GOP candidate Hinckley: 'Tons of free PR' in politics

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Barry Hinckley gave a motivational speech in 2009 encouraging business leaders to run for office because it would get them free publicity, the Target 12 Investigators have learned.

At a conference in Las Vegas in February 2009 hosted by Hinckley's former company, software firm Bullhorn Inc., the future GOP candidate offered a number of suggestions to help the attendees boost their businesses despite the recession. He described running for office as "one of my whackier ideas."

"Even if you lose running for office you actually win, because you get tons of free PR," Hinckley said. Acknowledging the cost of a campaign, he noted that local elections are less expensive. "You can actually raise money from friends, coworkers and people that support your candidacy."

"And run on a jobs platform: 'I will create jobs,' " he continued. "Right? That will get free press." He also said: "I have some great stories about friends that have done this."

Hinckley defended his comments in an interview Monday after Target 12 obtained the video, saying he was trying to make the case for public service to busy men and women who need to see the benefits of politics considering it requires significant time and resources.

"I took the approach of letting these businessmen and women know there is actually a reward at the end of the rainbow even if it didn't work out for you," Hinckley told Target 12. "And that reward was exposure."

"I wanted to let these people know that even though you would be making a business sacrifice by serving, there is an upside, and that upside is you would gain some exposure, and that exposure would help your business even if you didn't win," he said.

As for his own candidacy, Hinckley said he had no idea he would eventually be a candidate at the time he gave the speech and it didn't reflect his reasons for running, which include concerns about the national debt and the tax code.

"No one would put themselves through the amount of work and money - this is not free," Hinckley said Monday. "I've spent a lot of my own money, hundreds of thousands of dollars, so it's not free PR."

Hinckley is facing an uphill battle to defeat first-term incumbent U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who picked up the Senate seat for the Democrats in 2006 when he defeated then-Republican Lincoln Chafee. A February WPRI 12 poll put Whitehouse 22 points ahead of Hinckley, a political newcomer. The senator also has a significant financial advantage.

Tony Simon, Whitehouse's campaign manager, contrasted Hinckley's case for political activism with the senator's. "Sheldon has always seen public office as a way to serve Rhode Islanders," Simon told Target 12. "That's the only motivation he's ever needed."

Hinckley co-founded Boston-based Bullhorn, which sells recruiting software and was sold last month, in 1999 and retired from the company at the end of 2009. Bullhorn Live is a conference the company hosts annually for its customers.

"I left my business before I started running," he said. "There was no business upside for me in this."

In the 2009 speech, Hinckley also discussed his long friendship with U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who won a U.S. House seat in 2006 and succeeded Hillary Clinton after the former first lady was named secretary of state by President Obama. Gillibrand is running for her first full six-year term this year.

Hinckley described Gillibrand as "a very close friend in high school" - adding, to chuckles from the crowd, "I'll leave it at that." Hinckley said Monday his comment was a reference to their opposing political views.

"Here's a woman that three years ago was a mom and a lawyer - working hard, a working mom," he said in the speech. "During her first term she had another baby, so she's got two young kids. Now she's one of the most powerful people in the country."

"It is very possible to do stuff like this," he continued. "So run for office, I highly recommend it - lot of free PR. She's, for life, done - she doesn't have to worry about anything. She's a very famous person."

Hinckley donated $9,400 to Gillibrand's campaigns between September 2007 and June 2009, according to Federal Election Commission records. He said he no longer supports her because she has become too much of a partisan Democrat, but also said she's aware that he is also a U.S. Senate candidate this year.

Ted Nesi ( tnesi@wpri.com ) covers politics and the economy for WPRI.com and writes the Nesi's Notes blog. Follow him on Twitter: @tednesi

Tim White ( twhite@wpri.com ) is the Target 12 investigative reporter for WPRI 12 and Fox Providence. Follow him on Twitter: @white_tim