Arno Political Consultants
Encyclopedia
Arno Political Consultants, Inc. (APC) is a company based in Lincoln
, California
. The company was founded in 1979 by Michael Arno.
The company reports that its former and current clients include the National Rifle Association
and R. J. Reynolds.
APC has frequently been the subject of controversy over its bait-and-switch tactics, bribery, forgery, and other types of fraud in gathering signatures.
Lincoln, California
Lincoln is a city in Placer County, California, United States located in the metropolitan area of Sacramento. The population was 42,819 at the 2010 census, with a growth rate of 282.1 percent since 2000 , making it the fastest growing city in the U.S...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The company was founded in 1979 by Michael Arno.
The company reports that its former and current clients include the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
and R. J. Reynolds.
APC has frequently been the subject of controversy over its bait-and-switch tactics, bribery, forgery, and other types of fraud in gathering signatures.
Controversy
- In 2004, APC hired JSM who hired YPM who is accused of tricking people into registering to vote as a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
- In 2004, APC is accused of forging signatures on a petition to legalize slot machines in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
- In 2005, paid signature collectors from APC revealed that an unknown but large number of signatures for a petition to remove the right to same-sex marriage in MassachusettsSame-sex marriage in MassachusettsSame-sex marriage in the U.S. state of Massachusetts began on May 17, 2004, as a result of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts ruling in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health that it was unconstitutional under the Massachusetts constitution to allow only heterosexual couples to marry...
had been collected through fraud. The collectors told voters that they were signing a petition about a different issue, or that the petitions were in favor of same-sex marriage.
- In 2007, APC hired JSM, Inc. who hired independent contractors who gave snacks and food to homeless people in exchange for signing petitions and registering to vote.
- In 2009, proponents of a payday loan veto referendum sued APC in Franklin County for breach of contract and negligence. 13,000 signatures were thrown out because the Form 15's had not been appropriately filled out. They were seeking $438,000. Both parties reached an undisclosed settlement agreement on July 29th, 2009.
- Also In 2009, APC gathered signatures to put the Ohio Casino Initiative on the November 3, 2009 ballot. The overall validity of the signatures were certified at just under 51%.