A little while ago, Mrs. Panstreppon and I had a close look at a Rove-connected fundraiser named Beth Ramp Sturgeon.

We became interested in Mrs. Sturgeon because she seemed to use the same Austin accountant as Karl Rove.  Sturgeon was also known as a fundraiser for the GOP and the Bush campaigns.  Her fundriaisng company was known as "Austex Development Corp LLC" of Dripping Springs, TX.

A little more probing took us to two austroturfy hispanic advocacy organizations which Sturgeon apparently headed - the Hispanic Alliance for Progress and the Hispanic Alliance for Progress Education Fund .  One was a 501c3 and one a 501c4.  At the time it seemed odd for a fundraiser to be running nonprofits.

Additional probing led us to find that Sturgeon's fundraising business somehow landed a $10,000 Small Business Administration loan in 2003.  This was at a time when her fundraising company was doing remarkably well during the lead up to the elections.

Then it was discovered that Sturgeon was somehow on an SBA small business advisory ombudsman panel.

And finally we found that Sturgeon's Hispanic nonprofit somehow landed a <a href="http://www.cdfifund.gov/awardees/db/profile.asp?controlNumber=051TA005655">$46,000 grant</a> from the Treasury.

So what has Sturgeon been up to lately?

Well, she seems to be involved now in something called Gem City Investments LLC in Canada, TX.  The Hispanic organizations folded up after apparently going belly up (wonder what happened to the $46k?). 

Additionally, Sturgeon ran something called Strategic Outreach Services LLC during the 2006 election - and took in $$ from GOPAC.  Addresses vary for this business, but one was 806 Park Blvd, Austin, TX at phone 512/323-6161.  That address tracks back to a heretofore unidentified Hispanic organization - the Institute For Hispanic Initiatives and Development.

IFHID lists its address as 816 Congress Ave Suite 860, Austin, TX.  The directors of the organization were:

Jacob Monty, Director
18964 Groschke Rd
Houston, TX 877084

Raul Romero
Dirctor
1600 Colonial Hills Drive
McLean, VA 22102

Shiree Sanchez
806 Park Blvd
Austin, TX 78751