Media scrutiny forces RNC coordinator to resign

Doug Goodyear was tapped by Sen. John McCain last week to be the manager for the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. On Saturday, Goodyear who is also the CEO of DCI Group resigned under mounting media scrutiny over his firm’s lobbying for the military regime of Myanmar. DCI earned $3 million last year lobbying for clients like Exxon Mobil and General Motors. Prior to DCI, Goodyear did public relations for cigarette maker R. J. Reynolds.

The Myanmar connection forced him to resign “so as not to become a distraction in this campaign.”

According to Newsweek‘s Michael Isikoff:

[T]he firm was paid $348,000 in 2002 to represent Burma’s military junta, which had been strongly condemned by the State Department for its human-rights record and remains in power today. Justice Department lobbying records show DCI pushed to “begin a dialogue of political reconciliation” with the regime. It also led a PR campaign to burnish the junta’s image, drafting releases praising Burma’s efforts to curb the drug trade and denouncing “falsehoods” by the Bush administration that the regime engaged in rape and other abuses.

Convention spokesman Matt Burns told the Pioneer Press, “In planning any event of this size — and like with any large organization — there are bound to be comings and goings. You simply adjust and move forward.”

The McCain campaign still employs one member of the DCI Group. Doug Davenport is his regional campaign manager and, as head lobbyist for DCI, would have dealt directly with the Myanmar military regime.