Mitt Romney Dropped Everything and Used His Whole Company to Find and Save Missing Girl

Did you know that Mitt Romney once turned his company and its business partners into a huge operation to find a missing girl?  The story has been reported in several places (below), and even Politifact admits it’s true, as does Snopes.  Deroy Murdock describes what happened:

Melissa Gay, Bain Capital partner Robert Gay’s daughter, vanished while visiting New York City in July 1996. Then-CEO Romney closed Bain’s Boston headquarters and jetted to Gotham to find the 14-year-old. Romney flew in his private-equity company’s 50 employees and transformed a Marriott Hotel into a command post. He consulted the NYPD and recruited private eyes. He dispatched staffers to enlist Bain’s business associates. Bain’s printer, R. R. Donnelly, produced 300,000 missing-person fliers. Bain’s CPAs at Price Waterhouse placed the handbills all over town. Duane Reade, a Bain-portfolio company, stuck leaflets in shopping bags at 52 local outlets.

Five days after Melissa disappeared, someone rang Bain’s tip line to ask about a reward. The NYPD traced the call to a New Jersey home, where a 17-year-old had, unbeknownst to his parents, hidden the disoriented and drugged child.

Romney’s focus and management saved Melissa. She now is a happily married mother who teaches fourth grade.

Also covered in:

• New York Times, “Volunteers Search for Missing Girl, 14, in Party Underworld”, Charisse Jones

• Yahoo, “How Mitt Romney Saved a Girl’s Life and What it Means”, Mark Whittington

• Buzzfeed, “The Time Mitt Romney Rescued A 14-Year-Old Kidnap Victim”, McKay Coppins

• “7 Incredible Personal Stories About Mitt Romney That You May Not Know”, John Hawkins