Trump said he had $315 million in debt. He left out $1.5 billion.

Judd Legum/Think Progress 

A new report reveals the breathtaking scope of Trump’s conflicts of interest.

CREDIT: AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Trump filed documents with the FEC over the summer that revealed he owed at least $315 million to ten entities. This debt, some of which is personally guaranteed by him, was a clear conflict. As president, Trump will be responsible for regulating entities that he also owes money to. Worse, these debts are frequently renegotiated, giving these companies leverage over Trump in the regulatory process.

From Trump’s 2016 FEC financial disclosure form

A report this afternoon from the Wall Street Journal, however, revealed that Trump’s disclosure was the tip of the iceberg. The FEC required Trump only to report debt from entities he fully controls. The disclosure left out “more than $1.5 billion lent to partnerships that are 30%-owned by him.” That debt has been securitized and is owed to at least 150 financial entities.

These financial institutions include many firms that are under the scrutiny of the federal agencies that Trump will soon control. Wells Fargo, for example, which services over $900 million in loans connected to Trump, “is currently facing scrutiny from federal regulators surrounding its fraudulent sales practices and other issues.”

Trump will soon appoint the top regulators who will be responsible for scrutinizing the bank’s conduct.

A press conference that was scheduled to address Trump’s numerous conflict of interest was scheduled for December and then canceled. Another press conference has been scheduled for January 11, although it appears not to be exclusively focused on his business activities.

Thus far, Trump has pledged to retain full ownership over his business empire. His plan to simply hand control over to his sons has been derided as glaringly insufficient. The Office of Government Ethics and other ethics experts have said that the only way for Trump to avoid conflicts is to sell his businesses and place the proceeds in a blind trust.

Instead, Trump is actively soliciting foreign governments to patronize his new Washington DC hotel. Receiving payments from foreign governments is unconstitutional, and Trump currently receives such payments from a number of sources. Legal experts from both sides of the aisle believe that, absent full divestment, Trump will violate the constitution on his first day in office.

Media Host Trump Adviser Boris Epshteyn On Russia Without Disclosing His Business Ties

 ERIC HANANOKI/Media Matters

Media outlets have been hosting Donald Trump senior adviser Boris Epshteyn, who has used the platform to defend Russian President Vladimir Putin from criticism and to claim that the Clintons, not Trump, have “been way too cozy with the Russians.” Outlets have failed to disclose during discussions about Russia that Epshteyn has financial ties to the former Soviet Union, which include consulting for “entities doing business in Eastern Europe” and moderating a Russian-sponsored conference on "investment opportunities in Moscow.” 

Epshteyn States He Provides Services For “Entities Doing Business In Eastern Europe”

Boris Epshteyn Is A Senior Adviser To The Trump Campaign. Epshteyn is an investment banker who serves as a senior adviser to Republican nominee Donald Trump’s campaign. He has also regularly appeared in the media as a Republican pundit. [Twitter.com, accessed 9/15/16]

Epshteyn’s Business Activities: “Relationship Management And/Or Consulting Services For Entities Doing Business In Eastern Europe.” According to his Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s BrokerCheck file, Epshteyn helps entities conduct business in Eastern Europe through Strategy International, LLC. From the file:

Other Business Activities

This section includes information, if any, as provided by the broker regarding other business activities the broker is currently engaged in either as a proprietor, partner, officer, director, employee, trustee, agent or otherwise. This section does not include non-investment related activity that is exclusively charitable, civic, religious or fraternal and is recognized as tax exempt.

1)SINCE MAY 2009, STRATEGY INTERNATIONAL, LLC AND AFFILIATED ENTITY SMETANKA LLC […] (A)PROVIDE RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT AND/OR CONSULTING SERVICES FOR ENTITIES DOING BUSINESS IN EASTERN EUROPE. THE BUSINESS CONDUCTED BY THOSE ENTITIES MAY HAVE AN INVESTMENT-RELATED COMPONENT, ALTHOUGH STRATEGY ITSELF DOES NOT PROVIDE INVESTMENT-RELATED SERVICES - 10 HOURS PER WEEK - MAY BE DURING TRADING HOURS; [Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, accessed 9/15/16] 

Epshteyn’s LinkedIn Says He Provides “Consulting And Liaising Services For For [sic] Domestic And International Transactions With A Focus On Eastern Europe An [sic] Former Soviet Union.” [LinkedIn, accessed 9/15/16]

Epshteyn Moderated 2013 Panel At Russian-Sponsored Conference With Russian Officials

Epshteyn Moderated “Invest In Moscow!” Panel With Russian Officials. Epshteyn moderated an October 28, 2013, panel at the “Invest In Moscow!” conference, during which Russian government officials provided “an overview of the principal investment opportunities in Moscow.” Panelists included several Russian officials including Sergey Cheremin, minister of the Moscow city government and Head of Moscow's Department for Foreign Economic and International Relations. From the event’s program (emphasis in original):

Moderator

Boris Epshteyn, Managing Director of Business and Legal Affairs at TGP Securities Inc.

Panelists:

1. Sergey Cheremin, Minister of the Moscow city government and Head of Moscow's Department for Foreign Economic and International Relations.

2. Andrew Somers, American Chamber of Commerce in Russia President and CEO.

3. Anatoly Valetov, Deputy Head of the Moscow City Department for External Economic and International Relations.

4. Evgeny Dridze, Deputy Head of the Moscow City Department for External Economic and International Relations.

5. Leonid Kostroma, Deputy Director of Moscow City Investment Agency.

Express Panel Topics:

− Moscow: The window to investing in Russia.

− The property complex owned by Moscow as a potential venue for various  investment projects.

− Industry in Moscow: where to set up manufacturing and where to find employees.

− Investments in social infrastructure, energy, and housing and public  utilities – a new trend in Moscow’s investment policy.

− Foreign business experience in Moscow. [The Huffington Post, 8/12/16; Moscowrfny.org, accessed 9/15/16]

Huffington Post: Trump “Keeps A Lot Of People With Financial And Political Ties To The Country Close At Hand,” Including Epshteyn. [The Huffington Post, 8/12/16] 

Moscow City Government Sponsored “Invest In Moscow!” Event. The event’s page listed the Moscow city government’s Department for Foreign Economic and International Relations as a sponsor for the event. The event’s Facebook page also said that the event received a  “generous sponsorship” from the Moscow city government and featured presentations by a high-level Moscow city government delegation on investment opportunities in Russia's capital to an audience of American business and financial leaders.”

[Moscowrfny.org, accessed 9/15/16, Facebook, 10/31/13]

Media Regularly Fail To Disclose Epshteyn’s Business Ties While Hosting Him To Discuss Russia

CNN’s New Day Saturday Hosted Epshteyn To Talk About U.S. And Russia Without Business Ties Disclosure. Epshteyn appeared on New Day Saturday, where he was identified as a “senior adviser to the Trump campaign.” During the segment, Epshteyn criticized Clinton’s policy toward Russia and claimed she is “a complete unhinged warmonger” and is trying to “start a war” with Russia. He later criticized Clinton for her rhetoric about Putin, which he characterized as “negative, negative, negative” and “absolutely not productive.” [CNN, New Day Saturday, 9/10/16, via CNN.com]

PBS Newshour Hosted Epshteyn To Talk About “How The Candidates View U.S.-Russia Relations” Without Disclosing Business Ties. During its September 8 program, PBS Newshour hosted Epshteyn but did not note his business ties. Host Judy Woodruff stated: “Boris Epshteyn, he advises the Trump campaign. He emigrated to the United States from Russia in the early 1990s. He’s a lawyer specializing in investment banking and finance and he worked for John McCain’s campaign for president.” During the segment, he claimed that “it’s actually the Clintons who have been way too cozy with the Russians.” [PBS, PBS Newshour, 9/8/16, viaPBS.org]

Epshteyn Appeared On CNN Newsroom Without Business Ties Disclosure, Claimed “Russia Did Not Seize Crimea.” Epshteyn appeared on the July 31 edition of CNN Newsroom, where he was identified as a Trump surrogate. CNN did not note his business ties to Russia. During the appearance, Epshteyn stated: “First of all, Russia did not seize Crimea. We could talk about the conflict that happened between the Ukraine and Crimea, it’s an ongoing conflict, but there was no seizure by Russia. That is an incorrect statement, characterization of what happened.” [CNN, CNN Newsroom, 8/31/16; Talking Points Memo, 9/1/16]

Epshteyn Appeared On Fox News To Talk Russia Without Disclosure About His Russian Business Ties.Epshteyn appeared on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures and claimed liberals linking Trump to Russia is a "ridiculous narrative by the left."  He added that the "Clintons are the ones that have real connections to Russia." Fox News did not disclose Epshteyn’s business ties to Russia. [Fox News, Sunday Morning Futures,8/14/16; The Hill, 8/14/16] 

Hannity's Financial Ties To Tea Party Worse Than You Think

 ERIC HANANOKI/Media Matters For America:

Fox News is allowing Sean Hannity to promote the Tea Party Patriots on its airwaves even though the group is financially connected to the conservative host.

Huffington Post's Michael Calderone reported today that Hannity, who also hosts a Premiere Radio Networks program, has been fundraising for Tea Party Patriots (TPP) in emails, and "has also promoted the group's efforts on his Fox News program."  

TVNewser reported that in response to Calderone's report, "Fox News tells us Hannity's involvement with the Tea Party group is for his radio show, and has nothing to do with his FNC show or role with the network."

But Fox's response that TPP has "nothing to do" with Fox is disingenuous and a dodge of ethical standards. A Media Matters review found that Hannity has repeatedly done promotional tie-ins for TPP on radio and then promoted or hosted the group on his Fox News program.

For instance, Hannity did radio promos for TPP on July 31 and August 12. He then hosted TPP president Jenny Beth Martin on his Fox program Hannity on August 20, and September 9. Martin was also part of a "special audience edition" of Hannity on August 16. Fox even allowed Hannity to promote TPP's website HannityForSanity.com on August 1.  

Calderone reported that "Hannity made a passing reference to the Tea Party Patriots on his Fox News show" on February 19 in which Hannity said "The Tea Party Patriots are partners on my radio show." Calderone added that "was the only time on Fox News that Hannity has described Tea Party Patriots as a 'partner' of his radio program," according to Nexis.

In addition to his TPP email this week, Hannity sent an email on behalf of TPP on September 6 urging readers to "sign the National Petition to Exempt America from Obamacare right now. It's the very best way to help get rid of this horrible law before it goes into effect on October 1st." Hannity sent a TPP fundraising email in mid-December, writing that "If you've heard my radio show at all in the past few months, then you've probably heard me talk about the great Americans at Tea Party Patriots ... So please, make your monthly commitment right away." 

Though it's not clear how much Hannity is receiving for his Tea Party Patriots promotions -- representatives for Martin, TPP, and Hannity didn't respond to comment requests from Calderone --  Hannity received big money for prior promotions for another conservative group.

Politico reported in 2011 that the Heritage Foundation paid $1.3 million to Hannity's program for "promotional tie-ins, as well as regular on-air plugs - praising or sometimes defending the groups, while urging listeners to donate - often woven seamlessly into programming in ways that do not seem like paid advertising."

Fox News previously forced Hannity to cancel a taping of a 2010 Fox News show at a Cincinnati Tea Party event because it charged admission and had "all proceeds" benefiting the organization. At the time Fox portrayed themselves to media as "furious" with Hannity.

Here are four recent examples of Hannity's radio promotional tie-ins:

Hannity Tea Party Patriots Promotion, 2/17/14. Hannity told his listeners to "take action" against the IRS and its alleged targeting of conservative groups by going to TPP's website PatriotsAnniversary.com.

Hannity Tea Party Patriots Promotion, 1/20/14. Hannity told listeners to show "leftists" that conservatives won't be intimidated by visiting TeaPartyPatriots.org and joining the group because "we need you."

Hannity Tea Party Patriots Promotion, 8/12/13. Hannity integrated a promotion for The Tea Party Patriots into his program while criticizing former IRS official Lois Lerner and the Obama administration. Hannity said he's supporting the Tea Party Patriots and urged listeners to go to HannityForSanity.com.

Hannity Tea Party Patriots Promotion, 7/31/13. Hannity claimed that the IRS is intimidating tea partiers and his "friends" at the Tea Party Patriots are creating TV ads but they need help to get them aired. Hannity then directed listeners to HannityForSanity.com to donate "whatever you can afford" so "we" can get those ads up.

60 Minutes Still Hasn't Mentioned Their Benghazi Conflict Of Interest

MATT GERTZ/Media Matters For America:

60 Minutes still hasn't told its viewers that its since-retracted report on the September 2012 Benghazi attacks promoted a book that was published by a CBS subsidiary -- a conflict of interest the network acknowledged was a mistake a week ago.

Media commentators have been raining criticism on CBS News in response to 60 Minutes' tepid, incomplete apology for their retracted report on Benghazi. Those critics have pointed out that the 90-second apology failed to explain how the segment made it to air given the serious questions about the credibility of its star "witness" Dylan Davies, and have lambasted the network for failing to announce an investigation into the handling of the story.

But even before CBS News finally acknowledged the problems with Davies story, the network conceded it had made a mistake in failing to tell the viewers of the October 27 story that Davies' book, which the segment promoted, was published by Simon & Schuster, which is a division of CBS.

On November 5, The New York Times reported:

CBS said that Jeffrey Fager, chairman of CBS News and executive producer of "60 Minutes," said on Tuesday that he regretted not making the connection between Mr. Davies and CBS public.

[CBS correspondent Lara] Logan said, "Honestly, it never factored into the story. It was a mistake; we should have done it, precisely because there's nothing to hide. It was an oversight."

That "oversight" was not corrected during 60 Minutes' brief November 10 apology, which discussed only the failure to properly vet Davies' story, not the conflict of interest. 

Likewise, when CBS Evening News covered the story on November 8, anchor Scott Pelley said that Davies had written a book that had been published by a CBS division, but did not note that that information had not been mentioned during the original 60 Minutes segment.

CBS has only acknowledged this problem on air during a November 8 segment on CBS' This Morning, when anchor Jeff Glor reported that "60 [Minutes] has already acknowledged it was a mistake not to disclose that the book was being published by Simon & Schuster, which is a CBS company."

Notably, This Morning typically has an audience of 2.5 to 3 million viewers. 60 Minutes, by contrast, is the most-watched news program in America; the October 27 broadcast was seen by almost 11 million people, while the November 10 edition was watched by more than 15 million.

Democrats To Introduce Supreme Court Ethics Bill

By Stephanie Mencimer/Mother Jones

Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has been in the news recently after Mother Jones revealed her involvement in Groundswell, a secret effort by a group of conservatives to organize their fight against liberals, mainstream Republicans, andKarl Rove. Her political activity has once again raised questions about whether she is creating conflicts of interest for her husband, and whether he should be forced to recuse himself from cases that involve Ginni's work.

Such calls for Thomas to recuse from cases hit a fevered pitch when the Affordable Care Act was before the high court and Ginni was actively lobbying against it. As it turned out, there's no mechanism for concerned citizens to complain about a Supreme Court justice, or even a clear set of rules that the justices must follow in making recusal decisions. Supreme Court justices are exempt from the Code of Conduct for United State Judges, the rulebook that every other federal judge in the country has to follow.

That code would have prohibited the justices from a number of controversial activities the Supreme Court has engaged in over the past few years. In 2011, for instance, Thomas and Justice Antonin Scalia headlined a fundraiser for the conservative legal group, the Federalist Society. Ordinary federal judges couldn't have done that. Both also have attended hush-hush political events hosted by Koch Industries that are billed as efforts "to review strategies for combating the multitude of public policies that threaten to destroy America as we know it." Koch Industries is owned by the right-wing Koch family that's been dumping millions of dollars in the Republican politics, particularly after the court decided in Citizens United to allow unlimited corporate money into the electoral system. The code also requires federal judges to recuse themselves from cases in which a spouse or family member has a financial interest, a rule that might apply to the Thomases.

Several members have decided to try to do something about the appearance of impropriety by some of the justices. On Thursday, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Chris Murhpy (D-CT), and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), plan to introduce the Supreme Court Ethics Act of 2012 that would force the high court to adopt an ethics code much like the one that binds lower court judges. The idea has support from legal scholars, who've been urging the court to adopt such a code since last year. More than 125,000 people have signed a petition calling on Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. to apply the Code of Conduct to the court. But Roberts has been pretty adamant that he thinks the justices are perfectly capable of policing themselves without the need for silly codes (codes which most of the sitting justices once had to abide by on a lower court). 

Without buy-in from Roberts, any attempt, even by Congress, to require the justices to give themselves a written code of ethics is probably a tough sell. The new bill, if it could even pass through the full Congress (also doubtful), could set off an epic separation of powers battle between the two branches of government. A spokesman from Slaughter's office says that the bill is absolutely constitutional, as Congress has the authority to regulate the administration of the court—setting the number of justices and whatnot. Still, it's possible that the court could put up a fight—a fight that might ultimately have to be decided by....the Supreme Court.

Fox Lets Rove Discuss Akin Rape Comments Without Disclosing His Conflict Of Interest

BEN DIMIERO/Media Matters for america

Fox News hosted Karl Rove this morning to discuss Rep. Todd Akin's (R-MO) comments that women have a biological mechanism to prevent them from getting pregnant if they are raped. Neither Rove nor Fox disclosed that Rove's political groups have invested more than $5 million in Akin's U.S. Senate race.*

Akin has come under fire for saying in an interview yesterday that it is "really rare" for women subjected to "legitimate rape" to become pregnant. In an appearance on America's Newsroom, Rove was asked by anchor Martha MacCallum about Akin's comments and a separate Politico story about GOP congressman Kevin Yoder skinny dipping in the Sea of Galilee. MacCallum -- who didn't play video of Akin's comments, instead choosing to vaguely describe them -- asked Rove whether the two scandals "deserve the attention they're getting."

Rove explained that "the Akin story will be important inside Missouri," but quickly pivoted to discussing the deficit and other economic issues. Rove's attempt to change the subject mirrors Akin's statement about the controversy last night, in which Akin, after claiming he "misspoke," attempted to refocus the story on "very important issues, starting with the economy."

Asked how badly Akin's comments will hurt him in his race against Sen. Claire McCaskill, Rove conceded that Akin has some "real explaining to do," then abruptly changed the subject to a story he said was "far more important," the Republican Party's fundraising advantage over the Democratic Party.

Between June and early August, Crossroads GPS, the 501(c)(4) offshoot to Rove's American Crossroads Super PAC, has spent more than $850,000 on the Missouri Senate race. According to The Washington Post, Crossroads GPS has spent more than $5.4 million dollars overall in Missouri.*

During the segment, Rove was identified as both a Fox News contributor and a former Bush adviser, but his connection to Crossroads was not disclosed. 

Fox News has previously promoted ads from Rove's political groups and hosted Rove to discuss races he is invested in without disclosing the conflict of interest.

UPDATE:

According to Politico, Crossroads has pulled its ads from the Missouri Senate race following the controversy over Akin's comments:

The group had originally booked a new round of ads to start Wednesday but began canceling them earlier today. The decision comes in the wake of comments by Missouri Rep. and GOP Senate nominee Todd Akin questioning how often women can get pregnant from "legitimate rape."

Contacted about the decision to withdraw its resources from Missouri, Crossroads spokesman Nate Hodson responded: "The act speaks for itself."

*This post originally understated the amount of money Crossroads had invested in the Missouri Senate race and has since been updated. 

MDP: Justices Should Disclose What They Know About Fake Supreme Court Candidate

From Michigan Democratic Party:

Detroit Free Press Reveals Mindy Barry, “Taxpayer Party” Candidate, as Longtime GOP Activist Who Clerked for Chief Justice Young

LANSING – Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer has requested that Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Young Jr., Justice Stephen Markman and Justice Brian Zahra provide full disclosure about their knowledge and involvement in the candidacy of Taxpayer Party Supreme Court candidate Mindy Barry, a longtime Republican activist, donor and voter that formerly clerked for Young, according to a recent report by the Detroit Free Press.

“Public confidence in elected officials has been severely shaken by the criminal petition fraud scandal surrounding now former Congressman Thad McCotter and the election-rigging scheme of House Speaker Bolger,” said Brewer in a letter to Young, Markman and Zahra. “Barry’s candidacy appears to be another GOP sham intended to deceive voters.”

Barry, who formed her committee the day before the Taxpayer Party’s convention, is its first and only Supreme Court candidate in that party’s history. Barry has indicated she intends to raise and spend less than $1,000. However, Barry is no political neophyte, having worked as a Republican staffer in Congress for several years, donated to Republican Clark Durant, voted in Republican presidential primaries and worked for Young.

“Barry is running as a sham candidate simply to draw votes away from the other female candidates in the race,” Brewer said. “She’s a longtime GOP political operative who isn’t making any effort — other than getting her name on the ballot — to win votes. Young, Markman and Zahra owe the voters full disclosure of their role in her candidacy.”

The Continuation Of The WSJ's Rove Problem

REMINGTON SHEPARD/media Matters for America

Karl Rove is continuing to use Wall Street Journal column to blatantly advance his own financial interests.

Rove is the co-founder of Crossroads GPS and American Crossroads, two outside groups devoted to defeating President Obama in the November election. And in his August 8 Journal column, Rove touted the efforts of outside groups working against Obama without any disclosure of his own involvement in such groups.

Rove advised Mitt Romney to run positive ads while leaving the dirty work of negative advertising to outside groups:

Mr. Romney also began running more positive ads. The election will not be won just by highlighting Mr. Obama's failures, a job better left (mostly) to outside groups. Because it can put the candidate on camera, the Romney campaign is better positioned to reassure voters that he has a plan to create jobs, reduce spending, and make America more prosperous.

Rove's outside groups plan to raise at least $240 million ahead of Election Day in order to fund ad buys.

And Rove's groups are indeed busy smearing Obama just as Rove suggested they should in his Journalcolumn. Last week, Rove's group unveiled a new ad that falsely claimed that the 2009 stimulus bill failed.

Rove's group previously produced an anti-Obama attack ad that deceptively edited comments the president has made. Rove subsequently hyped the same distortion in his Journal column.

The Journal has a Rove problem. It allows Rove to hype distortions promoted by his political groups, it allows him to promote the role of his groups in this election cycle, and it refuses to acknowledge Rove's conflict of interest.

Fox Hides Guest's Membership In Anti-Health Care Reform Group

ZACHARY PLEAT/Media Matters for America:

Fox & Friends today interviewed a member of the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) to attack the Affordable Care Act without disclosing his ties to the anti-health care group. NFIB member and small business owner Mike Paine appeared on the program to claim that the health care bill will hurt his business, an attack that has been repeated by other NFIB members.

During the interview, Fox & Friends co-host Dave Briggs asked Paine to explain, "[w]hy, in your opinion, does Obamacare hurt small businesses like yours?" Paine went on to talk about his uncertainty over the law and claimed he believed President Obama wants to get rid of employer-based health care:

At no point during the interview did Briggs mention that Paine was a member of the NFIB, a group that has spent millions opposing the health care reform law, even though the NFIB's Twitter account promoted his appearance on Thursday:

.@NFIB member Mike Paine of CT on @foxandfriends tomorrow morning to discuss how#Obamacare will affect his #smallbiz bit.ly/PiPHo2

-- NFIB (@NFIB) July 5, 2012

The NFIB has long been involved in the effort to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Salon.com's Alex Seitz-Weldnoted that the NFIB is the lead plaintiff in one of the lawsuits against the law that went before the Supreme Court, and reported that the group's lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act "cost at least $2.9 million in 2010 alone." He also reported that:

The NFIB presents itself as the "nonpartisan" voice of small businesses, but liberal critics charge that, much like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the NFIB has become a partisan conservative attack dog.

The group has given vastly more to GOP candidates than to Democrats, with over 90 percent of its contributions going to Republicans for the past 15 years, on average. So far this year, they've given almost $300,000 to GOP candidates and just $3,500 to Democrats. Crossroads GPS, the 501(c)4 arm of Karl Rove's American Crossroads, also gave$3.7 million to the NFIB last year.

But Paine isn't the only small business owner affiliated with the NFIB that Fox has hosted to criticize health care reform, and it isn't the first time they failed to disclose the guest's NFIB membership.

The blog Balloon Juice pointed out that a small business owner named Joe Olivo recently appeared on NPR and NBC News to bash the Affordable Care Act - without his membership in the NFIB being disclosed. Olivo has also appeared several times on Fox to criticize the law:

Wow--two news organizations covering the same story scoured the nation for a random small business owner to comment on that story--and they both found the same one! How'd that happen? What are the odds?

Well, as it turns out, Joe Olivo of Perfect Printing turns up quite a bit in public discussions of this and other issues. Here he is testifying against the health care law before House and Senate committees in January 2011. Here he is on the Fox Business Network around the same time, discussing the same subject. Here he is a few days ago, also on Fox Business, talking to John Stossel about the law. Here he is discussing the same subject on a New Jersey Fox affiliate.

And here he is in July 2010 discussing small business hiring with Neil Cavuto on Fox News.Here he is opposing an increase in the minimum wage in an MSNBC debate a couple of weeks ago.

Go to many of these links and you find out something about Joe Olivo that NPR and NBC didn't tell you: he's a member of the National Federation of Independent Business. NFIB's site and YouTube page promote many of Olivo's public appearances. He was the subject of an NFIB "My Voice in Washington" online video in 2011.

A Nexis search shows that Joe Olivo has been hosted by Fox News and Fox Business six times since July 2010, and in those appearances he criticized health care reform and claimed it will hurt his business - without his membership in the NFIB being disclosed.

Fox News: Where Romney Advisers Are Undisclosed, Impartial Analysts

by Ben Dimiero & Eric Hananoki/Media Matters

Fox News has repeatedly hosted advisers to presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney without disclosing that they are helping his campaign. Media Matters examined recent appearances by advisers John Bolton, Jay Sekulow, and Walid Phares, who have all appeared on Fox News and criticized the Obama administration.

Bolton and Phares are Fox News contributors, while Sekulow is a frequent Fox News guest.

Bolton, a Romney foreign policy adviser, said on Fox News that Obama's foreign policy is "confused and incoherent and incompetent" and defended Romney's foreign policy experience. Sekulow, a Romney legal adviser, has repeatedly appeared on Fox to attack the Obama administration on a variety of legal issues. And Phares, a member of Romney's foreign policy and national security advisory team, has criticized the Obama administration's handling of Syria and Afghanistan on Fox.

Fox News routinely violates journalistic ethics. Last week, Media Matters noted that Fox News hasaggressively promoted Karl Rove's Super PAC American Crossroads, often without disclosing Rove's connection to either American Crossroads or Fox News.

JOHN BOLTON

On January 11, Bolton appeared on Fox News andendorsed Romney. The campaign sent out apress release the following day and quoted Romney's response to Bolton: "I look forward to consulting with him as we campaign to restore America's standing abroad and ensure that this century is an American Century." Boltonappeared at a January endorsement event in South Carolina with Romney.

Bolton signed a March 27 "open letter" in which he and others were listed as "Romney Foreign Policy Advisers." The letter questioned "whether a new period of even greater weakness and inconstancy would lie ahead if you [President Obama] are reelected."

Bolton participated in a February 6 get out the vote rally for Romney in Edina, Minnesota and anApril 1 meet and greet event in Baltimore, Maryland.

A spokesperson for Bolton, Christine Samuelian, told Media Matters in an email that Bolton "is not paid by the campaign and gives foreign policy advice to lots of people."

Media Matters reviewed a week of Bolton's recent Fox News appearances* -- April 26 through May 3, seven appearances -- and found that Bolton was not identified as a Romney adviser. Bolton was identified as a Fox News contributor and a former UN ambassador.

During these appearances, Bolton routinely criticized the Obama administration and defended Romney. For example:

• On the April 26 edition of On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, Bolton called Obama's foreign policy "confused and incoherent and incompetent." Bolton also made the case for Romney, stating:

  BOLTON: Well, I think Romney is in the long stream of Republican presidents and candidates who believe in the doctrine of peace through strength, that a strong America is less likely to face challenges and difficulties than a weak America.
  
  Obama has a very different view. He's obviously comfortable with American decline. He doesn't see international problems and threats as being nearly as serious as they are in the terrorism area, the proliferation area and others. And he's presiding over a hollowing out of the American military, which I think will have significant down sides for us in the years to come.

  Bolton later added that Romney has "had extensive international experience both in his business career, as governor of Massachusetts, and in something that's not well heralded, I think, his success with the Salt Lake City Olympics."
• On the May 1 edition of America's Newsroom, Bolton discussed a campaign ad that described the mission that killed Osama bin Laden and criticized Mitt Romney. Bolton called Obama's criticism "un-presidential" and "beneath the dignity of the office."
• On the May 1 edition of America Live, Bolton defended Romney from criticism by the Obama campaign. When asked about Obama's criticism of Romney's 2007 remarks about going into Pakistan to apprehend or kill Bin Laden, Bolton said that the "full context of Governor Romney's statement made it clear there was no lack of enthusiasm for going after Obama [sic]. And indeed, I think the Obama campaign ad that discusses that really is kind of out of line."

JAY SEKULOW

On January 15, the Romney campaign issued a release announcing the endorsements of Jay Sekulow and Jordan Sekulow (Jay's son). Romneystated: "I look forward to working with them to ensure that we can bring conservative change to Washington."

During a January 17 interview on TRN'sAmerica's Morning News, co-host John McCaslin identified Sekulow as a "legal adviser to Mitt Romney's campaign." Sekulow identified himself as "an adviser" during the interview.

In the lead-up to the Ohio primary on March 6, the Romney campaign released a radio ad with Sekulow.

On April 6, Politico's Jonathan Martin identified Sekulow as a Romney adviser and reported that Sekulow is serving as a liaison "between the former Massachusetts governor and movement conservatives." Martin added that Sekulow helped coordinate a meeting "with about 10 prominent Republican leaders."

Sekulow reportedly previously served as an adviser to Romney's political action committee and his2008 presidential campaign. He is also chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice.

ACLJ spokesman Gene Kapp told Media Matters in an email that "Sekulow is an active supporter, endorser, and friend of Mitt Romney and has been for many years. He has endorsed Romney in his individual capacity as a private citizen, not as chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice. His support is voluntary and unpaid."

Sekulow regularly appears on Fox News to discuss various legal issues. Sekulow is usually introduced as a representative of the American Center for Law and Justice. During these appearances, he often criticizes the Obama administration, though his connection to the Romney campaign goes undisclosed. For example:

• On the February 13 edition of Hannity, Sekulow attacked the Obama administration for the contraception mandate, which he claimed was a violation of the First Amendment. After Fox contributor Tamara Holder suggested Romney was OK with a similar mandate in Massachusetts, Sekulow defended Romney's record and clarified that Romney, along with the other Republican candidates, "has been very clear" that he opposes Obama's position on the mandate. While defending Romney, Sekulow announced that he was "speaking here as a citizen." 
• On the April 18 edition of America Live, Sekulow appeared opposite Democratic consultant Julian Epstein to discuss news that Republican senators had joined a lawsuit against the Obama administration over recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board. During the segment, Sekulow effectively endorsed the merits of the lawsuit and repeatedly suggested that President Obama's appointments were unconstitutional. 

• On the April 25 edition of America Live, Sekulow appeared opposite Epstein to comment on the controversial Arizona immigration law. Near the end of the segment, anchor Megyn Kelly asked about what the political ramifications would be if the Supreme Court upholds the law. Sekulow responded by attacking the Obama administration: "If this lawsuit was initiated because of politics, that says something about the current administration. That is awful, if that's the reason that this was brought in the first place - which I suspect it was." 

WALID PHARES

According to his FoxNews.com biography, Walid Phares "joined Fox News in January 2007 and serves as Middle East and terrorism expert."

An October 6, 2011, Romney campaign press release listed Phares as a special adviser on Romney's foreign policy and national security advisory team. Phares signed a March 27 "open letter" to President Obama in which he and others were listed as "Romney Foreign Policy Advisers." 

Phares' most recent appearance on a Fox property was on the April 19 edition of Fox Business' Lou Dobbs Tonight, where he was critical of the Obama administration's handling of Syria. Phares was identified as a Fox News Middle Eastern affairs analyst and an author but not as a Romney adviser.

Phares last appeared on Fox News during the February 26 edition of Fox & Friends Sunday, during which Phares criticized the Obama administration's apology for a Quran burning by American personnel at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Phares' Romney connection was not disclosed during that appearance.

A request for comment to Phares was not returned.