White House. At one such session in 1987, he recognized CFA National Director Gerald P. Carmen and Executive Director Jack Stevens for their efforts in orchestrating the organization's successful campaign to secure $100 million in congressional aid to the Nicaraguan Contras. CFA staff met in the White House with Reagan Administration officials on a weekly basis to coordinate field activities. Stevens hired Liam Weston, who later became Mayor Pro Tem of El Segundo, California as CFA's eastern regional director in 1987. Weston later served as a Republican staff member in the 104th U.S. Congress. He left Congress and moved to Central America to administer the U.S. aid to the Nicaraguan Resistance 1989–1991. In 1991–1993, he was posted to Africa, where he managed an aid program for the Angolan UNITA rebels. President Reagan mentioned CFA 11 times in "The Reagan Diaries", including an entry in his final days in office that CFA is one of the few groups with which would consider staying involved upon leaving office. President Reagan credited CFA's extensive field operations, and cited field leaders Weston; Gordon Bloyer;(now an Internet blogger and video commentator); Kelly Cardwell of Alabama; Cecil Martin “Bud” Starr, III (now a Kern County, California prosecutor); Robert Miltenberg; former California legislator Doug Carter (now deceased); and San Francisco activist Dorothy Vuksich (now deceased) with having helped secure congressional support for Afghan rebel aid, Contra aid, and tax reduction and simplification, among other issues. CFA organized volunteer committees and chairmen in each congressional district to conduct grass-roots campaigns in support of Reagan's strategic and economic agenda. The organization was able to unite all segments of the conservative movement, though it took no position on social issues. Awards Stevens and Weston, in coordination with Reagan's OMB Director Jim Miller and former CFA communications director David Carmen (now CEO of the Washington, D.C. public affairs firm, The Carmen Group), created the first annual "Pork Barrel" spending awards, a dubious distinction for members of Congress CFA considered to be profligate spenders. CFA published “The Pork Book” in 1987. Taxpayers Against Government Fraud and Waste along with other public policy organizations continued the annual event by recognizing certain congressmen for supporting excessive "pork barrel" spending. References External links "The Fast Rise and Steep Fall of Jack Abramoff" - Susan Schmidt and James V. Grimaldi, The Washington Post, Thursday, December 29, 2005. "My Dinner with Jack" - Mark Hemingway, The Weekly