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Contact: Brian Rogers
Monday, July 19, 2010
(602) 604-2010
McCAIN CAMPAIGN AGAIN CALLS ON HAYWORTH TO COME CLEAN AND DISCLOSE PAYMENTS AND TERMS FOR HIS “FREE GOVERNMENT MONEY” INFOMERCIAL SCAM
PHOENIX, AZ-- U.S. Senator John McCain’s re-election campaign today renewed its call for Congressman J.D. Hayworth to come clean about how much he was paid and disclose the terms of his agreement with National Grants Conferences (NGC), the shady company that paid him to film a 2007 infomercial hawking “free government money” in a scam that ripped innocent people off. During Saturday’s debate in Tucson, Senator McCain asked Congressman Hayworth how much he got paid to star in his “free government money” infomercial. Congressman Hayworth did not answer, but said that his “mistakes” were “personal in nature” – despite the fact that the “free money” infomercial scam that Hayworth aided and abetted ripped countless people off for thousands of dollars apiece – including Arizonans – as a 2009 News 4-Tucson investigation reported.
**Watch Senator McCain ask Congressman Hayworth how much he got paid to do his “free government money” infomercial during the Tucson debate on Saturday**
When Congressman Hayworth’s starring role in the “free money” infomercial scam was revealed four weeks ago, his campaign repeatedly told the press that Congressman Hayworth didn’t remember how much he was paid for his services. Since then, however, Congressman Hayworth has repeatedly cited the “terms” of his agreement with NGC – going so far as to specifically cite the “expiration point” of his contract with them – to absurdly argue that he was as much a victim of NGC’s scam as the folks that he helped rip off with his infomercial’s false promises of “hundreds of billions” in “free government money.”
By specifically citing the “terms” of his agreement with this shady company, Hayworth revealed that he knows much more about his relationship with NGC than he has told Arizona voters to date – including the amount of money he was paid to film the infomercial. McCain 2010 Communications Director Brian Rogers issued the following statement renewing the call for Congressman Hayworth to come clean with Arizona voters:
“For personal profit, Congressman Hayworth sold his name and the integrity of the United States Congress to an absurd ‘free government money’ infomercial scam that ripped innocent people off. By promoting ‘free money’ from the government, Congressman Hayworth has already lost any credibility as a conservative. At this
point, the least Congressman Hayworth can do is have enough respect for the voters to finally come clean, and tell them how much he was paid to film the infomercial, and what the terms of his contract were. “By disclosing this basic information which he’s already admitted is in his possession, Congressman Hayworth can finally answer a key question in this entire debacle: How much money did Congressman Hayworth demand for betraying the public trust?”-- McCain 2010 Communications Director Brian Rogers
Congressman Hayworth’s refusal so far to come clean on the details of his relationship with NGC typifies his erratic, contradictory response to this entire infomercial debacle. Hayworth first said he had “no regrets” about filming the infomercial, saying, “It’s not something I’m ashamed of,” and coldly brushed off anyone who might have been scammed of our their money, arguingthat his own word can’t be trusted: “I always say about any product or service, one of the staples I learned growing up is ‘caveat emptor’ -- ‘buyer beware.’”
Then, after sustaining days of harsh attacks by conservatives such as Glenn Beck (who hastwicerippedinto Hayworth and declared his U.S. Senate campaign “over"), The Wall Street Journal, National
Review, Weekly Standard, and The American Spectator, Hayworth
abruptly changed course, expressing “regret”for filming the infomercial. But Congressman Hayworth’s belated “regret” didn’t last long, as he doubled-downon his “free government money” infomercial claims again two weeks ago, saying “those grants exist” and absurdly comparing himself to a weatherman who delivers bad – but accurate – news.
All this despite the fact that the U.S. Government’s official grants website, grants.gov, specifically warns consumers about claims made in late-night infomercials like the one Hayworth starred in, stating: “We have all seen them; late night infomercials, websites, and reference guides, advertising 'millions in free money.' Don't believe the hype! Although there are many grants on Grants.gov, few of them are available to individuals and none of them are available for personal financial assistance.” (Grants.gov)
Now is the time for Congressman Hayworth to finally come clean, drop the prevarications and talk straight to the people of Arizona about why he filmed this infomercial for a scam company that ripped people off – and how much he got paid to do it.
FACT CHECK: HAYWORTH CAMPAIGN CLAIMED CANDIDATE COULDN’T REMEMBER HOW MUCH HE WAS PAID FOR INFOMERCIAL, BUT THEN CITED NGC’S VIOLATION OF “TERMS” OF CONTRACT
When Hayworth’s Starring Role In 2007 “Free Government Money” Infomercial Was Revealed Four Weeks Ago, His Campaign Said Hayworth “Can't Recall How Much He Was Paid For The Job” Hayworth Campaign Told The Arizona Republic That Hayworth “Can't Recall How Much He Was Paid For The Job”
“A 2007 television infomercial in which former Rep. J.D. Hayworth promoted seminars for ‘free money grants’ from the federal government has resurfaced to shake up his Republican primary challenge to incumbent Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
Hayworth, who lost his seat in Congress in 2006 and now is running against McCain from the right as an anti-spending, ‘tea-party’-style conservative, appeared in the 30-minute infomercial to help assure viewers that hundreds of billions of dollars could be available to them. … The main point of the program was to persuade viewers to attend workshops that ostensibly instructed attendees how to secure the free government cash.
But National Grants Conferences, the Florida-based company that hosted the classes and produced the infomercial with Hayworth, has drawn criticism from multiple state attorneys general and the Better Business Bureau, which slapped it with a negative "F" rating.
In introducing Hayworth, the National Grants Conferences infomercial cited his past service on the ‘powerful’ House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees tax legislation, and Hayworth vouched for the claims that billions were available to savvy Americans. Hayworth participated only in the single 2007 infomercial and can't recall how much he was paid for the job, [Hayworth spokesman Mark] Sanders said.” (Dan Nowicki, “Hayworth '07 TV Ad Returns To Haunt Him,” The Arizona Republic, 6/22/10)
Hayworth Campaign Told The Associated Press That “Hayworth Couldn't Remember How Much He Was Paid For The Endorsement.”
“Republican U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Hayworth's campaign on Monday defended his role as a pitchman three years ago for a Florida company that consumer advocates have accused of airing misleading ads. … In the infomercial, Hayworth urges viewers to attend a free seminar by the Boca Raton, Fla.-based company that offers to help people get free government money. ‘I was able to get a grant for $13,000 for my roof, for the electrical work. I don't have to pay any of this money back,’ one woman says in the infomercial. The firm, which has filed for bankruptcy, is accused of luring consumers to the free seminar, then using high-pressure sales tactics to persuade them to spend hundreds of dollars for access to information that is readily available online or at a public library. Hayworth is introduced as a former member of Congress who served on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. … Sanders said Hayworth couldn't remember how much he was paid for the endorsement.” (Jonathan J. Cooper, “AZ Senate Hopeful Defends Pitch For Troubled Firm,” The Associated Press, 6/21/10)
But A Week Later, Hayworth Said That He Had His Own “Difficulties” With NGC, Saying He Had To Take Legal Action Against Them For Violating The “Terms” Of His Agreement With Them
Hayworth YouTube Video: “Had I done a little more digging, I probably would have discovered what a lot of people know now: that the company had several consumer complaints against them. And those consumers who complained were not alone – for example it was brought to my attention that as late as last year, this same company was using my image and likeness again to promote these grants, long past the agreed to expiration point of our agreement. So I actually had to get a lawyer to write a cease and desist letter to the company. So I had my own difficulties with that entity.” (J.D. Hayworth YouTube Video, 6/28/10)
Hayworth Radio Interview: “It turns out the company had some consumer complaints against them. Now it turns out that I’m – I also have my complaints against that company because I discovered a year ago they were continuing to use my image and likeness in an endorsement along with my old Congressional colleague J.C. Watts who had done a video presentation about a year prior to the one I had done. They were continuing to use our image and likeness violating terms of our agreement, so I actually had to go get a lawyer and write a cease and desist letter.” (KYCA’s Radio’s “KYCA PM,”Prescott, AZ, 6/30/10)
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