Following our story yesterday about FLS Connect, the powers-that-be at the company’s call center in Phoenix assembled the troops late Wednesday and allegedly told them to steer clear of the media.

As reported yesterday, Brian Jones, an ex-convict and a former employee of FLS Connect – a telemarketing company based in Minnesota that does millions of dollars of work each election cycle for Republican candidates and causes – claims that the company regularly hires convicted felons to solicit telephone donations, and that those ex-cons frequently have access to credit card numbers.

One of FLS Connect’s founding owners, Jeff Larson, repeatedly denied that anyone with a criminal record has access to donors’ credit card numbers.

Jones said today that he’s been told by a handful of his former co-workers in Phoenix that they were called into a meeting Wednesday afternoon and instructed not to speak to any reporters, or their jobs would be in jeopardy.

Sheila Berkley, identified as the general manager of FLS Connect, confirmed today that an employee meeting was called in Phoenix on Wednesday but characterized it as a “positive” gathering.

“We had a very positive conversation with the call center [employees],” she said. “We reviewed the company’s policies with them, and I was told that it was really positive. We didn’t threaten anyone at all.”