Executives from a cosmetics company with close ties to Mitt Romney and a history of legal trouble are among the biggest backers of a Super PAC supporting Romney’s presidential bid.
Mother Jones’ Stephanie Mencimer has the scoop on Nu Skin, a Utah company that’s been investigated by multiple states on suspicion of running a pyramid scheme. Romney worked with them during his time running the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City and spoke at their 1999 convention. Two apparent shell companies with no visible business activity have each donated $1 million to Restore Our Future, the big money group boosting Romney in the 2012 race, and both of their founders come from Nu Skin.
Restore Our Future’s donations have drawn scrutiny in recent months, most notably when another $1 million backer routed his contribution anonymously through a barely existent company that dissolved itself immediately after making the donation. The donor, a former Bain executive named Ed Conard, eventually came forward after watchdog groups called for a state and federal investigation.
