doing so"; "Volunteer Paul Santiago and board member John Peschong work for Sacramento-based Meridian Pacific Inc. as public relations professionals promoting" Wal-Mart Stores. 

Clients

 * Assembly GOP Caucus (until January 2006)
 * Bill Jones for U.S. Senate
 * Bonnie Garcia (R-Cathedral City, CA)
 * Californians for Fair Elections
 * Californians for Paycheck Protection
 * Californians for Schwarzenegger - 2006
 * Citizens to Save California
 * McPherson for Secretary of State (See address for Bruce McPherson].)
 * National Republican Congressional Committee re Brian Bilbray ; re 2006 "Generic Office Equipment (Under $1000)" and "Generic Current Computer Equipment"
 * Californians Against the Statewide Parcel Property Tax (See address for No on Proposition 88.)
 * Republican Party
 * Republicans United For San Francisco
 * Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber Political Action Committee

Cardinal Communication Strategies, LLC
Ann Hoang is currently a partner and director of operations at Spinnovation Strategies. According to her profile, Hoang "served as Senior Account Manager and later as Director of Operations for Meridian Pacific, Inc.", where she "successfully managed the formation of a new company, Cardinal Communication Strategies."

As well as at Meridian Pacific, Matt Rexford, Tom Ross, and John Peschong are partnered in Cardinal Communications Strategies, LLC. The firm was Voter Connect Communications since the 1990s, then became "part of Meridian Pacific Inc.," according to the firm's website. Cardinal's principal is Debbie McCall. 


 * Note: A Google search for Voter Connect Communications turned up few results. The company address has been cited as both Sacramento and Gold River, California, with little activity at either location.

Clients

 * Californians for Paycheck Protection
 * Chico Greenline Coalition - in kind
 * Friends of Debbie Beyer
 * Re-Elect Audra Strickland for Assembly

Contact Information
Northern California Office: 925 University Avenue Sacramento, CA 95825 Phone: 916 648-1222 Fax: 916 923-2931

Southern California Office: 200 South Main Street Suite C Templeton, CA 93465 Phone: 805 434-5400

Website: http://www.meridianhq.com Website: http://www.meridianpolitics.com/ Website: http://www.cardinalhq.com/ Weblog: CalRaces.com

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP
 * Economic Freedom Fund
 * Stevens Reed Curcio & Potholm

2005

 * Greg Chang, "PG&E says firm fired for hacking," Bloomberg News (Neohapsis Archives), September 20, 2005.
 * Cosmo Garvin, "'Outrageous, unethical and unacceptable'. PG&E’s consultant is accused of pilfering documents in San Joaquin’s public-power fight--by PG&E," Sacramento News Review (CA), September 22, 2005: "The consulting firm PG&E had hired to wage the public-relations battle there, Meridian Pacific Inc., is partly owned by Woodland Mayor Matt Rexroad. ... Now PG&E is accusing Meridian Pacific of unethical behavior."
 * Anthony York, "Stranger than fiction: GOP firm, PG&E battle over corporate spying," Capitol Weekly, September 25, 2005.
 * Steve Lawrence, "Consultants came out winners in California's special election," Associated Press (MercuryNews), December 7, 2005. (cache file)

2006

 * Jon Fleischman, "Welcome back Cal-Races!" Flash Report, January 21, 2006.
 * "McPherson Files Paperwork to Seek Election to a Full Term as California's Secretary of State. Officially Off and Running to 'Finish the Job' He Was Appointed to do in March 2005," McPherson2006.com, March 7, 2006.
 * Tim Crews, "No on F’ outspends ‘Yes on F’," Valley Mirror Publisher, July 1, 2006. (cache file): "Meridian Pacific, Inc., Sacramento, received $30,000, for campaign consultants, $47,975.58, for campaign literature and mailings and an additional $7,180.06, for reasons not given." and "Cardinal Communication Strategies, LLC, Sacramento, received $4,743.48, for phone banks."
 * "Atascadero, CA. Pro Wal-Mart Group Won’t Name Its Benefactors," Sprawl-Busters, August 15, 2006.
 * David Broadwater, "Assessor shills for Wal-Mart," Atascadero News (CA), August 30, 2006.
 * Karen Velie, "Assessor attempts to clear controversy," San Louis Obispo County's News & Entertainment Weekly, September 18, 2006.
 * Dave Johnson, "Front-Group Economic Freedom Fund and Meridian Pacific," The Patriot Project, September 18, 2006.

Note: This article was started September 18, 2006.