Expenditure profile: Mentzer Media

Introduction

Rank: 1

Clients’ expenditures: $204 million*

Year founded: 1991

Principals:

• Bruce Mentzer (founder)

Clients:

• Restore Our Future
• Americans for Prosperity
• American Future Fund
• Crossroads GPS
• American Crossroads
• 60 Plus Association
• Independence USA PAC
• Americans for Tax Reform
• American Commitment
• American Unity PAC
• Hispanic Leadership Fund
• U.S. Chamber Of Commerce
• Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee
• Center for Individual Freedom
• FreedomWorks for America
• Conservatives for Freedom PAC
• Veterans for a Strong America
• Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va.
• Republican Governors Association
• Club for Growth
• Progress for America Voter Fund
• American Commitment

Biography:

Bruce Mentzer, 49, began his career at the Goodman Agency, a Baltimore public relations firm that specialized in creating TV ads for political campaigns. He opened Mentzer Media in 1991.

Mentzer Media is a media buying firm that works primarily with Republicans. Its two most notable customers during the 2012 election were the pro-Mitt Romney super PAC Restore Our Future and the conservative super PAC American Crossroads, which was co-founded by Republican strategists Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie.

The firm works closely with McCarthy Hennings Media Inc. Mentzer was the media buyer for the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ad campaign that helped sink Democrat John Kerry’s 2004 presidential bid. The agency was paid more than $18 million for that work.

It also placed a $1.6 million, three-state ad buy in 2010 for “Stop Too Big to Fail,” a mysterious group opposing finance industry regulation.

Last updated: Jan. 18, 2013

* Total consists of independent expenditures made to the firm in the 2012 election cycle as reported to the Federal Election Commission.