Gingrich Honors the Adult Entertainment Industry (Again) « The Washington Independent
Jul 31, 2020511 Shares511.1K Views
Earlier this month, a studio executive at a California-based pornography company won an Entrepreneur of the Year awardfrom a conservative 527 group, American Solutions for Winning the Future, founded by the former House speaker. It was a mistake, of course, and the invite to join Gingrich for dinner was rescinded.
But did the American Solutions learn its lesson? Not at all.
Today, the Dallas Observer reportedthat the group sent another Entrepreneur of the Year award to another figure in the world of adult entertainment, this one a strip club owner in Texas named Dawn Rizos.
Media Matters has been following the saga closely, and received a copy of the invitation sent to the California porn executive. Scribbled in the margin is a hand-written note: “NEWT IS LOOKING FORWARD TO FINALLY MEETING YOU FACE TO FACE — AND GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON CAP AND TRADE AND OBAMA’S TAX POLICY.”
Ignoring, for a moment, the slaughtering of English grammar, it’s worth noting that this is precisely the message scribbled in the margin of the award notice delivered in Texas, according to the Observer.
Turns out American Solutions is blanketing the country in search of large donations, with the entrepreneur awards contingent on a check. From the Observer:
“„Anyway, the gentleman’s club owner and her PR man, Michael Precker, followed up with a phone call, during which they were told that Newt would also need $5,000 by way of a RSVP. Which Rizos promptly put on her credit card. Because, hey, sounds fun….
“„So, flights were booked, and hotel reservations were made. Then came the call Monday evening from Newt’s people. “They left a message Monday evening,” Precker says. ‘”They didn’t say why. We finally spoke yesterday morning. There is a fellow named Michael Johnston. He works for InfoCision, which works with 527s to assemble donor lists.” At which point Precker says he was told that, sorry, Newt had made a mistake — thought Rizos was somebody else. And, um, the invite has been rescinded.
Hajra Shannon
Reviewer
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