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Remembering Beth Ramp Sturgeon, Rove Fundraiser


A little while ago, Mrs. Panstreppon and I had a close look at a Rove-connected fundraiser named Beth Ramp Sturgeon.

We became interested in Mrs. Sturgeon because she seemed to use the same Austin accountant as Karl Rove.  Sturgeon was also known as a fundraiser for the GOP and the Bush campaigns.  Her fundriaisng company was known as "Austex Development Corp LLC" of Dripping Springs, TX.

A little more probing took us to two austroturfy hispanic advocacy organizations which Sturgeon apparently headed - the Hispanic Alliance for Progress and the Hispanic Alliance for Progress Education Fund .  One was a 501c3 and one a 501c4.  At the time it seemed odd for a fundraiser to be running nonprofits.

Additional probing led us to find that Sturgeon's fundraising business somehow landed a $10,000 Small Business Administration loan in 2003.  This was at a time when her fundraising company was doing remarkably well during the lead up to the elections.

Then it was discovered that Sturgeon was somehow on an SBA small business advisory ombudsman panel.

And finally we found that Sturgeon's Hispanic nonprofit somehow landed a <a href="http://www.cdfifund.gov/awardees/db/profile.asp?controlNumber=051TA005655">$46,000 grant</a> from the Treasury.

So what has Sturgeon been up to lately?

Well, she seems to be involved now in something called Gem City Investments LLC in Canada, TX.  The Hispanic organizations folded up after apparently going belly up (wonder what happened to the $46k?). 

Additionally, Sturgeon ran something called Strategic Outreach Services LLC during the 2006 election - and took in $$ from GOPAC.  Addresses vary for this business, but one was 806 Park Blvd, Austin, TX at phone 512/323-6161.  That address tracks back to a heretofore unidentified Hispanic organization - the Institute For Hispanic Initiatives and Development.

IFHID lists its address as 816 Congress Ave Suite 860, Austin, TX.  The directors of the organization were:

Jacob Monty, Director
18964 Groschke Rd
Houston, TX 877084

Raul Romero
Dirctor
1600 Colonial Hills Drive
McLean, VA 22102

Shiree Sanchez
806 Park Blvd
Austin, TX 78751


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Very nice homework!

Recommended.

The 816 Congress Ave address tracks back to former FEMA Director Joe Allbaugh's Allbaugh Group LLC:

Company Name: THE ALLBAUGH COMPANY LLC

Business Address: 816 CONGRESS AVE SUITE 960
AUSTIN, TX 78701-2475

Allbaugh was a political fixer for George W Bush back when he was Governor. Allbaugh was also Bush's Chief of Staff in Texas.

Shiree Sanchez, a director with IFHID, is on the McCain National Hispanic Advisory Board.

Ms. Sanchez has a resume long enough to be considered a "veteran political operative":

Shiree Sanchez, Vice President of Government Marketing: Ms. Sanchez is a Managing Partner of Terra Firma Capital Group, LLC, a private Austin, TX based investment firm focused on investing in real estate, distressed assets and alternative energy products. She is also the Manager a private family owned holding company that invests in IRO single and multi family residential real estate properties (acquired as buy and hold assets) as well as small to mid-sized companies with a Hispanic market focus. Ms. Sanchez is also a Senior Advisor to Covalent Capital, a private equity firm focused on U.S. Hispanic investments as well as a Senior Advisor to the Campaign to Elect Senator John McCain to the President of the United States.

Ms. Sanchez is an expert on policy issues related to emerging Hispanic market demographics including: access to capital, affordable housing and asset creation. She co-founded a national Community Development Corporation, The Hispanic Alliance for Progress (HAP) with The Honorable Manuel Lujan, Jr., Former Secretary of the Interior and 20 year Member of Congress from New Mexico. HAP has been tasked with promoting economic development initiatives and creating affordable housing developments for working Hispanic families. Ms. Sanchez developed the organization’s financing and housing models in order for it to become an affordable housing non profit developer. As a CHDO, Community Housing Development Organization, the organization leverages a 15 % CHDO set aside mandated by Congress to direct HOME program funds into the hands of nonprofit developers.

Previously, Ms Sanchez was appointed by the Former President of the United States, George H.W. Bush to serve in the White House as the Principal Advisor for Hispanic and Disabled Affairs (1988-1992). Ms. Sanchez received a BBA from The University of Texas, is active with many charities, was born in Monterrey, Mexico and is fluent in Spanish and English.

Shiree Sanchez, a director with IFHID, is on the McCain National Hispanic Advisory Board.

Ms. Sanchez has a resume long enough to be considered a "veteran political operative":

Shiree Sanchez, Vice President of Government Marketing: Ms. Sanchez is a Managing Partner of Terra Firma Capital Group, LLC, a private Austin, TX based investment firm focused on investing in real estate, distressed assets and alternative energy products. She is also the Manager a private family owned holding company that invests in IRO single and multi family residential real estate properties (acquired as buy and hold assets) as well as small to mid-sized companies with a Hispanic market focus. Ms. Sanchez is also a Senior Advisor to Covalent Capital, a private equity firm focused on U.S. Hispanic investments as well as a Senior Advisor to the Campaign to Elect Senator John McCain to the President of the United States.

Ms. Sanchez is an expert on policy issues related to emerging Hispanic market demographics including: access to capital, affordable housing and asset creation. She co-founded a national Community Development Corporation, The Hispanic Alliance for Progress (HAP) with The Honorable Manuel Lujan, Jr., Former Secretary of the Interior and 20 year Member of Congress from New Mexico. HAP has been tasked with promoting economic development initiatives and creating affordable housing developments for working Hispanic families. Ms. Sanchez developed the organization’s financing and housing models in order for it to become an affordable housing non profit developer. As a CHDO, Community Housing Development Organization, the organization leverages a 15 % CHDO set aside mandated by Congress to direct HOME program funds into the hands of nonprofit developers.

Previously, Ms Sanchez was appointed by the Former President of the United States, George H.W. Bush to serve in the White House as the Principal Advisor for Hispanic and Disabled Affairs (1988-1992). Ms. Sanchez received a BBA from The University of Texas, is active with many charities, was born in Monterrey, Mexico and is fluent in Spanish and English.

Shiree Sanchez' above bio found on a site for "FTL Solar" an alternative energy company based out of New York, NY.

FTL counts both Allbaugh and Sanchez as members of the Board. Looks like Sanchez may be an Allbaugh operative.

Raul R Romero seems to be connected with something called the "Larrison Group" at 1717 Pennsylvania Ave #650. Heather Larrison is the principle of the group.

Larrison Group has collected tens of thousands of dollars in fundraising for the Republican Governors Association.

Romero is involved with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, which is a major nonprofit. The rest of his associations appear to be questionable.

Heather Larrison and Beth Sturgeon worked together as fundraisers for George W. Bush's 2001 inauguration (according to this program):

http://www.ideal-group.org/initiatives/inauguralprogram.pdf

Heather Larrison and Beth Sturgeon were running the "Bush Pioneers" fundraising program (according to this deposition):

http://www.tpj.org/pioneers/newpioneers/oliver_30b1_deposition_partial.html

Thank you for digging. Recommended!!!!!!

You should work your comments into your main text and post this at Daily Kos. It will reach a much wider audience over there. Good work!

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Thanks, C92! I read this post for the first time today. I'll see if I can dig up anything to add to it.

I wish we could put together a database on all of these Republican operatives so we can track what they are doing during the campaign.

If you need a copy of the original Sturgeon post, let me know.

I wonder what happened to that Treasury initative.

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