Research Beats Money in The Florida Democratic Senate Primary

In 2010, Nesbitt Research worked with Kendrick Meek to defeat billionaire Jeff Greene by 26 points, despite being outspent five to one. Nesbitt Research examined Greene’s status as one of the first people to invest in Credit Default Swaps, revealing that Greene specifically bet against mortgages in Florida and California. We examined Greene’s vast real estate empire in Southern California, uncovering court records loaded with code violations, liens and lawsuits accusing him of everything from slander to fraud. In what may have been the beginning of the end of Greene’s credibility, we delved deep into the Russian language internet to uncover a series of pictures in which an unnamed Greene was pictured with troubled starlet Lindsay Lohan. Pictures showed Lohan on Greene’s yacht. This story quickly went to over 200,000 views as news outlets who do not cover politics picked it up, which led to more coverage of Greene’s party-fueled trips to Cuba and of his month long cruise with best-man Mike Tyson.

See our work in action

In 2008, Nesbitt Research worked for America’s largest labor union to help unseat two-term incumbent Republican Sen. Gordon Smith in one of that year’s most closely watched elections.  Our comprehensive in-person search took us to the offices of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, where we uncovered evidence of Smith’s long record of environmental problems.  We found that his company had repeated environmental sanctions and fines, one for $70,000.

We also scrutinized Smith’s voting record.  In doing so, we exposed the former senator’s habit of flip-flopping on key issues and his overwhelming tendency to side with former President George W. Bush.  Finally, we obtained documentation regarding Smith’s pay and perks, travel expenses and personal and campaign finances, which revealed a long history of earmarks, no bid contracts and questionable pay-to-play relationships.  Armed with our exhaustive research, the labor union conducted a poll and a multi-million dollar ad campaign.  Jeff Merkley won the hard-fought election with 49 percent of the vote. Smith received 46 percent.

In 2007, 2009 and 2011, Nesbitt Research provided more than 60 research reports and memos for the Virginia Democratic Party.  We conducted on the ground research from Virginia Beach in the east to southwest Virginia to the urban counties of northern districts.  Using legal research databases and in-person investigations, we visited jurisdictions likely to produce the greatest vulnerabilities on candidates who were practicing attorneys, while cutting time and cost for the Caucus without sacrificing quality.

We uncovered child support deadbeats, domestic violence, drug dealers, as well as corporate clients who employed questionable tactics to accomplish their objectives.  Our research of a four-term incumbent Delegate untangled an eight-year-old controversy involving a no-bid contract, his campaign finances, his consulting job and a misuse of public resources to promote cronyism.  In 2007, Nesbitt Research helped Senate Democrats take back the chamber for the first time in a decade and pick up four seats in the House, the largest gain in that chamber since the Watergate scandal.

In 2008, Nesbitt Research worked for a Michigan Representative in a successful bid to unseat three-term incumbent Republican Rep. Joe Knollenberg.  We analyzed our client’s 16-year history as an elected official, and our in-person review of Rochester Hills City Council documents showed that our client voted to reduce spending by more than four percent.

Our investigation into our client’s service as a state representative uncovered a strong record of consumer advocacy, including a vote against a 1995 Credit Reform Act, which would have allowed Michigan lenders to charge up to 250 percent interest.  Our client’s vote against the Act gave him a compelling positive as the economic crisis worsened.  Our investigation of the client’s tenure at the Michigan Lottery revealed a well-run operation that increased funding to education and cut administrative costs.  Our client won this race with 52 percent of the vote.  Knollenberg received 43 percent.