Horace Cooper Pjt 21

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Horace Cooper

Credentials

J.D., George Mason University of Law.[1]
B.A. University of Texas at Austin. [1]

Background

Horace Cooper is a senior fellow at the Heartland Institute. He is also a directorof the National Center for Public Policy Research (:{NCPPR:(style="box-sizing:border-box"):}:), where he co-chairs Project 21’sNational Advisory Board. According to his staff profile, Cooper is also an adjunct fellow with the NCPPR and “averages over 400 talk radio appearances per yearrepresenting Project 21, in addition to regular television appearances and interviews by the print media, also for Project 21.” [2],[3]

:{NCPPR:(style="box-sizing:border-box"):}: describes Project 21as “the National Leadership Network of Black Conservatives” and as an initiative “to promote the views of African-Americans whose entrepreneurial spirit, dedication to family and commitment to individual responsibility has not traditionally been echoed by the nation’s civil rights establishment.”[4]

Cooper is listed as President/Secretary (“P/S”) in public SEC filings for a group called the Energy Equality Coalition (:{EEC}:), which has fought “to end taxpayer subsidies and ensure a level playing field for middle-class American energy consumers” by ending subsidies to assist consumers in buying and charging electric vehicles. The EEC has maintained similar messaging to thenow-defunct group Fueling :{US}: Forward (FUSF), and **:{The New York Times}:**noted that Cooper spoke at the same conference as FUSF President and CEO Charles Drevna. [5],[6], [7]

He is alsosenior fellowof both The Institute for Liberty (:{IFL:(style="box-sizing:border-box"):}:) and the Heartland Institute, the latter which has been at the forefront of denying man’s influence on climate change. Cooper formerly worked with Richard (Dick) K. Armey, who went on to chair FreedomWorks until leaving the organization in 2012. FreedomWorks was formed as a merger between Citizens for a Sound Economy (:{CSE}:) and Empower America. CSE was founded by the Koch brothers in 1984 in an effort to promote deregulation.:{CSE}:/FreedomWorks received as much as $12,331,712 in Koch funding from 1986 to 2002, according to Greenpeace data. The IFL does not disclose its funders. [8], [9], [10]

According to leaked 2012 budget documents from The Heartland Institute, Cooper appears under a personnel list of individuals who were paid to work for Heartland in 2011, however would be either paid much less or unpaid in 2012. The document describes Cooper as formerly “a legislative specialist working out of our Washington DC office since 2010” until he “was let go mid-year after we concluded he wasn’t the right guy to lead a new and expanded Free to Choose Medicine project.” The budget notes “He will be replaced in 2012 by Vince Galbiati” and that “Horace remains an unpaid senior fellow.” [11]

Cooper’s archived profile at:{GOPUSA:(style="box-sizing:border-box"):}:notes that he was called aRepublican “Top Gun” in a Washington Times profile, “confirmed cigar smoker (profiled in Cigar Aficionado),” and former Chief of Staff and Deputy Director of the Voice of America for a year. [12]

From 2005 to 2007, Cooper was an assistant professor of law at George Mason University School of Law (:{GMUSL}:). As documented by Greenpeace, George Mason University is one of the largest recipients of Koch funding of any organization. His biography notes that he also “served in senior capacities in the George W. Bush Administration including stints as chief of staff at the Voice of America and the Dept of Labor’s Employment Standards Administration.” [1],[13]

Indictment in Jack Abramoff Scandal

In 2009, Cooper was indicted on five charges alleging he received gifts from former Washington lobbyists Jack Abramoff and Neil G. Volz while Cooper worked as the chief of staff for Voice of America (VOA) and later as chief of staff for the Employment Standards Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The indictment included “one count of conspiracy, one count of fraudulent concealment, two counts of false statements, and one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, which could result in a maximum sentence of 40 years and a fine of $250,000.” [14]

“Cooper was required to report the gifts he received from Abramoff and Volz on his annual financial disclosure form because the value of these gifts exceeded the limits established by federal regulation. According to court documents, DOL ethics officials and his supervisors were deprived of critical information as a result of Cooper’s failure to report these gifts, which was necessary to determine whether Cooper had an actual or potential conflict of interest between his public responsibilities and his private interests and activities,” an archived :{FBI}: statement read. [15]

View the full indictment below:[doc]

Horace Cooper Criminal Indictment (Text)

Prosecutors contended that Cooper had used his influence to help Abramoff get federal funds from the Department of State andassist a colleague of Abramoff to resolve an investigation at the Labor department.[16]

The five-count felony indictment was dropped to a misdemeanor in exchange for a guilty plea by Cooper. In April 2010, Cooper pleaded guilty to the charges of making and using a false certificate or writing. Cooper also admitted that in 2003 he solicited and accepted gifts from Abramoff and Neil G. Volz, and that he had concealed his receipt of these gifts from DOL officials and his supervisors. [17], [15]

Stance on Climate Change

2015

In 2015, Horace Cooper appeared on Thom Hartmann’s “The Big Picture Rumble” panel where he argued against climate change regulations: [18]

“Poor people are disproportionately impacted by climate change regulation policies,” Cooper said. “They’re overwhelmingly going to be the front line of those harmed by these policies.” [7:41]

On Abortion

March 11, 2016

Horace Cooper has been a strong opponent of abortion and Planned Parenthood. In an episode of “The Big Picture,” he described organizations assisting with abortion as “the butchers who kill the unborn”: [19]

February 2016

Speaking on “The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann,” Cooper claimed that organizations like Planned Parenthood “enjoy killing as much as [they] can”: [20]

“The lion’s share of Planned Parenthood’s work is killing people. They ought to call it death care, not health care. But if they wanted to operate with impunity, they should do so without taxpayer support. You will find the scrutiny goes away completely once they decide we are an abortion industry and we enjoy killing as much as we can,” Cooper said on the program. [20]

After this, Hartmann put up a chart showing that only 3% of planned parenthood’s services got to abortion, and noted that “not one federal dollar goes to abortion.” Cooper responded: [20]

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I want to do to Planned Parenthood what you want to do to Walmart. […] I want to regulate them, I will raise their cost of doing business, I will make sure that every place they want to locate that the government locally doesn’t want to approve it. […] and Walmart is doing a wonderful job and doesn’t kill people.” [20]

February 2012

Writing at the National Center for Policy Analysis, Cooper described a rule under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that would provide coverage for birth control as an “attempt to suppress basic expressions of religious faith” and “a direct violation of the First Amendment.” [21]

Key Quotes

July 14, 2017

Cooper criticized Al Gore for comparing activism on climate change to the civil rights movement: [22]

“Study after study demonstrate that the radical climate policies advocated by Al Gore, Jr. will hurt blacks and the poor most. Just as segregation and interracial marriage bans were purported to be for the good of all while clearly done to generate political support, today’s climate alarmism is pushed solely to get the support of a small group of so-called eco-warriors at the expense of blacks. Please spare us any more of this,” Cooper said in a NCPPR press release. [22]

Key Deeds

April 6, 2020

Horace Cooper, representing Project 21, is signatory to anAmerican Energy Alliance letter to President Donald Trump supporting the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule which would scrap federal fuel economy mandates under the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program. [41]

Describing CAFE, the letter contends: “Those families and individuals who prefer or need trucks, SUVs, and crossovers pay more to subsidize those who buy smaller vehicles or electric vehicles under the existing mandate. This significant, needless, and unjust cost is a very real regressive tax on American families that has made our country worse off.” [41]

April 3, 2020

Horace Cooper, representing Project 21, praised President Donald Trump’s decision to roll back fuel efficiency mandatesas part of the “Safer Affordable Fuel Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles” rule. According to the Project 21 press release, Cooper’s organization had already been calling for the complete elimination of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards in its “Blueprint for a Better Deal for Black America.” Fuel efficiency mandates on automakers “make cars less affordable and less safe,” it claimed in the Blueprint publication. [39]

Horace Cooper also wrote a public comment opposing CAFE standards and advocating for the “SAFE” rule in October 2018, claiming the fuel economy standards “have a very negative impact on vehicle safety while even the proponents of climate change regulation acknowledge that they will provide only a trivial moderation of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.” [40]

Cooper concluded: “Increasing black hardship and placing drivers’ safety at greater risk for such a small payoff is simply irrational.” [40]

June 12, 2018

In a letter to then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on behalf of the National Center for Public Policy Research’s Project 21 Black Leadership Network, Cooper praised the decision to reduce CAFE fuel economy and emissions standards. [38]

Cooper and his co-chairmen suggested Obama-era regulations would have a negative impact on minority communities:

“The Black community has been prevented from reaching its full potential not only by racial factors, but by non-racial ones as well. Excessive regulatory costs that make products unaffordable are one of the most significant non-racial obstacles to black economic progress.” [38]

The letter also requested future regulatory proposals consider potential economic effects on minorities prior to approval. [38]

August 19, 2017

Cooper appeared on “The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann” to debate military spending, jobs, and climate change: [23]

December 8, 2016

Horace Cooper was a moderator at the “At the Crossroads III Energy and Climate Summit,” an event co-hosted by the Heritage Foundation and the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF). The event was billed as “the premier energy-and-climate policy event in America,” and attracted a range of prominent climate change deniers as well as a range of names connected to Donald Trump and his transition team. [24]

Speakers included:

Becky Norton Dunlop

Mike Lee

Lamar Smith

Pete Olson

Gary Palmer

James Inhofe

Kathleen Hartnett White

Stephen Moore

Bud Brigham

David Kreutzer

Patrick J. Michaels

Mark P. Mills

Horace Cooper

Patrick Forkin

Allen Gilmer

Dan Byers

Nicolas Loris

Richard Lindzen

Willie Soon

Andrew M. Grossman

William Happer

Craig Idso

Roy Spencer

Patrick J. Michaels

Brooke Rollins

Becky Norton Dunlop

David Legates

James Taylor

August 2016

According to The New York Times, Cooper delivered a speech on energy policy at the National Black Political Convention in Gary, Ind. The conference, which included Fueling US Forward as a sponsor, was also attended by FUSF President and CEO Charles Drevna.[7]

February 2012

According to the appearance schedule on his website, Cooper planned to attend the twelfth Conservative Political Action Conference(CPAC)in Washington, DC. Notable sponsors included Altria, The Heritage Foundation, and Koch Industries, among many others. [25], [26]

July 11–14, 2012

According to the appearance schedule on his website, the 2012 “FreedomFest” conference in Las Vegas, Nevada was on his upcoming agenda. The Heartland Institute, Heritage Foundation, and institute for Justice were all listed as “Gold” level exhibitors for that year’s conference. [25], [27]

March 2011

Cooper opposed a ban on menthol cigarettes. He wrote, “This coming war on menthol is a study in contradictions that will affect all Americans regardless of race and whether they smoke.” [28]

April 7, 2010

Horace Cooper pleaded guilty to charges of making and using a false certificate or writing and admitted that in 2003 he solicited and accepted gifts from former Washington lobbyists Jack A. Abramoff and Neil G. Volz. [15]

“Cooper was required to report the gifts he received from Abramoff and Volz on his annual financial disclosure form because the value of these gifts exceeded the limits established by federal regulation. According to court documents, DOL ethics officials and his supervisors were deprived of critical information as a result of Cooper’s failure to report these gifts, which was necessary to determine whether Cooper had an actual or potential conflict of interest between his public responsibilities and his private interests and activities,” an archived FBI statement read. [15]

Cooper was indicted on public corruption as noted in a 2009 FBI press release: [14]

“The five-count indictment charges Horace M. Cooper, 44, of Lorton, Va., with one count of conspiracy, one count of fraudulent concealment, two counts of false statements, and one count of obstruction of an official proceeding. U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Kay today issued a criminal summons directing Cooper to make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009, at 1:45 p.m,” the FBI press release read. [14]

The indictment alleged that while Cooper worked as the chief of staff for Voice of America (VOA) and later as chief of staff for the Employment Standards Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), “Cooper conspired with Jack A. Abramoff, a former Washington, D.C., lobbyist, and others, to defraud the United States of his honest services and of its right to have federal executive branch business conducted without improper influence” and also for accepting gifts “to influence or reward Cooper for official acts as a federal executive branch employee.” [14]

Politico reported that the allegations included Cooper receiving more than $5,000 in tickets to sporting events and concerts from Abramoff while working for Dick Armey between 1998 and 2001, and another $9,000 in tickets while he worked at the Voice of America and later at the Labor Department. Prosecutors contended that Cooper had used his influence to help Abramoff get federal funds from the Department of State and assist a colleague of Abramoff to resolve an investigation at the Labor department. View the full indictment here. [16]

The indictment quotes an email from Cooper’s personal account, around March 28, 2003, when Cooper emailed lobbyist Neil Volz (emphasis added): [29]

“Okay, I’ll take them [2 tickets to a Baltimore Orioles game]. Thanks. But I’d really like to talk with you. How about via telephone. I really would like to make sure that if there are problems that I can “fix” that I get as much notice as possible. Two firms have recently been fined before the front office got a chance to have any input in the decision. If things are going well, then okay. But if not, and there’s something that I can do, I’m willing to help. I’ve got two 30 minute windows today at 2 and 3 pm.” [29]

The indictment also alleged that Cooper regularly messaged Volz and Abramoff from his personal account “in order to conceal his actions from his employers and the public,” and that Cooper “concealed the things of value he received from Abramoff, Volz, other Firm B lobbyists, and their clients by failing to report them to his supervisors or ethics officials.” [29]

The five-count felony indictment was dropped to a misdemeanor in exchange for a guilty plea by Horace Cooper. “My family and I are so grateful that this ordeal is over. It will be so good to get this whole thing behind me,” said Cooper. The original sentence he faced would be up to 40 years and a fine of $250,000. The revised sentence would be a maximum of six months in prison and a $500 fine. [30]

February 20–22, 2010

According to the event list on his website, Cooper attended the RightOnline Conference of Americans for Prosperity (AFP). While the 2010 conference isn’t archived online, the 2011 RightOnline conference described its past iteration as a place where “over 1,100 grassroots activists and bloggers from around the country came together to learn, meet, and exchange ideas on how we can advance conservative policies.” [25], [31]

Rep. Mike Pence was a speaker at the 2010 conference, according to Alternet. [32]

Americans for Prosperity, which has received a total of at least $11,900,078 from Koch-controlled foundations according to data from the Conservative Transparency project, has been criticized for “using the guise of nonprofit status to work, behind a screen of anonymity, on behalf of the Kochs’ corporate and political interests.” [33], [34], [35]

Affiliations

Energy Equality Coalition (EEC) — President/Secretary (“P/S”). [5]

National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) — Director, co-chair of Project 21’s National Advisory Board. [2], [3]

Heartland Institute — Senior Fellow. [8]

Institute for Liberty (IFL) — Senior Fellow in Legal Policy. Director of Law and Regulation. [37], [8], [1]

American Civil Rights Union — Senior Fellow. [37]

George Mason University School of Law (GMUSL) — Assistant Professor of Law (2005 to 2007). Also served for four years on GMUs “Board of Visitors.” [1], [12]

George W. Bush Administration — Served in “senior capacities […] including stints as chief of staff at the Voice of America and the Dept of Labor’s Employment Standards Administration.”[1]

Honorable Richard K. Armey — Former Counsel (1994 – 2002). [1], [36]

Centre for New Black Leadership— Former Senior Fellow. [12]

Voice of America (VOA) — Former Chief of Staff and Deputy Director (late 2001 to December 2002). [12], [14]

Social Media

Cooper doesn’t appear to maintain personal social media accounts, although the following accounts can be found for NCCPR and Project21:

@Project21News on Twitter.

Project21 on Facebook.

Publications

According to his personal bio, Cooper “has appeared on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News as well as in a variety of print publications.” The NCPPR also offers a number of samples of Cooper’s publications, including a playlist of his live appearances: [1], [3]

Resources

“Biography,” Horace Cooper. Archived November 16, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/w5UOi

“The National Center For Public Policy Research Current Board Of Directors” (PDF), National Center for Public Policy Research, May 13, 2015. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmogBlog.

“Horace Cooper,” National Center for Public Policy Research. Archived November 17, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/WMb1q

“ABOUT PROJECT 21,” National Center for Public Policy Research. Archived November 17, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/a4I6M

“2017 Annual Report: Energy Equality Coalition,” Commonwealth of Virginia State Corporation Commission. Archived November 15, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9wphC [ many more]

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the hill 2022

for more than a generation, Black Americans have been held back by many of the big government policies and programs created to assist them. Although this phenomenon is not exclusively happening to Black Americans, it has disproportionately affected their ability to live out the American Dream.

Project 21, an organization aimed at ensuring that Blacks who are conservative or centrist can have their views promoted in the media and within American society, has released an updated “Blueprint for a Better Deal for Black America.” This document is a declaration calling for the end of the harmful left-wing policies of the past and offers hope for a prosperous future — one that works to let Blacks attain the American Dream without limiting the abilities of the rest of America to achieve that same goal.

A powerful quote in the document says that government assistance is supposed to be a “hand up, not a handout.” This embodies the message of the blueprint perfectly. Black America can and should be in the driver’s seat determining their own destiny.

After winning the Democratic primary in 2020, largely because of the Black vote, Joe Biden, once in office, has made things worse. Under his watch, rampant crime, inflation and stifling regulations have become obstacles that disproportionately impact Black America’s well-being. The situation has exposed a truth that conservatives have been saying for decades: The road to a more prosperous Black America does not pass through Washington’s bureaucracy and big government schemes.

Instead, building on the principles that have made America a “city on a hill,” the Blueprint offers 56 policy recommendations that will promote prosperity in Black America — notably, without harming other races.

It offers a powerful critique against critical race theory (CRT), the “Defund the Police” movement, and other so-called “equity” programs, while proposing commonsense solutions on criminal justice, excessive regulation and subpar education offerings in low-income communities, among other things.

But the Blueprint’s goal is solutions, not merely criticisms. Offering innovative policies to lower the costs for college, encourage greater educational attainment for urban youth, and end the crime epidemic, the plan is far-reaching in scope.

The Blueprint uses history and data to support each of its policy proposals. For example, when discussing its push for expanded work requirements for federal aid programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the authors show how the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program achieved a 56 percent decline in caseload once an employment requirement was put in place with the Welfare Reform Act of 1996.

The Blueprint is as comprehensive as it is bold. Take abortion. It is no secret that Planned Parenthood’s founder Margaret Sanger desired to use abortion as a eugenics tool. The Blueprint explains that over 19 million Black babies have been aborted. Had those babies been born, the Black population in America would be double what it is today. That staggering level of lost lives isn’t the only consequence of Sanger’s vision; it also represents a huge setback for the political impact of Black America. Blacks in less than a generation are no longer the largest minority in America. In California, they aren’t even the second largest minority. The Blueprint urges policymakers to reverse policies that encourage the loss of life and the related reduction of political impact.

One of the more provocative topics that Project 21 tackles in the document is their recommendation to end the move to legalize marijuana. Even some conservatives have embraced this terrible idea. The Blueprint provides a compelling argument that legalizing marijuana nationwide would actually result in greater education losses, negatively impact wealth attainment and reduce job skills in the Black community.

The Blueprint urges Washington to reverse the harmful anti-energy policies pushed by Biden and the environmentalists. A revitalized push to expand fracking and oil exploration will help Black household budgets that have been hard hit by the so-called “environmental justice” agenda.

This document lays out a roadmap for true Black empowerment — one of growth and hope, and one that doesn’t rely on the old zero-sum game of forcing other groups to sacrifice. It is a must read for Washington policymakers.

Horace Cooper](https://nationalcenter.org/ncppr/staff/horace-cooper/)is a senior fellow with the National Center for Public Policy Research, chairman of the Project 21 National Advisory Board and a legal commentator. Follow him on Twitter[@HoraceCooper21

TAGS AMERICAN DREAM BLACK AMERICANS JOE BIDEN

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fedsoc bs

Horace Cooper

Chairman, Project 21 National Advisory Board, National Center for Public Policy Research

Horace Cooper is a senior fellow with the National Center for Public Policy Research, chairman of the Project 21 National Advisory Board and a legal commentator.

Horace averages over 400 talk radio appearances per year representing the National Center and Project 21, in addition to regular television appearances and interviews by the print media.

Horace taught constitutional law at George Mason University in Virginia and was a senior counsel to U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey.

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PAST EVENTS

Misuse of Bankruptcy Courts? Legal and Policy Issues in the GM/Chrysler Bankruptcies and the Anna Nicole Smith Bankruptcy Case

This event has concluded.

Jun

2009

Wednesday

12:00 p.m.

Misuse of Bankruptcy Courts? Legal and Policy Issues in the GM/Chrysler Bankruptcies and the Anna Nicole Smith Bankruptcy Case

Omni Hotel 251 South Olive Street Los Angeles

Speakers:

Robert Alt • Horace Cooper

Topics:

Financial Services & E-Commerce

Sponsors:

Los Angeles Lawyers Chapter

In-Person Event

Marshall v. Marshall, Is Celebrity Greater than the Law?

This event has concluded.

Jun

2009

Friday

12:00 p.m.

Marshall v. Marshall, Is Celebrity Greater than the Law?

McCormick & Schmicks Seafood Restaurant 335 Hughes Center Drive

Las Vegas, Nevada

Speakers:

Horace Cooper

Sponsors:

Las Vegas Lawyers Chapter

In-Person Event

Prof. Horace Cooper

This event has concluded.

May

2009

Thursday

12:00 a.m.

Prof. Horace Cooper

Speakers:

Horace Cooper

Sponsors:

Puget Sound Lawyers Chapter

In-Person Event

A 9th Circuit Review

This event has concluded.

Feb

2009

Monday

12:15 p.m.

A 9th Circuit Review

Speakers:

Horace Cooper

Topics:

Federalism & Separation of Powers

Sponsors:

California - Los Angeles Student Chapter

In-Person Event

The 9th Circuit Powerhouse

This event has concluded.

Jan

2009

Thursday

12:00 p.m.

The 9th Circuit Powerhouse

Speakers:

Horace Cooper • Shaun P. Martin • Ronald D. Rotunda

Topics:

Federalism & Separation of Powers

Sponsors:

San Diego Student Chapter

In-Person Event

Inheritance Rights in a Free Enterprise System

This event has concluded.

Sep

2008

Wednesday

11:30 a.m.

Inheritance Rights in a Free Enterprise System

Sullivan's Steakhouse 300 Colorado Street

Austin, Texas

Speakers:

Horace Cooper

Sponsors:

Austin Lawyers Chapter

In-Person Event

ggl 7 24

Horace Cooper

The National Center

https://nationalcenter.org › Portfolio › Project 21

Horace Cooper is a senior fellow with the National Center for Public Policy Research, chairman of the Project 21 National Advisory Board and a legal commentator ...