Now that both conventions are over and we know who is running for president for the two major parties, it is time for our mailboxes to be flooded with junk mail.
This is not the first step you should take to stop junk mail invading your house. Please follow my instructions for how to put a shield around your mailbox first, or contacting these people will do you no good. They buy and trade so many mailing lists, it is like playing whack-a-mole unless you put up a strong shield first.
Today, we will be stopping junk mail from the campaign that is asking for money. This will not stop those #@$#% postcards and fliers that you get during an election. The asking-for-money mailing list is different from the postcard list. The postcard list is based on the voter rolls. If you want to stop getting those, don’t register to vote. Don’t do that! Vote every election.
While I focus on real life, in-your-mailbox junk mail, you should know that they keep track of everything a supporter of a campaign does. How much money you donated, when you donated it, through what channel you gave it (postal mail, email, text). They also sell mailing lists back and forth. When a candidate drops out, one of the first things they do is sell their donor list to the other people running.
This is from the Privacy Policy of one of the PACs:
“Third-party partners. We may share your information with organizations with similar political objectives and viewpoints for the purpose of advancing our own political objectives.”
That 3rd party? That is code for more junk mail.
Stopping Junk Mail:
If a candidate is sending you junk mail, call and email their office and tell them to stop. If you are ignored, put your request to be taken off a candidate’s mailing list on Twitter. Tweet at the campaign and the people running it. I found tweeting at them to be more effective than posting on the Facebook page for the campaign. But look closely at that piece of junk mail, is it directly from the candidate, or is it from their PAC? I will give you the contact information for both.
Stopping Emails and Phone Calls:
The best way to stop emails is to click on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email and follow the instructions. Gmail and Outlook have unsubscribe built into the program. If that doesn’t work, start calling, emailing, and tweeting at them.
The phone calls are harder to stop. The Do Not Call list does not apply to campaign calls. If you get a real person on the line, tell them that unwanted phone calls and junk mail from political candidates is the most important issue in America today.
Stopping Recurring Donations on a Website:
This year donating to a campaign through the internet really took off. Bernie Sanders used ActBlue as his main fundraising platform. A part of internet fundraising sites is setting up a recurring donation. They make it very easy to start. But very difficult to stop. Mic media wrote instructions on how to stop recurring donations from both the Clinton and Trump websites.
What if none of that works?
If you contact a campaign and the junk mail doesn’t stop, take it to the next level. File a complaint with the DMA, the FTC, and your state’s attorney general.
My sources will be:
From the Sunlight Foundation: Open Secrets and Influence Explorer because they are all about the money trail.
Ballotpedia and P2016 because they list the team that is running the campaign.
The root of all of this information is the FEC fillings by the candidates and their committees.
Let’s start off with the Democrats:
- Democratic National Committee, to opt-out: the contact page has a webmail form. Also call (202) 863-8000. Twitter: @TheDemocrats
- Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, to opt-out: email info@dscc.org and call (202) 224-2447. Twitter: @dscc
- Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, to opt-out: the contact page has a webmail form. Also call (202) 863-1500. Twitter: @dccc
Hillary Clinton, official campaign website, Ballotpedia page, Open Secrets page, P2016 page. She is a former First Lady and a former Secretary of State.
To opt-out from official campaign: the contact page has a webmail form. Also call (646) 854-1432. Twitter: @HillaryClinton.
Hillary for America’s direct mail is by Mission Control, Inc (the only junk mail you’ll ever read… twice). Politico talking about Mission Control getting the direct mail contract.
Hillary Victory Fund is using Chapman Cubine Adams + Hussey for it’s direct mail program.
The biggest PAC supporting Team Clinton is Priorities USA Action. Influence Explorer page. To opt-out: send an email to EmailDigital1@prioritiesusaaction.org Twitter: @prioritiesUSA
Now for the Republicans:
- National Republican Committee, to opt-out: send an email to email@gop.com with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line. They are assuming you are opting-out of email, let them know it is for physical postal mail, and call (202) 863-8500. Twitter: @GOP
- National Republican Senatorial Committee, to opt-out: the contact page has a webmail form. Also call (202) 675-6000. Twitter: @NRSC
- National Republican Congressional Committee, to opt-out: the contact page has a webmail form. Also call (202) 479-7000. Twitter: @NRCC
Donald Trump, official campaign website, Ballotpedia page, Open Secrets page, P2016 page. He is a businessman from New York.
To opt-out: the contact page has a webmail form and call (646)736-1779. Twitter @realDonaldTrump.
Direct mail is by Left Hand Enterprises LLC. It is a front for Persuasion Partners. Washington Post article that talks about Left Hand and the other direct mail firms that Team Trump is using. Including Wizbang Solutions.
Team Trump has 2 fundraising committees in partnership with the RNC:
Trump Make America Great Again Committee 310 First St SE Washington, D.C. 20003 or PO BOX 1776 Merrifield, Va 22116-9400 and Trump Victory fund. Fortune talking about the joint fundraising partnership.
From Politico:
“Party fundraisers have informed some Trump-weary donors that they can earmark their donations to Trump Victory and another joint committee called Trump Make America Great Again Committee in such a way that all the money will go to the RNC, and none to Trump, according to a finance operative who delivered such as solicitation and a donor who received such a solicitation.”
To opt-out of these 2 groups I would contact the National Republican Committee, to opt-out: send an email to email@gop.com with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line. They are assuming you are opting-out of email, let them know it is for physical postal mail, and call (202) 863-8500. Twitter @GOP. Make sure you mention that Trump Make America Great Again Committee and the Trump Victory Fund are why you want off their mailing lists.
Even though he didn’t want them, there are a few PACs supporting team Trump:
The most active so far is Great America PAC, Influence Explorer page. New York Times article about Great America PAC. To opt-out: the contact page has a webmail form. Twitter: @GreatAmericaPAC
There are other pro-Trump PACs out there but they are having trouble raising funds. One pro-Cruz PAC has flipped and become pro-Trump.
Update August 29, 2016: There is a new scam PAC. American Horizons PAC run by Ian Hawes. Open Secrets page, Influence Explorer page. Politico story about American Horizons PAC and Ian Hawes.
He is fundraising through 2 websites, dinnerwithtrump.org, Facebook page Help Support Donald Trump. And crookedhillary2016.org, Facebook page CrookedHillary2016. Do not give money to American Horizons PAC. None of the money is going to help team Trump.
Did I miss something? Are you getting junk mail from different Trump or Clinton groups? Let me know in the comments.
Drowning in Junk Mail 