Patrick Hynes, a Republican new media consultant who helped organize presumptive Republican candidate Mitt Romney's off the record meeting last Wednesday with dozens of conservative reporters, bloggers and columnists, has joined the campaign to work with conservative online media.
The Daily Caller's Matt Lewis was first with the news on Monday afternoon, writing that Hynes will be "helping organize supporters to push Gov. Romney's messaging online."
Hynes declined to discuss any involvement with the Romney campaign when contacted Monday morning by The Huffington Post. "Sorry, I have nothing for you," Hynes emailed shortly after 1 p.m. The Romney campaign did not respond to an earlier request about Hynes until after the news broke.
Hynes founded Hynes Communications in 2006, which describes itself as "the nation’s premier agency focused on new media and online communications strategy for public affairs clients." He worked as an online communications consultant for Sen. John McCain's 2008 campaign and, more recently, for former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's Freedom First PAC.
Hynes' firm was involved in calling members of the conservative media to invite them to the private meeting with Romney. The meeting included roughly 60 attendees from numerous publications and blogs, including National Review, Daily Caller, RedState, Human Events, Washington Examiner, Right Wing News, The Other McCain, Powerline, Townhall, Ace of Spades, RiehlWorldView, White House Dossier and PJ Media.