Dear Mr. Bonior and Mr. Baron:
I understand that Mr. Bonior is the manager of John Edwards' 2008 campaign and that Mr. Baron is a leading fund raiser. I write to you because there are simple questions concerning Presidential candidate' John Edwards' business relationship with Forge Consulting, LLC, a member of the structured settlement industry, that have not been answered despite numerous emails and the assurances of Kathleen McGlinn, a member of John Edwards 2008 campaign headquarters staff. I also spoke twice to John Pappajohn out of the Boston campaign office.
Avoidance of this question by John Edwards, and John Edwards 2008, while simultaneously continuing daily money calls along with emails concerning progress of the campaign has, unfortunately, necessitated the escalation of the publicity that this question is getting in our industry ( all of whom are registered voters) and the public.
You see, Mr. Bonior and Mr. Baron, Forge Consulting, LLC is aggressively using a purported testimonial of John Edwards on its website, and in written solicitation for structured settlement annuity business. Their use is in a manner that implies that John Edwards uses Forge Consulting for structured settlement annuity brokerage when the fact is that John Edwards became a full time Senator years before Forge Consulting, LLC was established. Therefore, the possibility that the Senator actually used Forge Consulting, LLC for structured settlement annuity brokerage appears questionable. Furthermore, the intentional placement of the purported testimonial of John Edwards at the top of a long list of purported testimonials in a "computer accessed communication" appearing on the Forge Consulting, LLC website is clearly designed to capitalize on how the purported endorsement will be perceived by the public.
There are Federal and State rules concerning the use of testimonials in solicitation for financial products by insurance agents and financial advisors. If John Edwards does not use Forge Consulting, LLC for structured settlement annuity brokerage then it is inappropriate for such testimonial to appear in any solicitation for structured settlement annuities.
Despite the fact that Forge Consulting, LLC claims to work for free, my readers and I are aware of the amount of money Forge Consulting, LLC principals have donated to John Edwards' campaigns and to the DNC. It is public record. We are also aware of the generosity it has shown in hosting political fund raising events for John Edwards at its corporate headquarters at 737 Main Street in Buffalo, NY as have been published in the newspaper. We understand WHY they apparently mean so much to John Edwards' 2008 campaign.
HOWEVER, a candidate who is not afraid to address the issues and doesn't just send you cheery updates about his campaign while foraging for contributions, means alot to registered voters and the type of people that John Edwards used to represent (the type of people that you represent). The questions remain:
- DOES JOHN EDWARDS CURRENTLY USE FORGE CONSULTING, LLC FOR STRUCTURED SETTLEMENT ANNUITY BUSINESS?
- DID JOHN EDWARDS EVER USE FORGE CONSULTING, LLC FOR STRUCTURED SETTLEMENT ANNUITY BUSINESS?
- DID JOHN EDWARDS PERMIT FORGE CONSULTING TO USE HIS PURPORTED TESTIMONIAL IN ANY MANNER OF SOLICITATION?
I would like to wish your candidate good luck as I did a month ago, but I must admit the view is getting jaundiced by the apparent avoidance of the issue. Can we trust John Edwards? Get back to us with the answers and we'll let you know.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Very truly yours,
John Darer
A Public Letter to Senator John Edwards April 11, 2007
What's The Truth About John Edwards' Endorsement of Forge Consulting? March 31, 2007
Forge Consulting, LLC President John Bair solicitation to Attorneys in New York State Trial Lawyers Association using John Edwards' purported testimonial appears below
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