Mark Block

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Mark Block was the State Director of the Wisconsin chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a free market advocacy group opposing proposals by U.S. President Barack Obama to reform heath care system and institute a cap and trade system to address global warming.[1]

In 2011, he served as Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain's campaign manager or "Chief Operating Officer", as his official title with the campaign states.[2]

Scandals

Block settled a lawsuit in 2001 accusing him of illegally coordinating a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice's re-election with an outside group. Block agreed to pay $15,000 and stay out of politics for three years.[3][4]

Block, while working for Americans for Prosperity, was involved in a vote-caging scheme in neighborhoods with large black and college student populations. Americans for Prosperity sent out mail with a "do not forward" order on it that could not be sent on to a new mailing address. If it bounced back, a letter would be used to block its recipient from voting so that they could only cast a provisional ballot.[5] Block played down the sincerity of the effort after admitting that it was he and Americans for Prosperity who had undertaken it. [6]

Activities with Americans for Prosperity

Block led efforts by Americans for Prosperity to halt policies advanced by Governor Jim Doyle in 2009 to build more solar and wind energy in the state, saying that his group would "argue -- and quite loudly -- about the economic impact of some of the laws, regulations and fees that will come out of the governor's task force report." <ref> Lee Bergquist & Tom Content, Doyle panel votes to cut emissions, expand use of wind power, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Accessed via EBSCOHost. July 25, 2009.

Related SourceWatch articles

External resources

References

  1. "Staff" Americans for Prosperity website, accessed September 2009.
  2. Adele M. Stan Not an Employee? Herman Cain Had Mailing and Email Addresses at Koch's Americans For Prosperity HQ, Alternet, October 21, 2011
  3. Associated Press Long ties to Koch brothers key to Cain's campaign, published article, USAToday, October 16, 2011
  4. Anne Landman Consider the Source: MacIver News Service, PRWatch.org, March 15, 2011
  5. 6 things to know about Herman Cain Adele Stan, Alternet. Accessed October 26, 2011.
  6. Liberal group alleges tape reveals plan to challenge voters. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 20, 2010.