A public relations email from Ramsey Solutions, the advice company owned by Christian financial guru and radio host Dave Ramsey, reportedly directed employees and local pastors to harass a reporter in response to an interview request.
The request was to allow the company a chance to respond to an investigation Bob Smietana was planning to publish in which former employees portrayed the company as an unhealthy work environment. Smietana’s story was published with Religion News Service on Friday. In addition, the website posted the full email the report said was from a Ramsey Solutions public relations account in response to that interview request.
“Thanks for reaching out. We want to confirm for you that you are right, we are horrible evil people. We exist to simply bring harm to our team, take advantage of our customers, and spread COVID. And YOU figured it all out, wow,” the purported Thursday email read. “Who would have guessed that an unemployed guy, oh I am sorry, a ‘freelance reporter’ would be the one to show us how horrible we are so we can change and to let the world know of our evil intent, secrets, and complete disregard for decency…..but YOU did it, you with all your top notch investigative skills have been able to weave together a series of half-truths to expose our evil ways.”
The email invited Smietana to attend a worship service with the company that day.
“Yes, you will be in a building where 1000 people hate you, but we will assign security to protect you….that is how cults do it,” the email said. “Please let us know in advance if you can make it, so we can personally meet you at the door.”
The email also informed Smietana about “blind copying several friends to ask their help as well.” Those “friends” included pastors and business leaders from the area, as well as Ramsey Solutions’s “whole team.”
“If you are on this email we would ask a favor for Ramsey…would you help us?” the email said. “Bob’s phone number and email are here, and we would ask that you contact him TODAY and tell him all the evil horrible stories you know about us. Also, he lives in Spring Hill so if you see him out and about, be sure to congratulate him on his virtue. He needs to sell this story to pay his rent and the dirtier your story on us the more we can help him. When you call please do not be mean, Bob already has a lot of anxiety and we don’t want to add to that.”
In response, Smietana reported, “Many of them emailed or called, either to tell how Ramsey’s teaching had changed their lives and their passion to change the ‘toxic money culture.'”
Ramsey Solutions did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s multiple requests to confirm the authenticity of the email.
Religion News Service reported how some employees did not feel Ramsey Solutions was taking the threat of the coronavirus pandemic seriously and that employees who spoke out faced swift repercussions.
One employee filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on the matter, according to Religion News Service, citing a record of it in the agency’s database.
In response, Ramsey reportedly told his staff, “So whoever you are, you moron, you did absolutely no good, except piss me off.” He added, “You are not welcome here if you are willing to do stuff like that. If you are really scared and you really think that leadership is trying to kill you … please, we love you. Just leave. We really don’t want you here.”
The report added that he warned that if the person was found out, “I will fire you instantaneously for your lack of loyalty, your lack of class, and the fact that you are a moron and you snuck through our hiring process.”
