How Not to Pad Your Resumé
California is a hotbed for wacky, inexperienced politicians, like current Gov. Arnold Schwazenegger and his would-be replacement, former eBay CEO Meg Whitman. Luckily, these people can all learn how not to launch a campaign, by watching Carly Fiorina.
Fiorina is the deposed CEO of Hewlett Packard and has no real political experience; she raised some money for John McCain last year but prior to that rarely managed to even vote.
As a would-be Republican senate nominee, Fiorina needed to polish her resume, and did, via the entities "Fiorina Enterprises," of which she is CEO, and the "Fiorina Foundation," of which she claimed to be chairwoman. Fiorina's campaign website said Fiorina Enterprises was "focused on global economic development" and that Fiorina Foundation "enables corporations, social entrepreneurs and philanthropists alike to address some of the world's most challenging issues."
Except, as the San Francisco Chronicle found out, these large global behemoth world-changing organizations are not registered as corporations or charities. Whoops! Time to admit they don't really exist, except in Fiorina's imagination!
"Global" focused Fiorina Enterprises is actually a "small business" run by a "sole proprietor," according to a Fiorina campaign statement, while Fiorina Foundation is really called the Fiorina Family Foundation, and Fiorina's the only donor (says NBC Bay Area), so apparently this big important charity doesn't quite tie together "corporations" and "philanthropists alike," as implied.
By coming clean, Fiorina refutes charges she dodged tax laws. Explaining why the former sales chief felt the need to puff up her qualifications will be harder, and raise uncomfortable questions about what she's really accomplished since leaving HP. Other amateur politicians, take note.