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{{#Show badges:|Tobaccowiki|AEX}}The '''DCI Group, LLC''' is the top [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[lobbying|lobby]] and [[public relations]] firm with offices in Washington, Brussels, and Houston. DCI has been associated with telemarketing company [[Feather Larson & Synhorst DCI]] and the direct-mail firm FYI Messaging. The DCI Group was the publisher of the now defunct website, [[Tech Central Station]], and had close ties to the [[George W. Bush]] [[Bush administration|administration]]. Incorporated in 1997 in Phoenix, Arizona, [[Timothy N. Hyde]], [[Douglas M. Goodyear]], and [[Thomas J. Synhorst]] are listed as the LLC's managers.
The DCI Group calls itself a “strategic public affairs consulting firm” and boasts that it handles corporate issues like political campaigns. “We are a political firm and all of our partners have political campaign experience. We thrive in competitive circumstances, and are used to fluid situations and tight deadlines,” their website claims. DCI Group offers services that include national, state and local lobbying; coalition building; and generating “grasstops” and constituent support for issues. The firm has been linked to several industry-funded coalitions that pose as grassroots organizations. Perhaps it comes as no surprise as DCI advertises its ability to provide “third party support” to clients. “Corporations seldom win alone,” the group’s website says. “Whatever the issue, whatever the target—elected officials, regulators or public opinion—you need reliable third party allies to advocate your cause. We can help you recruit credible coalition partners and engage them for maximum impact. It’s what we do best.”<ref>DCI Group, [http://web.archive.org/web/20041020021010/http://www.dcigroup.com/2021/wrapper.jsp?PID=2021-12 via web.archive.org], organizational website, accessed Oct 20 2004.</ref>
==DCI's Involvement in Exxon Climate Denial==
DCI Group was subpoenaed in April 2016 amidst an expanding investigation by state attorneys general into the funding of climate change denial by [[ExxonMobil]]. The multinational oil corporation had become the focus of attention from state attorneys general after separate investigations by ''InsideClimate News'' and the ''LA Times''/Columbia School of Journalism revealed it had known internally about the threat of climate change for several decades. Despite this knowledge, Exxon poured millions of dollars into climate change denial and to groups working to obstruct any action to reduce carbon pollution. The Greenpeace project Exxon Secrets, which tracks spending by ExxonMobil, documented over $30 million in funding to U.S. climate denial groups from 1998-2014.<ref name="nick">Nick Surgey, "[httphttps://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/04/13092/dci-group-subpoenaed-expanding-exxon-climate-denial-investigation DCI Group Subpoenaed in Expanding Exxon Climate Denial Investigation]," ''Center for Media and Democracy'', April 20, 2016.</ref>
Exxon has been a DCI client for many years. According to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, DCI represented Exxon every year between 2005-2016. DCI created Tech Central Station, a now-defunct website which promoted climate change denial and which received funding from Exxon. A bipartisan group of Senators wrote to Exxon about its funding of the website in 2006. Also in 2006, an invitation was leaked to Greenpeace about a strategy meeting hosted at the DCI office. The meeting -- titled "Strategic Discussion Regarding the Clean Air Act" -- was sponsored by the Exxon-funded [[Heartland Institute]]. Numerous non-profit organizations that have received funding from Exxon were invited, including the [[American Legislative Exchange Council]] (ALEC) and the [[Competitive Enterprise Institute]]. According to the invitation, the meeting was intended to help develop an "action plan" to help push back against legislation mandating the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Although DCI and Exxon have a long history, the subpoena could reveal more about what DCI has being doing for Exxon.<ref name="nick"/>
==Stealth Campaign Targeting Republicans Undermined Mortgage Reform Legislation==
The Associated Press reported October 20, 2008 that "[[Freddie Mac]] secretly paid a [[DCI Group|Republican consulting firm]] $2 million to kill legislation that would have regulated and trimmed the mortgage finance giant and its sister company, [[Fannie Mae]], three years before the government took control to prevent their collapse. In the cross hairs of the campaign carried out by [[DCI Group|DCI]] of Washington were [[Republican Party|Republican]] senators and a regulatory overhaul bill sponsored by Sen. [[Chuck Hagel]], R-Neb. DCI's chief executive is [[Doug Goodyear]], whom John McCain's campaign later hired to manage the GOP convention in September. ... The Republican senators targeted by DCI began hearing from prominent constituents and financial contributors, all urging the defeat of Hagel's bill because it might harm the housing boom. The effort generated newspaper articles and radio and TV appearances by participants who spoke out against the measure. Inside Freddie Mac headquarters in 2005, the few dozen people who knew what DCI was doing referred to the initiative as "the stealth lobbying campaign," according to three people familiar with the drive. They spoke only on condition of anonymity, saying they fear retaliation if their names were disclosed." <ref>John Stauber, [httphttps://www.prwatch.org/node/7848 "DCI Group's Stealth Campaign Torpedoed Freddie Mac Reform"], PRWatch.org, October 20, 2008.</ref>
==Representing Burma Spells Controversy for John McCain and the RNC==
*"[http://www.odwyerpr.com/members/1027dci_sells_tcs.htm DCI Sells TCSDaily]", ''O'Dwyers PR daily'', October 27, 2006. (Sub req'd).
*Jonathan Stein, "[http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2008/05/8236_john_mccain_dci.htmls John McCain and the Dictator Money Trail]," ''MotherJones Blog,'' May 14, 2008.
*Nick Surgey, "[httphttps://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/04/13092/dci-group-subpoenaed-expanding-exxon-climate-denial-investigation DCI Group Subpoenaed in Expanding Exxon Climate Denial Investigation]",''Center for Media and Democracy'', April 20, 2016.
===References===
