Stop Too Big To Fail

Stop Too Big To Fail is a front group for the financial industry, working to block financial reform. In April, 2010, the group spent $1.6 million to advertise targeting Majority Leader Harry Reid, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) in ways to make it appear that liberals should oppose financial reform. Stop Too Big To Fail is run by another front group, Consumers for Competitive Choice.

DCI connection
Economist Simon Johnson was approached to participate on a conference call organized for Stop Too Big To Fail, by representatives of DCI Group, the Washington, D.C. astroturf/lobbying firm that has worked for right-wing causes from the Swift Boat Veterans to the Burmese junta to the tobacco industry. Johnson initially agreed to work with the group, but shortly after demanded the group stop using his name and image after seeing that the group was pushing an anti-financial reform message. Johnson, who is an MIT professor and former IMF economist, had previously participated in a Stop Too Big To Fail media conference call. The group had been touting his presumed support.

Personnel

 * Co-founder Robert K. Johnson ("Bob Johnson") is an Indianapolis lawyer who represented telecom companies. He was formerly the president of the telecom-industry front group Consumers for Cable Choice.
 * Sam Zamarripa, a former Democratic state senator in Georgia who now owns a private equity firm and is co-founder of Atlanta's United Americas Bank.

Contact
"Stop Too Big to Fail" is a project of Consumers for Competitive Choice, a 501(c)(4) organization P.O. Box 329 Greenwood, IN 46142 Email: media@stoptoobigtofail.com Phone: 866.285.6216
 * Website: http://stoptoobigtofail.com

External resources

 * Justin Elliott, Rent-A-Front: New Group Wages Stealth Battle Against Wall Street Reform, TPM Muckraker, April 21, 2010.
 * Paul Krugman, Stop Stop Too Big To Fail, Conscience of a Liberal blog, NY Times, April 21, 2010.