Schlapp, Matt

ginniall purpose windup spox for trump (and corps presumably)see 3 coposter boy? for? brook bros? 1994 hill gig (with? odd that resume never has names of pols or corps  )lower profile for a while (after screwup?) this cat includes wife mercedes trump WHsee mercedes bak cove nra, koch lobbyist220 seems short but all text here re html? bak txt=<a href="https://www.justsecurity.org/74622/stopthesteal-timeline-of-social-media-and-extremist-activities-leading-to-1-6-insurrection/">https://www.justsecurity.org/74622/stopthesteal-timeline-of-social-media-and-extremist-activities-leading-to-1-6-insurrection/</a>timelineOctober 19, 2020Prominent conservatives circulate misleading information suggesting that Trump voters are being targeted for violence, animating extremist groups. The DFRLab found that the sourcing for the claims, which were spread by leading Republican figureheads like Matt Schlapp, failed to withstand basic scrutiny and that QAnon conspiracy-theory-adjacent accounts were the first to post the material on social media.(Source: Twitter)...November 3, 2020 (Election Day)Early morning on election day, Posobiec tweets the hashtag #StopTheSteal.(Source: Twitter)
A subsequent DFRLab analysis of tweets using the hashtag #StopTheSteal between approximately 9 p.m. ET Nov. 2 through 5 a.m. ET Nov. 4, finds that among its top promoters were accounts used by the Philadelphia GOP, Human Events publisher Will Chamberlain, Trump-supporting actor James Woods, Islamophobic activist Pamela Geller, conservative writer Carmine Sabia, and online influencers Posobiec and Mark Dice.( NICE GFX Source: Jean Le Roux/DFRLab)As predicted, Election Day ends with many states still counting legitimately cast votes and no definitive election result.
November 4, 2020In the early morning hours following Election Day, Trump falsely declares premature victory to his supporters at the White House. He makes several unsubstantiated claims about supposed voter fraud, calling it “a major fraud on our nation.” He then calls for vote counting to stop.(Source: ABC News)Several prominent right-wing social media influencers begin promoting the Stop the Steal effort, including newly elected Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp, and far-right media personalities Mark Dice and Michelle Malkin. Greene leverages the effort to fundraise for her congressional campaign fund.(Source: Marjorie Taylor Greene for Congress)Multiple Facebook groups emerge rallying around the Stop the Steal effort. One group, founded by pro-Trump organization Women for America First, called “STOP THE STEAL” gains hundreds of thousands of members before Facebook shuts it down on Nov. 5. Before deletion, the group hosted an events section, which publicized rallies organized by multiple groups occurring across the country.(Source: Stop The Steal)That same day, conservative activist Ali Alexander updates his Stop the Steal website to prompt visitors to input their contact information for future organizing. The website receives significant traction on Facebook, according to analysis conducted using the Facebook monitoring tool CrowdTangle.(Source: CrowdTangle)Meanwhile, protests reach a fever pitch across the United States.In Arizona, Republican Rep. Paul Gosar and far-right social media personality Michael Cernovich rile protesters, including several who openly carry firearms, outside the Maricopa County Elections Department. Far-right extremists are reportedly present, including militia movement groups and QAnon supporters. Reuters reports that some attendees said they joined the protest after seeing tweets about the event posted by Cernovich, who drove seven hours from California to speak at the protest. Trump supporters would continue to gather at the elections department for days.(Source: Twitter)....
NOVEMBER 2020Between Election Day and well past November 7 when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are declared the winners of the 2020 Presidential election, Republican Attorneys General — past and present — were sowing doubt in the election:November 5: Former Florida Republican Attorney General Pam Bondi holds a press conference with Rudy Giuliani and Corey Lewandowski.November 5: RAGA tweets “Don’t let #LawlessLiberals corrupt the election process.”November 5: RAGA tweets “.@RepublicanAGs have boots on the ground in PA, NC, NV, AZ, WI, and MI to defend the rule of law. Don’t let #LawlessLiberals corrupt the process!”November 6: Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes announces he will take time off to travel to Nevada in search of election fraud.November 8: Former Nevada Republican Attorney General Adam Laxalt and Chairman of the American Conservative Union Matt Schlapp hold a press conference in Las Vegas, NV.November 8: Former RAGA Chair West Virginia Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey tweets “Excited to weigh in with my colleagues at the US Supreme Court about the critical role state legislatures play in setting time, place, and manner restrictions on voting and why the PA Supreme Court cannot usurp that role. The Trump campaign is correct to fight to get this right!”November 9: Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, after spending a weekend in Nevada, says “voting problems occurred there.”November 9: RAGA, along with 10 Republican Attorneys General, file an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to throw out legally cast mail-in votes in Pennsylvania.November 17: Former Nevada Republican Attorney General Adam Laxalt says 15,000 people voted in multiple states.=daga: <div style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">November 6: Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes announces he will take time off to travel to Nevada in search of election fraud.</div><div style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">November 8: Former Nevada Republican Attorney General Adam Laxalt and Chairman of the American Conservative Union Matt Schlapp hold a press conference in Las Vegas, NV.</div><div style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">November 8: Former RAGA Chair West Virginia Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey tweets “Excited to weigh in with my colleagues at the US Supreme Court about the critical role state legislatures play in setting time, place, and manner restrictions on voting and why the PA Supreme Court cannot usurp that role. The Trump campaign is correct to fight to get this right!”</div><div style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">November 9: Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, after spending a weekend in Nevada, says “voting problems occurred there.”</div><div style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">November 9: RAGA, along with 10 Republican Attorneys General, file an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to throw out legally cast mail-in votes in Pennsylvania.</div><div style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">
</div><div style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">November 17: Former Nevada Republican Attorney General Adam Laxalt says 15,000 people voted in multiple states.</div><div>=</div><div><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/12/pharma-lobby-poured-millions-into-darkmoney-groups/">https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/12/pharma-lobby-poured-millions-into-darkmoney-groups/</a></div><div>
</div><div>pharmaceutical companies’ top lobbying group funneled millions of dollars to prominent “dark money” groups that pushed industry friendly messages to lawmakers and 2020 voters. The <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/pharmaceutical-research-manufacturers-of-america/summary?all=2020&id=D000000504" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America</a> raised nearly $527 million last year and spent roughly $506 million, <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7335117-PhRMA-990-Fiscal-Year-2019.html" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">new tax returns</a> obtained by OpenSecrets reveal. That’s a record haul for the organization, which is funded by the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies.The trade association made its largest political donation of 2019 — $4.5 million — to the American Action Network, a dark money group that backs House Republicans. The conservative nonprofit and its pharmaceutical industry donor share disdain for proposals to regulate the price of prescription drugs. The same year it received PhRMA’s donation, the American Action Network launched <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/11/big-pharma-bankrolled-conservative-groups-tax-returns-show/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">several multi-million dollar ad campaigns</a> opposing President <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/2020-presidential-race/donald-trump/candidate?id=N00023864" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Donald Trump</a>’s proposal to let Medicare negotiate drug prices. This year, the group launched multi-million dollar ad campaigns opposing <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/01/07/american-action-network-backs-limited-drug-pricing-reform/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">House Democrats’ bill</a> to lower drug prices and ads <a href="https://americanactionnetwork.org/press/aan-releases-3-new-ads-continuing-4-million-advocacy-effort-to-pass-h-r-19/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">boosting vulnerable Republicans</a> who supported an alternative bill considered <a href="https://khn.org/morning-breakout/house-republicans-to-offer-up-their-own-plan-to-combat-high-drug-prices-to-counter-dems-aggressive-bill/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">much friendlier</a> to drugmakers. The alliance between drugmakers and GOP groups isn’t new. PhRMA has given $14.6 million to the American Action Network since 2016. In that time, the American Action Network became a major contributor to GOP causes. During the 2020 election cycle, it gave $26.4 million to the <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cycle=2020&cmte=C00504530" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Congressional Leadership Fund</a>, the House Republicans’ top super PAC that helped unseat several freshman Democrats.In several key 2020 races, the American Action Network battled with a Democratic group that also received funding from drugmakers. PhRMA gave nearly $1.6 million to Center Forward, a dark money group aligned with moderate Blue Dog Democrats, last year. That nonprofit provided most of the funding for an <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C00568444&cycle=2020" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">allied super PAC</a> that spent $3.3 million supporting House Democrats. The pharma-backed GOP and Democratic groups went head-to-head in several key House races, including a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/fight-for-upstate-new-york-house-race-continues-in-court-11607299200" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">tightly contested New York race</a> that has come down to a handful of votes.Late last year, as Congress debated drug pricing bills, Center Forward <a href="https://readsludge.com/2019/12/12/pharma-funded-dark-money-group-hosts-house-staffers-for-california-junket/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">flew House staffers</a> to San Francisco to meet with drug company executives. The nonprofit’s board members have also lobbied for pharmaceutical interests. Republicans in Congress are the most vocal opponents of efforts to have the government regulate drug prices — a measure that would damage drugmakers’ profits — but Blue Dog Democrats also <a href="https://readsludge.com/2020/10/09/blue-dog-affiliated-group-runs-ads-for-big-pharma/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">pushed back</a> on more aggressive proposals to lower drug prices.<h2 style="line-height: inherit; margin: 1.5em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; clear: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Drugmakers bankroll groups pushing industry talking points to Trump</h2>Prominent drugmakers have spent much of 2020 developing vaccines to fight COVID-19, and the threat of drug pricing legislation in Congress has died down amid the pandemic. But Trump has continued to push forward with executive actions on prescription drugs opposed by the pharmaceutical industry. PhRMA deployed creative tactics in an attempt to persuade Trump against following through on his campaign promise to aggressively lower drug prices. During the Trump era, the trade association has bankrolled conservative groups that have access to the president. The American Conservative Union, which hosts the annual <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/02/cpac-2020-gets-cozy/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Conservative Political Action Conference</a>, received $150,000 from PhRMA in 2019. Led by Trump ally and corporate lobbyist <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/rev_summary.php?id=33712" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Matt Schlapp</a>, the conservative nonprofit launched the Coalition Against Socialized Medicine late last year to <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jun/6/coalition-against-socialized-medicine-challenges-m/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">oppose efforts</a> to regulate drug prices and enact single-payer health care proposals. Nearly all of the coalition’s members received funding from drugmakers within the last two years. Big pharma’s trade group gave $505,000 to American Commitment, $78,500 to Americans for a Balanced Budget and $60,000 to the Taxpayers Protection Alliance last year alone, according to new tax returns. The Taxpayers Protection Alliance launched a <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/528291-group-launches-ads-opposing-bipartisan-fix-to-surprise-medical-bills" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">six-figure ad campaign</a> last month aimed at killing “surprise” medical billing legislation and calling it a “handout” to big insurance companies.New tax returns also show that pharmaceutical manufacturers’ trade group gave $200,000 to the National Sheriffs Association, a nonprofit representing thousands of law enforcement officials. The group <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/07/sheriffs-target-trump-w-ads-stop-prescription-drugs/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">launched a six-figure ad campaign</a> last year warning against Trump’s proposal to import drugs from foreign countries, a measure bitterly opposed by drugmakers. Those ads specifically targeted Trump, airing in Washington, D.C., on his favorite Fox News programs.Trump ultimately <a href="https://khn.org/news/trump-approves-final-plan-to-import-drugs-from-canada-for-a-fraction-of-the-price/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">approved a plan</a> to import drugs from Canada in September, but its scope was limited. He also <a href="https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/fiercepharmapolitics-trump-unveils-favored-nation-drug-pricing-executive-order-and-pharma" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">moved ahead with a rule</a> that would allow Medicare to negotiate the cost of drugs based on the price foreign governments pay, another measure strongly opposed by drugmakers. Still, while Trump has moved ahead with industry-opposed measures, his GOP allies in Congress have not made drug pricing legislation a priority. Republican lawmakers and their aides are <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/11/big-pharma-bankrolled-conservative-groups-tax-returns-show/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">consistently fed</a> opinion pieces and ad campaigns from conservative groups urging them to reject “socialist price controls.”Republicans <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/09/gop-groups-attack-via-healthcare-talkingpoints/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">ran political ads</a> in 2020 that mirrored talking points from major healthcare industry players. Super PACs aligned with Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/mitch-mcconnell/summary?cid=N00003389" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Mitch McConnell</a> (R-Ky.) attacked Democrats’ over their support for a public health insurance option, a proposal that could hurt drugmakers’ profits. Those ads cited a study from the Partnership For America’s Health Care Future, a conglomerate of insurers, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies that received $300,000 from PhRMA last year.<h2 style="line-height: inherit; margin: 1.5em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; clear: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Longtime pharmaceutical ally gets seven-figure gift in retirement </h2>One of PhRMA’s largest 2019 gifts was a $2 million donation to the Orrin Hatch Foundation, a think tank and research library launched by former Sen. <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00009869" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Orrin Hatch</a> (R-Utah). The trade group gave $140,000 to the foundation between 2017 and 2018. Hatch, who retired in January 2019, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/sen-orrin-hatchs-influence-us-health-care/story?id=60120082" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">was known</a> as the pharmaceutical industry’s “man on the Hill” by the end of his 42-year tenure. Hatch helped shape current laws that regulate generic drugs and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/13/us/politics/utah-senator-crucial-ally-for-the-pacific-rim-trade-deal-is-now-its-main-hurdle.html" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">opposed measures</a> to limit drugmakers’ monopoly protections. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Hatch was <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/417524-drug-industry-nervous-about-grassleys-new-role" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">considered the major roadblock</a> to drug pricing changes proposed by Democrats and Trump.the pharmaceuticals and health products industry <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.php?ind=H04&cycle=All&recipdetail=M&sortorder=U" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">gave $2.8 million</a> to Hatch’s campaign committee since 1998, more than any member of Congress who didn’t run for president. When Hatch faced a primary challenge in 2012, PhRMA <a href="https://publicintegrity.org/politics/drug-lobby-gave-750000-to-pro-hatch-nonprofit-in-utahs-u-s-senate-race/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">gave $750,000</a> to a super PAC boosting his reelection campaign. During Hatch’s final years in office, his allies reportedly <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/orrin-hatch-foundation-230555" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">asked pharmaceutical companies and K Street lobbyists for donations</a> to fund the Orrin Hatch Foundation. In 2018, the foundation <a href="https://publicintegrity.org/politics/companies-court-lawmakers-with-charitable-giving-but-dont-always-disclose-the-funds/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">invited major corporations</a>, including pharmaceutical giant <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/merck-co/summary?id=D000000275" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Merck</a>, to a luxury mountain resort for a fundraiser.While the foundation will serve as a library to catalogue Hatch’s government service and provide civic education, it has also put out policy reports on pressing issues. Its <a href="https://www.flipsnack.com/six40/biosimilars-report-final/full-view.html" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">most recent report</a> delves into how lawmakers can craft “sensible solutions to both foster innovative biologics and curb skyrocketing drug prices.”</div><div>
</div><div>=</div>=an 1021The FBI has <a href="https://thedispatch.com/p/schlapp-acu-federal-investigation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">opened up a criminal campaign-finance investigation into possible "misdeeds"</a> committed by the right wing organization headed by conservative lobbyist and Trump confidant <a href="https://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/?s=Matt+Schlapp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">Matt Schlapp</a>.The group, the American Conservative Union, is best known for its annual Conservative Political Action Conference (<a href="https://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/?s=CPAC" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">CPAC</a>) event that attracts right wing politicians and activists from across the country.Citing sources, The Dispatch reports "federal investigators are currently looking into possible criminal campaign-finance misdeeds at ACU during Schlapp's tenure. As part of the investigation, the FBI has interviewed former and current ACU employees about the financial dealings of the organization and its leaders—and in particular, as one source said, about their 'knowledge of the events leading up to the endorsement of Brian Kelsey.'."Kelsey is a Tennessee state senator who in 2016 ran for the GOP nomination for a seat in Congress.Since 2015 Schlapp has been the chairman of the ACU.The allegations in our complaint—they're really quite bad," Adav Noti, chief of staff at the Campaign Legal Center, told The Dispatch. The CLC is the organization that filed the FEC complaint. "This is not run-of-the-mill shenanigans. It's true that $100,000 isn't an overwhelmingamount of money, but it's not nothing for a congressional race in Tennessee, either. And the two-part scheme to route it back to the campaign—if that is indeed what happened, it's a very serious violation. It's not a ticky-tack or a technical issue."Read the entire report at <a href="https://thedispatch.com/p/schlapp-acu-federal-investigation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">The Dispatch.</a>=1120 aneric Grenell and Matt Schlapp <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://click.e.mediamatters.org/?qs=65751962c5842c57731d64d4b768673b93a8a891e6690b48d53a76f114395cff685856dc8807ce34bd2c789767b9ca4a85345cdf4dae8f96" title="flee in a van" style="" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">fled in a van</a> when asked by Jacob Soboroff to present evidence of their claims of voter fraud.<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp</a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div id="mw-content-text" lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr" style="direction: ltr;"><div class="mw-parser-output">Mercedes Schlapp (née Viana; born December 27, 1972)<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[1]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[2]</a> is an American lobbyist and columnist. From September 2017 to July 2019, she served as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Director_of_Strategic_Communications" title="White House Director of Strategic Communications" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">White House Director of Strategic Communications</a> in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Donald_Trump" title="Presidency of Donald Trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">Trump administration</a>. Since July 2019, she has worked on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_2020_presidential_campaign" title="Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">Trump 2020 re-election campaign</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[3]</a><div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading" style="background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 7px; display: table;"><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; direction: ltr;">
</div><ul style="list-style-image: none; margin: 0.3em 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-type: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#Personal_life" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">1Personal life</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#Career" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">2Career</a><ul style="list-style-image: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-type: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#Campaigns_and_Bush_administration" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">2.1Campaigns and Bush administration</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#Media" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">2.2Media</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#Lobbyist" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">2.3Lobbyist</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#NRA" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">2.4NRA</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#Trump_administration" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">2.5Trump administration</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#George_Floyd_protests" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">2.6George Floyd protests</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#Political_positions" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">3Political positions</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#References" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">4References</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#External_links" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">5External links</a></li></ul></div><h2 style="background: none; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Personal life[</h2>Schlapp is a second generation <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban-American" class="mw-redirect" title="Cuban-American" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Cuban-American</a> born in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida" title="Florida" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Florida</a>. She is married to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Schlapp" title="Matt Schlapp" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Matt Schlapp</a>, the chair of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Conservative_Union" title="American Conservative Union" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">American Conservative Union</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[4]</a> The Schlapps have five daughters.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[5]</a><h2 style="background: none; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Career[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mercedes_Schlapp&action=edit&section=2&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Career" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">edit</a>]</h2><h3 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Campaigns and Bush administration[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mercedes_Schlapp&action=edit&section=3&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Campaigns and Bush administration" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">edit</a>]</h3>Schlapp worked on local and national political campaigns, as well as the 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">George W. Bush</a>, and was Director of Specialty Media in his administration.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:0-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[6]</a><h3 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Media[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mercedes_Schlapp&action=edit&section=4&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Media" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">edit</a>]</h3>Later she was a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_News" title="Fox News" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Fox News</a> contributor and a columnist for several publications including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.News%26_World_Report" title="U.S. News & World Report" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">U.S. News & World Report</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Times" title="The Washington Times" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">The Washington Times</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[7]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[8]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-9" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[9]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-10" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[10]</a><h3 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Lobbyist[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mercedes_Schlapp&action=edit&section=5&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Lobbyist" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">edit</a>]</h3>Together with her husband Schlapp founded Cove Strategies, a lobbying firm based in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria,Virginia" title="Alexandria, Virginia" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; background: none;">Alexandria, Virginia</a>, in 2009.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:1-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[11]</a> Since President Trump entered the White House, the income of the firm surged (from $600,000 in 2015 to more than a $1 million in 2017).<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:1-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[11]</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koch_Industries" title="Koch Industries" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Koch Industries</a> was the firm's first client.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:1-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[11]</a><h3 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">NRA[</h3>She was a board member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Rifle_Association" title="National Rifle Association" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">National Rifle Association</a> before joining the White House.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-12" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none rgb(255, 255, 102);">[</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-12" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">12]</a> She was an aid consultant at the NRA, earning $60,000 from the NRA in 2015, and $45,000 in 2016, according to NRA tax filings.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:1-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[11]</a><h3 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Trump administration[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mercedes_Schlapp&action=edit&section=7&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Trump administration" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">edit</a>]</h3>On September 12, 2017, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States" title="President of the United States" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">President</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump" title="Donald Trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Donald Trump</a>'s administration announced that Schlapp would serve as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Director_of_Strategic_Communications" title="White House Director of Strategic Communications" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Director of Strategic Communications</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-13" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[13]</a> Prior to joining the Trump administration, Schlapp made numerous statements that were strongly critical of Trump.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-14" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[14]</a>Schlapp attracted attention when she and her husband left the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Correspondents_Dinner" class="mw-redirect" title="White House Correspondents Dinner" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">White House Correspondents Dinner</a> early in April 2018, saying that she was disgusted by comedian <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Wolf" title="Michelle Wolf" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">Michelle Wolf’</a>s jokes aimed at Press Secretary <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Sanders" title="Sarah Sanders" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">Sarah Huckabee Sanders</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:1-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[11]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-15" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[15]</a> In a limousine en route to an exclusive NBC/MSNBC afterparty, she tweeted that Wolf's comedy routine is "why America hates the out of touch leftist media elite".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:1-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[11]</a>In May 2018, Schlapp defended White House aide <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Sadler" title="Kelly Sadler" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">Kelly Sadler</a> after she joked that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCain" title="John McCain" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">John McCain</a>'s opposition to CIA Director nominee <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gina_Haspel" title="Gina Haspel" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">Gina Haspel</a> was irrelevant because "he’s dying anyway".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-16" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[16]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-17" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[17]</a><h3 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">George Floyd protests[</h3>In June 2020, amid the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Floyd_protests" title="George Floyd protests" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">George Floyd protests</a> against racism and police brutality, she retweeted praise for a racist who was wielding a chainsaw against protestors while he was yelling the N-word.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:2-18" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[18]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-19" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[19]</a> After Politico asked for comment, she retweeted another account that posted the video of the chainsaw-wielding man but which muted the N-word.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:2-18" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[18]</a> After Politico published the story, she apologized.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:2-18" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[18]</a><h2 style="background: none; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Political positions[</h2>Schlapp has stated an opposition to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage" title="Same-sex marriage" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">same-sex marriage</a>, calling President <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama" title="Barack Obama" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Barack Obama</a>’s decision to support it a "political ploy".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[20]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-21" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: none;">[21]</a><h2 style="background: none; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">References</h2></div></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/coronavirus-covid-19/after-report-trump-campaign-push-organize-anti-lockdown-doctors-fox-news" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">https://www.mediamatters.org/coronavirus-covid-19/after-report-trump-campaign-push-organize-anti-lockdown-doctors-fox-news</a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style=""><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">no lnx pix vid</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">After AP report on Trump campaign push to organize anti-lockdown doctors, Fox News pushes letter from new doctor group</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Fox “news”-side anchor complains that people “who have non-COVID related problems” aren’t getting care</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">WRITTEN BY ERIC KLEEFELD</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">PUBLISHED 05/21/20 12:00 PM EDT</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Fox News is now hyping what appears to be a coordinated effort by pro-Trump groups and the Trump campaign to put forward a separate narrative from another group of doctors who are speaking out against official guidance from experts about safety measures to battle the coronavirus pandemic and instead urging the quick reopening of businesses and the end of shelter-in-place orders.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">On Wednesday, The Associated Press reported on a May 11 conference call “with a senior staffer for the Trump reelection campaign,” which was organized by an affiliate of the right-wing Council for National Policy.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">During the call, Republican activist Nancy Schulze “said she had given the campaign a list of 27 doctors prepared to defend Trump’s reopening push.” According to Schulze, “There is a coalition of doctors who are extremely pro-Trump that have been preparing and coming together for the war ahead in the campaign on health care.” She further added: “And we have doctors that are … in the trenches, that are saying ‘It’s time to reopen.’”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="">Another participant on the call was Matt Schlapp, head of the American Conservative Union, the organization that hosts the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. Schlapp is also a frequent guest on Fox News and appeared on the network in early March to downplay the danger of the virus while he was isolating at home, after having potentially been exposed to someone during the recent CPAC event who later tested positive for COVID-19.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="">“The president’s going to get tagged by the fake news media as being irresponsible and not listening to doctors,” Schlapp said on the reported conference call. “And so we have to gird his loins with a lot of other people. So I think what Nancy’s talking about … this is the critical juncture that we highlight them.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">And today, Fox News ran an article featuring a public letter from a new group called “A Doctor a Day,” formed to oppose the lockdown efforts. Currently at over 600 signatures, the letter calls the economic shutdown a “mass casualty incident” resulting in people missing medical appointments for other conditions and experiencing the potentially devastating health effects of financial uncertainty.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">As the AP noted, the lead signatory of the letter is Dr. Simone Gold, an emergency medicine specialist. Gold is also a member of the Save Our Country Coalition, an alliance of conservative groups pushing to reopen businesses. The Council for National Policy, the group that organized the May 11 call, is also a member of that coalition. Gold denied to the AP that she was coordinating her efforts with the Trump campaign: “But put this in there: I’m honored to be considered.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Gold also told Fox News that her push to quickly reopen the economy is “causing a big misunderstanding about what I'm doing so I actually think I'm just going to take my name off [from the Save Our Country Coalition] because it's not really supposed to be political.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The letter received a glowing mention in the opening block of Thursday’s edition of Fox & Friends.</div></div>when did he cave to trump cult?<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">omfg</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="">omg 1st guaido sotu and now:<a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/cpac-to-feature-authoritarian-brazilian-politician-eduardo-bolsonaro/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/cpac-to-feature-authoritarian-brazilian-politician-eduardo-bolsonaro/</a>
<div class="mce-content-body" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear;"><div class="layout-constrain--narrow" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 47.2222em; padding-left: 1em; padding-right: 1em; line-height: 1.5;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; line-height: 1.5;">Organizers of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference portray themselves as lovers of freedom, but among this year’s speakers will be Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of Brazil’s authoritarian President <a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/jair-bolsonaro/" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">Jair Bolsonaro</a> and the leader of a right-wing party in the Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies. In January, the Brazilian government <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/21/world/americas/glenn-greenwald-brazil-cybercrimes.html" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">filed criminal charges</a> against American journalist Glenn Greenwald, who has been a harsh critic of the Bolsonaro administration.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; line-height: 1.5;">The American Conservative Union, the group that puts on CPAC, heralded the younger Bolsonaro. Tweeting last week about Eduardo Bolsonaro’s planned appearance, ACU chair Matt Schlapp <a href="https://twitter.com/mschlapp/status/1223042374714216450" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">wrote</a>, “In 2019 ACU hosted several international CPAC events, one of which was #CPACbrazil, thanks to @BolsonaroSP. At #CPAC2020 he’ll share how our conservative movement inspires freedom-loving people across the globe & how the US & Brazil can work together to stop socialism.”<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; line-height: 1.5;">But Eduardo Bolsonaro seems keen to “stop socialism” with authoritarianism. Eduardo Bolsonaro, who is also the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/01/brazili-president-son-jair-eduardo-bolsonaro-dictatorship-era-tactics-leftist-foes" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">regional representative of former White House strategist Steve Bannon’s global right-wing group The Movement,</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/01/brazili-president-son-jair-eduardo-bolsonaro-dictatorship-era-tactics-leftist-foes" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">warned recently </a>that the government could resort to repression to deal with protests and leftists “via a new AI-5.” The Guardian’s Tom Phillips explained:<blockquote style="background: rgb(239, 243, 243); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; hyphens: none; padding: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0.75em 2em;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; line-height: 1.5;">That was a reference to one of the most traumatic events in recent Brazilian history – December 1968’s Institutional Act Number Five (AI-5) – when Brazil’s military rulers moved to extinguish growing political unrest by indefinitely outlawing freedom of expression and assembly and closing congress.<p style="margin: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; line-height: 1.5;">“The AI-5 was an instrument intended to intimidate people … It allowed the dictatorship to repress all opposition and dissent,” the historians Lilia Schwarz and Heloisa M Starling wrote in their recent <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/193/193757/brazil--a-biography/9781846147937.html" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">“biography” of Brazil</a>.</blockquote><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; line-height: 1.5;">Eduardo Bolsonaro’s comments reportedly shocked many Brazilians, but they aligned with previous statements made by his father, who also served in the legislature before being elected president in 2018 During his presidential campaign, the theme of which was “Brazil before everything, and God above all,” Jair Bolsonaro supported the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/19/dilma-rousseff-impeachment-comments-torture-era-brazil-history" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">torture</a> carried out by the military dictatorship that ran the country from 1964 to 1985, and warned that under his regime, minorities would have to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/Jair_Bolsonaro_Brazil" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">“bow to the majority … or disappear.”</a><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; line-height: 1.5;">Right Wing Watch <a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/u-s-right-wing-cheers-swearing-in-of-brazils-far-right-president/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">noted</a> last year, a week after Jair Bolsonaro’s inauguration, that he “didn’t waste much time <a href="https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-brazil-bolsonaro-minorities-20190102-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">issuing executive orders</a> and <a href="http://agenciapresentes.org/2019/01/03/activistas-en-alerta-por-medidas-anti-lgbt-de-bolsonaro/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">taking other actions</a> going after the people <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-brazils-bolsonaro-targets-minorities-on-first-day-in-office/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">he had targeted</a> in his campaign rhetoric<a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/human-rights/423594-brazils-new-president-removes-lgbt-concerns-from-human" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">: the LGBTQ community</a>; <a href="https://bintroo.com/brazils-environmental-chief-resigns-after-bolsonaro-criticism-news/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">indigenous people</a>; <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/brazils-bolsonaro-hinders-demarcation-of-indigenous-lands/2019/01/02/14bb5074-0e9a-11e9-8f0c-6f878a26288a_story.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">descendants of former slaves</a>; <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jair-bolsonaro-brazil-president-civil-servants-fire-far-right-left-wing-a8711116.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">civil servants</a> deemed not on board with Bolsonaro’s ideological agenda; <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-brazils-bolsonaro-targets-minorities-on-first-day-in-office/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">nonprofit organizations</a>; and the <a href="https://www.lanacion.com.ar/2207386-un-discurso-ambiguo-que-sigue-apostando-a-dividir" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">media</a>.”<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; line-height: 1.5;">Just this week, Eduardo Bolsonaro <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/04/bolsonaro-government-petra-costa-brazil-oscar-nominee" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">launched a social media attack</a> on filmmaker Petra Costa, whose documentary “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jun/21/the-edge-of-democracy-review-petra-costa-brazil-documentary" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">The Edge of Democracy</a>” has been <a href="https://oscar.go.com/news/nominations/documentary-feature-oscar-nominations-2020" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">nominated</a> for an Academy Award, The Guardian reported. Eduardo Bolsonaro tweeted that Costa was a “scumbag” and a liar. He and other government officials are angry about the movie and an <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-company/video/oscar-nominee-petra-costa-on-threats-to-democracy-in-brazil/" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">interview</a> in which Costa criticized government policies encouraging the plunder of the Amazon region, a spike in police killings, the administration’s anti-gay actions and increased government censorship.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; line-height: 1.5;">In August 2018, months before the election that made his father president, Eduardo Bolsonaro met with Bannon and announced that Bannon would be offering suggestions on online strategy and data analysis for his father’s presidential campaign. He declared that he and Bannon would “join forces” against “cultural Marxism.”<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; line-height: 1.5;">Jair Bolsonaro’s campaign was <a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/steve-bannon-and-michele-bachmann-promoting-brazils-far-right-presidential-candidate/" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">backed</a> by U.S. <a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/brazils-bolsonaro-calls-election-a-miracle-sides-with-trump/" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">religious-right</a> <a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/u-s-right-wing-cheers-swearing-in-of-brazils-far-right-president/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">leaders</a>, including former Rep. Michele Bachmann, who met with Eduardo Bolsonaro and <a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/steve-bannon-and-michele-bachmann-promoting-brazils-far-right-presidential-candidate/" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">recorded a video message to Brazilian Christians</a> urging them to vote “only for a candidate for the president of Brazil who will support moving the Brazilian embassy [in Israel] to Jerusalem.” Trump-supporting “prophet” Cindy Jacobs and her husband Mike Jacobs <a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/cindy-and-mike-jacobs-jair-bolsonaro-is-making-brazil-a-sheep-nation/" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em;">declared</a> that Jair Bolsonaro is establishing God’s kingdom in Brazil—turning it from a “goat nation” into a “sheep nation.” (There’s a biblical passage that refers to Jesus’s second coming when all the nations will be gathered before him and he, like a shepherd, will separate the sheep from the goats.)...</div></div></div><div>=</div><div><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2019/06/ethics-expert-details-the-scandals-in-the-white-houses-new-list-of-staff-salaries/">https://www.alternet.org/2019/06/ethics-expert-details-the-scandals-in-the-white-houses-new-list-of-staff-salaries/</a></div><div>
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</div><div>Ethics expert details the scandals in the White House’s new list of staff salaries</div><div>CODY FENWICK</div><div>28 JUN 2019 AT 22:29 ET</div><div> </div><div>Walter Shaub, the former director of the Office of Government Ethics who resigned in protest under President Donald Trump, has been a dogged critic of the administration as it flagrantly defies basic standards of behavior for the executive branch. And in a new Twitter thread on Friday, Shaub combed through the new list of White House staff salaries — which show that not only do violations not trigger punishments, but they don’t even hinder raises.</div><div>
</div><div>He pointed out, for instance, that newly named White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham — who used to do PR for the first lady — got a promotion and raise, despite having violated the Hatch Act.</div><div>
</div><div>Walter Shaub</div><div>?</div><div>@waltshaub</div><div> · Jun 28, 2019</div><div> 2019 White House salaries was just posted.https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/July-1-2019-Report-FINAL.pdf …</div><div>
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</div><div>Walter Shaub</div><div>?</div><div>@waltshaub</div><div>Looks like Stephanie Grisham's punishment for violating the Hatch Act was a $28,000 pay raise. That'll teach her.</div><div> </div><div>But Grisham is still in the junior varsity league when it comes to violating the Hatch Act. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, on the other hand, has gone pro — she seems to think violating the law, which bars federal employees from electioneering, is part of her job. Trump’s own appointee to the Office of Special Counsel called for her firing, saying her brazen violations of the law were “unprecedented.”</div><div>
</div><div>But Trump didn’t fire her. In fact, as Shaub pointed out, she got a raise! Just not as generous as Grisham.</div><div>
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</div><div>Walter Shaub</div><div>?</div><div>@waltshaub</div><div>Replying to @waltshaub</div><div>There's some real unfairness to Stephanie Grisham getting a $28,000 pay raise: Kellyanne Conway violated the Hatch Act way more times and only got a $3,300 pay raise.</div><div>
</div><div>Conway makes $183,000 a year, which is the salary cap for White House employees.</div><div>
</div><div>Madeleine Westerhout, the director of Oval Office operations, got a $15,000 raise and is now making $145,000, Shaub said. She, too, he pointed out, violated the Hatch Act, according to the Office of Special Counsel.</div><div>
</div><div>Shaub also noted that Mercedes Schlapp, like Conway, is making likewise making the maximum salary. This was notable, he pointed out, in light of the fact that her husband, Matt Schlapp, lobbies the Executive Office of the President. In other words, he’s getting paid to have influence over the president while his wife is working in the White House. It’s an outrageous conflict of interest, but under Trump, it’s par for the course.</div></div><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/05/whats-behind-lobbyist-attempts-to-block-casinos-on-native-land">https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/05/whats-behind-lobbyist-attempts-to-block-casinos-on-native-land</a>Donald Trump threw his weight against a bipartisan House bill last week that would affirm the <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/lobby.php?id=D000046193" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe</a>’s right to 321 acres of land in Massachusetts.  The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act, or <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/312?r=1&q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22H.R.+312%3A+To+reaffirm+the+Mashpee+Wampanoag+Tribe+reservation%2C+and+for+other+purposes.%22%5D%7D" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">H.R. 312</a>, was introduced by Rep. <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00031933" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">William Keating</a> (D-Mass.) and co-sponsored by both Republicans and Democrats. Supporters of the act said entitling the 2,600-member tribe to promised, federally recognized land upheld tribal sovereignty and protected the tribe’s economy by enabling the tribe to build a casino on the land. The House voted in favor of the bill, moving the tribe one step closer to building a $1 billion proposed casino on the land. But the president’s opposition warrants a look into his past links to casino magnates and the <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=n07" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">gambling industry</a>. The bill now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate. Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1126151799868723200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">made known his opposition</a> to the bill in a tweet on May 8, calling it “a special interest casino Bill” and urged Republicans to back out, leading the House to temporarily delay the vote. The president has a long history of challenging tribes’ right to build and operate casinos on reservations.  The chaos that transpired over the legislation exemplified the gaming industries’ complex and costly tug-of-war over casino regulations on tribal land. This is not the first time interest groups, lobbyists or the president have challenged tribes’ protected federal status as sovereign nations to block the construction of competitive casinos.  Significant funding flows into the political fight from all sides. Last year, gambling groups spent a total of <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/lobbying.php?cycle=2018&ind=n07" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">$32.53 million</a>, deploying over 300 lobbyists. The Arizona-based <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000023646&year=2018" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Gila River Indian Community</a> led the pack with <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000023646&cycle=2018" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">$2.58 million</a> in spending. Federal lobbying in the gaming industry precipitously increased 112 percent between 2000 and 2018.  Tug-of-war over casino regulations Federally recognized tribal nations have the right to self-determination and the ability to oversee their own internal affairs on reservations, including the construction of casinos in many states across the U.S.  But gaming facilities on reservations are not immune from federal regulations.  Some tribes must establish compacts, or agreements, with states before building casinos. These states then claim a percentage of the profits from the casinos. The National Indian Gaming Commission, established in 1988, is tasked with monitoring casinos on reservations too. The ambiguity that can come with federal oversight has often resulted in tension between casinos, Congress and tribal nations over what rules to play by. When it comes to fine-tuning regulations, lobbyists play a significant role.  The <a href="https://mashpeewampanoagtribe-nsn.gov/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Mashpee Wampanoag</a> were among the first Indigenous people to come in contact with colonizers in the seventeenth century. Of the 69 tribes that once composed the Wampanoag Nation, the Mashpee Wampanoag <a href="https://mashpeewampanoagtribe-nsn.gov/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">remain one of three surviving tribes today</a>, following decades of colonization and genocide. Despite its over 12,000-year history, the tribe continues to live without a reservation.  The U.S. government did not “re-acknowledge” the Mashpee Wampanoag as a tribe until 2007, well after the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. Last year, then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke determined the Department of Interior would not consider the 150 acres of land in Mashpee and 170 acres of land in Taunton, Massachusetts as the Mashpee Wampanoag’s reservation, reversing an Obama-era decision.  “If a federally recognized tribe does not have land over which to exercise its tribal authority, then what good is the government authority you have?” said Kathryn Rand, dean and professor of law at the University of North Dakota. “You have to have a place to exercise that authority.”  Rand, who also co-founded the Institute for the Study of Tribal Gaming Law and Policy, said the rescinding of the tribe’s land dealt a blow to their proposed casino and sent the economy into a tailspin.“The tribe started work on its casino, including seeking financing,” she said, “When the [DOI] Secretary changed his mind, the tribe was left with overwhelming debt.” She estimated the debt at $440 million. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe <a href="https://mashpeewampanoagtribe-nsn.gov/press-releases/2019/4/5/mashpee-wampanoag-provide-testimony-supporting-hr312-before-house-subcommittee" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">saw</a> the proposed casino as a key “economic driver.” Casinos can provide needed revenue for public services and other vital infrastructure on reservations, at times accounting for <a href="https://www.nigc.gov/commission/gaming-revenue-reports" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">a sizeable portion</a> of a tribe’s revenue. This is not the first time Congress has stepped in to preserve a tribe’s reservation from being taken away.  In 2015, <a href="https://www.congress.gov/113/plaws/publ179/PLAW-113publ179.pdf" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Gun Lake Tribe</a> underwent a similar struggle. Congress introduced and eventually passed the Gun Lake <a href="https://www.congress.gov/113/plaws/publ179/PLAW-113publ179.pdf" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Trust Land Reaffirmation Act </a>to affirm that the land could be held in federal trust, but not without a grueling fight. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled the decision constitutional in 2018. Steven Light, co-founder of the Institute for the Study of Tribal Gaming Law and Policy and professor at University of North Dakota, said “it is arguably not the best thing for Congress to be legislating on bills specific to one tribe or another because what that suggests is that sovereignty [can be] compromised and politicized.” Instead, the DOI’s responsibility is to fulfill the federal government’s promises to all tribes, he said.<a href="https://twitter.com/mschlapp/status/1126252040861233162" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Lobbyists</a> representing Twin River Worldwide Holdings welcomed the DOI’s decision to un-acknowledge the land previously considered the Mashpee Wampanoag’s reservation. The private company has two casinos — Twin River Casino Hotel and Tiverton Casino Hotel — near the disputed site in Rhode Island. Rep. <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00025726" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Tom Cole</a> (R-Okla.), who co-sponsored H.R. 312, said that Twin River was adverse to the competition from the new casino, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-tweet-derails-house-bill-opposed-by-lobbyist-with-close-white-house-ties/2019/05/08/019117d0-71b5-11e9-9f06-5fc2ee80027a_story.html?utm_term=.2aa1f894b6a7" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">according to the Washington Post</a>. Twin River paid revolving door lobbyist <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/rev_summary.php?id=33712" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Matt Schlapp</a>, who is the chairman of the <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000023944" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">American Conservative Union</a> and a devout Trump supporter. The opposition’s ties to Trump go even deeper. The <a href="https://investors.twinriverwwholdings.com/governance/executive-management/default.aspx" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">president of Twin River</a> once served as an executive at one of the casinos owned by Trump in Atlantic City too, based on findings published by the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-riddle-in-new-england-a-casino-321-acres-of-indian-tribal-land-and-a-presidential-tweet/2019/05/13/dfcc6dd8-7354-11e9-9f06-5fc2ee80027a_story.html?utm_term=.c7efbfe0b30d" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Washington Post</a>. Schlapp leads the lobbying firm <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000049818" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Cove Strategies</a>, which Twin River Management Group paid $30,000 in 2019 for lobbying related to the bill. Schlapp’s wife, Mercedes, holds a position in the White House as the director of strategic communications.  Twin River Management Group also paid the firm <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/firmlbs.php?id=F220948" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Black Diamond Strategies</a> $30,000. Although there is no record indicating he lobbied on H.R. 312, revolving door lobbyist Rick Wiley is a political consultant with Black Diamond Strategies and played an influential role in Trump’s campaign as the political director during the presidential primaries. Doug Davenport, a former strategist for Trump’s campaign, lobbied on behalf of Black Diamond Strategies as well. Rep. Keating called out Trump’s “well-documented alliance with the [Rhode Island] casino lobbyist” in <a href="https://twitter.com/USRepKeating?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1126179837465509888&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wpri.com%2Fpolitics%2Fhouse-vote-will-help-decide-fate-of-taunton-casino%2F1988351630" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">a tweet last week</a>.  Tribes also have accelerated their involvement in federal lobbying. The <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000046193&cycle=2018" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Mashpee Wampanoag</a> Tribe spent $150,000 on lobbying in this year. Last year, they spent $420,000. “In the American political system, money talks,” Light said. “Political responsiveness is generated through access and influence, which is linked to fiscal resources and lobbying.”  <a href="https://mashpeewampanoagtribe-nsn.gov/press-releases/2019/4/5/mashpee-wampanoag-provide-testimony-supporting-hr312-before-house-subcommittee" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">In testimony</a> before the House Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples of the U.S. last month, Mashpee Wampanoag Vice Chairwoman Jessie “Little Doe” Baird said that the loss of the Mashpee Wampanoag’s status had devastated their economic development.  “The damage done to our Tribe during the years in which the status of our reservation has been thrown into doubt is beginning to reach catastrophic levels,” Baird said. The denial of land rights to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe harkened back to termination policies in the mid-twentieth century when the federal government terminated the status of numerous American Indian tribes and nullified preexisting promises to tribes bound by treaty, said Rep. <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00025284" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Raúl Grijalva </a>(D-Ariz.) said on the House floor.  That said, money from casinos is not a panacea for the steep economic hurdles many tribal nations face. Some Indigenous leaders have called for alternate revenue streams <a href="https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive/the-myth-of-indian-casino-riches-3H8eP-wHX0Wz0H4WnQjwjA/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">given the limitations</a> of the gaming industry.  Nor do all tribal nations have a casino. Of the 567 federally recognized tribes, about 42 percent operate gaming facilities, according to 2016 data from <a href="https://www.nigc.gov/images/uploads/NIGC%20Uploads/aboutus/2016FactSheet-web.pdf" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">NIGC</a>. That means the majority — 329 tribes — have no casinos.  Not all casinos are created equal either, and profit varies widely depending on location and tribe. Of all the gaming revenue audits obtained by the NIGC in 2017, <a href="https://www.nigc.gov/images/uploads/reports/Chart2017GamingRevenuesbyRange.pdf" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">57 percent of casinos</a> brought in under $25 million.  Lobbyists put ‘political pressure’ on DOI  The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is not the only tribe to run into issues with the DOI and lobbyists. Last year, the <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000286" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Mashantucket Pequots Tribe</a> filed a lawsuit against the DOI and <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000193" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">MGM Resorts International</a> alleging that the agency intentionally delayed any decision over a proposed casino. This would be the third casino owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000053882" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">The Mohegan Tribe</a>, also located in Connecticut, joined the lawsuit. <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000193" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">MGM Resorts International</a>, a company with plans to build a casino in Springfield, Massachusetts, lobbied against the construction of the the Mashantucket Pequots’ proposal, and may have been influential in the DOI’s lack of a clear verdict, according to an investigation of Zinke’s calendar by <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/01/zinkes-indian-casino-interior-312671" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Politico</a>.  Judge Rudolph Contreras allowed <a href="https://www.indianz.com/IndianGaming/2019/02/15/mptn021519.pdf" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">the lawsuit to proceed</a> in February, stating that the “plaintiffs have plausibly alleged that significant political pressure was brought to bear on the issue and the Secretary may have improperly succumbed to such pressure.” MGM Resorts International spent a record-breaking <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000193&year=2018" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">$1.9 million lobbying</a> on issues related to gambling in 2018, up from $570,000 just two years before. The company paid Ballard $80,000 during the first quarter this year. Last year, he received $320,000.  MGM’s registered lobbyists include <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/01/ballard-partners-revolving-door-white-house/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Brian Ballard</a> who served as a fundraiser for Trump’s presidential campaign in Florida and later became a member of Trump’s transition team. Filings show MGM Resorts paid Ballard Partners <a href="https://soprweb.senate.gov/index.cfm?event=getFilingDetails&filingID=794E4DD1-7064-47BB-B162-C3D901C5308D&filingTypeID=52" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">$80,000 in the first quarter this year</a> for lobbying on issues related to gambling on tribal land.  Revolving door lobbyist <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/rev_summary.php?id=71519" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Gale Norton</a>, who served as Interior Secretary in the George W. Bush administration from 2001 and 2006, lobbied for MGM Resorts International about the “Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Connecticut gaming amendments,” according to <a href="https://soprweb.senate.gov/index.cfm?event=getFilingDetails&filingID=FAFB824A-66B5-497C-A558-95C0A22DCF37&filingTypeID=51" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">lobbying </a>records. She also served as counsel for <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00039503" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Shell Oil</a>.  <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/lobby.php?id=D000000286" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Spending on lobbyists by the Mashantucket Pequots Tribe</a> decreased from $380,000 in 2004 to just $84,000 in 2018.  The motivations behind steady efforts by lobbyists to challenge tribe’s right to hold federal land in trust can extend well beyond the gambling industry. Federally recognized tribal land accounts for about 2 percent of the country’s land, but holds about 20 percent of gas and oil. When a lobbyist successfully chisels away at tribal rights to self-determination over their own affairs, fossil fuel interest groups inch closer to accessing tribal land.  In 2016, Energy Transfer Partners lobbied to extend a $3.8 billion pipeline through sacred land on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota, despite widespread resistance from Indigenous organizers.  Trump eventually reversed the Army Corp of Engineers’ decision to halt construction of the controversial Dakota Access pipeline, made under the Obama administration. The case is now stuck in the courts.  Trump has a lengthy history with casinos. Trump owned casino ventures, including Trump Castle, Trump Plaza and Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City in the 1980 and 90s. All ended in bankruptcy but Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/12/nyregion/donald-trump-atlantic-city.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">walked away</a> with significant profit. Currently, the Mashantucket Pequots Tribe owns two casinos, one of which Trump attempted to block in his days as a casino owner. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/04/nyregion/trump-in-a-federal-lawsuit-seeks-to-block-indian-casinos.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">In 1993</a>, Trump challenged the constitutionality of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in court in an attempt to eliminate competition from the the Mashantucket Pequots Tribe’s <a href="https://www.foxwoods.com/default.aspx" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Foxwoods Resort Casino</a>. Trump sued the federal government, arguing he was being discriminated against.“I love to compete but I like to compete on an equal footing. I’m competing and paying hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes,” <a href="https://www.salon.com/2019/05/13/trumps-mysterious-casino-tweet-hes-using-racism-to-cover-up-his-corruption/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">said Trump during a hearing</a>. All the same, a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/12/nyregion/donald-trump-atlantic-city.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">New York Times</a> report later uncovered that Trump claimed $814 million in losses while forking over no money in income taxes.<div class="widget_text awac-wrapper" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><div class="widget_text awac widget custom_html-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin-bottom: 20px;"><div class="textwidget custom-html-widget" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; border: 1px dotted; padding: 11px; border-radius: 15px; margin-top: 40px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics. </div><div style="text-align: left;">For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center: <a href="mailto:info@crp.org" style="box-sizing: inherit; 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Koch's lobbying team is headed by Matt Schlapp, who was director of the White House Office of Political Affairs for the Bush-Cheney regime. He replaced Elizabeth Stolpe, who (follow the spinning yo-yo here) went to work for Bush as associate director for environmental protection.

----<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-conservative-union">https://www.desmogblog.com/american-conservative-union</a>
<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180125061914/http://conservative.org/about/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">American Conservative Union (ACU)</a> describes itself as America's original conservative organization. It is an umbrella organization founded in 1964 that fights “for Americans who are concerned with liberty, personal responsibility, traditional values,” according to its website. <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-conservative-union#s1" style="text-decoration-line: none;">[1]</a>Since 1973, the ACU has hosted the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. The ACUworks in conjunction with the <a href="http://acufoundation.conservative.org/about/" rel="nofollow" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">American Conservative Union Foundation </a>(ACUF), a 501(c)(3) “educational foundation” that “converts and educates those who may not know they are conservatives as well as informing, inspiring and motivating those who know they are conservatives.” <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-conservative-union#s1" style="text-decoration-line: none;">[1]</a><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180206040348/http://conservative.org/acu_personnel/hon-matt-schlapp/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Matt Schlapp</a> is Chairman of the ACU, and formerly worked in the DC offices of petrochemical giant <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/koch-industries-inc" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Koch Industries</a>. While Schlapp worked as Vice President of Federal Affairs at Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC, Koch Industries <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jun/23/koch-network-says-no-ties-new-acu-chief/" rel="nofollow" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">distanced themselves</a> when he became Chairman of the ACU, claiming they hadn't had a working relationship with him in years. <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-conservative-union#s2" style="text-decoration-line: none;">[2]</a>, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-conservative-union#s3" style="text-decoration-line: none;">[3]</a>,<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-conservative-union#s4" style="text-decoration-line: none;"> [4]</a><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-conservative-union#ACU%20Board" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ACU's board </a>has included prominent climate change deniers and lobbyists including <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/fred-l-smith-jr" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Fred L. Smith, Jr</a>., founder of the <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/competitive-enterprise-institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Competitive Enterprise Institute</a>, <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Grover_Norquist" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Grover Norquist </a>of <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/americans-tax-reform" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Americans for Tax Reform</a>, and <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/joseph-bast" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Joe Bast </a>of the <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/heartland-institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Heartland Institute</a>.<h3 style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em; font-family: " open="open" sans="sans" sans-serif="sans-serif">American Conservative Union Foundation</h3>According to its website, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180206041412/http://acufoundation.conservative.org/about/" rel="nofollow" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">the ACUF</a> was established in 1973 to “educate voters, office-holders, and opinion leaders as to why conservative principles work better to solve the myriad of complex and dynamic problems facing Americans today and to equip them to become better and more effective problem-solvers by implementing conservative values within their communities.” <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-conservative-union#s5" style="text-decoration-line: none;">[5]</a><h3 style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em; font-family: " open="open" sans="sans" sans-serif="sans-serif">ACU PAC</h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180207203117/http://conservative.org/acu-pac/" rel="nofollow" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ACU Political Action Committee</a> is the ACU's political arm and “supports candidates for office who reflect the conservative principles on which the ACU was founded.” According to the ACU website, “a successful, well-funded political action committee keeps the American Conservative Union relevant and influential on the issues of greatest importance to our membership, both at the national and state levels, in general and primary elections.” <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-conservative-union#s6" style="text-decoration-line: none;">[6]</a><h2 style="line-height: 2em; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; font-family: " open="open" sans="sans" sans-serif="sans-serif">Stance on Climate Change</h2>The ACU has historically opposed efforts that would limit carbon dioxide emissions for the purpose of combatting climate change. For example, ACU supported HR 3409, a bill that would prevent the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions: <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-conservative-union#s7" style="text-decoration-line: none;">[7]</a><blockquote style="margin: 1.5em 30px; font-family: " open="open" sans="sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px">“ACU opposes EPA’s attempt to use the issue of global warming to control American manufacturing and supported this bill,” ACU notes.</blockquote>Climate science denialists and fossil fuel advocates have been given regular forums as part of the CPAC conferences in recent years. ACU has also sponsored climate science denial conferences organised by the <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/heartland-institute" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Heartland Institute</a>.<h2 style="line-height: 2em; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; font-family: " open="open" sans="sans" sans-serif="sans-serif">Funding</h2>The following data is based on publicly available 990 forms and by data collected by the <a href="http://conservativetransparency.org/org/american-conservative-union/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Conservative Transparency project</a>. Note that not all individual values have been verified by DeSmog. <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-conservative-union#s8" style="text-decoration-line: none;">[8]</a>View the attached spreadsheet for additional details on <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/American%20Conservative%20Union%20Funding_1.xlsx" style="text-decoration-line: none;">American Conservative Union and ACU Foundation funding by year (.xlsx)</a>.<table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" width="width" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin-top: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;" open="open" sans="sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><tbody><tr height="21"><td height="21" width="417" style="width: 257px;">Donor</td><td width="207" style="width: 145px;">American Conservative Union</td><td width="287" style="width: 157px;">American Conservative Union Foundation</td><td width="87" style="width: 86px;">Grand Total</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Lynde_and_Harry_Bradley_Foundation" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation</a></td><td style="width: 145px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$945,000</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$945,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;">National Christian Charitable Foundation</td><td style="width: 145px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$390,000</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$390,000</td></tr><tr><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/mercer-family-foundation" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Mercer Family Foundation</a></td><td align="right" style="width: 145px;">$250,000</td><td class="rteright" style="text-align: right; width: 157px;">$120,000</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$370,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Wellspring Committee</a></td><td align="right" style="width: 145px;">$240,000</td><td style="width: 157px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$240,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/National_Rifle_Association" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">National Rifle Association Foundation</a></td><td style="width: 145px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$108,520</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$108,520</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Watch" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Judicial Watch</a></td><td align="right" style="width: 145px;">$108,000</td><td style="width: 157px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$108,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/exxonmobil-funding-climate-science-denial" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Exxon Mobil</a></td><td style="width: 145px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$90,000</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$90,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;">Armstrong Foundation</td><td style="width: 145px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$62,500</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$62,500</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-petroleum-institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">American Petroleum Institute</a></td><td align="right" style="width: 145px;">$58,500</td><td style="width: 157px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$58,500</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Vernon_K.Krieble_Foundation" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">The Vernon K. Krieble Foundation</a></td><td align="right" style="width: 145px;">$30,000</td><td style="width: 157px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$30,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Randolph_Foundation" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">The Randolph Foundation</a></td><td style="width: 145px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$20,000</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$20,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/who-donors-trust" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">DonorsTrust</a></td><td style="width: 145px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$19,750</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$19,750</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/americans-tax-reform" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Americans for Tax Reform</a></td><td style="width: 145px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$14,500</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$14,500</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/donors-capital-fund" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Donors Capital Fund</a></td><td style="width: 145px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$12,000</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$12,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;">Bill and Berniece Grewcock Foundation</td><td style="width: 145px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$10,000</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$10,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Castle_Rock_Foundation" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Castle Rock Foundation</a></td><td style="width: 145px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$10,000</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$10,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Values" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">American Values</a></td><td style="width: 145px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$10,000</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$10,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_William_Pope_Foundation" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">John William Pope Foundation</a></td><td align="right" style="width: 145px;">$5,000</td><td style="width: 157px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$5,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/koch-family-foundations" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation</a></td><td style="width: 145px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$4,000</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$4,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;">Joyce and Donald Rumsfeld Foundation</td><td style="width: 145px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$2,000</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$2,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/William_E.Simon_Foundation" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">William E. Simon Foundation</a></td><td style="width: 145px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$2,000</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$2,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Roe_Foundation" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">The Roe Foundation</a></td><td align="right" style="width: 145px;">$2,000</td><td style="width: 157px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$2,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Patrick_Henry_Center_for_Individual_Liberty" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Patrick Henry Center for Individual Liberty</a></td><td align="right" style="width: 145px;">$1,325</td><td style="width: 157px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$1,325</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/William_A.Dunn" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Dunn's Foundation for the Advancement of Right Thinking</a></td><td align="right" style="width: 145px;">$1,000</td><td style="width: 157px;" /><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$1,000</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21" style="width: 257px;">Grand Total</td><td align="right" style="width: 145px;">$695,825</td><td align="right" style="width: 157px;">$1,820,270</td><td align="right" style="width: 86px;">$2,516,095</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em; font-family: " open="open" sans="sans" sans-serif="sans-serif">990 Forms...</h3><div><h2 style="line-height: 2em; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">Key People</h2><h3 style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;"><a id="ACU Board" name="ACU Board" style="">Board of Directors</a></h3><table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" width="1552" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin-top: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; width: 882px;"><tbody><tr height="21"><td height="21" width="188">Name</td><td class="rtecenter" width="241" style="text-align: center; width: 26px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20000609090016/http://www.conservative.org:80/ssbd.htm" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2000</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 23px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20010406024536/http://conservative.org:80/ssbd.htm" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2001</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 23px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20030630140507/http://conservative.org:80/about/directors.asp" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2003</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 20px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050903000345/http://www.conservative.org/about/directors.asp" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2005</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 21px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060213183350/http://www.conservative.org/about/directors.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2006</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 21px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070815085159/http://www.conservative.org:80/about/directors.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2007</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 25px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516180802/http://www.conservative.org/about/directors.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2008</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 18px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090202092759/http://conservative.org:80/about/directors.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2009</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 24px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110713012031/http://www.conservative.org/about-acu/board-of-directorsstaff/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2011</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="188" style="text-align: center; width: 23px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120419215120/http://conservative.org:80/about-acu/board-of-directorsstaff" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2012</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="75" style="text-align: center; width: 23px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130523011617/http://conservative.org/about-acu/board-of-directors/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2013</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 25px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140702234018/http://conservative.org/acu-board" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2014</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 35px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150609190100/http://conservative.org/board-directors/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2015</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 16px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160524071425/http://conservative.org:80/board-directors/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2016</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 23px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170420135018/http://conservative.org/board/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2017</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 33px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180207212534/http://conservative.org/board/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2018</a></td><td width="327" style="width: 114px;">Description</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://exxonsecrets.org/html/personfactsheet.php?id=1036" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Alan M. Gottlieb</a></td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Becky_Norton_Dunlop" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Becky Norton Dunlop</a></td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Michael R. Long</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Morton_C.Blackwell" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Morton C. Blackwell</a></td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Muriel Coleman</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ron_Robinson" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Ron Robinson</a></td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Carolyn D. Meadows</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Van_D.Hipp,Jr." target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Van D. Hipp, Jr.</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_R.Bolton" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">John Bolton</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Matt Schlapp</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Charles_R.Gerow" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Charlie Gerow</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;">Vice Chairman</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Amy Frederick</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;">Secretary</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Bob Beauprez</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;">Treasurer</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Luis Fortuno</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ned_Ryun" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Ned Ryun</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ron_Christie" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Ron Christie</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">John Eddy</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://exxonsecrets.org/html/personfactsheet.php?id=1235" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Thomas Winter</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Ed McFadden</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Ed Yevoli</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">José Cárdenas</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Kimberly Bellissimo</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Larry Beasley</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/M.Zuhdi_Jasser" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">M. Zuhdi Jasser</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Matt Smith</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Mike Rose</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Peter Samuelson</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Jackie Arends</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Priscilla O'Shaughnessy</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Sabrina Schaeffer</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Terry Schilling</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Stephen_E.Biegun" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Stephen E. Biegun</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Grover_Norquist" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Grover G. Norquist</a></td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">James V. Lacy</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/fred-l-smith-jr" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Fred L. Smith, Jr.</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Thomas_D.DeLay" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Tom DeLay</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellyanne_Conway" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Kellyanne Conway</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Alberto R. Cardenas</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/joseph-bast" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Joe Bast</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Lew Uhler</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_A.Keene" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">David A. Keene</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Jameson G. Campaigne, Jr.</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Secretary, ACU</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carly_Fiorina" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Carly Fiorina</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Chairman, ACUFoundation</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Anne Northup</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Mark Stephens</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Member-at-Large</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Suhail Khan</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Paul Erickson</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Allen Roth</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Floyd_G.Brown" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Floyd Brown</a></td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Western Center for Journalism</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Jeffrey Bell</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Capital City Partners</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Serphin Maltese</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Cleta Mitchell</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Foley &Lardner, LLP</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Kirby Wilbur</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Washington State Republican Party</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Joseph A. Morris</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Morris & De La Rosa</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Larry Eastland</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Global Public Strategies, Ltd</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Donald_J.Devine" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Donald J. Devine</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Second Vice Chairman, Donald Devine Company</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Asa Hutchinson</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">The Asa Hutchinson Law Group</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">M.J. Mintz</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Of Counsel</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Wayne R. LaPierre Jr.</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tracie_Sharp" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Tracie Sharp</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;">Y</td><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Lewis Uhler</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Roseville, CA</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Berthoud" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">John Berthoud</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Alexandria, VA</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Charles_R.Black,Jr." target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Charles Black</a></td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Washington, DC</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Craig_Shirley" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Craig Shirley</a></td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Alexandria, VA</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Duncan_D.Hunter" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Duncan Hunter</a></td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Washington, DC</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">James Arthur Pope</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Raleigh, NC</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Jesse Helms</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Raleigh, NC</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Robert Luddy</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Captive-Aire Systems</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Tom Pauken</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Dallas, Texas</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Charles_W.Jarvis" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Charles Jarvis</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Fairfax, VA</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Star Parker</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Los Angeles, CA</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Beau Boulter</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Arlington, VA </td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">M. Stanton Evans</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Washington, DC</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/stephen-moore" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Steve Moore</a></td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Washington, DC</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Brent_Bozell" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">L. Brent Bozell, III</a></td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Alexandria, VA </td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Camille Kampouris</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">New York, NY</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Louis Jenkins</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Baton Rouge, LA</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ralph_E.Reed,Jr." target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Ralph Reed, Jr.</a></td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 20px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 18px;" /><td style="width: 24px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 16px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Duluth, GA</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;">ACU Foundation Board of Directors</h3><table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" width="945" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin-top: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; width: 641px;"><tbody><tr height="21"><td height="21" width="188">Name</td><td class="rtecenter" width="241" style="text-align: center; width: 37px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100514052112/http://www.conservative.org:80/about-acu/board-of-directorsstaff/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2010</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 33px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110713012031/http://www.conservative.org/about-acu/board-of-directorsstaff/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2011</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 35px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120419215120/http://conservative.org:80/about-acu/board-of-directorsstaff" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2012</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 23px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130623173528/http://conservative.org/foundation/board-of-directors/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2013</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 26px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140703001759/http://conservative.org/foundation-board" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2014</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 21px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150725200424/http://acufoundation.conservative.org:80/foundation-board/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2015</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 25px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160731064404/http://acufoundation.conservative.org:80/foundation-board/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2016</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 28px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170422181136/http://acufoundation.conservative.org:80/board/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2017</a></td><td class="rtecenter" width="41" style="text-align: center; width: 25px;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180208215840/http://acufoundation.conservative.org/board/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2018</a></td><td width="188" style="width: 114px;">Description</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Carolyn D. Meadows</td><td style="width: 37px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 28px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Millie Hallow</td><td style="width: 37px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 28px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Van_D.Hipp,Jr." target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Van D. Hipp, Jr.</a></td><td style="width: 37px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 28px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Colin_Hanna" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Colin Hanna</a></td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 28px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Jonathan Garthwaite</td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 28px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">José Cárdenas</td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 28px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Kimberly Bellissimo</td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 28px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Matt Schlapp</td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 28px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Willes K. Lee</td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 28px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://exxonsecrets.org/html/personfactsheet.php?id=1235" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Thomas Winter</a></td><td style="width: 37px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 28px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Charles_R.Gerow" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Charlie Gerow</a></td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 28px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;">Vice Chairman</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/niger-innis" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Niger Innis</a></td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 28px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Randy Neugebauer</td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 28px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Adam Laxalt</td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 28px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Mary_Matalin" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Mary Matalin</a></td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 28px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Amy Frederick</td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;">Y</td><td style="width: 28px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Secretary</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_A.Keene" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">David A. Keene</a></td><td style="width: 37px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 28px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Tim Goeglein</td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;">Y</td><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 28px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carly_Fiorina" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Carly Fiorina</a></td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 26px;">Y</td><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 28px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Chairman, ACUFoundation</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Cleta Mitchell</td><td style="width: 37px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 28px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Foley & Lardner, LLP</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Alberto R. Cardenas</td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 28px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Robert Luddy</td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 28px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Captive-Aire Systems</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Roger_Noriega" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Roger Noriega</a></td><td style="width: 37px;" /><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;">Y</td><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 28px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Visión Américas</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Richard H. Collins</td><td style="width: 37px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 28px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Tom Tripp</td><td style="width: 37px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;">Y</td><td style="width: 35px;">Y</td><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 28px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 114px;">Secretary</td></tr><tr height="21"><td height="21">Robert Lamutt</td><td style="width: 37px;">Y</td><td style="width: 33px;" /><td style="width: 35px;" /><td style="width: 23px;" /><td style="width: 26px;" /><td style="width: 21px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 28px;" /><td style="width: 25px;" /><td style="width: 114px;" /></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="line-height: 2em; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">Staff & Personnel</h2></div>= mmaOver the past year, Sean Hannity and the cast of Fox News figures have deployed numerous theories in an effort to discredit and lay groundwork for an authoritarian response to the Mueller investigation. From referring to the investigation as “witch hunt” to claiming collusion isn’t a crime, the extended Fox News universe <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=3YhLhUxTGfXV40jjcf0E7zQgA_lKgFY2qUmWqav0z4RHGVFzH6TI7XgZ6UxDZD_LZYmknN5mF7wFmlOyEPNRT_7ZuQlYEUcOapnNmsZQofsYuKBT7T3VGOzdldHkvBjwYB0t7lp8BeUgb_oX-qX2lSrVhHVMIGZ5HYLKHIWQUFLbSZobEYDFbPXnQMs3z_qc&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1223weekly&n=7&v=1499">has tried it all</a>.When it comes to Trump's former National Security Adviser, Fox figures have taken to accusing the FBI of duping Michael Flynn into lying. Pro-Trump media have <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=3YhLhUxTGfXV40jjcf0E7zQgA_lKgFY2qUmWqav0z4T8KsU_kNiqQEHW7tuVDykwG9N_u0ZbUlg_D2scb7B5ZGvgzyJVU-iP8LNcTjoVr0sn3Vax52JHyA6EQGJxQLjb1LzM9t9Zs_IMz3iIZmB1Aq7t-yvM0T0Crm2jvxcpffjh6izb91MaBHX08RG7dyv9ds_h7m8ZLT9jc4BbztoLsA&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1223weekly&n=8&v=1499">spent most of 2018</a> floating conspiracy theories about Flynn's guilty plea.Those conspiracy theories have now been debunked. A federal judge did not throw out Flynn's guilty plea on Tuesday. Flynn and his lawyers instead conceded on the record that he knowingly lied to the FBI and did not believe his rights had been violated. Fox News personalities were forced deploy new spins on the situation. Each propagandist took their turn trying out new theories, seemingly throwing everything at the wall to see what might stick.Just before the hearing, Fox guest Matt Schlapp <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=3YhLhUxTGfXV40jjcf0E7z4H6Szh2ve6Id8D7jzs32-zSWdFUsz4eqiVAhEDv_9rXrN1sal1jhmJB9dLyl3abWWCIqd3JcrMJb8EDBUHBmO6jsEpf5K-w9Pkx-e6p6bXIVSPYVXYkALsShIOX-hzEFObs08Pi-OBg5F1ou6GGcP6FB9wFm27AJdyDlt6tqyDpZ_aUIcXIbG1vRwnAi3XBA&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1223weekly&n=9&v=1499">compared</a> Flynn's actions to "pulling off mattress tags, jaywalking, parking tickets."Things really picked up speed after the hearing. Fox legal analyst Gregg Jarrett claimed that Judge Emmet Sullivan begged Flynn to throw out his guilty plea, and when he didn’t, the judge began to lash out at Flynn. As Matt Gertz explained, <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=3YhLhUxTGfXV40jjcf0E7zQgA_lKgFY2qUmWqav0z4QAza-2mhKIZDNKTdeqm4AzQGUh0fqSWopBZEfI2AQFyM5hmkmK41ffEVl7PMQZx3CAGNQ1eqAntiiRocYUIlFX5tLSUkHWkZ5Sf8eC2--7xs8uaeM0tFaX2Fplw3BWWcg&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1223weekly&n=10&v=1499">this makes no sense</a>. Lou Dobbs took a simpler route, <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=3YhLhUxTGfXV40jjcf0E7z4EVfCjbZoWmUaHTpg4MOmgMX8q8IH5xU1bd8x4BZSjGVhxfC2JRQLsCndpQZBenVT8X4nCEH9PMBlcyEgsmilqBilRDSOmQbYyigCRK57B&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1223weekly&n=11&v=1499">simply bashing the judge</a>. And fittingly, Fox & Friends utilized the most convenient strategy: virtually ignore the issue entirely. Fox & Friends dedicated <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=3YhLhUxTGfXV40jjcf0E7zQgA_lKgFY2qUmWqav0z4QZR-gMZKYQRDwJ0WL8uS3GhubiNIiw6REQ-NyTunmfhHWNhSyZ7TPZrqEiJG4DOqMjWh4i3FIVGJ39h08M0g_TvAjBXh6WymFtHlHJur3lp0NbjdkbKm7Hksujmt7aZc&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1223weekly&n=12&v=1499">less than five minutes</a> to the Flynn case during their Wednesday broadcast.Gertz <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=3YhLhUxTGfXV40jjcf0E7zQgA_lKgFY2qUmWqav0z4QAza-2mhKIZDNKTdeqm4AzQGUh0fqSWopBZEfI2AQFyM5hmkmK41ffEVl7PMQZx3CAGNQ1eqAntiiRocYUIlFX5tLSUkHWkZ5Sf8eC2--7xs8uaeM0tFaX2Fplw3BWWcg&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1223weekly&n=13&v=1499">summed up Fox’s efforts</a>: “If Fox propagandists had any standards or capacity for honesty, the Sullivan and Flynn saga might cause them to re-examine much of their unhinged Mueller coverage. They don't, so it won't -- and it's on to the next conspiracy theory.”Where do we go from here? Fox is <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=3YhLhUxTGfXV40jjcf0E7z4H6Szh2ve6Id8D7jzs32-5w3rbYH-yKVubWBc2A9BJSgdLRjELp90ca5kGE3CX2shubiO0MvVwuahzW-br1xJtDAAO_9Chz4_tHdrqNfYjQ3xcHEqI9DOiTjvb277oi-k8xrj_wOVYBdPXH9MX33M_8Png_2jxoiyK1b7tPc78RpH8wHnGnjVldV657v0xCQ&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1223weekly&n=14&v=1499">already floating</a> a pardon for Flynn.avuncular happy warrior often on pbs newshour, 11/18 not lately" jumped the shark? nah, just fox gig<a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/people/matt-schlapp">https://www.mediamatters.org/people/matt-schlapp</a>=11/18 random grabTags ››› Matt SchlappMatt Schlapp: Gillum's call to "count every vote" means "count the votes of people who are not legally allowed to vote"Video ››› November 9, 2018 10:35 AM EST ››› MEDIA MATTERS STAFF

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 CNN host calls out Matt Schlapp for "fearmongering" about migrant caravan as "marauding bands" of invadersVideo ››› October 22, 2018 10:36 AM EDT ››› MEDIA MATTERS STAFF

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 Conservative media rally around Kavanaugh amid second allegation of sexual misconductBlog ››› September 24, 2018 5:14 PM EDT ››› ZACHARY PLEAT

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Melissa Joskow / Media MattersConservative media figures reacted to a New Yorker story that a second woman reported Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh for sexual misconduct by digging in on their support for him and demanding that Republicans hurry up and confirm him.
The New Yorker reported on Sunday evening that Deborah Ramirez, who attended Yale University with Kavanaugh, said that according to her recollection, “Kavanaugh had exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party, thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away”:
Ramirez said that, when both she and Kavanaugh were freshmen at Yale, she was invited by a friend on the women’s soccer team to a dorm-room party. She recalled that the party took place in a suite at Lawrance Hall, in the part of Yale known as Old Campus, and that a small group of students decided to play a drinking game together. “We were sitting in a circle,” she said. “People would pick who drank.” Ramirez was chosen repeatedly, she said, and quickly became inebriated. At one point, she said, a male student pointed a gag plastic penis in her direction. Later, she said, she was on the floor, foggy and slurring her words, as that male student and another stood nearby. (Ramirez identified the two male onlookers, but, at her request, The New Yorker is not naming them.)
A third male student then exposed himself to her. “I remember a penis being in front of my face,” she said. “I knew that’s not what I wanted, even in that state of mind.” She recalled remarking, “That’s not a real penis,” and the other students laughing at her confusion and taunting her, one encouraging her to “kiss it.” She said that she pushed the person away, touching it in the process. Ramirez, who was raised a devout Catholic, in Connecticut, said that she was shaken. “I wasn’t going to touch a penis until I was married,” she said. “I was embarrassed and ashamed and humiliated.” She remembers Kavanaugh standing to her right and laughing, pulling up his pants. “Brett was laughing,” she said. “I can still see his face, and his hips coming forward, like when you pull up your pants.” She recalled another male student shouting about the incident. “Somebody yelled down the hall, ‘Brett Kavanaugh just put his penis in Debbie’s face,’ ” she said. “It was his full name. I don’t think it was just ‘Brett.’ And I remember hearing and being mortified that this was out there.”
Ramirez acknowledged that there are significant gaps in her memories of the evening, and that, if she ever presents her story to the F.B.I. or members of the Senate, she will inevitably be pressed on her motivation for coming forward after so many years, and questioned about her memory, given her drinking at the party.
And yet, after several days of considering the matter carefully, she said, “I’m confident about the pants coming up, and I’m confident about Brett being there.” Ramirez said that what has stayed with her most forcefully is the memory of laughter at her expense from Kavanaugh and the other students. “It was kind of a joke,” she recalled. “And now it’s clear to me it wasn’t a joke.”
Another classmate told The New Yorker that he heard about the incident at the time and that he was told Kavanaugh was the one who exposed himself to Ramirez.
The new reporting follows a week of right-wing media attacks on Kavanaugh’s first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, who says Kavanaugh attempted to rape her when they were in high school. Ford has agreed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee this coming Thursday, but after this new allegation, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has called for that hearing to be delayed.
At least one right-wing pundit, Ann Coulter, became unhinged on Twitter following the publication of Ramirez’s story:


Other conservatives called Ramirez’s accusation fake, criticized the timing of her going public, demanded Republicans stand by Kavanaugh anyway, and painted Kavanaugh as the true victim of these alleged sexual assaults.
Conservatives allege Ramirez’s account is part of a Democratic conspiracyFox & Friends co-host Anna Kooiman: “Is this a drip, drip, drip … by the Democrats trying to delay everything until the midterm elections and really fire up their base saying Republicans are bullies?”


Conservative talk radio host Erick Erickson: “It seems more and more likely that the Blasey Ford delays were not to let her drive across country, but were to allow the Ramirez hit to get out. This is all coordinated and none of it is credible.”


Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberley Strassel: “The left made a mistake with this Ramirez story. … It strongly suggests the Ford delay demands were about cooking this up. Destroys credibility all around.”


Fox Business anchor Dagen McDowell: “I think that this -- the timing is suspect and people have [a] right to question this second accuser coming forward.”


Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh: “Democrats were stalling last week to give themselves more of an opportunity to conjure up another accuser against Brett Kavanaugh,” and “they whipped together another accusation.”


Conservatives use latest accusation to demand Republican senators stand by KavanaughTurning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk: “Senate Republicans: DO NOT CAVE! If you were up for this nomination I bet many of you would have plenty of these fake accusations come up. Stand by our guy. Do not waver.”


NRATV’s Dan Bongino: “Hill Democrats are consumed by raw hatred. Their capacity for evil knows no limits anymore. Correspondingly, the Hill Republicans shamefully showed weakness & cowed to their demands. … Hill Republicans let us down again.”


The Rebel’s Amanda Head: If Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Republicans “don’t fight these allegations and #ConfirmKavanaghNow we will lose midterms, we will lose 2020, and what’s worse, we will lose any chance at seeing a conservative majority SCOTUS in our lifetime.”


Federalist co-founder Sean Davis: “Senate Republicans have a simple choice: stand up to a coordinated Democrat smear campaign and confirm Kavanaugh, which will energize GOP voters and preserve House/Senate majorities, or buckle under Democrat lies and give up congressional GOP majorities for a decade or more.”


CRTV’s Michelle Malkin: If Senate Republicans “refuse to man up & stop coordinated Dem smear campaign once & for all, the consequences reach far beyond the electoral landscape.”


Trump campaign adviser Katrina Pierson: “#ConfirmBrettKavanaughNow.”


One America News Network host Jack Posobiec: “Raise your hand if you think the GOP should stop playing games and hold the Kavanaugh vote Monday.”


Conservatives complain Kavanaugh is the real victim here, not Ford or RamirezFox News host Laura Ingraham: Accusations against Kavanaugh are “a left-wing cabal, a left-wing conspiracy all coming together, swarming together.”


Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum: “‘Sickening’ was the word I heard most often this weekend to describe what is happening. Innocent until proven guilty is how we do this in America.”


Fox News contributor Lisa Boothe: “What is happening to #JudgeKavanaugh is wrong and terrifying.”


Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly: “Republicans are becoming terrified of the Kavanaugh situation because they know the media will embrace every lurid accusation without scrutiny, and no one will be held accountable for ignoring due process.”


Independent Women Forum’s Julie Gunlock: “What Ms. Ramirez and her enablers have done is odious. She’s destroying the life of a good man based on her own hazy memory of an event that happened decades ago when she was admittedly drunk.”


Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk: “These are POLITICAL HIT JOBS against a sterling person.”


American Conservative Union’s Matt Schlapp: “This Kavanaugh confirmation has transformed into a disgrace. How is it when Dems win their SC noms get an easy time, but ours get mauled.”


Daily Caller’s Amber Athey: “I have no words for how sickened I am by how the left and the establishment media are weaponizing non-credible sexual assault claims to destroy a human being.”


Matt Schlapp on report of sexual assault by Brett Kavanaugh: He "is the victim here"Video ››› September 20, 2018 3:58 PM EDT ››› MEDIA MATTERS STAFF

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 Fox guest whines about Democrats' treatment of Brett Kavanaugh while praising GOP boycott of Merrick GarlandVideo ››› September 13, 2018 11:21 AM EDT ››› MEDIA MATTERS STAFF

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 Don't buy right-wing media's gaslighting: Brett Kavanaugh is a threat to abortion accessBlog ››› July 12, 2018 2:54 PM EDT ››› JULIE TULBERT

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Melissa Joskow / Media MattersFollowing President Donald Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, right-wing media have attempted to downplay the odds that, if confirmed, Kavanaugh would cast a deciding vote on abortion rights. In reality, Kavanaugh’s background demonstrates that he will most likely be key to overturning or further gutting Roe v. Wade -- and such an outcome would have devastating consequences for abortion access in the United States.
On July 9, Trump nominated D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court to fill a vacancy left after Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement in late June. Kavanaugh’s name was included on a list put out by the White House that was “preapproved by the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation.” According to New York magazine, this list was “extremely important to Trump’s relationship with the conservative movement and particularly with conservative Christian leaders.” Subsequently, anti-abortion groups praised Kavanaugh’s nomination as an opportunity to finally overturn Roe v. Wade and put an end legal abortion. And despite right-wing media’s gaslighting, Kavanaugh's record demonstrates that he will likely do just that.
Kavanaugh’s record on abortion suggests he’ll gladly overturn Roe or further curtail abortion rightsIn 2017, Kavanaugh dissented in a case involving an unaccompanied pregnant immigrant teen (called Jane Doe) who was in federal custody and wanted to have an abortion. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement was prohibiting Doe from leaving the facility to have an abortion because the agency did not want to “facilitate” the practice.
As BuzzFeed News’ Zoe Tillman explained, Kavanaugh said in his dissent that the original order stopping the abortion was “in line with Supreme Court cases that said the government could have an interest in ‘favoring fetal life’” and “that it was not an ‘undue burden’ for the US government to say it wouldn’t ‘facilitate’ abortions for teens in custody.”ThinkProgress’ Ian Millhiser further argued that “Kavanaugh’s approach” in the case, which would have required Doe to obtain a sponsor in the United States, “very well could have let the Trump administration run out the clock until she could no longer obtain a legal abortion” if the search lasted past Texas’ 20-week cut-off after which abortions are impermissible.Beyond the substance of his opinion in the Jane Doe case, others have pointed to Kavanaugh’s reliance on “coded language” as evidence of his underlying intentions about abortion rights.
HuffPost’s Laura Bassett pointed out that in his decision, Kavanaugh used “coded language that’s only ever employed by anti-abortion activists” by referring to “abortion on demand.”NBC’s Heidi Przybyla also noted that “code” words like “abortion on demand” are “widely understood to be a signal for … views on Roe.” This language also mirrors that used frequently by right-wing media to fearmonger about abortion and to spread misinformation.Kavanaugh’s decision in Doe’s case, as well as his previous comments on abortion-related matters, also demonstrate that he might leave Roe on the books while still obliterating abortion rights.
As Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern explained, Kavanaugh has already proved that “he can pretend to adhere to Roe while hollowing out its core holding” as evidenced by his finding that the Trump administration did not place an “undue burden” on Doe’s ability to obtain an abortion.Kavanaugh also praised former Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s dissent in Roe during a speech in 2017 -- which Rewire.News’ Jessica Mason Pieklo noted made sense, given that Rehnquist’s dissent in Roe and Kavanaugh’s dissent in the Jane Doe case both “fundamentally den[y] reproductive autonomy all while purporting to be respecting the bounds of the law.”Here’s what abortion access will probably look like with Kavanaugh on the Supreme CourtEven before Kavanaugh was officially nominated, right-wing media were already claiming that a Trump-nominated justice wouldn’t be that bad for abortion access. However, with Kavanaugh on the court, a decision gutting or overturning of Roe is likely and would have devastating consequences.
Although some (including Trump) have argued that overturning Roe will only return abortion regulations “back to the states,” this would functionally outlaw abortion across large parts of the country.
As the Center for Reproductive Rights’ Amy Myrick told Kaiser Health News’ Julie Rovner, “We think there are 22 states likely to ban abortion without Roe” due to “a combination of factors, including existing laws and regulations on the books and the positions of the governors and state legislatures.”Reva Siegel, a professor at Yale Law School, wrote for The New York Times that returning the issue to the states would be disastrous because already, “27 major cities are 100 miles or more from the nearest abortion provider, and we can expect these ‘abortion deserts’ in the South and the Midwest to spread rapidly” if states are given free rein.Independent of how abortion is regulated, economic and logistical barriers that already impede access will only grow worse in a world without Roe. As Carole Joffe, a professor in the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health program at the University of California, San Francisco, explained:
Geographic areas without access to abortion place an extreme burden on the disproportionate number of abortion patients who are poor (50 percent are below the official poverty line and another 25 percent are classified as low income). Besides having to pay for the procedure, they need the funds to pay for lodging (some states have waiting periods of 24 hours or more, necessitating overnight stays), child care (about 60 percent of abortion patients are already parents) and of course for the travel itself. And this journey also involves confronting one or more days of lost wages as well.
Historian Rickie Solinger wrote for Vox that people seeking abortions “will be forced to flout the law to achieve personal dignity and safety,” but those “with economic resources will continue to have more options and access than others.”Regardless of state regulations, conservatives have recently attempted to push federal regulation on abortion. As author and lecturer Scott Lemieux explained for Vox, “a Republican government with slightly larger Senate majorities than it has now would be able to pass national abortion regulations” that could outright or effectively ban abortion.
Yet right-wing media are acting like Kavanaugh’s nomination is not a big deal for abortion access and attacking those who are concerned as “overreacting”Despite the threat that Kavanaugh poses to abortion rights, right-wing media have been busy gaslighting viewers in an apparent attempt to paint Kavanaugh as a “moderate” or otherwise suggest he wouldn’t overturn Roe:
Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich said on Fox News’ Outnumbered she was not “as a woman … worried about” Roe being overturned or losing access to contraceptives, and called such fears “scare tactics.”Fox News contributor Byron York claimed on America’s Newsroom that because Kavanaugh “talked a lot about the role of women in his life” and “has two daughters,” he wouldn’t pose a threat to women’s rights.Fox News host Brit Hume said on Tucker Carlson Tonight that “if Roe v. Wade were reversed, it would not mean that abortion would become illegal across this country.” He argued that saying otherwise “is hysterical and overstated.”The Federalist’s Margot Cleveland wrote that “overturning Roe v. Wade will not criminalize abortion,” but instead would mean that “the question of abortion, and any limits on abortions, would return to the states and in most cases the legislative branch.”The Wrap reported that Fox News host Jeanine Pirro said that she thinks Kavanaugh “will follow precedent” in any decision impacting Roe v. Wade.On Fox News Channel’s Hannity, host Sean Hannity mentioned the “fearmongering has already begun” around Kavanaugh’s nomination. Fox’s Gregg Jarrett agreed, saying that “the left is already conjuring up the hysteria, claiming that this means abortion will be outlawed in America,” which he called a “lie perpetuated by the left.”The Heritage Foundation’s John Malcolm said on Fox Business Network’s Lou Dobbs Tonight that Democrats were “trotting out, as they always do, scare tactics with respect to Roe versus Wade.”American Constitution Union’s Matt Schlapp told Stuart Varney on Fox Business Network’s Varney & Company that “most conservatives and constitutionalists believe” that without Roe, abortion regulation “goes to the states,” which he claimed was just a continuation of what is “already happening” with abortion regulations.On Fox News Channel’s The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino, Judicial Crisis Network’s Carrie Severino downplayed Trump’s promise during the 2016 presidential campaign that he would appoint “pro-life justices” as only “shorthand” used “during the campaign” and that he “can’t actually ask any nominee … how they would rule on a specific issue.”During a segment on Fox News Channel’s Your World with Neil Cavuto, the Federalist Society’s Leonard Leo, who also serves as Trump’s judicial nominations adviser, pointed to a book Kavanaugh wrote about the principle of stare decisis -- the idea that Supreme Court’s previous rulings should be followed -- and said that Kavanaugh’s record shows “he does believe that the courts need to consider precedent.”Responding to a clip of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) talking about the danger Kavanaugh poses for women’s rights, Fox News host Laura Ingraham said, “So, Brett Kavanaugh is essentially -- we’re supposed to believe … -- standing at a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic and barring women from going in.” Guest Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) argued that if there was a concern about women’s rights, “how about protecting a woman when she’s in the womb as an infant?”On Fox News’ Fox & Friends, National Rifle Association spokesperson Dana Loesch characterized concerns about abortion access as advocates claiming that Kavanaugh’s nomination “means that women by some magical force field are going to be prevented from going and seeking health care.” She continued that “abortion is not health care, nor is it a constitutional right.”Everything right-wing media tried to blame for the Trump administration’s family separation policyBlog ››› June 22, 2018 4:53 PM EDT ››› BOBBY LEWIS

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Sarah Wasko / Media MattersAs President Donald Trump’s administration implemented a new “zero tolerance” prosecution policy at the border that led to unprecedented and systematic separation of immigrant families and locking kids in cages, right-wing media flailed around trying to blame the administration’s policy on anybody or anything except Trump.
The president’s media enablers blamed Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, “the law on the book,” Democrats in Congress, the media, the families themselves, and even “the Illuminati of K Street” for the Trump administration’s policy:  
Blaming the families themselvesFox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt claimed that families “are choosing to be separated” by coming to the United States in the first place. Co-host Steve Doocy agreed, saying “the part that is troubling ... is the conscious decisions the parents are making” in trying to bring their children to America.
Recently pardoned felon Dinesh D’Souza rhetorically questioned whether the “deported aliens” were “the ones choosing to separate their families.”
Fox’s David Bossie said that if parents “don’t become criminals, they’re not separated” from their children.
Fox’s Tomi Lahren said, “If you do not want to be separated, do not cross the border illegally. Follow our laws, follow the process. That's the best way to ensure that your family stays together.”
Blaming former presidentsRadio host Rush Limbaugh claimed that family separation at the border "is an entirely manufactured crisis. It’s entirely manufactured. This has been going on for years. It happened during the Obama administration."
American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp declared, “Obama and Trump have [the] same child protection policy.”
Turning Point USA Communications Director Candace Owens falsely claimed that “these policies were in place” during the Obama administration.
Turning Point USA President Charlie Kirk falsely stated, “All of this happened for 8 years under Obama.”
CNN commentator Ben Ferguson shared an image on Facebook that claimed that policies of separating children from “illegal parents” had been in effect since 2009.
Breitbart claimed Trump’s “new ‘zero tolerance’ policy worked during the presidency of George W. Bush,” referring to an initiative that began in 2005 and has not worked.
Fox Business’ Lou Dobbs stated that “previous presidents, including Bush and Obama, long ignored” family separation at the border until Trump “mov[ed] to stop” the practice.
Fox’s Sean Hannity claimed, “This is nothing new and took place in previous administrations as well.”
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones said that family separation has been “standard procedure for decades” when you “pick up a group of a hundred people and you have no idea who the hell they are.”
Blaming a nonexistent lawThe Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro fallaciously argued that Trump is simply “enforcing the law on the books.”
Fox’s David Bossie claimed that Trump is just “following the law,” ignoring the reality that separation is a Trump administration policy, not the law.
Fox host Sean Hannity also said that “it is the law.”
Blaming media, claiming they were using family separation as a distractionFox’s Brian Kilmeade said that Trump’s media detractors “had to reach for something else” after Trump “put a lot of the skeptics to bed … and they found it with the so-called separation of kids and parents.”
Rush Limbaugh claimed that media is inundating Americans with “manufactured crises” like family separation to distract from the Department of Justice inspector general report and strong economy.
Fox’s Tucker Carlson, host of one of the most racist hours on television, said that reporting on family separation is just the media pursuing their goal “to change your country, forever.”
NRATV commentator Dan Bongino claimed that media reporting on family separation is “propaganda, nothing more.”
Hannity accused the media of harboring an “obsession” with “the so-called policy” of separating children from their parents in order to mislead Americans.
Twitter troll Bill Mitchell predicted, “Every Sunday news show will be about Trump's #FakeNews ‘concentration camps’ and NOTHING about the OIG.”
Sinclair Broadcast Group’s propagandist Boris Epshteyn devoted his “must-run” segment on family separation to attacking the media for their “politically driven” attempts “to make it seem as if those who are tough on immigration are somehow monsters.”
Blaming Democrats, claiming they were using family separation for political endsAccording to The Gateway Pundit, Democrats “would rather the problem persist so they can continue to wring their hands over another manufactured crisis to distract from the damning IG report and robust economy.”
Fox Business’ Stuart Varney complained that Democrats “hijacked” a hearing on the IG report “within seconds of it beginning,” and “poured out [their] scorn for President Trump” instead.
Fox’s Trish Regan commented that Democrats “would much rather cry on television like [Rep.] Elijah Cummings [D-MD] did” than stop family separation, because “it plays to any hatred they can gin up, as we go into ‘18, for Donald Trump.”
National Review’s David French wrote, “I have a feeling that for some partisans, it’s fascism to impose the policy and fascism to try to end it -- at least so long as the GOP is in charge of the process.”
Right-wing media are rallying to defend the Trump administration’s inhumane separation of families at the border <div></div><div><div>Fox's Jeanine Pirro suggests both that there were "more votes than people" in Florida and that a "truckload" of ballots were destroyed</div><div>Video November 9, 2018 10:54 AM EST</div><div>Matt Schlapp: Gillum's call to "count every vote" means "count the votes of people who are not legally allowed to vote</div></div><div>=</div><a href="https://www.alternet.org/trump-backer-rants-about-his-first-amendment-rights-after-host-accuses-him-using-fancy-rhetorical">https://www.alternet.org/trump-backer-rants-about-his-first-amendment-rights-after-host-accuses-him-using-fancy-rhetorical</a>CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on Wednesday battled conservative Matt Schlapp over the legal implications of Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and onetime campaign chairman both landing on the wrong side of the law, after Michael Cohen struck a plea deal with the Southern District of New York on the same day Paul Manafort was convicted of eight counts in the Eastern District of Virginia.Asked if Cohen’s plea deal impacts his support of Trump, Schlapp insisted the only thing made clear by the deal is that the president’s personal attorney, like Manafort, “had an elaborate scheme to not pay their taxes and committed a lot of financial crimes and in Cohen's case, because they had him over a barrel.”“I believe what happened is Michael Cohen pled to charges that are actually not crimes according to the FEC but that are an attempt to try to do anything to connect Cohen's wrongdoing to potential wrongdoing by Trump, and I think it’s a travesty,” Schlapp argued.  “I don't believe that the transactions associated with these two people are FEC crimes and I believe that Michael Cohen pled guilty to crimes in the plea deal that aren't in fact crimes,” he later said.“What I think you're doing is a lot of fancy rhetorical footwork,” Camerota replied.“I'm answering your question,” Schlapp shot back.“My question to you was does at all affect your support of Donald Trump knowing these things?”Schlapp rehashed the conservative talking point that he knew “Donald Trump had an extravagant life-style” and “nobody in my party or nobody of the folks that made up the Trump coalition were naive to the fact of the life he had.”“So you were okay with those things?” Camerota asked, referring to Trump’s payouts to multiple women who claim they’ve had affairs with the president.“No, I never said I was okay with those things,” Schlapp claimed, before complaining that Camerota was treating him with less respect than she had with her previous guest.“I would like this interview to be along the same tone as Elizabeth Warren just had,” Schalpp whined. “Ask your questions and let me answer them.”“I'd like that, Matt, but you have to answer my questions and not redirect,” Camerota said.“I get to do whatever I want,” Schapp insisted. “I have a First Amendment right to answer. I will answer any question you pose to me. If you're going to turn this into a morals case against Donald Trump what the reason for the special counsel was to determine whether or not there was collusion with Putin's government, I think that that is the ultimate redirect and I think it bastardizes the very reason for this investigation.”Schlapp continued to claim Trump’s payout, which Cohen facilitated, was not a crime, prompting Camerota to explain it’s a campaign finance law violation.“It is not,” Schlapp argued. “It is not. Name a person in this country who has been prosecuted for this alleged crime that you say occurred. Name the name.”“Michael Cohen,” Camerota said.“Michael Cohen was not prosecuted,” Schlapp said, splitting hairs.“Let's move on,” Camerota remarked. “You're saying Michael Cohen just pleaded guilty to a non-crime which seems like bad legal advice.”

Watch below:nyt vogel no lnxMeet the Schlapps, Washington’s Trump-Era ‘It Couple’ImageMatt and Mercedes Schlapp at home in Alexandria, Va. To some Republicans, the Schlapps are a conservative “it couple.” To others, they’re opportunists.CreditT.J. Kirkpatrick for The New York TimesBy Elizabeth WilliamsonApril 30, 2018WASHINGTON — Matt Schlapp, the pro-Trump chairman of the American Conservative Union, had a remarkable on-air clash not long ago with his old friend Michael Steele, an anti-Trump former chairman of the Republican National Committee.
At issue was Mr. Schlapp’s defense of Ian Walters, the conservative union’s communications director, who told an audience: “We elected Mike Steele to be the R.N.C. chair because he’s a black guy. That was the wrong thing to do.”
Mr. Steele invited Mr. Schlapp on his radio show the next day and berated him: “Do you know how that sounds to Americans? And do you know how they then equate that level of stupidity to conservatism?” Mr. Schlapp apologized, and pointed out that Mr. Walters had, too. But he chastised Mr. Steele for being “critical of some of the more conservative aspects of the Trump phenomenon,” adding, “You need to have some grace.”
Mr. Steele blew up: “I’ve spent 41 years in this party, 41. I’ve taken crap you have no idea about.” And finally: “There’s only one word I can say and I can’t say it on this air.” The two men haven’t spoken since.
“I find myself shaking my head,” Mr. Steele said in an interview, “and saying, ‘Who is this person?’”
Mr. Steele is not the only one in Washington asking that question. Today Mr. Schlapp and his wife, Mercedes Schlapp, the director of strategic communications at the White House, are the most visible in the city’s cadre of conservative Republicans who, faced with a populist Trump juggernaut, chose to scramble aboard.
ImageThe Schlapps and their children in the Oval Office with President George W. Bush and with President Trump.CreditT.J. Kirkpatrick for The New York TimesThis past weekend they aired their disgust at the comedian Michelle Wolf’s takedown of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. “It’s why America hates the out of touch leftist media elite,” Ms. Schlapp tweeted from a limousine en route to an exclusive after-party organized by NBC/MSNBC.
(Asked about the couple’s own membership in the elite, Mr. Schlapp responded, “I mean, I’m not trying to act like I’m driving a garbage truck in Des Moines.”)
To some Republicans the Schlapps are a conservative “it couple.” To others they’re opportunists. Either way, they’re symbolic of a deep rift within their party.
Business is in the meantime booming at Cove Strategies, the lobbying and public relations firm the Schlapps founded in 2009 (Ms. Schlapp stepped away from the business when she took her White House job). Their lobbying income alone has surged in the year since Mr. Trump took office, to more than $1 million in 2017 from $600,000 in 2015. Koch Industries — Mr. Schlapp is a former chief Washington lobbyist for the corporation — was Cove’s first client. He said there was even more income from Cove’s strategic communications work, which he declined to reveal.
Ms. Schlapp has been a board member and paid strategic communications consultant for the National Rifle Association, a role she gave up the month she entered the White House. In 2015 she earned $60,000 from the N.R.A. for an average of one hour of work per week, according to N.R.A. tax filings, and $45,000 in 2016.
“I hate losing friends, which I have lost,” Mr. Schlapp said, acknowledging the ire the couple’s support for Mr. Trump has drawn from some fellow Republicans. He spoke in a cafe near his office in Alexandria, Va., where the Schlapps just bought a $3 million home to go with their weekend retreat, Victory Farm, a 30-acre idyll in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
ImageLetters from Mr. Bush in Mr. Schlapp’s home office. The Schlapps met in the Bush White House.CreditT.J. Kirkpatrick for The New York TimesMs. Schlapp, 45, who was mentioned early on as a potential replacement for Hope Hicks, the former White House director of communications, predicted in 2015 that Mr. Trump is “really going to struggle if he goes and continues to push a very strident immigration policy that doesn’t show in any way that we can in fact find a legal path for these individuals who are here, for these undocumented immigrants that are here.”
Now Ms. Schlapp describes herself as representative of “Hispanic voters that absolutely agree that there should be no illegal immigration,” and is working with Stephen Miller, the White House senior adviser for policy and an immigration hard-liner, to promote Mr. Trump’s tough agenda.
“As a conservative, let’s be honest, what’s there for me to be disappointed about?” Mr. Schlapp, 50, said over dinner one recent night with his wife and their five daughters in a favorite Tex-Mex restaurant. Ms. Schlapp’s cellphone beckoned every few minutes as Mr. Schlapp, who said he had gained some 50 pounds during the campaign, ordered a green salad and offered to split an entree with his wife. He looked weary. The Schlapps had spent the weekend schlepping to multiple performances of their daughter Viana’s school play, in which she played Liesl in “The Sound of Music.”
As they ate, the couple placed Mr. Trump’s appointments of conservative judges near the top of his list of accomplishments, along with cutting taxes, rolling back regulations and reducing the size of government. On Twitter last week, Mr. Schlapp called the Trump agenda “conservative nirvana.”
Going ‘All-In’The Schlapps met in the George W. Bush White House, where Ms. Schlapp, who is known as Mercy and grew up in Miami as the daughter of a Cuban émigré, was a liaison to Hispanic and specialty news media outlets. Mr. Schlapp rose to the role of White House political director. He grew up in Wichita, Kan., where he was a top-ranked tennis player and taught Charles Koch’s son Chase how to play.
Mr. Schlapp, who had a preference for apparel emblazoned with the leprechaun mascot of his alma mater, Notre Dame, was nervous about asking the glamorous Mercy for a date. But the couple bonded over dinner at Morton’s, a Washington steakhouse, where Ms. Schlapp ordered a slab of beef. “I thought: ‘I’m going to like this girl. She didn’t get bird food,’” Mr. Schlapp said.
ImageMr. Trump was the star of this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, an event that Mr. Schlapp helped revitalize.CreditPete Marovich for The New York TimesThere was a time when the Schlapps were fed up with Mr. Trump. In 2015, when Mr. Schlapp assumed the chairmanship of the American Conservative Union, which the conservative standard-bearer William F. Buckley Jr. helped found, it was in such dire financial straits that he worried he would be presiding over its demise.So he and his staff worked to revitalize the annual Conservative Political Action Conference by moving it to a glitzier venue and signing new sponsors. In 2016 he invited a crowded field of Republican presidential candidates to speak at CPAC, insisting that they take questions from a journalist.
But as the Republican front-runner, Mr. Trump wanted more speaking time than the others, and no reporter questions. Mr. Schlapp refused and Mr. Trump abruptly backed out, leaving Mr. Schlapp to try to appease conservatives furious that Mr. Trump had been invited in the first place. Others were disappointed that Mr. Trump had bailed. Mr. Schlapp parried with his critics on Twitter until the wee hours, when “Mercy took my phone away.”
But as Mr. Trump closed in on the presidency, the Schlapps drew closer to Mr. Trump, who despite his no-show at CPAC had contributed tens of thousands of dollars to the group in earlier years. By the end of the campaign, the Schlapps were making some 30 press appearances a week for Mr. Trump. Before falling asleep each night, the couple would lie in bed rehearsing how they would explain this or that Trumpian tweet or uproar on TV the next morning.
There was one setback: Ms. Schlapp seeing her husband defend Mr. Trump on Fox News after an “Access Hollywood” tape surfaced of the candidate boasting of grabbing women’s genitals. Mr. Schlapp did condemn Mr. Trump for “inexcusable talk” and evoked his wife, “who has been in situations where it was hard for her to be an attractive woman in the workplace.” But he concluded it would be terrible if Mr. Trump lost: “Hillary Clinton gets elected, Bill Clinton is right back in the Oval Office.”Ms. Schlapp, watching, was shocked to see her husband appearing alongside a tearful and outraged Clinton surrogate, who accused him of defending sexual assault. She called him on his cellphone. “You’re benched,” she said.
ImageThe Schlapps at CPAC in 2017. “I hate losing friends, which I have lost,” Mr. Schlapp said, acknowledging the ire the couple’s support for Mr. Trump has drawn from some fellow Republicans.CreditMike Theiler/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesThe couple escaped to their Virginia farm, where they say that Viana, their eldest daughter, mentioned what they had said all along: Despite Mr. Trump’s personal failings, the Clintons posed the greater danger to the nation.
Ever since, Mr. Schlapp said, “we’ve been all-in.” But he said he still can’t bear to watch his televised defense of Mr. Trump that day.
Mr. Trump appeared at CPAC as president in 2017 and in February was again the star of the three-day conference, attended by about 10,000 people and underwritten by a multitude of sponsors and exhibitors, some of them former Cove Strategies clients. While Mr. Schlapp said not all participants are pro-Trump, prominent “Never Trump” conservatives like John Kasich, George Will and Bill Kristol were not invited to speak. Mona Charen, a conservative writer, was booed and escorted out by security for her safety after she criticized pro-Trump Republicans’ failure to condemn the president’s sexual predations.
‘I’m Not Delusional’At the Tex-Mex restaurant, the couple had paused to pray before dinner. How do they square their faith and values with their support for the man on the “Access Hollywood” tape?
“I’m not delusional on who Donald Trump is,” Mr. Schlapp said. “But I think there’s great virtue in the fact that he aggressively fights for the things I care about.”
“Everyone assumes that Donald Trump changed our politics, that Donald Trump has perhaps coarsened our society,” he said. “My view is that he’s a function of what’s happening in society.”
Ms. Schlapp karate-chopped the table for emphasis, and the cutlery jingled.
“I always think back about Matt’s sister, whose husband lost his job,” she said. “They live in the Midwest; he was in the oil industry for a long time. I remember when the whole Donald Trump phenomenon happened she said, ‘I want to send a message to you people in Washington.’”
“She said it was a ‘screw you’ message,” Mr. Schlapp interjected.
At home recently, the Schlapps prepared for a night out while pondering their status as political lightning rods. “Are we?” Ms. Schlapp asked her husband. “Maybe you are.” He laughed uneasily.
“I don’t have that many friends left,” Mr. Schlapp said.
Ms. Schlapp smiled. “We have each other,” she said.
Kenneth P. Vogel and Kitty Bennett contributed reportingwikiMercedes Schlapp (née Viana) (born December 15, 1972)<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[1]</a> is an American lobbyist, and columnist. Since September 2017, she has served as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Director_of_Strategic_Communications" title="White House Director of Strategic Communications" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">White House Director of Strategic Communications</a>.<div id="toc" class="toc" style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); padding: 7px; display: table; zoom: 1;"><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;">
</div><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#Personal_life" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1Personal life</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#Career" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2Career</a><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#Media" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2.1Media</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#Lobbyist" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2.2Lobbyist</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#NRA" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2.3NRA</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#Trump_administration" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2.4Trump administration</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#Political_positions" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">3Political positions</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#References" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4References</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#External_links" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5External links</a></li></ul></div><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Personal life[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mercedes_Schlapp&action=edit&section=1&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Personal life" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>Schlapp is a first-generation <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban-American" class="mw-redirect" title="Cuban-American" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Cuban-American</a> raised in Florida, whose father was jailed for six years by the government of Cuba. She is married to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Schlapp" title="Matt Schlapp" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Matt Schlapp</a>, the chair of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Conservative_Union" title="American Conservative Union" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">American Conservative Union</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[2]</a> The Schlapps have five daughters and attend a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_church" class="mw-redirect" title="Catholic church" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Catholic church</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[3]</a><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Career[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mercedes_Schlapp&action=edit&section=2&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Career" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Media[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mercedes_Schlapp&action=edit&section=3&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Media" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>Schlapp worked on local and national political campaigns, as well as the 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">George W. Bush</a>, and was Director of Specialty Media in his administration.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:0-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[4]</a> Later she was a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_News_Channel" class="mw-redirect" title="Fox News Channel" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Fox News</a> contributor and a columnist for several publications including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.News%26_World_Report" title="U.S. News & World Report" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">U.S. News & World Report</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Times" title="The Washington Times" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">The Washington Times</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[5]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[6]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[7]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[8]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Lobbyist[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mercedes_Schlapp&action=edit&section=4&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Lobbyist" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>Together with her husband Schlapp founded Cove Strategies, a lobbying firm based in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria,Virginia" title="Alexandria, Virginia" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Alexandria, Virginia</a>, in 2009.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:1-9" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[9]</a> Since Trump entered the White House, the income of the firm surged (from $600,000 in 2015 to more than a $1 million in 2017).<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:1-9" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[9]</a> Koch Industries was the firm's first client.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:1-9" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">[</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:1-9" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">9]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">NRA[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mercedes_Schlapp&action=edit&section=5&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: NRA" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>She was a board member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Rifle_Association" title="National Rifle Association" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">National Rifle Association</a> before joining the White House.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-10" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[10]</a> She was an aid consultant at the NRA, earning $60,000 from the NRA for an average of one hour of work per week in 2015, and $45,000 in 2016.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:1-9" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">[9]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Trump administration</h3>On September 12, 2017, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States" title="President of the United States" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">President</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump" title="Donald Trump" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Donald Trump</a>'s administration announced that Schlapp would serve as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Director_of_Strategic_Communications" title="White House Director of Strategic Communications" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Director of Strategic Communications</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[11]</a> Prior to joining the Trump administration, Schlapp made numerous statements that were strongly critical of Trump.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-12" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[12]</a>Schlapp attracted attention when she and her husband left the White House Correspondents Dinner early in April 2018, saying that she was disgusted comedian Michelle Wolf’s jokes aimed at Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:1-9" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[9]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-13" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[13]</a> In a limousine en route to an exclusive NBC/MSNBC afterparty, she tweeted that Wolf's comedy routine is "why America hates the out of touch leftist media elite".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-:1-9" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[9]</a> In May 2018, Schlapp defended White House aide Kelly Sadler after she joked that John McCain's opposition to CIA Director nominee Gina Haspel was irrelevant because "he’s dying anyway".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-14" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[14]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-15" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[15]</a><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Political positions[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mercedes_Schlapp&action=edit&section=7&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Political positions" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>Schlapp has stated an opposition to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage" title="Same-sex marriage" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">same-sex marriage</a>, calling President <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama" title="Barack Obama" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Barack Obama</a>’s decision to support it a "political ploy".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-16" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[16]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_note-17" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[17]</a><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">References[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mercedes_Schlapp&action=edit&section=8&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: References" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2><div class="reflist" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); list-style-type: decimal;"><div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns" style="column-width: 30em;"><ol class="references" style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 3.2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: inherit;"><li id="cite_note-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }(subscription required)<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KLJG-KV7" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" word-wrap="word-wrap" break-word="break-word" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KLJG-KV7</a></li><li id="cite_note-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }<cite class="citation web" style="font-style: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://conservative.org/acu_personnel/hon-matt-schlapp/" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">"The Hon. Matt Schlapp"</a>. American Conservative Union. Retrieved 2016-06-11.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=American+Conservative+Union&rft.atitle=The+Hon.+Matt+Schlapp&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fconservative.org%2Facu_personnel%2Fhon-matt-schlapp%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMercedes+Schlapp" class="Z3988" /></li><li id="cite_note-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }<cite id="CITEREFThe_ACU2015" class="citation" style="font-style: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;">The ACU (2015-02-27), <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtL2F2CtISc" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">CPAC 2015 - Matt Schlapp, Chairman, ACU, Former White House Political Director</a>, retrieved 2016-06-11</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=CPAC+2015+-+Matt+Schlapp%2C+Chairman%2C+ACU%2C+Former+White+House+Political+Director&rft.date=2015-02-27&rft.au=The+ACU&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMtL2F2CtISc&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMercedes+Schlapp" class="Z3988" /></li><li id="cite_note-:0-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-:0_4-0" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ffrwculpeper.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/MercedesSchlappBio001.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: url(" upload.wikimedia.org="upload.wikimedia.org" wikipedia="wikipedia" commons="commons" icons-mini-file_acrobat.gif="Icons-mini-file_acrobat.gif" right="right" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" padding-right="padding-right" px="px">"Mercedes (Mercy) Viana Schlapp"</a>, ffrwculpeper.com/<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ffrwculpeper.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">Founding Fathers Republican Women</a>.</li><li id="cite_note-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }<cite class="citation web" style="font-style: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.usnews.com/topics/author/mercedes_schlapp" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">"Mercedes Schlapp"</a>. www.usnews.com. Retrieved 2016-06-11.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.usnews.com&rft.atitle=Mercedes+Schlapp&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usnews.com%2Ftopics%2Fauthor%2Fmercedes_schlapp&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMercedes+Schlapp" class="Z3988" /></li><li id="cite_note-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }<cite class="citation web" style="font-style: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/jeffrey-meyer/2015/09/21/mercedes-schlapp-cnn-debatw-was-montessori-school-unstructured" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">"Mercedes Schlapp: CNN Debate Was 'Montessori School' 'Unstructured'"</a>. NewsBusters. Retrieved 2016-06-11.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=NewsBusters&rft.atitle=Mercedes+Schlapp%3A+CNN+Debate+Was+%E2%80%98Montessori+School%E2%80%99+%E2%80%98Unstructured%E2%80%99&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsbusters.org%2Fblogs%2Fnb%2Fjeffrey-meyer%2F2015%2F09%2F21%2Fmercedes-schlapp-cnn-debatw-was-montessori-school-unstructured&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMercedes+Schlapp" class="Z3988" /></li><li id="cite_note-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }<cite class="citation web" style="font-style: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.foxnews.com/archive/mercy-schlapp/index.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">"Mercy Schlapp stories"</a>. Fox News. Retrieved 2016-06-11.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Fox+News&rft.atitle=Mercy+Schlapp+stories&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Farchive%2Fmercy-schlapp%2Findex.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMercedes+Schlapp" class="Z3988" /></li><li id="cite_note-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }<cite class="citation web" style="font-style: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/staff/mercedes-schlapp/" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">"Mercedes Schlapp | Stories - Washington Times"</a>. www.washingtontimes.com. The Washington Times. Retrieved 2016-06-11.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.washingtontimes.com&rft.atitle=Mercedes+Schlapp+%7C+Stories+-+Washington+Times&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtontimes.com%2Fstaff%2Fmercedes-schlapp%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMercedes+Schlapp" class="Z3988" /></li><li id="cite_note-:1-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;">^ <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-:1_9-0" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up to:a</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-:1_9-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">b</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-:1_9-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">c</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-:1_9-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">d</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-:1_9-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">e</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-:1_9-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">f</a> <cite class="citation news" style="font-style: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/us/politics/schlapp-trump.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">"Meet the Schlapps, Washington's Trump-Era 'It Couple'"</a>. The New York Times. 2018-04-30. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Serial_Number" title="International Standard Serial Number" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">0362-4331</a>. Retrieved 2018-05-17.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+New+York+Times&rft.atitle=Meet+the+Schlapps%2C+Washington%E2%80%99s+Trump-Era+%E2%80%98It+Couple%E2%80%99&rft.date=2018-04-30&rft.issn=0362-4331&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2018%2F04%2F30%2Fus%2Fpolitics%2Fschlapp-trump.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMercedes+Schlapp" class="Z3988" /></li><li id="cite_note-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-10" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }<cite class="citation news" style="font-style: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;">Woellert, Lorraine (February 28, 2018). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/28/trump-guns-concealed-carry-430824" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">"Missing from the gun debate: Trump's own experience with concealed carry"</a>. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politico" title="Politico" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Politico</a>. Retrieved April 29, 2018. <q style="quotes: " apos="apos">Mercedes Schlapp, his director of strategic communications, was a board member of the NRA before joining the White House.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Missing+from+the+gun+debate%3A+Trump%E2%80%99s+own+experience+with+concealed+carry&rft.date=2018-02-28&rft.aulast=Woellert&rft.aufirst=Lorraine&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com%2Fstory%2F2018%2F02%2F28%2Ftrump-guns-concealed-carry-430824&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMercedes+Schlapp" class="Z3988" /></li><li id="cite_note-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }<cite class="citation web" style="font-style: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;">Greenwood, Max (September 12, 2017). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://thehill.com/author/max-greenwoodttp://thehill.com/homenews/administration/350383-trump-names-conservative-commentator-as-senior-adviser-for-strategic" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">"Mercedes Schlapp joins White House as senior communications adviser""</a>. thehill.com. Washington DC: Capitol Hill Publishing. Retrieved April 29, 2018.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=thehill.com&rft.atitle=Mercedes+Schlapp+joins+White+House+as+senior+communications+adviser%22&rft.date=2017-09-12&rft.aulast=Greenwood&rft.aufirst=Max&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fauthor%2Fmax-greenwoodttp%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fhomenews%2Fadministration%2F350383-trump-names-conservative-commentator-as-senior-adviser-for-strategic&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMercedes+Schlapp" class="Z3988" /></li><li id="cite_note-12" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-12" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }<cite class="citation news" style="font-style: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;">Darcy, Oliver. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/14/media/mercedes-schlapp-tweets-trump/index.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">"Top White House communications aide has history of rhetoric strongly critical of Trump"</a>. CNNMoney. Retrieved 2018-06-18.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=CNNMoney&rft.atitle=Top+White+House+communications+aide+has+history+of+rhetoric+strongly+critical+of+Trump&rft.aulast=Darcy&rft.aufirst=Oliver&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fmoney.cnn.com%2F2018%2F06%2F14%2Fmedia%2Fmercedes-schlapp-tweets-trump%2Findex.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMercedes+Schlapp" class="Z3988" /></li><li id="cite_note-13" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-13" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }<cite class="citation news" style="font-style: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;">Stelter, Brian. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://money.cnn.com/2018/04/29/media/michelle-wolf-correspondents-association/index.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">"Here's how people reacted to Michelle Wolf's White House correspondents' roast"</a>. CNNMoney. Retrieved 2018-05-17.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=CNNMoney&rft.atitle=Here%27s+how+people+reacted+to+Michelle+Wolf%27s+White+House+correspondents%27+roast&rft.aulast=Stelter&rft.aufirst=Brian&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fmoney.cnn.com%2F2018%2F04%2F29%2Fmedia%2Fmichelle-wolf-correspondents-association%2Findex.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMercedes+Schlapp" class="Z3988" /></li><li id="cite_note-14" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-14" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }<cite class="citation news" style="font-style: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;">Hart, Benjamin. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/05/white-house-staffers-defy-huckabee-sanders-on-leaks.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">"Five White House Staffers Leak Meeting About White House Leaks"</a>. Daily Intelligencer. Retrieved 2018-05-17.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Daily+Intelligencer&rft.atitle=Five+White+House+Staffers+Leak+Meeting+About+White+House+Leaks&rft.aulast=Hart&rft.aufirst=Benjamin&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fnymag.com%2Fdaily%2Fintelligencer%2F2018%2F05%2Fwhite-house-staffers-defy-huckabee-sanders-on-leaks.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMercedes+Schlapp" class="Z3988" /></li><li id="cite_note-15" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-15" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }<cite class="citation news" style="font-style: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/5/13/17349424/john-mccain-cancer-kelly-sadler-sarah-sanders" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">"The White House's John McCain death joke controversy, explained"</a>. Vox. Retrieved 2018-05-17.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Vox&rft.atitle=The+White+House%E2%80%99s+John+McCain+death+joke+controversy%2C+explained&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2Fpolicy-and-politics%2F2018%2F5%2F13%2F17349424%2Fjohn-mccain-cancer-kelly-sadler-sarah-sanders&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMercedes+Schlapp" class="Z3988" /></li><li id="cite_note-16" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-16" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }<cite class="citation news" style="font-style: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;">Schlapp, Mercedes (May 11, 2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.is/y4RIY" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">"Churches Feel Persecuted by Obama"</a>. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.News_%26_World_Report" title="U.S. News & World Report" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">U.S. News & World Report</a>. U.S. News & World Report L.P. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.usnews.com/debate-club/will-obamas-support-of-gay-marriage-help-him-politically/churches-feel-persecuted-by-obama" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">the original</a> on March 1, 2018.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=%27%27U.S.+News+%26+World+Report%27%27&rft.atitle=Churches+Feel+Persecuted+by+Obama&rft.date=2012-05-11&rft.aulast=Schlapp&rft.aufirst=Mercedes&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usnews.com%2Fdebate-club%2Fwill-obamas-support-of-gay-marriage-help-him-politically%2Fchurches-feel-persecuted-by-obama&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMercedes+Schlapp" class="Z3988" /></li><li id="cite_note-17" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; break-inside: avoid-column;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Schlapp#cite_ref-17" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="user-select: none; top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up^{</a> }<cite class="citation news" style="font-style: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;">Riley, John (September 12, 2017). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.metroweekly.com/2017/09/anti-lgbtq-activist-mercedes-schlapp-joins-white-house-press-office/" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%2212%22" height="%2212%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%2336c%22" d="%22M9.995" h5.982v10.5h1.5z="h5.982V10.5H1.5z" e="E" h11v5.39l9.427="H11v5.39L9.427" l-1.31-1.31l5.393="l-1.31-1.31L5.393" l-2.69-2.688="l-2.69-2.688" l4.2="L4.2" z="z" l.022="l.022" l8.2="L8.2" l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z="l2.882-2.88-1.85-1.852z" c="C" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">"Anti-LGBTQ activist Mercedes Schlapp joins White House Press Office"</a>. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Weekly" title="Metro Weekly" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Metro Weekly</a>.</cite></li></ol></div></div>=<a href="https://www.alternet.org/grifter-chief-has-administration-full-thieves-fixers-and-money-grubbers">https://www.alternet.org/grifter-chief-has-administration-full-thieves-fixers-and-money-grubbers</a>not just Trump’s cabinet secretaries who are living high on

governmental largess. Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski

set up a “consulting firm” called Lewandowski Strategic Services last

year and quickly signed a contract for $20,000 a month working for

Community Choice Financial, a payday lender based in Ohio. Lewandowsky

quickly called for the firing of Richard Cordray, head of the Consumer

Financial Protection Bureau, which had issued strict guidelines

regulating the payday lending industry. Cordray was forced out of the

CFPB three months later.Most recently, Lewandowski showed up in

Belgrade, Serbia, with two former Trump campaign aides who run Turnberry

Solutions, a lobbying firm headquartered in the Capitol Hill townhouse

where Lewandowski resides. Lewandowski denies any connections to

Turnberry Solutions, which is named after a golf course in Scotland

owned by President Trump. He also denies that he is engaged in lobbying

for foreign governments, despite reports that he attempted to set up a

phone call between Trump and Serbian President <a href="https://www.salon.com/1999/03/26/feature_214/" target="blank">Aleksander Vucic</a>, according to sources in a Serbian opposition party <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/04/what-exactly-was-corey-lewandowski-just-doing-in-belgrade/" target="blank">cited by Mother Jones</a>.Lewandowski appears to have arranged a contract between the <a href="https://BGR%20Group" target="_blank">BGR Group</a>,

a lobbying firm chaired by veteran Republican political operative Ed

Rogers, and Poland’s state-owned arms contractor, Polska Grupa

Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), a conglomerate of 60 Polish defense companies. The

contract is worth $70,000 a month, <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-corey-lewandowski-fcked-over-a-david-petraeus-linked-socialite-to-become-the-polish-arms-industrys-man-in-dc" target="_blank">according to the Daily Beast</a>.

Two months after the lobbying contract was signed, BGR Group made a

subcontracting agreement with Jason Osborne, one of the two lobbyists

for Turnberry Solutions, headquartered in Corey Lewandowski’s townhouse.And then there’s Matt Schlapp, Chairman of the American Conservative Union, and his wife, <a href="https://www.salon.com/2017/02/21/which-panel-would-you-attend-at-the-conservative-political-action-conference/" target="_blank">Mercedes Schlapp</a>,

the director of strategic communications at the White House. These two

griftoids are also making out like bandits riding on Trump’s money

train. Schlapp’s political consulting and communications firm, Cove

Strategies, nearly doubled its income from $600,000 a year to over $1

million after Schlapp decided to back Trump in 2016 and invited him to

the annual CPAC Convention, the annual gathering of wingnuts put on by

the American Conservative Union in Washington.Schlapp and his

wife were pictured on the front page of the New York Times recently in

their new $3 million home in Alexandria, Virginia. The Times reported

that the happy couple also owns a 30-acre vacation retreat in the Blue

Ridge Mountains they call Victory Farm.
maddow town hall brooks reunion said 3 WH, 2 koch?=

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Matt_Schlapp&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Matt Schlapp (page does not exist)">Matt Schlapp</a>

<ul>

<li>Government: Head of the White House’s Office of Political Affairs</li>

<li>Industry: Executive Director of Federal Affairs, directing lobbying in "the Washington office of oil-and-gas conglomerate <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Koch_Industries" title="Koch Industries">Koch Industries</a>, the latest example of high-level administration and congressional staffers making post-election leaps to the lobbying world." <a href="http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Business/020105_bushaide.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Business/020105_bushaide.html" rel="nofollow">[26]</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

----

<h1 class="title">Bush aide leaving to join Koch Industries</h1>

</div>

<div> By Josephine Hearn - 01/31/05 08:00 PM ET</div>

Top White House official Matt Schlapp is joining the Washington office of oil-and-gas conglomerate Koch Industries, the latest example of high-level administration and congressional staffers making post-election leaps to the lobbying world.

Schlapp has headed the White House’s Office of Political Affairs since 2003, after having served two years as deputy director of the office under Ken Mehlman, who left to lead the president’s reelection campaign and now chairs the Republican National Committee.

Sarah Taylor is expected to replace Schlapp.

Schlapp will be executive director of federal affairs, a new position created atop Koch’s current Washington lobbying staff. He begins Feb. 21.

Although Koch has been active in lobbying for passage of the energy bill and its political action committee spent more than $1 million in the last election, the privately held company is perhaps better known in Washington for the Koch family’s support for conservative causes, including its role in the founding of the libertarian Cato Institute, the grassroots anti-tax group FreedomWorks/Citizens for a Sound Economy, and George Mason University’s Mercatus Center. David Koch, one of Koch Industries’ heads, was the Libertarian Party’s vice presidential candidate in 1980.

Leaders of Koch’s Washington office have typically played a role in conservative activism. Wayne Gable, managing director of federal affairs and the Washington office’s current head, sits on the board of conservative nonprofit organization Americans for Prosperity, which is headed by his predecessor Nancy Mitchell Pfotenhauer.

Before coming to the White House, Schlapp was a regional political director for Bush-Cheney 2000 and, before that, chief of staff to Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.).

A native of Wichita, where Koch is based, Schlapp received a master’s degree in public administration from Wichita State University. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Notre Dame.</div><div class="txt" id="el-article-div"></div><div class="txt" id="el-article-div"><div class="g" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 26px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div data-hveid="85" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFQhVKAAwBQ"><div class="rc" style="position: relative;"><h3 class="r" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.axios.com/oval-office-leak-kelly-sadler-mercedes-schlapp-trump-0b622aa7-6719-47f0-89eb-8d12008f7cd9.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.axios.com/oval-office-leak-kelly-sadler-mercedes-schlapp-trump-0b622aa7-6719-47f0-89eb-8d12008f7cd9.html&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFghWMAU" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Kelly Sadler told Trump that Mercedes Schlapp was a leaker in the ...</a></h3><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;"><div class="f hJND5c TbwUpd" style="height: 18px; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;"><cite class="iUh30" style="font-style: normal;">https://www.axios.com/oval-office-leak-kelly-sadler-mercedes-schlapp-trump-0b622a...</cite><div class="action-menu ab_ctl" style="display: inline; position: relative; margin: 1px 3px 0px; user-select: none; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="GHDvEf ab_button" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Mercedes+Schlapp&oq=Mercedes+Schlapp&aqs=chrome..69i57.1295j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#" id="am-b5" aria-label="Result details" aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="true" role="button" jsaction="m.tdd;keydown:m.hbke;keypress:m.mskpe" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQ7B0IVzAF" style="border-radius: 0px; cursor: default; font-weight: bold; height: 12px; line-height: 27px; margin: 1px 0px 2px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; transition: none; user-select: none; background-image: none; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; filter: none; width: 13px; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><span class="mn-dwn-arw" style="border-color: rgb(0, 102, 33) transparent; border-style: solid; border-width: 5px 4px 0px; width: 0px; height: 0px; margin-left: 3px; top: 7.5px; margin-top: -4px; position: absolute; left: 0px;" /></a><div class="action-menu-panel ab_dropdown" role="menu" tabindex="-1" jsaction="keydown:m.hdke;mouseover:m.hdhne;mouseout:m.hdhue" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQqR8IWDAF" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; top: 12px; z-index: 3; transition: opacity 0.218s; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 2px 4px; left: 0px; visibility: hidden;"><ol style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><li class="action-menu-item ab_dropdownitem" role="menuitem" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; list-style: none; user-select: none; cursor: pointer;"><a class="fl" href="https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FRKbn6D4ybQJ:https://www.axios.com/oval-office-leak-kelly-sadler-mercedes-schlapp-trump-0b622aa7-6719-47f0-89eb-8d12008f7cd9.html+&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search%3Fq%3Dcache:FRKbn6D4ybQJ:https://www.axios.com/oval-office-leak-kelly-sadler-mercedes-schlapp-trump-0b622aa7-6719-47f0-89eb-8d12008f7cd9.html%2B%26cd%3D6%26hl%3Den%26ct%3Dclnk%26gl%3Dus&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQIAhZMAU" style="text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;" /></li></ol></div></div></div><a class="fl" href="https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FRKbn6D4ybQJ:https://www.axios.com/oval-office-leak-kelly-sadler-mercedes-schlapp-trump-0b622aa7-6719-47f0-89eb-8d12008f7cd9.html+&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search%3Fq%3Dcache:FRKbn6D4ybQJ:https://www.axios.com/oval-office-leak-kelly-sadler-mercedes-schlapp-trump-0b622aa7-6719-47f0-89eb-8d12008f7cd9.html%2B%26cd%3D6%26hl%3Den%26ct%3Dclnk%26gl%3Dus&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQIAhZMAU" style="text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;">May 27, 2018 - Sadler, Mercedes Schlapp, Raj Shah, and John Kelly all gathered in front of the Resolute Desk for a conversation with Trump about the leaking ...</a></div></div></div></div><div class="g" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 26px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div data-hveid="91" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFQhbKAEwBg"><div class="rc" style="position: relative;"><h3 class="r" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/politico-power-list-women-to-watch/mercedes-schlapp/" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/politico-power-list-women-to-watch/mercedes-schlapp/&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFghcMAY" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">POLITICO Playbook Power List: Mercedes Schlapp</a></h3><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;"><div class="f hJND5c TbwUpd" style="height: 18px; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;"><cite class="iUh30" style="font-style: normal;">https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/politico-power-list.../mercedes-schlapp/</cite><div class="action-menu ab_ctl" style="display: inline; position: relative; margin: 1px 3px 0px; user-select: none; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="GHDvEf ab_button" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Mercedes+Schlapp&oq=Mercedes+Schlapp&aqs=chrome..69i57.1295j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#" id="am-b6" aria-label="Result details" aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="true" role="button" jsaction="m.tdd;keydown:m.hbke;keypress:m.mskpe" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQ7B0IXTAG" style="border-radius: 0px; cursor: default; font-weight: bold; height: 12px; line-height: 27px; margin: 1px 0px 2px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; transition: none; user-select: none; background-image: none; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; filter: none; width: 13px; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><span class="mn-dwn-arw" style="border-color: rgb(0, 102, 33) transparent; border-style: solid; border-width: 5px 4px 0px; width: 0px; height: 0px; margin-left: 3px; top: 7.5px; margin-top: -4px; position: absolute; left: 0px;" /></a><div class="action-menu-panel ab_dropdown" role="menu" tabindex="-1" jsaction="keydown:m.hdke;mouseover:m.hdhne;mouseout:m.hdhue" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQqR8IXjAG" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; top: 12px; z-index: 3; transition: opacity 0.218s; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 2px 4px; left: 0px; visibility: hidden;"><ol style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><li class="action-menu-item ab_dropdownitem" role="menuitem" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; list-style: none; user-select: none; cursor: pointer;"><a class="fl" href="https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:J7MaOAKce_QJ:https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/politico-power-list-women-to-watch/mercedes-schlapp/+&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search%3Fq%3Dcache:J7MaOAKce_QJ:https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/politico-power-list-women-to-watch/mercedes-schlapp/%2B%26cd%3D7%26hl%3Den%26ct%3Dclnk%26gl%3Dus&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQIAhfMAY" style="text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;" /></li></ol></div></div></div><a class="fl" href="https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:J7MaOAKce_QJ:https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/politico-power-list-women-to-watch/mercedes-schlapp/+&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search%3Fq%3Dcache:J7MaOAKce_QJ:https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/politico-power-list-women-to-watch/mercedes-schlapp/%2B%26cd%3D7%26hl%3Den%26ct%3Dclnk%26gl%3Dus&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQIAhfMAY" style="text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;">Mercedes Schlapp doesn't have an easy gig as the White House strategic communications adviser. She must contend with a president who serves as his own ...</a></div></div></div></div><div class="g" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 26px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div data-hveid="96" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFQhgKAIwBw"><div class="rc" style="position: relative;"><h3 class="r" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/mercedes-schlapp-called-kelly-sadler-a-b-h-after-being-accused-of-leaking-to-press-report" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/mercedes-schlapp-called-kelly-sadler-a-b-h-after-being-accused-of-leaking-to-press-report&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFghhMAc" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Mercedes Schlapp called Kelly Sadler a 'b---h' after being accused of ...</a></h3><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;"><div class="f hJND5c TbwUpd" style="height: 18px; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;"><cite class="iUh30" style="font-style: normal;">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/.../mercedes-schlapp-called-kelly-sadler-a-b-h-...</cite><div class="action-menu ab_ctl" style="display: inline; position: relative; margin: 1px 3px 0px; user-select: none; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="GHDvEf ab_button" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Mercedes+Schlapp&oq=Mercedes+Schlapp&aqs=chrome..69i57.1295j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#" id="am-b7" aria-label="Result details" aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="true" role="button" jsaction="m.tdd;keydown:m.hbke;keypress:m.mskpe" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQ7B0IYjAH" style="border-radius: 0px; cursor: default; font-weight: bold; height: 12px; line-height: 27px; margin: 1px 0px 2px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; transition: none; user-select: none; background-image: none; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; filter: none; width: 13px; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><span class="mn-dwn-arw" style="border-color: rgb(0, 102, 33) transparent; border-style: solid; border-width: 5px 4px 0px; width: 0px; height: 0px; margin-left: 3px; top: 7.5px; margin-top: -4px; position: absolute; left: 0px;" /></a><div class="action-menu-panel ab_dropdown" role="menu" tabindex="-1" jsaction="keydown:m.hdke;mouseover:m.hdhne;mouseout:m.hdhue" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQqR8IYzAH" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; top: 12px; z-index: 3; transition: opacity 0.218s; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 2px 4px; left: 0px; visibility: hidden;"><ol style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><li class="action-menu-item ab_dropdownitem" role="menuitem" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; list-style: none; user-select: none; cursor: pointer;"><a class="fl" href="https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:yYrANSd51zgJ:https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/mercedes-schlapp-called-kelly-sadler-a-b-h-after-being-accused-of-leaking-to-press-report+&cd=8&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search%3Fq%3Dcache:yYrANSd51zgJ:https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/mercedes-schlapp-called-kelly-sadler-a-b-h-after-being-accused-of-leaking-to-press-report%2B%26cd%3D8%26hl%3Den%26ct%3Dclnk%26gl%3Dus&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQIAhkMAc" style="text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;" /></li></ol></div></div></div><a class="fl" href="https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:yYrANSd51zgJ:https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/mercedes-schlapp-called-kelly-sadler-a-b-h-after-being-accused-of-leaking-to-press-report+&cd=8&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search%3Fq%3Dcache:yYrANSd51zgJ:https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/mercedes-schlapp-called-kelly-sadler-a-b-h-after-being-accused-of-leaking-to-press-report%2B%26cd%3D8%26hl%3Den%26ct%3Dclnk%26gl%3Dus&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQIAhkMAc" style="text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;">May 30, 2018 - Top White House director of strategic communications Mercedes Schlapp reportedly referred to White House communications aide Kelly Sadler ...</a></div></div></div></div><div class="g" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 26px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div data-hveid="102" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFQhmKAMwCA"><div class="rc" style="position: relative;"><h3 class="r" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.newsweek.com/who-mercedes-schlapp-white-house-strategic-communications-director-backs-kelly-923505" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.newsweek.com/who-mercedes-schlapp-white-house-strategic-communications-director-backs-kelly-923505&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFghnMAg" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Who Is Mercedes Schlapp? White House Strategic Communications ...</a></h3><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;"><div class="f hJND5c TbwUpd" style="height: 18px; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;"><cite class="iUh30" style="font-style: normal;">www.newsweek.com/who-mercedes-schlapp-white-house-strategic-communications-d...</cite><div class="action-menu ab_ctl" style="display: inline; position: relative; margin: 1px 3px 0px; user-select: none; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="GHDvEf ab_button" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Mercedes+Schlapp&oq=Mercedes+Schlapp&aqs=chrome..69i57.1295j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#" id="am-b8" aria-label="Result details" aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="true" role="button" jsaction="m.tdd;keydown:m.hbke;keypress:m.mskpe" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQ7B0IaDAI" style="border-radius: 0px; cursor: default; font-weight: bold; height: 12px; line-height: 27px; margin: 1px 0px 2px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; transition: none; 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padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><li class="action-menu-item ab_dropdownitem" role="menuitem" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; list-style: none; user-select: none; cursor: pointer;"><a class="fl" href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:tYHPC9tfkoQJ:www.newsweek.com/who-mercedes-schlapp-white-house-strategic-communications-director-backs-kelly-923505+&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search%3Fq%3Dcache:tYHPC9tfkoQJ:www.newsweek.com/who-mercedes-schlapp-white-house-strategic-communications-director-backs-kelly-923505%2B%26cd%3D9%26hl%3Den%26ct%3Dclnk%26gl%3Dus&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQIAhqMAg" style="text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;" /></li></ol></div></div></div><a class="fl" href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:tYHPC9tfkoQJ:www.newsweek.com/who-mercedes-schlapp-white-house-strategic-communications-director-backs-kelly-923505+&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search%3Fq%3Dcache:tYHPC9tfkoQJ:www.newsweek.com/who-mercedes-schlapp-white-house-strategic-communications-director-backs-kelly-923505%2B%26cd%3D9%26hl%3Den%26ct%3Dclnk%26gl%3Dus&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQIAhqMAg" style="text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;">May 12, 2018 - The White House strategic communications director said “you can put this on the record … I stand with Kelly Sadler,” in response to the aide's ...</a></div></div></div></div><div class="g" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 26px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div data-hveid="108" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFQhsKAQwCQ"><div class="rc" style="position: relative;"><h3 class="r" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/us/politics/schlapp-trump.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/us/politics/schlapp-trump.html&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFghtMAk" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Meet the Schlapps, Washington's Trump-Era 'It Couple' - The New ...</a></h3><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;"><div class="f hJND5c TbwUpd" style="height: 18px; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;"><cite class="iUh30" style="font-style: normal;">https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/us/politics/schlapp-trump.html</cite></div>Apr 30, 2018 - Matt and Mercedes Schlapp, conservatives who scrambled aboard the Trump juggernaut, have made money, lost friends and become a ...</div><div jsl="$t t--ddbPTeIsNI;$x 0;" class="r-iSVaEFH_cCcs" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQ2Z0BCG8wCQ"><div class="g" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 26px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div data-hveid="119" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFQh3KAUwCg"><div class="rc" style="position: relative;"><h3 class="r" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/390906-white-house-aide-who-mocked-mccain-pushed-out-over-tensions-with" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/390906-white-house-aide-who-mocked-mccain-pushed-out-over-tensions-with&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFgh4MAo" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">White House aide who mocked McCain pushed out over tensions with ...</a></h3><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;"><div class="f hJND5c TbwUpd" style="height: 18px; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;"><cite class="iUh30" style="font-style: normal;">thehill.com/.../390906-white-house-aide-who-mocked-mccain-pushed-out-over-tensio...</cite><div class="action-menu ab_ctl" style="display: inline; position: relative; margin: 1px 3px 0px; user-select: none; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="GHDvEf ab_button" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Mercedes+Schlapp&oq=Mercedes+Schlapp&aqs=chrome..69i57.1295j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#" id="am-b10" aria-label="Result details" aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="true" role="button" jsaction="m.tdd;keydown:m.hbke;keypress:m.mskpe" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQ7B0IeTAK" style="border-radius: 0px; cursor: default; font-weight: bold; height: 12px; line-height: 27px; margin: 1px 0px 2px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; transition: none; user-select: none; background-image: none; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; filter: none; width: 13px; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><span class="mn-dwn-arw" style="border-color: rgb(0, 102, 33) transparent; border-style: solid; border-width: 5px 4px 0px; width: 0px; height: 0px; margin-left: 3px; top: 7.5px; margin-top: -4px; position: absolute; left: 0px;" /></a><div class="action-menu-panel ab_dropdown" role="menu" tabindex="-1" jsaction="keydown:m.hdke;mouseover:m.hdhne;mouseout:m.hdhue" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQqR8IejAK" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; top: 12px; z-index: 3; transition: opacity 0.218s; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 2px 4px; left: 0px; visibility: hidden;"><ol style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><li class="action-menu-item ab_dropdownitem" role="menuitem" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; list-style: none; user-select: none; cursor: pointer;"><a class="fl" href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:cjf7KMLq9XEJ:thehill.com/homenews/administration/390906-white-house-aide-who-mocked-mccain-pushed-out-over-tensions-with+&cd=11&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search%3Fq%3Dcache:cjf7KMLq9XEJ:thehill.com/homenews/administration/390906-white-house-aide-who-mocked-mccain-pushed-out-over-tensions-with%2B%26cd%3D11%26hl%3Den%26ct%3Dclnk%26gl%3Dus&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQIAh7MAo" style="text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;" /></li></ol></div></div></div><a class="fl" href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:cjf7KMLq9XEJ:thehill.com/homenews/administration/390906-white-house-aide-who-mocked-mccain-pushed-out-over-tensions-with+&cd=11&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search%3Fq%3Dcache:cjf7KMLq9XEJ:thehill.com/homenews/administration/390906-white-house-aide-who-mocked-mccain-pushed-out-over-tensions-with%2B%26cd%3D11%26hl%3Den%26ct%3Dclnk%26gl%3Dus&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQIAh7MAo" style="text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;">White House aide who mocked McCain pushed out over tensions with Mercedes Schlapp: report. By Luis Sanchez - 06/05/18 09:27 PM EDT. 526. AddThis ...</a></div></div></div></div><div class="g" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 26px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div data-hveid="124" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFQh8KAYwCw"><div class="rc" style="position: relative;"><h3 class="r" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.thecut.com/2018/05/matt-mercedes-schlapp-whcd-elites-usd3-million-home.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.thecut.com/2018/05/matt-mercedes-schlapp-whcd-elites-usd3-million-home.html&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFgh9MAs" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Matt and Mercedes Schlapp Bought $3 Million Home - The Cut</a></h3><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;"><div class="f hJND5c TbwUpd" style="height: 18px; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;"><cite class="iUh30" style="font-style: normal;">https://www.thecut.com/.../matt-mercedes-schlapp-whcd-elites-usd3-million-home.htm...</cite><div class="action-menu ab_ctl" style="display: inline; position: relative; margin: 1px 3px 0px; user-select: none; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="GHDvEf ab_button" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Mercedes+Schlapp&oq=Mercedes+Schlapp&aqs=chrome..69i57.1295j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#" id="am-b11" aria-label="Result details" aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="true" role="button" jsaction="m.tdd;keydown:m.hbke;keypress:m.mskpe" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQ7B0IfjAL" style="border-radius: 0px; cursor: default; font-weight: bold; height: 12px; line-height: 27px; margin: 1px 0px 2px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; transition: none; user-select: none; background-image: none; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; filter: none; width: 13px; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><span class="mn-dwn-arw" style="border-color: rgb(0, 102, 33) transparent; border-style: solid; border-width: 5px 4px 0px; width: 0px; height: 0px; margin-left: 3px; top: 7.5px; margin-top: -4px; position: absolute; left: 0px;" /></a><div class="action-menu-panel ab_dropdown" role="menu" tabindex="-1" jsaction="keydown:m.hdke;mouseover:m.hdhne;mouseout:m.hdhue" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQqR8IfzAL" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; top: 12px; z-index: 3; transition: opacity 0.218s; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 2px 4px; left: 0px; visibility: hidden;"><ol style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><li class="action-menu-item ab_dropdownitem" role="menuitem" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; list-style: none; user-select: none; cursor: pointer;"><a class="fl" href="https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:8aK0FQbNr5IJ:https://www.thecut.com/2018/05/matt-mercedes-schlapp-whcd-elites-usd3-million-home.html+&cd=12&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search%3Fq%3Dcache:8aK0FQbNr5IJ:https://www.thecut.com/2018/05/matt-mercedes-schlapp-whcd-elites-usd3-million-home.html%2B%26cd%3D12%26hl%3Den%26ct%3Dclnk%26gl%3Dus&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQIAiAATAL" style="text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;" /></li></ol></div></div></div><a class="fl" href="https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:8aK0FQbNr5IJ:https://www.thecut.com/2018/05/matt-mercedes-schlapp-whcd-elites-usd3-million-home.html+&cd=12&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search%3Fq%3Dcache:8aK0FQbNr5IJ:https://www.thecut.com/2018/05/matt-mercedes-schlapp-whcd-elites-usd3-million-home.html%2B%26cd%3D12%26hl%3Den%26ct%3Dclnk%26gl%3Dus&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQIAiAATAL" style="text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;">May 1, 2018 - Matt and Mercedes Schlapp, the couple who walked out of the White House Correspondents' Dinner because of “elites,” just bought a $3 ...</a></div></div></div></div><div class="g" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 28px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div data-hveid="130" data-ved="0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFQiCASgHMAw"><div class="rc" style="position: relative;"><h3 class="r" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/05/13/kathy-griffin-proud-attacking-matt-mercedes-schlapp-at-white-house-dinners-msnbc-after-party.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/05/13/kathy-griffin-proud-attacking-matt-mercedes-schlapp-at-white-house-dinners-msnbc-after-party.html&ved=0ahUKEwjBy5KGx_TbAhUN-6wKHWuhDCgQFgiDATAM" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Kathy Griffin proud of attacking Matt, Mercedes Schlapp at White ...</a></h3><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;"><div class="f hJND5c TbwUpd" style="height: 18px; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;"><cite class="iUh30" style="font-style: normal;">www.foxnews.com/.../kathy-griffin-proud-attacking-matt-mercedes-schlapp-at-white-ho...</cite></div>May 13, 2018 - The controversial comedian Kathy Griffin lashed out at White House aide Mercedes Schlapp and her husband, Matt, on Twitter Saturday, ...</div></div></div></div></div><div class="txt" id="el-article-div">==</div><div class="txt" id="el-article-div">
</div><div class="txt" id="el-article-div"><table class="datadisplay" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(224, 230, 236); border: 1px solid rgb(95, 95, 95); line-height: 18px;"><tbody><tr style="background-color: rgb(221, 197, 187);" align="left"><td class="center" style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">2009-</td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">Cove Strategies
Revolving Door Personnel: (<a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/search_result.php?priv=Cove+Strategies" style="">3</a>)</td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">
</td><td class="center" style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;" nowrap=""><img src="http://assets.opensecrets.org/revolving/img/link_lob.gif" style="vertical-align: bottom; padding-right: 10px;" border="0" /><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/firmsum.php?lname=Cove+Strategies&year=" style="">Firm lobbying profile</a></td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(230, 227, 182);" align="left"><td class="center" style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">2005-2008</td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">Koch Industries
Revolving Door Personnel: (<a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/search_result.php?priv=Koch+Industries" style="">6</a>)</td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">Executive Director of Federal Affairs</td><td class="center" style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;" nowrap=""><img src="http://assets.opensecrets.org/revolving/img/link_lob.gif" style="vertical-align: bottom; padding-right: 10px;" border="0" /><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?lname=Koch+Industries&year=2008" style="">Client lobbying profile</a><img src="http://assets.opensecrets.org/revolving/img/link_org.gif" style="vertical-align: bottom; padding-right: 10px;" border="0" /><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000186" style="">Major Donor profile</a></td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(230, 227, 182);" align="left"><td class="center" style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">2000-2000</td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">Bush/Cheney 2000
Revolving Door Personnel: (<a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/search_result.php?priv=Bush%2FCheney+2000" style="">26</a>)</td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">Regional Political Director</td><td class="center" style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;" nowrap="">
</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(221, 238, 238);" align="left"><td class="center" style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">2000-2005</td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">White House
Revolving Door Personnel: (<a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/search_result.php?agency=White+House&id=E1WHI03" style="">558</a>)</td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">Deputy Director of Political Affairs</td><td class="center" style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;" nowrap=""><img src="http://assets.opensecrets.org/revolving/img/link_lob.gif" style="vertical-align: bottom; padding-right: 10px;" border="0" /><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/agencysum.php?lname=White+House" style="">Agency lobbying profile</a></td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(221, 238, 238);" align="left"><td class="center" style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">
</td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">Tiahrt, Todd
Revolving Door Personnel: (<a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/search_result.php?mem=Tiahrt%2C+Todd" style="">5</a>)</td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">Chief of Staff</td><td class="center" style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;" nowrap=""><img src="http://assets.opensecrets.org/revolving/img/link_mem.gif" style="vertical-align: bottom; padding-right: 10px;" border="0" /><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00008144&cycle=2010" style="">Member profile</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div>

=<table class="sortable datadisplay" id="agency_summary" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(224, 230, 236); border: 1px solid rgb(95, 95, 95); border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 500px; width: 599.2px; line-height: 18px;"><thead><tr><th class="data" style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Client</th><th class="unsortable" style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Subsidiary (Lobbied For)</th><th class="data" style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">No. of Reports</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000024369&year=2013" style="">Biotechnology Industry Organization</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">6</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000461&year=2013" style="">Comcast Corp</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">6</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000042525&year=2013">Royal Dutch Shell</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">Shell Oil</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">6</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000023834&year=2013" style="">Alcatel-Lucent</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000023971&year=2013" style="">American Hotel & Lodging Assn</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000024093&year=2013" style="">AO Smith Corp</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000047743&year=2013" style="">Bexar County, TX</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000109&year=2013" style="">Blue Cross/Blue Shield</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000109&year=2013" style="">Blue Cross/Blue Shield</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">Wellpoint Inc</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000032062&year=2013" style="">Boston University</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000212&year=2013" style="">Coca-Cola Co</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000335&year=2013" style="">Dominion Resources</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000188&year=2013" style="">Dow Chemical</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">Dow AgroSciences</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000477&year=2013" style="">Duke Energy</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000021987&year=2013" style="">FMR Corp</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000034173&year=2013" style="">Greater New York Hospital Assn</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000051555&year=2013" style="">Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000321&year=2013" style="">Nextera Energy</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">NextEra Energy</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000036226&year=2013" style="">Nielsen Co</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000036835&year=2013" style="">Private Equity Growth Capital Council</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000022214&year=2013" style="">Real Estate Roundtable</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000056446&year=2013" style="">Sapphire Energy</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000064447&year=2013">Syngenta AG</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">Syngenta Corp</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000881&year=2013" style="">Time Warner Cable</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000081&year=2013" style="">United Parcel Service</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000046048&year=2013" style="">US Travel Assn</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000029824&year=2013" style="">Western Growers Assn</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000065&year=2013" style="">American Assn for Justice</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">3</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=F11229&year=2013" style="">American Assn of Nurse Practitioners</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">3</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000049785&year=2013" style="">Council for Opportunity in Education</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">3</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000045965&year=2013" style="">eHealth Inc</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">3</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000052172&year=2013" style="">Innocence Project</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">3</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000022129&year=2013" style="">National Assn of Health Underwriters</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">3</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000036104&year=2013" style="">National Breast Cancer Coalition</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">3</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000054268&year=2013" style="">National Hydropower Assn</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">3</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000027857&year=2013" style="">National Indian Gaming Assn</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">3</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000026646&year=2013" style="">Retail Industry Leaders Assn</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">3</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000415&year=2013" style="">Sempra Energy</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">3</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000102&year=2013" style="">United Steelworkers</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">3</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000367&year=2013" style="">Wal-Mart Stores</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">3</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000050122&year=2013" style="">XpressWest</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">3</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000023726&year=2013" style="">AARP</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">2</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000046462&year=2013" style="">Aerospace Industries Assn of America</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">2</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000088&year=2013" style="">AFL-CIO</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Dept</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">2</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000088&year=2013" style="">AFL-CIO</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">AFL-CIO Bldg/Construction Trades Dept</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">2</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000088&year=2013" style="">AFL-CIO</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">2</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000023779&year=2013" style="">Afognak Native Corp</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">2</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000023784&year=2013" style="">Agricultural Retailers Assn</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">2</td></tr><tr class="rowTint" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=F3371&year=2013" style="">Agriculture Energy Coalition</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">2</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000046518&year=2013" style="">AIDS Institute</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; vertical-align: top;">-</td><td class="number" style="padding: 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">2</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="pageCtrl" style="text-align: center; margin-left: 0px; padding: 5px; background-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); clear: both; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/agencysum.php?id=012&sort=a&year=2013&page=1" style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">1</a><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/agencysum.php?id=012&sort=a&year=2013&page=2" style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">2</a><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/agencysum.php?id=012&sort=a&year=2013&page=3" style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">3</a><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/agencysum.php?id=012&sort=a&year=2013&page=4" style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">4</a><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/agencysum.php?id=012&sort=a&year=2013&page=5" style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">5</a><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/agencysum.php?id=012&sort=a&year=2013&page=6" style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">6</a> ...<a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/agencysum.php?id=012&sort=a&year=2013&page=27" style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">27</a><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/agencysum.php?id=012&sort=a&year=2013&page=2" style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">Next</a></div>=coveMatthew A. Schlapp Principal Matt Schlapp has nearly twenty years of government, corporate and political experience which led him to join his wife in founding Cove Strategies, a legislative, communications and political consulting firm. Schlapp’s executive branch experience started in President George W. Bush’s first administration where he became a deputy assistant to the president, and his political director. During his tenure at the White House, Schlapp advised the President, the Vice President, members of the cabinet, senior White House staff and has extensive contact with Members of Congress and federal agencies. Schlapp’s Capital Hill experience started in 1994 where he worked for 5 years as a press secretary, chief of staff and campaign manager. He transitioned from the Hill to the presidential election in 2000 in Austin, where he served as a regional political director. After the 2004 cycle, Schlapp joined Koch Industries, headquartered in his hometown of Wichita, Kansas, as Vice President of Federal Affairs at Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC. In this role he directed the major federal public policy strategies on environmental and energy policies, financial markets, legal reform, and international and domestic tax issues. Matt grew up in Wichita, Kansas. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree in public policy from Wichita State University. Matt’s held a board position for the National Association of Manufacturers and currently serves on the boards for the American Conservative Union, St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Administration at Wichita State University, and the University of Kansas Washington Intern Program and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s political affairs committee. Matt and his wife, Mercy, met while working at the White House, where she served as the Director of Specialty Media. Matt and Mercy have five young daughters. <img src="http://covestrategies.com/images/mercedes.jpg" alt="Mercedes Schlapp" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); zoom: 1; margin-bottom: 16px;" width="78" vspace="3" hspace="8" height="122" align="left" />Mercedes Viana Schlapp  Principal Mercedes Viana Schlapp is co-founder of Cove Strategies, a governmental and public affairs firm based in Alexandria, Virginia.  She works as a consultant for clients from Fortune 500 corporations and nonprofit organizations.  Mercedes serves as the interface between the clients and Spanish-language media outlets, develops media strategy including message development and implementation plans and works on Hispanic coalition-building efforts.  She identifies the most effective ways to reach targeted audiences nationally and/or locally.   With more than 10 years of experience, Mercedes has developed strong regional, national and international relationships with reporters in the Spanish press. Mercedes served in the White House for President George W. Bush as a spokesperson for Spanish-language media outlets in the United States, Spain and Latin America as well as worked with other specialty media outlets including religious press.     In 2006 Mercedes hosted the Republican National Committee’s cutting-edge web show, In the Know, where she delivered current Republican news and interviewed Republican political leaders and policy makers for both Spanish and English audiences.  In addition, Mercedes serves as a media surrogate and political commentator on the radio and recently appeared on Univision and Hannity’s America on FOX News.  <img src="http://covestrategies.com/images/SReplogleThumb.jpg" alt="Mercedes Schlapp" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); zoom: 1; margin-bottom: 16px;" width="77" vspace="3" hspace="8" height="99" align="left" />Stephen Replogle Principal Stephen Replogle is a Principal with Cove Strategies with extensive political, legislative, and coalition experience while serving in the executive branch, the United States Congress, in campaigns and advising fortune 500 companies.  Most recently, Mr. Replogle served as a senior federal relations advocate for Walmart.  He directed and advised successful legislative campaigns in policy areas including labor, immigration, education, financial services, energy, tax and trade.  These successes were based on the detailed development and precise implementation of targeted congressional and agency legislative and public policy strategy, strategic messaging, and coalition building.   In public service, Mr. Replogle worked in the United States Senate as Senior Policy Advisor to three currently serving members of Senate Leadership, Senators Jon Kyl, Lamar Alexander and John Thune.  In these positions, he advised the Conference Chairman, as well as members of the Republican Conference, on issues relating to fiscal, social, and international policy matters.  Also during his Senate tenure, he served as the primary liaison for the Senate Republican Conference to House Leadership, the White House, other Departments and outside industry interests. Prior to the Senate, Mr. Replogle served as Legislative Advisor and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the U.S. Department of Commerce.  Key policy responsibilities ranged from technology, intellectual property, economic development, international trade as well as serving as the primary liaison for the Secretary of Commerce to all governors and local elected officials.  Mr. Replogle also served as a coalitions advisor to the Bush/Cheney 2004 Presidential campaign and as staff on the 2004 Presidential Inaugural Committee. Additionally, over the past 10 years, Mr. Replogle advised fortune 500 clients on public affairs strategies as an Associate for DCI Group, as a Political Advisor for the Georgia Republican party, and as an intern in the White House Office of Political Affairs. In 2011, Washingtonian named Stephen Replogle on of the Top Forty Lobbyists under Forty.    <img src="http://covestrategies.com/images/sadler.jpg" style="zoom: 1;" width="80" vspace="3" hspace="8" height="120" align="left" />Frank F. Sadler Frank Sadler has worked both in the private and public sectors for almost a decade. Most recently, Frank was engaged as a strategic advisor for a 501(C)4 organization. As a strategic advisor, Frank made decisions on how to best utilize and allocate the organization's national budget to better educate voters through a variety of media including direct mail, and radio and television advertisements. He also created metrics to measure the impact of those efforts and has been in charge of constructing an implementing voter turn-out projects. Frank has also worked as a senior development associate at Koch Industries, both fundraising for and providing strategic guidance at non-profits aligned with free market ideals. Prior to Koch, Frank worked for United States Senator George Allen in a multitude of roles to eventually become his deputy national finance director. Frank is a graduate of Hamilton College in upstate New York and is getting his masters degree in economics from American University. <table class="tablesorter" id="firm_summary" style="background-color: rgb(205, 205, 205); margin: 10px 0pt 15px; line-height: 18px;"><tbody><tr class="even"><td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000188&year=2013" style="">Dow Chemical</a></td><td class="number" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: right; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top;">$60,000</td><td class="center" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top;">-</td><td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top;" nowrap="">Chemicals</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(240, 240, 246); vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000027729&year=2013" style="">Motion Picture Assn of America</a></td><td class="number" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: right; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(240, 240, 246); vertical-align: top;">$80,000</td><td class="center" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(240, 240, 246); vertical-align: top;">-</td><td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(240, 240, 246); vertical-align: top;" nowrap="">TV/Movies/Music</td></tr><tr class="even"><td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000079&year=2013" style="">Verizon Communications</a></td><td class="number" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: right; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top;">$10,000</td><td class="center" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top;">-</td><td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top;" nowrap="">Telephone Utilities</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(240, 240, 246); vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000367&year=2013" style="">Wal-Mart Stores</a></td><td class="number" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: right; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(240, 240, 246); vertical-align: top;">$110,000</td><td class="center" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(240, 240, 246); vertical-align: top;">-</td><td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(240, 240, 246); vertical-align: top;" nowrap="">Retail Sales</td></tr></tbody></table>

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