’tis the holiday season, when folks are in a generous mode and perhaps have let down their guard. I’m here to warn you about a wolf in charity clothing–“Ray Wolfe,” to be specific.
That’s the new name of the computer-generated voice using soundboard technology that recently cold-called the New To Las Vegas world headquarters. “Wolfe”–I use quotes because there was no such person–wanted me to contribute to something called Police Officers Support Committee PAC, part of another something called POSC PAC. With a sense of urgency, “Wolfe” made an extremely quick general spiel about the urgent need to support law enforcement followed by an extremely quick ask for a donation.
I paused. “What will you use the money for?” I asked.
“Okay,” “Wolfe” said. “Goodbye.” Click.
Totally on the up-and-up, of course.
As it turns out, I know something about Police Officers Support Committee PAC, along with its parent, POSC PAC. They are what I call a faux charity. That’s a political action committee that presents like a charity but isn’t, and spends next to nothing–and often nothing–on the stated mission, which in this case would be to support political candidates who support law enforcement. The donated funds largely end up with the organizers. This organization is so new–less than a year old–it has yet to make any periodic filings with federal regulators about receipts and disbursements. But it’ s been around long enough to be sued in federal court in Texas alleging violations of telephone solicitation rules. When POSC PAC finally makes a required financial filing, early next year for 2023, it’s highly unlikely the data will be pleasing to actual or would-be donors who want to help law enforcement. By all accounts the solicitations are national.
Why can I confidently call Police Officers Support Committee PAC a faux charity? I recognized the voice of the aptly styled “Ray Wolfe” (although I’m guessing at the exact spelling) as the same in dozens of pitches I have received and checked out over the years. Every single one was a faux charity. Also there’s this disclaimer in the smallest possible type on the organization’s webpage: “A large portion of the contributions given to our organization are used to help offset the costs associated with fundraising.” “Large portion” is a Latin phrase that in this part of the fundraising world means “Nothing left.”
In July I was twice solicited on behalf of Police Officers Support Committee PAC by the same voice as “Ray Wolf,” except that the voice then went by the moniker “Charles Anderson.” The second pitch came hours after I wrote up and posted the first pitch, an account you can read here. Both Police Officers Support Committee PAC and POSC PAC immediately became candidates for my long-running list of America’s Stupidest Charities. This is a roster of fundraising organizations that call asking for money despite a prior critical post by me. It can’t get much more moronic than that in the world of fundraising (although using the name Wolf is pretty close). The full list of candidates, with links, can be found elsewhere on this site.
Police Officers Support Committee PAC and POSC PAC say they’re headquartered in Woodbridge, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C. From what I can tell, the address is a mail drop at a Staples office supplies store just off Interstate 95.
Like Dr. Frankenstein’s monster, Police Officers Support Committee PAC parent POSC PAC sprung suddenly to life, not in 1818 like the novel but on January 12, 2023. At least that’s the date on the only filing so far that one Al Nizick, listed as the treasurer, made with the Internal Revenue Service. The filing said that using the name Police Officers Support Committee, POSC would “advocate for the collective needs of our nation’s law enforcement officers by informing voters of these needs and asking them to take action through various forms of media, including direct mail and telemarketing campaigns and that the organization “will be accepting contributions and making expenditures for political activity.”
Another thing I know about Nizick (who court records say lives in far-away Illinois), Police Officers Support Committee PAC and POSC PAC is that they called me illegally. I live in Nevada. A two-year-old Nevada law codified as Nevada Revised Statues 82A.025 et seq. prohibits fundraising within the state for, among other causes, “the benefit of law enforcement” without first registering with the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office and making financial filings. I again checked with Carson City. Neither POSC PAC, Police Officers Support Committee PAC, nor another d/b/a name sometimes used, National Police Officers Alliance PAC, is registered.
Unfortunately, this is not surprising. Earlier this year the Secretary of State’s office admitted to me it has not issued a single cease-and-desist order or penalty against any unregistered PAC since the new law took effect despite what have been–judging from the number of calls I get–hundreds of thousands of illegal pitches. On the federal level, the IRS and the Federal Election Commission, which both can register PACs, are no better in their oversight.
The federal court lawsuit against POSC PAC, Police Officers Support Committee PAC, Nizick and unidentified “John Does” was brought in June by Christopher M. Laccinole, of Willis, Tex., near Houston. Representing himself and bluntly declaring the defendants were running a scam, he pleaded receiving a number of their telephone pitches in violation of the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act because he was on do-not-call lists and the calls went to a pay-by-the minute cell phone. Laccinole also alleged violations of a Texas Texas Business and Commerce Code provision requiring telemarketer registration. He sought up to $161,500 in damages.
But before the defendants filed a defense, Laccinole withdrew his lawsuit in August. In an interview last week, Laccinole, who has filed similar lawsuits elsewhere, told me there was too much else going on in his life and he reserved the right to refile at a future time.
I emailed a request for comment last week to Police Officers Support Committee PAC, POSC PAC and Nizick and will update this post if I hear back. In July I didn’t here back
I didn’t bother reaching out to “Ray Wolfe,” who doesn’t exist. But based on solid experience, that’s whom I’m more likely to first hear back from, albeit under another name. Ho, ho, ho!
Paul Emmert, well, Nizick has been sued once.
I’ve been getting these same harassing calls for the last month, nearly daily. I didn’t realize these were automatons on the other end of the call until later. I would love to sue the crap out of Mr Nizick.