Liberal astroturf group offering $9 to $11 per hour to join its gun-control campaign

February 25, 2013
Patrick Howley
Investigative Reporter

(Daily Caller) - The liberal organization Progressive USA Voters, which is housed in the same progressive Denver office building as a chapter of the infamous left-wing astroturf group ProgressNow, is offering an hourly wage of between $9 and $11 to join its gun-control campaign in Chicago, according to a flyer that was photographed and posted to Reddit Friday.

“Join the Campaign to Stop Gun Violence” reads the flyer, which also notes, “Hourly Wage: $9-11/hr.”

Progressive USA Voters is specifically focused on the April 2013 special election for Jesse Jackson Jr.’s vacated House seat in Illinois’ Second Congressional District. The group is targeting Democratic primary candidate Debbie Halvorson, who accepted more than $10,000 from the National Rifle Association, according to the Progressive USA Voters website.

Halvorson is running against former state representative Robin Kelly, who has received the endorsement of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s super PAC, Independence USA, which is also attacking Halverson on the issue of Gun Control.

“Progressive USA will be going door-to-door in this important race in the coming weeks in order to educate voters about Halvorson’s record,” according to the group’s website.

Progressive USA Voters is a project of Progressive USA, which claims to “advocate for sensible policy solutions, hold our nation’s elected officials accountable for their actions and take head-on the flawed policies and hypocrisy of the radical right.” The group does not list its staff or directors on its website, and does not disclose its donors to the Federal Election Commission.

Progressive USA is based in Denver, Colorado, at 1536 Wynkoop Street, according to its Facebook page. The building at 1536 Wynkoop Street is owned by the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado. The building, known as the “Alliance Center,” houses various nonprofit organizations, including ProgressNow Colorado, a chapter of the notorious national left-wing astroturf organization ProgressNow.

“The building creates synergies and fosters partnerships that accelerate progress on issues” according to the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado, which has received grant funding from the liberal Tides Foundation and counts the Center for American Progress as a partner.

Progressive USA is located in suite 100 of the “Alliance Center.” ProgressNow Colorado is located in suite 203.

ProgressNow has funded numerous front groups to influence elections in disparate regions. The group’s state affiliate, ProgressMass, ran an attack campaign against former Massachusetts Republican Sen. Scott Brown during his 2012 race against Elizabeth Warren. The group’s advisers include Media Matters founder David Brock, MoveOn.org board president Eli Pariser, and Center for American Progress chairman John Podesta.

The extent and nature of the “synergies” created between ProgressNow and Progressive USA within the “Alliance Center” remains unclear.

Progressive USA Voters contributed $52,026.64 to Democrat Patrick Murphy’s Florida congressional campaign in the last election cycle, and $229.03 to President Barack Obama.