VIDEO: Outside Of Supreme Court, GOP Front Group Funded With Secret Health Insurance Cash Tries To Hide Affiliation

Earlier this month, health insurance company Aetna accidentally leaked a document that revealed that the company secretly funneled $7.7 million to Republican front groups in 2010. The money was earmarked for the Karl Rove's American Action Forum ($3.3 million) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ($4.4 million), two groups that led the charge in fighting against health reform and running deceptive advertising about supporters of the law. One particularly nasty American Action Network ad said congressmen who voted for the bill were providing viagra for rapists.

Yesterday morning outside the Supreme Court, as crowds gathered to await the decision, we ran into Doug Holtz-Eakin, the economist who helped launch American Action Network and its sister 501(c)3 group, American Action Forum. He is listed on the American Action Network website as one of their "experts," and he told FrumForum that he would be working closely with the American Action Network to put "ideas into action." When the pair of groups launched in 2010, the New York Timesreported Holtz-Eakin as "part of American Action Network."

But Holtz-Eakin is apparently nervous about answering questions about the health insurance money that helps fund his network of front groups.

Read more →