Part 1: Who is Randy Zook? Exposing The Deep State!

September 14, 2018 Featured, Lobbyist, Politcal Endorsements

James Randolph (Randy) Zook
from Melborne, Arkansas
President and CEO
Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce
and Associated Industries of Arkansas

The Deep State Exposed!

Follow the money!

Randy Zook is a big millionaire player and registered lobbyist in Arkansas politics!

(He’s listed under Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/ Associated Industries of Arkansas on page 9 of the Arkansas Secretary of State link above.)

The Chamber’s flood of political spending in both federal and state races
should cause all of us concern.
WHY? Keep reading…

James Randolph Zook has many aliases, as follows:

James Zook
Randy Zook
James Randolph Zook
James R Zook
J “Randy” Zook
James R “Randy” Zook

He uses many different names…

In 2008 and 2009, Randy Zook was a highly-paid registered lobbyist, and his two clients were the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Arkansas. Then, all of a sudden, he became President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of those SAME TWO ENTITIES!

In case you weren’t aware: the State Chamber of Commerce is one of the largest lobbying organizations in Arkansas AND a paid member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)!

Remember the corporate backroom dealers? We’ve addressed many of them in our previous articles:

American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)
the Koch Brothers
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce
the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Americans for Prosperity (AFP)
Associated Industries of Arkansas (AIA)

These organizations work hand-in-hand, and they basically carry a global-to-local agenda to protect THEIR OWN bottom lines. This is one of the reasons why, unfortunately, they wrongly support Capping Damages/Ballot Issue 1 and they wrongly oppose Term Limits/Ballot Issue 3.

These massive groups together can negatively change and totally disrupt our lives in many different ways. They are NOT our friends, and they’re not friendly to the small business community, either. The notorious billionaire Koch brothers help bankroll the other groups mentioned above (bulleted list).

Regarding Issue 1, Arkansas’ KATV Channel 7 is reporting:

‘Poll: Overwhelming support for voter ID, term limits; tort reform 2-to-1 against’

And also, here are the results of a September 2018 Talk Business & Politics – Hendrix poll:

Issue 1, also known as the tort reform amendment, may wind up being the most high-profile of the five amendment proposals on this November’s ballot. The measure was referred by the legislature and is currently been kicked off the ballot by a circuit court judge in Pulaski County, but is being appealed to the Arkansas Supreme Court.

Q. The Arkansas General Assembly has referred a constitutional amendment to voters, called Issue 1, that will cap attorney fees, limit damages in personal injury, property damage, or wrongful death lawsuits, and give the legislature the authority to control the rules of court procedure. If the election were today, would you vote for or against this constitutional amendment?

25% For

47% Against

28% Don’t Know

Now, back to Randy Zook… Prior to being a well-paid lobbyist and the head of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Arkansas, he was the Deputy Director of Administration and Finance (May 2007 – July 2008) for the corrupt Arkansas Economic Development Commission. One of their mission statements is to achieve sustainable, long term economic growth, and this is a global agenda being implemented by a non-governmental organization (NGO). This commission has misused tax dollars before, and you may recall that legislators were receiving kickbacks from those General Improvement Funds (GIF) for their own personal use — and this was taxpayer money! Many indictments followed an FBI investigation… and are still coming in! (Latest in plea agreements is Dr. Keith Noble, PhD, Clinical, Child, and Adolescent Psychologist and a former executive at Preferred Family Healthcare Inc. (formerly Alternative Opportunities, Inc.) (IRS 990 2015 Filing). Noble admitted that he worked with conspirators in concealing crimes, and he is tied in with Rusty Cranford, a convicted felon currently serving time in prison.)

Randy Zook is also listed as Ex-Officio on the Arkansas Economic Developers & Chamber Executives Board of Directors for 2018. Look at the government officials who are part of their board! (See more on corporate governance later in this article.)

He is also on the board of Kipp Schools in West Helena, the board of Junior Achievement of Arkansas, and McGehee Farm and Real Estate Co.

In Arkansas, our legislators are deliberately omitting key information required to be reported and filed on their Statements of Financial Interest (example: blank forms) by every public official, candidate, district judge, city attorney, state government agency, public appointee to state board or commission, school board member, candidate for school board, any commission, planning board or commission, airport board or commission, water or sewer board or commission, and utility board or commission, etc.

One of the reasons for this filing requirement is to make sure that NO CONFLICT of INTEREST exists between the issue and the person involved. If there IS a conflict, the person with the conflict are required to recuse themselves (remove themselves from involvement). Proper accountability like this is a necessary part of compliance, but it’s not always followed, and state employees, legislators, and lobbyists could still be corrupted.

Dark money floats around and afflicts our state with no real oversight, so financially supporting the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and/or the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, neither of whom are required to disclose their donors, could end up costing you later down the road. Mega corporations are able to funnel their dark money into the Chamber and possibly undermine our public health and safety. Big corporations can do the same thing with 501(c)4 non-profits (NGOs), too. Keeping political spending a secret is the name of their game.

The following table lists the Statements of Financial Interest for Diane Dixon Zook, the wife of James “Randy” Zook, required to be filed with the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office by Diane Dixon Zook because of her public appointee status to the State Board of Education.

We have also listed, in the same table, all Lobbyist Activity Reports, Lobbyist Terminations, and Lobbyist Activity Reports for James “Randy” Zook filed with the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office for the year 2008 and 2009.

Full Name	Year	Filing Date	Form Type
Diane Dixon Zook	2016	01/12/2017	Statement of Financial Interest	PDF
Diane Dixon Zook	2015	01/13/2016	Statement of Financial Interest	PDF
Diane Dixon Zook	2014	02/02/2015	Statement of Financial Interest	PDF
Diane Dixon Zook	2013	01/07/2014	Statement of Financial Interest	PDF
Diane Dixon Zook	2012	07/15/2013	Statement of Financial Interest	PDF
Randy Zook	2009	01/14/2010	Lobbyist Activity Report	PDF
Randy Zook	2009	01/14/2010	Lobbyist Terminations	PDF
Randy Zook	2009	10/12/2009	Lobbyist Activity Report	PDF
Randy Zook	2009	07/06/2009	Lobbyist Activity Report	PDF
Randy Zook	2009	06/09/2009	Lobbyist Activity Report	PDF
Randy Zook	2009	05/11/2009	Lobbyist Activity Report	PDF
Randy Zook	2009	04/08/2009	Lobbyist Activity Report	PDF
Randy Zook	2009	03/10/2009	Lobbyist Activity Report	PDF
Randy Zook	2009	02/10/2009	Lobbyist Activity Report	PDF
Randy Zook	2008	01/14/2009	Lobbyist Activity Report	PDF
Randy Zook	2009	01/14/2009	Lobbyist Registration	PDF
Randy Zook	2008	10/10/2008	Lobbyist Registration	PDF

The following is from the Statement of Financial Interest filed by Diane Dixon Zook (Randy Zook’s wife).

All of the sources of income reported below from Diane Dixon Zook are greater than $12,500 (This could be anything well over $100,000 or more. All this means is that the investment is greater than $12,500.)

Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce – James R “Randy” Zook
Zook Family Partnership – Randy and/or Diane Zook
McGehee Farm & Real Estate – Randy and/or Diane Zook
AECO Rroducts Pension Plan – James R. Zook
Social Security – James R Zook
Social Security – Diane Dixon Zook
401K Plan held by Schwad – James R. Zook
401K Plan Principal Financial – James R. Zook
Dixon Lands & Mineral Rights – Diane Dixon Zook
First National Bank of McGehee – James R or Diane Dixon Zook
Schwab Account – James R or Diane Dixon Zook

Stock Holding (Value greater than $12,500)

BP Plc (Value greater than $12,500)
Deltic Timber (Value greater than $12,500)
Duke Enerty (Value greater than $12,500)
Genuine Parts (Value greater than $12,500)
Lilly Eli & Company (Value greater than $12,500)
Altria Group, Inc (Value greater than $12,500)
Murphy Oil (Value greater than $12,500)
Novartis AG Spon (Value greater than $12,500)
Procter & Gamble (Value greater than $12,500)
Philip Morris (Value greater than $12,500)
AT&T (Value greater than $12,500)
United Parcel ServiceVerizon (Value greater than $12,500)
Wal-Mart (Value greater than $12,500)
Exxon Mobil Corp (Value greater than $12,500)

Yes, it looks like Mr. Zook has many conflicts of interest… most of the time!

Some related Tax-Exempt Organizations of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce Foundation are:

Associated Industries of Arkansas (PAC) EIN 71-0788640
Associated Industries of Arkansas Foundation (Econ. Dev) EIN 58-1891199 For 2017
Contributors of Associated Industries of Arkansas Foundation and total amount given:
- Domtar Ashdow, AR $15,000
- Cooper Tire & Rubber Texarkana, AR $5,000
- W & W/AFCO Steel Little Rock, AR $10,000
- Nucor-Yamato Steel Blytheville, AR $35,000
- Arkansas Economic Development Council (AEDC) Little Rock, AR $30,000 (Why is this government entity donating money appropriated by the legislators to the Chamber? That’s taxpayer money!)
- American Electric Power (AEP) Foundation Shreveport, LA $50,000
- Gallary Support Innovations Sherwood, AR $5,000
- Pace Industries Fayetteville, AR $5,000
- AR Trucking Association Little Rock, AR $25,000
- Delta Dental Sherwood, AR $10,000
- Entergy Arkansas Little Rock, AR $50,000
- Garver North Little Rock, AR $5,000
- Central AR Planning & Develop District Lonoke, AR $49,208 (Why is this planning group donating money appropriated by the legislators to the Chamber? That’s taxpayer money!)
Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce (PAC) EIN 71-0788639
Associated Industries of Arkansas, Inc (Pol Awareness) EIN 71-6051764
Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce (Econ Dev) EIN 71-0006170

Paid officers of Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce per IRS 990 form 2017:

Randy Zook President/CEO – Total Compensation 2017 $309,818
Kenny Hall Executive – VP – Total Compensation 2017 $186,446
Marcus Turley – VP of Membership Development 2017 $163,231
Andrew Parker – Director of Govt Affairs 2017 $119,778

Grants and Other Assistance from Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce Foundation listed on IRS 990 form 2015:

Economic Leadership Raleigh, NC Cash Grant $21,361

American Legislative Exchange Council EIN 52-0140979 (ALEC) Cash Grant $6,500

The Arkansas State Chamber Foundation says that it works in partnership with state and national business leaders and government officials. After doing some digging, Secure Arkansas found that the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce Foundation funneled $124,686.00 (as reported in Part III of their latest IRS 990 2016 EIN 58-1890928 filing) in support of Arkansas Ballot Issue 1. This is NOT the kind of partnership Arkansans want or need, but it is part of the Deep State political workings which we’ve been warning you about for years.

Why did the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce Foundation funnel a large amount of money — an expense — to support Ballot Issue 1? If the Chamber has this much money to waste, then maybe they should lower their Chamber dues… Did all of the Chamber members get a chance to vote on this expense?

The description of the $124,686 expense is reported as “THE CIVIL JUSTICE REFORM EFFORTS INCLUDE CONDUCTING RESEARCH, POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION, PUBLIC SPEAKING, FUNDRAISING, AND BUILDING THE GRASSROOTS SUPPORT NECESSARY TO IMPROVE THE CIVIL JUSTICE CLIMATE IN ARKANSAS”.

This wording sounds a LOT like other wording coming from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and keep in mind that ALEC doesn’t work to support us; they’re a global player that works for THEIR own corporate interests and bottom line.

Click here and you will be able to see that Randy Zook plays political ball with both parties at the federal and state level. (A zip file will be downloaded onto your computer.) Looks like Zook will donate campaign funds to either party just to get the campaign favors he needs to satisfy the big corporate interests of American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) that he represents as Arkansas Chamber of Commerce.

And an obvious reminder here: CEOs work for their board and corporate governance.

Hierarchy of Corporate Governance – Chambers of Commerce

Community Chamber

City Chamber

State Chamber

Some Regional Chambers

U.S./National Chamber

International Chamber (ICC)

Ties to United Nations…

Big corporate governance always involves shareholder interests/ value! The deep state, shadow government, global government, etc., and their dark money is used for control. Be aware that there is a chain-of-command in this state and there are many puppets who need to be identified.

SPECIAL NOTE: Unfortunately, the infamous Mr. Rusty Cranford was a past National Vice President for the Arkansas Junior Chamber AND also a past state president for the Arkansas Jaycees. So yes, Mr. Cranford did have ties to the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce. In case you’ve forgotten, Rusty Cranford is a convicted felon and is currently serving time in prison!

IN CLOSING: Corporate America (the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA), posing as our government, has corporate players with deep pockets. Yes, we have corporate money in politics and corporate malfeasance! Does the Deep State like transparency? NO!

Stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon!

Stay aware, stay involved, and stay vigilant.

Remember: eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

As always, you can find our email articles posted on our website: SecureArkansas.com. The Search box is a handy tool. For more information about a topic (such as FLUORIDE), just type it into the Search box on our website, and click Enter!

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