EXCLUSIVE: A hefty contribution made by Rich Roberts to the campaign of Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, landed the Doctor with threatening emails at his company, TLS has exclusively learned.
When unions across the country were pouring many millions of dollars into Wisconsin to remove the Governor, Rich Roberts – after checking that Governor Walker’s values were very similar to many Torah values regarding family, marriage, Israel, etc, decided to donate $50,000 to the Governor’s reelection campaign. But Roberts didn’t expect the donation to be publicized.
“I never contemplated that my donation might be made public nor that there would be any negative consequences to it”, Rich Roberts tells TLS. “Apparently, the election was on a Tuesday and on the Wednesday before the election the contributions to the Governor’s reelection campaign were made public in accordance with the election regulations. I also never contemplated that my donation might be the second largest donation, in the country, to his campaign.”
As a result, Roberts was listed as one of the major contributors to Governor Walker’s reelection campaign.
“That is when things got ugly”, Roberts says.
“On the next day, the Thursday before the election, I received emails from management at my company there had been two threatening emails sent to me through my company’s website”, Roberts tells TLS. “The emails said that I was “anti-worker”, called me bad names, and said that I must move my company out of Philadelphia. These members of my management, who advanced through the ranks from hourly workers to now being members of management, were very angry at what they perceived as blatantly false renditions of my attitude towards “workers”. These people have seen how generous and caring I have been towards my employees for decades.”
Moreover, the company had been sold several months ago and all of the employees were about to receive very large payments for their stock options.
“The writers of the emails were too incompetent to have searched information about me to realize that I could no longer move the company from Philadelphia, even if I had wanted to, since the company had recently been sold.”
Roberts adds, “when I am threatened, my strong inclination is to fight back harder than before. I received a request for an interview from the Associated Press but I declined to be interviewed since a political campaign needs to manage the information flow themselves. I also did not respond directly to the authors of the two threatening emails. However, I contacted the Walker campaign that day, told them what had happened, and I proceeded to wire transfer another $50,000 to them on the next day.”
Governor Walker won a very strong recall election victory four days later. The next morning, Wednesday morning, Governor Walker called Roberts and apologized for the threatening emails that he had received.
“He then said that “apparently you decided to double down”. He expressed his appreciation. I told him that he should remain a person of integrity, regardless of the personal price that he might pay, and that the people of his state are fortunate that they have him as their leader. He has put his state on a fiscally healthy path and employment is rising in Wisconsin.” TLS.
Richie Rules!!
G-d bless him and all the good he does with his money. But I know we will get all the comments about what a waste of Yiddishe Gelt. How it doesn’t really help Yiddin on a national or local level……. Halivai everyone would do as much good as he does!
שירבו כמותו בישראל
Rich,
You are truly an amazing man. I admire your sense of fair play and your resentment of injustice. May H’ continue to grant you Hatzlocho in all you do. Not only does Lakewood gain from your presence and generosity, but it seems the ‘Medina shel Chesed’ now does as well.
H-ashem should continue to bless you so that you may continue to do even more great things until Masiach comes.
The leftists and liberals cannot understand that we are not against workers. We are PRO-workers. We want them to succeed. The liberals, on the other hand, want workers to remain their entire lives dependent on govt handouts (benefits and programs) and perpetually angry and jealous.
So who really cares about workers? The CONSERVATIVES!
Lakewooder,
Why only UNTIL Moshiach comes; why not afterwards also?
Go Rich!
We should get all of Hashems special blessings that come with sanctioning the holy Shabbos. See Misnah Berurah.
Since when is giving money to a non jewish entity considered a waste of money?
If Mii Romney loses the election, Scott Walker will probably be a candidate in 2016. He’ll definitely remember Lakewood, NJ in his prayers….
we support you!!!!!!!!
well obama is a person of color and it will be racist to vote him out
To number 10., “Yid says”…regarding 2016…
You made an astute observation. I was not thinking only about 2016 but that we need to support candidates who have wholesome values, integrity, and strong growth potential. I think that they should know that there is a community that shares their values and would like to have a relationship with them as they hopefully head towards the top to lead the country.
Thanks,
Rich Roberts
Mr. Roberts, I just wanted to say thank you for all that you do to help out the community. The rides on Chol Hamoed were well appreciated by my siblings. May Hashem bless you with health, wealth and long life.
Dovid Egert
Thank you Dr Roberts.
We need GOV Walker in WI. For WI and all the USA.
HE is allowing the voucher program to continue and this directly affects the entire Frum Kheilla there. Frum families that are eligiable are attending the yehsiva schools via vouchers. if not for that the parents could not afford a quality education. its the only place (maybe other than OH) in the USA that vouchers are heling frum kids get a good education.
He is like Guliani for NYC. Let him clean up the crime and garbage and get the unions out of the picture so jobs can come back to the USA. The unions are/were needed to protect jobs and rights NOT ABUSE THEM and over price them so they bankcrupt all of us.
He made a huge Kiddush Hashem, as I’m sure he let them know that he is an Ortherdox Jew.
Bravo! Bravo! Dr. Roberts you are truly amazing! In this political arena, unfortunately it will take a lot of funding to decimate the Manchurian Presidency of Obama. And, as always, you step up to the plate and deliver. As noted in previous comments, it is noteworthy that an Orthodox Yid shows his support for poloticians with integrity. This will be a boon for the Republican Party in general and the frum oilam in particular. We must bring this country back to the morals of old, to the foundations our founding fathers established in the constitution. G-D Bless America and G-D Bless Dr. Roberts!
Mr. Rich,
Besides all the good that you do with your money, I love the creative way that you do it. YaYasher chailoch L’oraisah!!!
To number 18, “Admirer”…
You understand me.
I give most of my funds as “raw” tzedakah to yeshivas, schools, and organizations including those that support financially challenged individuals, or families, and also our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But I currently have four “different” projects underway. Two of them are vehicles and two of them are, as you described, “creative” within the political sphere. The vehicles require a much smaller financial and time commitment than the political activities. They are all confidential, for the moment, but I would be glad to give you a count of “one of four”, “two of four”, etc., as they become public. They should all become public over the next three months or so. The most time consuming and costly of these projects, for which I would like my involvement to be kept confidential but I was informed yesterday that it cannot be kept confidential, is for the November elections.
Best wishes,
Rich Roberts
Dear R3,
For everyones sake I hope and pray that you are successful in all your endeavors! Thank you for all you do!
When is Governor Walker coming to Lakewood?!?
As a person who is responsible for a school in Lakewood, I have tried reaching out to you, Dr. Roberts via a letter to help out financially challenged parents. There has been no response yet. Maybe you can respond to how I can enlist your help?
May you only see much blessing from all your endeavors
roberts you are a saint agree or diisagree. i agree
Would you be interested in helping my unit in the israeli army purchase much needed gear that the army will not provide. (Due to budgetary problems) I am talking about basic gear like quality vests, kneepads, camelbacks, flashlights and other basic gear. Despite the fact that we are on the front lines and will probably enter first in any war, the army provides us with the bare minimum of gear and relies on us to come up with donations or buy these needed equipment on our own. If you or anyone reading this is interested in helping out comment and I’ll forward contact info.
So it looks like you’re not letting my comment through. Does it help if I say that I am a lakewood guy now serving the jewish people by helping to protect them in israel.