Ackerman, others slam firm for using names

Rep. Gary Ackerman Thursday attacked a Virginia company for including in its promotional mailings a list of Ackerman and 205 current and former members of Congress, who the company says serve on an honorary board of congressional advisers.

Ackerman (D-Roslyn Heights), in a statement, disputed giving the company, the Congressional Youth Leadership Council of Vienna, Va., permission to use his name. He objected also to the company's use of an image of the U.S. Capitol building in its logo. He said in the statement, "perpetuating the false impression that Congress has endorsed their product is a sleazy and deceptive practice that is outrageous and must not be tolerated."

Other members of the Long Island delegation are also listed by the company as advisers. Reps. Peter King (R-Seaford) and Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) are asking their names be removed. A spokesman for the other member of the Long Island delegation listed as a board member, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola), said she is seeking more information from the company.

Ackerman said he has urged other members to withdraw their names, and 55 have agreed.

Regan Lamb, managing director of education at Envision, the company that runs the program, strongly denied the allegations. She said all board members, including Ackerman, have given written permission to be on the board.

CYLC, which began in 1985 as an nonprofit organization, was purchased by Envision, a for-profit company, in 2007. Ackerman said the company, which offers education seminars to youth, never informed members of Congress of the sale, but continued to market a connection with Congress to make money.

Lamb said the company wrote honorary board members in 2008 informing them of the sale and asking them if they wanted to be reappointed to the board. She supplied copies of signed forms from Ackerman and King giving permission to be on the board.

Ackerman, in an interview, denied having signed the form or having given his staff authorization to sign it. King did not deny he or a staff member signed it.

Ackerman said in the statement he was troubled the company claims to solicit high-achieving youths for the program, but identifies many through educational mailing lists. He said a six-day seminar costs $1,900.

Lamb said most students are nominated by teachers. Ted Stern, the company's general counsel, said others are solicited using mailing lists that identify students with at least a 3.5 GPA.