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04/23/2011
NOM: 'We have no intent interacting with him'; Jeremy: 'Great, I'll gladly run this conversation'
How Jeremy Hooper discovered Opus Fidelis/NOM connections,
in 7 easy steps:
Step 1: Notice that NOM is suddenly posting around the web under a new name known as "NOM Social Hub."
Step 2: Google that phrase.
Step 3: Notice that what comes up is a central hub page, filled with the same posts as on NOM's organizational blog, but these connected to a company known as Opus Fidelis (That hub page is now masked, but at the time one could get there by going to http://nomsocialhub.opfds.com/).
Step 4: Note that these NOM/Opus blog posts are credited to two names -- Casey Fimian and David Lejeune.
Step 5: Investigate both names. Learn that David Lejeune is connected to the Catholic charity Fidesco. Learn that Casey Fimian also worked at Fidesco. Note that both NOM and David Lejeune supported the failed congressional candidacy of Casey's father, Keith Fimian, his fellow Legate (as in the Catholic men's organization Legatus). Note that all are now working for NOM.
Step 6: Post all that I have learned in a public exposition about Opus Fidelis.
Step 7: Learn months later, from NOM defector Louis Marinelli, that everything I'd said was indeed true.
Now, if Casey or David or anyone involved with NOM/Opus would've had any "intent interacting with" me, I would've told them this firsthand. I talk to all kinds of people from all political views all day long. I enjoy the frank conversation. I know most of my LGBT peeps feel the same way. In fact, Maggie Gallagher and I have been known to go a spirited round or two.
And I *did* try to ask Casey, flat out, what exactly was going on, in the nicest, most direct way I could:
But instead of just asking me about my impressive detective work, the NOMmers got all closed off and secretive. Casey forwarded my emails to the rest of the organization, with Opus head David Lejeune then putting out a behind the scenes vow to "dig" on me:
(Correspondence obtained by G-A-Y)
*note: Typo at "he." Casey is female.
You know, it's weird: Most young writers are pretty darn eager to snatch up a byline. To get there name out there. And even more so in activism, where one tends to be proud of one's work. So why, exactly, is the accurate identification os one of its authors a cause for NOM freak out?!
Now, I would just pose this question to NOM. Though why would they possibly want to dialogue with the likes of me, a legally married gay man who could tell them more about same-sex marriage (and, apparently their own operations) then they could ever hope to know?
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