New GroupSnoop.org Profile of Enroll America Released
HHS Chief Kathleen Sebelius Investigated Over Fundraising Allegations
"Government Employees Cannot Raise Money from Groups they Regulate. That's Black Letter Law," National Center for Public Policy Research Says Washington, D.C. - As HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was busy taking heat for ObamaCare's disastrous rollout Wednesday on Capitol Hill, the National Center for Public Policy Research published a new report on her potentially unethical involvement with Enroll America - a nonprofit special interest group dedicated to promoting ObamaCare and getting Americans to sign up for its expensive insurance plans.
The report is the latest entry in the National Center's ongoing GroupSnoop.org series highlighting the operations of activist groups and special interests.
"Enroll America is an extension of the Obama Administration in every sense. Its actions to-date leave more questions than answers," said National Center General Counsel Justin Danhof, Esq. "But one thing is for sure, its dealings with the White House, particularly its fundraising efforts, seem to cross ethical norms, and one senior Obama Administration official may have broken multiple federal laws."
Organized in 2011 to promote ObamaCare, Enroll America purports to work with community organizers, churches and civic organizations as well as going door-to-door to sign up American consumers into health care plans dictated by ObamaCare regulations.
Since May, there have been a string of congressional inquiries and hearings regarding the White House's involvement with the non-governmental Enroll America. Specific questions have centered around Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius's fundraising on Enroll America's behalf.
When media reports surfaced earlier this year that Sebelius was allegedly shaking down corporations to fund Enroll America's ObamaCare sign up machine, the Obama Administration issued repeated denials. However, under mounting pressure, Administration spokesmen admitted that Sebelius did contact the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and H&R Block. Those solicitations yielded more than $10 million for Enroll America. After more denials and still more congressional pressure, Sebelius subsequently admitted to contacting HHS-regulated groups Ascension Health, Johnson & Johnson and Kaiser Permanente.
"Government employees cannot raise money from groups they regulate. That's black letter law," said Danhof. "Sebelius claims she contacted HHS-regulated companies and organizations on Enroll America's behalf, but didn't directly solicit donations. Given her history of denials and half-truths, these claims don't pass the smell test. Perhaps if she dedicated more time to her actual job - rather than moonlighting as an Enroll America bundler - the ObamaCare exchange rollout may not have been such an epic debacle."
Sebelius's actions also potentially violated the Antideficiency Act, which bars creating obligations for the United States government in excess of what Congress has appropriated. In this instance, Sebelius's actions in concert with Enroll America appear to be directly increasing the ObamaCare rolls - and doing so illegally.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is currently auditing Sebelius's activities related to Enroll America.
On top of its illicit dealings with the White House, Enroll America has ties to some of the most radial, left-wing political policy groups in America.
Enroll America's advisory councils is a comprised of a veritable who's who of radical leftist organizations, including Planned Parenthood, La Raza, the SEIU and the NAACP.
"After apparently taking their marching orders from the inept Obama Administration, Enroll America staffers are then further advised by the zealots from Planned Parenthood and the NAACP. Do American consumers really want their health care decisions guided by a bunch of racial agitators and the nation's largest abortion provider? I don't think so," added Danhof.
"While Enroll America staff are technically not ObamaCare 'navigators' since the group did not receive a federal navigator grant, that's a distinction without a difference," said Danhof. "Enroll America engages with potential health care consumers in an effort to coerce them to sign up for ObamaCare, Sebelius shook down corporate America for donations to the group, and they are now sending activists door-to-door to promote the President's doomed plan. That sure sounds like a bunch of ObamaCare navigators to me."
Enroll America is the 32nd organization the National Center has profiled for its GroupSnoop.org series as part of its campaign to educate the public about the influence and power of American activist and public policy organizations.
The National Center for Public Policy Research, founded in 1982, is a non-partisan, free-market, independent conservative think-tank. Ninety-four percent of its support comes from individuals, less than four percent from foundations, and less than two percent from corporations. It receives over 350,000 individual contributions a year from over 96,000 active recent contributors.
Contributions to The National Center are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated.
http://www.nationalcenter.org/PR-Enroll_America_103113.html
