President Donald Trump‘s controversial 401(k) proposal was flooded with sham MAGA commentators — and some of them aren’t actually alive, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.
An examination of nearly 12,000 comments supporting the administration’s proposed rule uncovered submissions made under the names of people who died, Bloomberg reported.
More than 30,000 submissions opposed the plan and included their name, city, state, or email address. And in the supportive comments, no signatures, personal information or “variation in the text” were included, according to Bloomberg.
“Bloomberg attempted to contact dozens of the people whose names were attached to the 12,000 comments and found five cases in which people said they — or their family members — did not submit them,” the outlet reported.
Known as “astroturfing,” the practice of drumming up fake public support has become commonplace in Washington, where agencies collect public comments as part of the rule-making process.
“It’s neither unusual nor improper for such comments to arrive as form letters, provided that the individuals whose names appear on them have actually signed their names,” according to Bloomberg. “But that’s not always the case. Both the Federal Communications Commission and the US Securities and Exchange Commission have seen rulemakings tainted by astroturfing in recent years.”
“While such campaigns have created political backlash and can lead to government investigations, they’re difficult to police, and perpetrators are rarely punished,” Bloomberg reported.
The pro-plan comments apparently used five different templates, but it’s difficult to determine who drafted them.
“Bloomberg reporters contacted more than two dozen investment firms, trade groups and advocacy organizations that have announced their support for the rule,” according to the outlet. “None said they had information about who was behind the campaigns.”
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