Firms hire paid astroturfers to forge grassroots support for their causes

Evidence

E-cigarette makers also enlist proxy agents in their defense. As reported earlier, traditional tobacco companies often fund research institutes, scientists, and consultants who try to sway regulatory policies to the companies’ liking. At the height of the European debate regarding the e-cigarette industry, lawmakers received a letter allegedly signed by ex-smokers who quit the habit with the aid of e-cigarettes. They pleaded with the European Parliament to vote against regulating e-cigarettes (Higgins, 2013). This heartfelt letter was actually written by an undercover astroturfer, a London lobbyist hired by an e-cigarette firm. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 1724

Categorization

• SHARE: The detail that a lobbyist ghostwrote a letter supposed to be from real ex-smokers to sway EU lawmakers is perfect fodder for someone tracking astroturfing cases.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement: How People Do Harm…, 1724