Morris again uses Fox News to raise funds

On Fox News' Hannity, Fox News contributor Dick Morris touted “the work we're trying to do through DickMorris.com” to oppose health care reform and instructed viewers to “go there and help us.” Morris has repeatedly used his frequent appearances on Fox News to raise money for conservative political organizations, including those in which he has a financial interest, a practice that also has been followed by Fox News' Mike Huckabee.

Morris touts DickMorris.com: "[G]o there and help us"

From the November 23 edition of Fox News' Hannity:

MORRIS: When this bill passed the House four weeks ago, it was 45 [percent] support, 52 oppose. Well, it's 38 support, 56 oppose.

SEAN HANNITY (host): That's correct.

MORRIS: And a lot of that movement is coming, as I've said on your show, from some of the work we're trying to do through DickMorris.com -- go there and help us -- is switching young people. The question among them has gone from “Oh, yeah, we really need insurance” to “What, am I going to go to jail if I don't have it?”

Morris frequently raises funds for conservative groups on Fox News

Morris asked Fox viewers to “give funds to GOPTrust.com” without noting his apparent financial ties to the organization. Between October 27, 2008, and November 17, 2008, Morris mentioned GOPTrust.com during at least 13 Fox News appearances and asked viewers to “give funds to GOPTrust.com,” the website of the National Republican Trust PAC, without disclosing that the organization has paid $24,000 to a company apparently connected to Morris. Through publicly available records with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Media Matters for America found that GOPTrust.com paid Triangulation Strategies at least $24,000 from the beginning of October 2008 to November 24, 2008, mostly for “Email Communication.” The “Mailing Address” for Triangulation Strategies is listed in one of the National Republican Trust PAC's FEC filings as “dickmorris.com.”

Morris brags about raising $2.5 million on his website for ads against health care reform. On the October 19 edition of Hannity, Morris claimed that “at DickMorris.com we've raised now $2.5 million to run ads” against health care reform through the League of American Voters (LAV). Morris previously used Fox News to solicit donations for LAV, stating on the September 21 edition of Hannity, "[O]n my website, DickMorris.com, I'll tell you how to contribute to 10-second ads we are now running." His website featured an LAV ad and solicited donations for "[t]he New Ad Against Obamacare." While Morris stated on the September 28 edition of Hannity that he has no “financial stake in these ads,” he is LAV's “chief strategist,” and according to LAV executive director Bob Adams, Morris “actually crafted our ads and national campaign.”

Huckabee has also raised money on Fox News -- for PAC that supports GOP candidates and pays his daughter's salary

Huckabee sends viewers to his PAC under the guise of signing a petition. On two Fox News shows, Huckabee directed viewers to “go to balancecutsave.com,” urging them to sign a petition telling Congress to “balance the budget,” “cut their spending,” and “save American families.” However, balancecutsave.com redirects visitors to a Web page soliciting donations for Huckabee's political action committee, which financially supports Republican candidates and also pays Huckabee's daughter's salary.