This “Rent a Crowd” company admits politicians are using their services for fake support

A bit of undercover reporting (as well as a blatant website dedicated to it) has revealed what many have suspected: There is an organization dedicated to bringing crowds-for-hire to political rallies.

The company, called Crowds On Demand, unabashedly produces crowds of people, paid, that come out to act like they are supporting a candidate, whether congressional, local or presidential.

The undercover emails, allegedly produced by Ian Cioffi, show Crowds On Demand's CEO, Adam Swart, admitting he has worked with "one (serious) presidential candidate so far," and this was in 2015.

Since the story broke, it seems like the company has gained a sense of legitimacy, boldly publicizing their work with "magazine feature stories in California Sunday Magazine and GQ, coverage on flagship news programs such as ABC’s 'Good Morning America', CBS’s 'This Morning', Univision’s 'Despierta America', NPR’s 'All Things Considered' as well as various pieces in Vice,  Fox News,  The Washington Post, SBS Korean Television, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Hindustan Times, and many other outlets."

They proudly admit they are in the business of "generating fake enthusiasm" and provide "fake paparazzi, pretend campaign supporters, and counterfeit protesters.”

How is this legal?  Or, at least, not transparent during the event?

CNN refers to it as a "lucrative business" (seriously.  Check out their press page).  We have entered a relatively corrupt era of pay-to-play and pay-to-win politics.  It's sickening and until we do something to outlaw or transparentize this deception, it will continue.