Richard Berman

Richard Berman (born 1942) is a Washington, D.C.-based lawyer, public relations executive, and lobbyist. Through his public affairs firm Berman and Company, Berman runs several industry-funded non-profit organizations such as the Center for Consumer Freedom^[1] and the Center for Union Facts.^[2] Berman's organizations have run numerous media campaigns on the issues of obesity, smoking, mad cow disease, taxes, the national debt, drinking and driving, as well as the minimum wage.^[3][4][5] 60 Minutes has called him "the booze and food industries' weapon of mass destruction,"^[4] and he was given the nickname "Dr. Evil" by labor union activist Richard Bensinger.^[3][4]

Early life

Berman grew up in New York City. His father ran gas stations and car washes. Berman did general labor at these businesses on weekends and summers while he was growing up. He attended Transylvania University. After graduating from college in 1964, Berman went on to William and Mary School of Law and was class of 1967.^[6]

Career

After graduating from Law school, Berman worked as a labor law attorney for Bethlehem Steel, and from 1969 to 1972, he served as a corporate lawyer for Dana Corporation, an automotive parts company in Toledo, Ohio. From 1972 to 1974, he was employed as labor law director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.^[6]

He moved into the food and beverage industry in 1975 under the mentorship of Norman Brinker, founder and owner of the Steak & Ale chain of restaurants. Berman started a government affairs program, launched his first PAC for Brinker, and worked there until 1984. He served as executive vice president of Pillsbury Restaurant Group from 1984 to 1986. In 1986, he formed Berman and Company. In the mid-1990s, Berman was funded by tobacco giant Phillip Morris to fight the movement to add non-smoking sections in restaurants.^[3]

In the 1990s, Berman was the president of Beverage Retailers Against Drunk Driving (BRADD), an organization formed to combat Mothers Against Drunk Driving.^[7] As president, he argued for "tolerance of social drinking."^[7] He has also worked as a consultant for the Minimum Wage Coalition to Save Jobs.^[7] In 1991, he created the Employment Policies Institute to argue "the importance of minimum wage jobs for the poor and uneducated." In practice, this translated to opposing minimum wage hikes on the theory that they would reduce employment.^[7][8]

In recent years, Berman has appeared on 60 Minutes,^[4] The Colbert Report,^[9] and CNN^[10] in support of his organizations.

Organizations managed by Berman

As of May 2009, Berman was the sole owner and executive director of Berman and Company, a for-profit management firm that ran fifteen corporate-funded groups. He has held at least sixteen positions within these interlocking organizations.^[11] Just six of these nonprofits provide as much as 70% of Berman and Company's revenue.^[12]

Organizations founded and managed by Berman include:

• The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), originally named the Guest Choice Network (GCN). CCF serves as an advocate for restaurants, meat, dairy, food processors, and alcohol. The group was formed in 1995 with funding from tobacco giant Phillip Morris.^[13][14]

• The American Beverage Institute (ABI), which fights against laws increasingly designed to criminalize alcohol consumption, including the push to further lower existing blood-alcohol arrest thresholds.^[15] In May 2010, the Humane Society and MADD filed a complaint with the New York Commission on Public Integrity, charging that the American Beverage Institute was in fact lobbying but had failed to register with the state as lobbyists.^[16]

• The Employment Policies Institute (EPI), which is opposed to raising the minimum wage, particularly in the labor-intensive restaurant industry.^[15] It points to academic studies alleging that increases in the minimum wage lead to job losses, particularly among the poor and uneducated.^[15]

• The Center for Union Facts (CUF), which argues that unions are corrupt and bad for workers.^[6] They have run full-page ads in major print media outlets (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post) blaming trade unions for the bankruptcies of American industries. The CUF website purports that it is the largest online database of labor-union reporting on salaries, budgets, and political spending. Recently, they have produced TV ads alleging intimidation by trade unions.^[15] CUF is a non-profit; 2007 federal tax returns showed revenues of $2.5 million, with $840,000 being paid to Berman and Company for management services.^[11]

The CCF has challenged the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Union of Concerned Scientists, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.^[14] In late 2006, the company initiated a campaign to downplay the level of mercury in fish; their website encourages pregnant women to eat more fish (which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‎ have recommended against for years), and calls findings that don't support their claims "scare tactics."^[17][18]

Though Berman and Company does not publicly name their clients, 60 minutes obtained a list of companies that fund the Center for Consumer Freedom. Among the parties named have been The Coca-Cola Company,^[4] Tyson Foods,^[4] Outback Steakhouse,^[4][19] Wendy's International, Inc.,^[4] Brinker International (parent company of Chili's and Macaroni Grill),^[15] Arby's,^[15] Hooters,^[19] and Red Lobster.^[19]

Personal

Berman's son is singer-songwriter David Berman of the indie rock band Silver Jews.^[20][21] Richard Berman and his son have been estranged since 2006, largely due to David's disapproval of his father's public relations work. In January 2009, David Berman posted an impassioned statement concerning this relationship on a message board owned by the Drag City record label, marking the first time that he had publicly confirmed that the lobbyist was actually his father.^[21][22]

References

Further reading

• MSNBC Rachel Maddow interviews Richard Berman
• 60 Minutes: Meet Rick Berman, A.K.A. "Dr. Evil"
• USA Today article on Richard Berman
• Preview of BusinessWeek profile on Richard Berman
• Washington Post article
• Berman and Company website
• NYT: Nonprofit Advocate Carves Out a For-Profit Niche