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<div><section class="content article-main-content" style="line-height: 24px;"><section class="content-body article-body-content"><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">see JCN</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">see judic educ pgt leo ginni kellyanne pass thru</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">catholic legal mafia much more apparent barr acb...</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">an no lnx</font></div><div>How a Republican megadonor is 'playing fast and loose' to push 'dangerous, extreme agenda': watchdog</div><div>
</div><div>Maya Boddie&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>June 18, 2023</b></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Republican billionaire Leonardo Leo's trust fund, Marble Freedom Trust's latest Internal Revenue Service (IRS) filing, revealing the former President Donald Trump donor's mission to control right-wing politics, Truthout reports.</span></div><div>
</div><div>Progressive watchdog Accountable.US obtained the recent IRS filing, which according to Truthout, shows the Federalist Society leader "has dumped at least $411 million into fueling right-wing infrastructure in the U.S. since mid-2020."</div><div>
</div><div>Furthermore, according to Truthout, the filing reveals "Leo has spent at least $182 million during the Biden administration to fund right-wing groups from May 1, 2020, through April 30, 2022," noting, "This surge has come as Leo has become more publicly outspoken in attacking reproductive rights as well as efforts to protect our environment and crucial measures that advance Americans' equality."</div><div>
</div><div>READ MORE: Conservative activist arranged for Clarence Thomas’ wife to get secret payouts</div><div>
</div><div>Additionally, it "adds to the growing public knowledge of how Leo's for-profit business works in tandem with nonprofit groups he funds to change the rules in our democracy, and also provides a glimpse of how lucrative this effort is."</div><div>
</div><div>The news outlet reports prior to Accountable's findings, "the Campaign for Accountability filed an IRS complaint against Leo based on other filings showing that&nbsp;<b>seven of his affiliated nonprofits had sent $73 million to his for-profit CRC Advisors."</b></div><div>
</div><div>Truthout also notes:</div><div>
</div><div>As Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) has noted, before the public learned of the existence of Marble Freedom Trust, Leo rose to prominence as a volunteer advising Trump by creating the list of Supreme Court candidates that Trump chose from, as well as by helping to secure the confirmation of three controversial high court nominees — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett (and helped get numerous other lower court judges appointed).&nbsp;<b>As True North documented, Leo's network played a central role in this right-wing court packing, raising over $600 million from 2014 through the 2020 election. This dark money network has received more than $2 billion when accounting for Marble.</b></div><div>
</div><div>Accountable President Kyle Herrig told Truthout he believes "Leonard Leo is playing fast and loose with his $1.6 billion slush fund, enriching himself and doling out paychecks and favors for his cronies," adding, "This kind of corruption is par for the course for Leo. It clearly pays to do his bidding."</div><div>
</div><div>READ MORE: Charities often move 'dark' money that shapes public policy: report</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Herring said, "This is just the latest development in Leonard Leo's decades-long scheme to push his dangerous, extreme agenda and get rich while doing it. From personal enrichment for himself and his inner circle to his machine of nonprofits advancing the MAGA agenda, we’ve only scratched the surface of Leo’s devastating impact on our democracy.</span>"</div><div>
</div><div>READ MORE: 'Largest political donation ever': Trump ally received $1.6 billion through Federalist Society contact</div><div>
</div><div>Truthout's full report is available at this link.</div><div>
</div><div>FROM YOUR SITE ARTICLES</div><div>New report details Clarence Thomas’ 'shady ties to sprawling network of dark money' ›</div><div>'No mention of Ginni': Kellyanne Conway may have confirmed payments made to Clarence Thomas’ wife ›</div><div>Trump Supreme Court advisor Leonard Leo tied to more than $80 mllion in dark money ›</div><div>RELATED ARTICLES AROUND THE WEB</div><div>Leonard Leo used Federalist Society contact to obtain $1.6B ... ›</div><div>Leonard Leo Pushed the Courts Right. Now He's Aiming at ... ›</div><div>Federalist Society's Leonard Leo is helping Trump make courts ... ›</div><div>
</div><div>ref</div><div>
</div><div>apr 2023</div><div><a href="https://truthout.org/articles/new-details-from-leonard-leos-trust-fund-expose-the-inner-workings-of-the-right/">https://truthout.org/articles/new-details-from-leonard-leos-trust-fund-expose-the-inner-workings-of-the-right/</a></div><div>
</div><div>ne<span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.3125rem;">wly obtained documents show that the billion-dollar trust fund given to&nbsp;<b>Leonard Leo — the right-wing attorney and longtime leader the Federalist Society who orchestrated Donald Trump’s Supreme Court picks — has dumped at least $411 million into fueling right-wing infrastructure in the U.S. since mid-2020.</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.3125rem;">
</span></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; clear: both; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">The&nbsp;</span><a href="https://accountable.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/990_Marble-Freedome-Trust-2021.pdf" style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">latest IRS filing</a><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">&nbsp;of the new nonprofit, Marble Freedom Trust — obtained by</span><a href="https://accountable.us/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;"><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Accountable.US</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">,</span><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">&nbsp;a progressive watchdog group — shows that Leo has spent at least $182 million during the Biden administration to fund right-wing groups from May 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022. This surge has come as Leo has become more publicly outspoken in attacking reproductive rights as well as efforts to protect our environment and crucial measures that advance Americans’ equality.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Leo chose to have most of that, more than $153 million, wash through the <b>Schwab Charitable Fund</b>, a “donor-advised fund”&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">that serves as a passthrough to help obscure the money trail between a funder and its beneficiaries. In recent years, since Leo secured control of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/dark-money-leonard-leo-barre-seid" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">$1.6 billion</a>&nbsp;in the largest single gift of its kind from Chicago billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://truenorthresearch.org/2021/07/the-new-anti-woke-advertiser-is-a-dark-money-group-made-from-an-old-brand-and-fueled-by-secret-cash/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">Barre Seid</a>, Leo’s network of groups has relied heavily on donor-advised funds to move cash between entities in ways that can help keep the original donor secret from the public.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 1.3125rem;"><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">marble’s filing included only one other grantee: the&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Concord Fund (also known as the Judicial Crisis Network</b>), to which it gave a $29 million gift. The Concord Fund then paid $12 million in fees to CRC Advisors, a for-profit PR firm that Leo has helped helm since 2020.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">Kyle Herrig, the president of Accountable told&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Truthout</em>&nbsp;that in his opinion “Leonard Leo is playing fast and loose with his $1.6 billion slush fund, enriching himself and doling out paychecks and favors for his cronies. This kind of corruption is par for the course for Leo. It clearly pays to do his bidding."</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><span style="font-size: 1.3125rem;">before Accountable’s latest revelations, the<b>&nbsp;Campaign for Accountability</b>&nbsp;filed an</span><span style="font-size: 1.3125rem;">&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23741538-campaign-for-accountability-irs-complaint-leonard-leo-nonprofits" style="font-size: 1.3125rem; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">IRS complaint</a><span style="font-size: 1.3125rem;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1.3125rem;">against Leo based on other filings showing that seven of his affiliated nonprofits had sent $73 million to his for-profit CRC Advisors.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Despite more than $1 billion in assets, Leo’s Marble Freedom Trust has no publicly known website, and its street address is actually a UPS drop box in Utah.</span><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Meanwhile, however, Marble disclosed spending nearly $250,000 on “office expenses.” Its disclosed phone number, with an area code for southeastern coast of Florida, has been held for years — well before </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><b>Marble was created — by Leo’s longtime collaborator Neil Corkery,</b> an anti-gay rights and anti-abortion operative central to Leo’s court capture network.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">This latest filing also adds to the growing public knowledge of how Leo’s for-profit business works in tandem with nonprofit groups he funds to change the rules in our democracy, and also provides a glimpse of how lucrative this effort is.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Marble’s filing shows that in its second year of operations Leo gave himself a raise from $350,000 to $400,000 a year for working part-time (25 hours a week) for the trust he controls. It also reported that he spends 10 hours a week on Rule of Law Trust, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit launched in 2018 with a gift of nearly $80 million from a donor kept secret from the public. Leo is the only trustee of that entity, and Corkery holds its books. Like Marble, it has no website and its address is a drop box location. Its listed phone goes to a law firm.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">Marble’s latest filing shows that Leo’s billion-dollar trust also added a new employee to its operations:</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;Alex Marshall as CIO, an acronym that typically stands for Chief Information Officer. His salary was listed at a whopping $764,000.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">According to Accountable, until 2021 Marshall was likely working as a branch manager for the investment firm Oppenheimer & Co., a brokerage firm and investment bank, and was likely&nbsp;<a href="https://archive.ph/q2DP0#selection-581.0-595.2" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">making hundreds of thousands less</a>&nbsp;because&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Marshall’s&nbsp;<a href="https://files.brokercheck.finra.org/individual/individual_5004025.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">broker record</a>&nbsp;indicates he completed “entry-level” financial industry exams for principal and supervisory roles.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">How did Alex Marshall get plugged into Leo’s operation?</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">As&nbsp;<b>True North Research’s Lisa Graves</b>&nbsp;first&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/thelisagraves/status/1657066547335004160" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">uncloaked</a>, Alex Marshall is married to Maria Marshall, who currently works at Leo’s CRC Advisors and previously worked for the Federalist Society, the networking group created to get right-wing lawyers into powerful offices. Marshall’s title was “director of operations” in the “Office of the Federalist Society’s Executive [Vice President].” That was Leo’s office, where she handled his schedule, among other roles. She previously worked as U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter’s scheduler.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">She left her day job to work with Leo, who also left his day job at the Federalist Society in 2020 to help lead the&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">PR firm Creative Response Concepts, which rebranded as CRC Advisors,</span><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">&nbsp;though he still helps lead and fund the Federalist Society as co-chair of its board.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">While she was working for Leo at the Federalist Society, Leo’s Rule of Law Trust paid nearly&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">$600,000 to&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/thelisagraves/status/1657066549214052372?s=20" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">YAS, LLC</a>.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">That is the name of the Washington, DC-filed consulting firm&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23848651-yas-llc-registration-date" style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">created in 2015</a><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">&nbsp;and owned by Maria Marshall. Leo’s Rule of Law Trust paid YAS another $175,000 in 2020, after he left his employment but not his leadership role with the Federalist Society.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">The Marshalls were&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/thelisagraves/status/1657066551307010058" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">also guests</a>&nbsp;at the special table purchased by the major “anonymous” donor to the renaming ceremony of George Mason University’s law school in tribute to Antonin Scalia, an event cohosted by Leo.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Allison Pienta, a George Mason student who worked with UnKoch My Campus to obtain public records, revealed that&nbsp;<a href="http://www.unkochmycampus.org/charles-koch-foundation-george-mason-mercatus-donor-influence-exposed" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">the anonymous donor</a>&nbsp;who gave $20 million to rebrand the law school and put Leo in a key role was none other than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/dark-money-leonard-leo-barre-seid" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">Barre Seid</a>. (Charles Koch also gave $10 million to fund the law school.) There is no indication that Seid,&nbsp;<a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/172480/barre-seid-leonard-leo-dark-money-king" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">a notoriously secretive billionaire</a>, was there at the Scalia tribute dinner cohosted by Leo.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The Marshalls were at that special table alongside<b>&nbsp;Jonathan Bunch, who was later named as a successor trustee at Marble,</b>&nbsp;meaning he is Leo’s potential successor at the billion-dollar trust. Bunch, who is now listed as president of CRC Advisors, was paid more than $1.5 million for consulting by Leo’s Rule of Law Trust in 2018, when he was also working at the Federalist Society with Leo. Two years later, as Heidi Przybyla from&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Politico</em>&nbsp;documented, Bunch and his wife&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/01/dark-money-leonard-leo-judicial-activism-00084864" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">closed on a $1.28 million</a>&nbsp;home on the Chesapeake Bay, a second home a few hours south of their longtime home in a suburb of Washington, D.C.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">As Accountable uncovered, since the launch of YAS, the Marshalls also purchased a second home near the beach in Avalon, New Jersey, the third most expensive zip code in the state. That research revealed that the Marshalls&nbsp;<a href="https://avalonshorehomes.com/rentalproperty.php?Mobile=Off&id=151158&checkin=10/15/2022&checkout=10/22/2022&Price=4000" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">rent out</a>&nbsp;the home, valued at $1.38 million home, for up to $7,700 a week depending on the season.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">As Robert O’Harrow Jr. and Shawn Boburg&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/leonard-leo-federalists-society-courts/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">documented</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Washington Post</em>, on the eve of the Senate vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination by Donald Trump to the U.S. Supreme Court,<b>&nbsp;Leo bought a $3.3 million seaside mansion in Maine</b>.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Just two months after that story broke, and less than a year after he closed on the mansion, Leo paid off the mortgage in full, for more than $2 million, while he was still working as the executive vice president of the Federalist Society, with a six-figure salary. As the&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Post</em>&nbsp;revealed, a year earlier, after Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement and as Leo was advising Trump on packing the Supreme Court as well as aiding the effort to get Trump’s nominees confirmed, Leo&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/leonard-leo-federalists-society-courts/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">paid off&nbsp;</a>his 30-year mortgage 22 years ahead of schedule.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">As&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Politico&nbsp;</em>later detailed, after officially joining CRC Advisors, Leo bought a second mansion in Maine, and has spent his growing wealth by purchasing four new cars, paying private school tuition for his children, and obtaining a wine buyer and locker at Morton’s Steakhouse</span><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">. He has also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to religious groups and he has also spent money on electoral candidates himself. Additionally, Leo-tied nonprofits have directed millions of dollars to playing an increasing role targeting voters around elections.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">As Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) has noted, before the public learned of the existence of Marble Freedom Trust, Leo rose to prominence as a volunteer advising Trump by creating the list of Supreme Court candidates that Trump chose from, as well as by helping to secure the confirmation of three controversial high court nominees — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett (and helped get numerous other lower court judges appointed). As True North documented, Leo’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/leonard-leo-federalists-society-courts/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">network</a>&nbsp;played a central role in this right-wing court packing, raising&nbsp;<a href="https://truenorthresearch.org/2022/03/leonard-leos-court-capture-web-raised-nearly-600-million-before-biden-won-now-its-spending-untold-millions-from-secret-sources-to-attack-judge-ketanji-brown-jackson/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">over $600 million</a>&nbsp;from 2014 through the 2020 election. This dark money network has received more than $2 billion when accounting for Marble.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/01/dark-money-leonard-leo-judicial-activism-00084864" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Politico</em></a><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">&nbsp;</em>noted, “Campaign-style politics — and the generous paydays that go along with it — are now adjacent to the Supreme Court, the one U.S. institution that’s supposed to be immune to it.”</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Leo’s ties to such efforts are not only recent. Last month, the&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Washington Post</em>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/05/04/leonard-leo-clarence-ginni-thomas-conway/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">revealed</a>&nbsp;that in<b>&nbsp;2012 Leo had been instructing Kellyanne Conway, who ran the Polling Company, to bill the Judicial Education Project (now known as the 85 Fund and the Honest Elections Project) to pay Ginni Thomas up to $100,000.&nbsp;</b></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">She is the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.<b>&nbsp;That is, Leo was secretly orchestrating the pay of the wife of a Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas, from a secret funder.</b>&nbsp;That funder’s identity remains hidden. That year, the Judicial Education Project also paid CRC $165,000. CRC later acquired the Polling Company in 2017, with the help of another Leo group, as&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Politico</em>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/20/trump-conway-leonard-leo-00074690" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgb(156, 22, 44) 0px -2px 0px inset;">revealed</a>&nbsp;late last year.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">Leo’s income from his for-profit operations or any consulting, such as CRC Advisors, is not required to be publicly disclosed.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">The new filing that Accountable.US obtained provides vital insights into how Leo is using the billion that Seid gave him and also provides new information about the shape of his efforts to remake our courts and our country to advance his view of the world.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">“This is just the latest development in Leonard Leo’s decades-long scheme to push his dangerous, extreme agenda and get rich while doing it,” Herrig told&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Truthout</em>. “From personal enrichment for himself and his inner circle to his machine of nonprofits advancing the MAGA agenda, we’ve only scratched the surface of Leo’s devastating impact on our democracy.”</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 30.66px; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-family: garamond-premier-pro, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, Palladio, "URW Palladio L", "Book Antiqua", Baskerville, "Bookman Old Style", "Bitstream Charter", "Nimbus Roman No9 L", Garamond, "Apple Garamond", "ITC Garamond Narrow", "New Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook", "Century Schoolbook L", Georgia, serif; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Note: Lisa Graves, True North’s executive director, contributed to this piece.</span>&nbsp;<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">A correction was made post-publication to correct a typo in a date (changing “May 1, 2020” to “May 1, 2021).</span></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</font></div></div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2023/06/16/leonard-leo-bankrolls-former-lieutenant-to-challenge-gop-incumbent-in-missouris-2024-race-for-ag" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2023/06/16/leonard-leo-bankrolls-former-lieutenant-to-challenge-gop-incumbent-in-missouris-2024-race-for-ag</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><article class="post-11096 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail category-campaign-finance category-democracy category-elections category-featured-investigations category-news category-raga entry" aria-label="Leonard Leo Bankrolls Former Lieutenant to Challenge GOP Incumbent in Missouri’s 2024 Race for AG" style="box-sizing: inherit; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><div class="entry-content" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 1269.3px;"><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Trump’s “judge whisperer” Leonard Leo, the Christian conservative largely responsible for moving the federal court system to the far right in the past decade, is deploying his powerful network to get a friend and former employee elected as Missouri’s next attorney general.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-scharf-35214a10?original_referer=" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><b>Will Scharf</b></a></span><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><b>,</b>&nbsp;a former federal prosecutor who worked briefly as a vice president at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Leonard_Leo" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Leo</span></a>’s public relations firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=CRC_Advisors" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">CRC Advisors</span></a>, is challenging sitting Attorney General Andrew Bailey (R) in the August 2024 GOP primary—and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/gop-rivals-in-missouri-attorney-general-race-draw-even-in-fundraising/" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s3" style="box-sizing: inherit;">leaping ahead</span></a>&nbsp;of him in campaign cash.&nbsp;</span></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Missouri Gov. Mike Parsons (R) appointed Bailey to replace former Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R), who was elected to the U.S. Senate last November.</b>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">But the new attorney general has seen an exodus of key Schmitt staffers since taking office in January, one of whom told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/legal-resistance-to-biden-administration-in-doubt-as-powerhouse-ag-offices-stumble/" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s3" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">National Review</span></span></a>&nbsp;that, “Bailey is not going to be the conservative fighter that Eric Schmitt was.” Given his more “business-friendly” approach, conservative activists are concerned that he won’t have Schmitt’s “appetite for pushing back against critical race theory in schools” or going after “woke” corporations, the&nbsp;<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">National Review</span>&nbsp;reported.</span></font></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Widely known for his tremendous influence in reshaping the U.S. Supreme Court and moving the federal judiciary to the right, Leo is now aiming to “counter what he sees as an increasing leftward tilt in society,” according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/12/us/politics/leonard-leo-courts-dark-money.html" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s3" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><i style="box-sizing: inherit;">The New York Times</i></span></a>.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In<b>&nbsp;January 2020, Leo&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/leonard-leo-crc-advisors-federalist-society-50d4d844-19a3-4eab-af2b-7b74f1617d1c.html" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">told&nbsp;<i style="box-sizing: inherit;">Axios</i></span></a><i style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;</i>that he was stepping down from running the right-wing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Federalist_Society_for_Law_and_Public_Policy_Studies" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Federalist Society</span></a>&nbsp;to lead CRC Advisors with communications executive Greg Mueller</b>, starting with a “minimum $10 million issue advocacy campaign focusing on judges in the 2020 cycle.” Still, Leo remains closely involved with the Federalist Society as co-chair of its board of directors.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Scharf, who served as president of a Federalist Society chapter as a law student at Harvard from 2008–11, also&nbsp;<a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2023/02/will-scharf-andrew-bailey-missouri-attorney-general/" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">reportedly</span></a>&nbsp;worked as a consultant for Leo’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Judicial_Crisis_Network" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Judicial Crisis Network</span></a>&nbsp;(JCN)—since rebranded The Concord Fund—where he was “actively involved” in getting Brett Kavanaugh confirmed as one of Trump’s picks for the Supreme Court.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Both Leo and Mueller, along with Mueller’s wife Charmaine, have maxed out their individual contributions to their hand-picked candidate’s campaign, according to Citizens for Scharf’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mec.mo.gov/CampaignFinanceReports/Generator.aspx?Keys=B2G41dEVPKgI8cDcdGFsgJsm99XwPL2GvsYE15ch5tQ%2b8y5hqvz%2fA1tU7WN0qKNkwNFuOlroIanVx7451FCpbGlz2VZnbLSf" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">January filing</span></a>. That month, the candidate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/potential-contender-for-missouri-ag-wins-support-from-high-profile-republicans/article_78338dcb-ac1c-51ff-92e9-f44b27cb1d7a.html" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">told</span></a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<i style="box-sizing: inherit;">St. Louis Post-Dispatch</i>&nbsp;that he considers Leo “a dear friend and mentor.”</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Of the $575,000 raised by&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Defend Missouri, the political action committee supporting Scharf’s run, $500,000 has come from Leo’s Concord Fund, according to the PAC’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mec.mo.gov/CampaignFinanceReports/Generator.aspx?Keys=B2G41dEVPKgI8cDcdGFsgJsm99XwPL2GsUCWbUlfMr0QoUFTilTH3rvZPcTKwORHP6frqbjz1kQ%2bQsn%2fLxrZKI7CJPRcva8W" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">April filing</span></a>.&nbsp;</span></font></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">If Scharf defeats Bailey and wins in the general election, he will likely join the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Republican_Attorneys_General_Association" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Republican Attorneys General Association</span></a>&nbsp;(RAGA), a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsweek.com/states-attorney-generals-are-sale-highest-bidder-496673" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">cash-for-influence operation</span></a>&nbsp;that coordinates the official actions of Republican state attorneys general and&nbsp;sells its corporate funders access to them and their staff.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">The Concord Fund is on record as the largest donor to RAGA in 2020, 2021, and 2022,</span>&nbsp;the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2023/02/02/group-linked-to-anti-abortion-activist-leonard-leo-was-top-funder-of-republican-ag-campaigns-in-2022/" data-wpel-link="internal" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">reported</span></a>, giving $4 million last year alone. In 2019, RAGA presented Leo with a “special award” for helping to “shape the trajectory of RAGA and the conservative legal movement more than anyone else.”</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>RAGA also pays Leo’s Creative Response Concepts—now known as&nbsp;CRC Advisors—$7,500 per month for “consulting,” according to 2022 IRS filings</b>.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">2022, RAGA Executive Director Peter Bisbee and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey spurned Bailey, their&nbsp;<a href="https://republicanags.com/ags/" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">RAGA colleague</span></a>, and contributed $250 and $2,000, respectively, to Scharf instead</span>.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Disclosures reveal that in addition to Leo and Mueller, other executives at CRC Advisors have also supported Scharf’s campaign,&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">with CFO Neil&nbsp;<b>Corkery</b>&nbsp;and his wife Ann each contributing $1,000, President Jonathan Bunch and his wife Amanda each giving $2,650, and Senior Executive Maria Marshall donating $1,000.</span></font></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;">For years, the Corkerys have served at the center of Leo’s dark money network. Ann is listed in the filing as an attorney for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=The_85_Fund" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">The 85 Fund</span></a>, one of Leo’s right-wing funding vehicles, and earns&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22061588-the-concord-fund-2020-990" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">$256,000 per year</span></a>&nbsp;as a counsel for The Concord Fund. In addition to his role at CRC Advisors, Neil has worked for Leo as treasurer of the JCN, president of the Judicial Education Project (as it was known before being renamed The 85 Fund), treasurer of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Foundation_for_Accountability_and_Civic_Trust" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust</span></a></span><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">,</span><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;and president of the now-shuttered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Wellspring_Committee" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Wellspring Committee</span></a>.</span></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Other Leo operatives who lead organizations at the center of the Right’s culture wars have also contributed to Scharf’s campaign.<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">&nbsp;Will Hild, executive director of the Leo-funded group&nbsp;</span><a href="https://sfofexposed.org/consumers-research/" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s4" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Consumers’ Research&nbsp;</span>that is</span></a>&nbsp;on the frontlines in the attacks on so-called “woke capitalism;” and&nbsp;<b>Nicole Neily, president of the nonprofit&nbsp;</b><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Parents_Defending_Education" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s4" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><b>Parents Defending Education</b></span></a>&nbsp;that is purportedly fighting for parents’ rights, both contributed smaller amounts—in the hundreds—to Bailey’s challenger.</font></span></p><h2 class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Donor at the Center of the Supreme Court Ethics Scandal Backs Scharf</font></span></h2><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Real estate tycoon&nbsp;<b>Harlan Crow</b>&nbsp;and his wife Kathy, close friends of Leo and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife Ginni, maxed out contributions at $2,650 each to Scharf, according to his April campaign filing.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;">In April,&nbsp;<i style="box-sizing: inherit;">ProPublica&nbsp;</i><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-scotus-undisclosed-luxury-travel-gifts-crow" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">reported</span></a>&nbsp;that Thomas has been accepting luxury trips and lavish gifts from Crow for over 20 years without disclosing them. The story featured a painting—<a href="https://truenorthresearch.substack.com/p/two-unmissable-stories-tnr-exposes" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s3" style="box-sizing: inherit;">unearthed by True North Research</span></a></span><span class="s3" style="box-sizing: inherit;">—</span><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;hanging in Crow’s private resort that depicts him, Thomas, Leo, and others “discussing the law” and illustrates the extremely tight relationship between these men.</span></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Another close associate of Leo’s, the right-wing philanthropist&nbsp;<b>Roger Hertog</b>, gave&nbsp; https://www.mec.mo.gov/CampaignFinanceReports/Generator.aspx?Keys=B2G41dEVPKgI8cDcdGFsgJsm99XwPL2GsUCWbUlfMr0QoUFTilTH3rvZPcTKwORHP6frqbjz1kQ%2bQsn%2fLxrZKI7CJPRcva8W" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; color: rgb(0, 156, 244); text-decoration-line: none;"></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">$50,000</span></span><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">,</span><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;the second largest donation made to Defend Missouri</span><span class="s5" style="box-sizing: inherit;">.</span><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;He and Leo have been working together in similar activist circles since at least 2005....Rounding out the leading contributions to Defend Missouri are right-wing donors Isaac<b>&nbsp;Perlmutter, chairman of Marvel Entertainment, and his wife Laura,&nbsp;</b>who together gave&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mec.mo.gov/CampaignFinanceReports/Generator.aspx?Keys=B2G41dEVPKgI8cDcdGFsgJsm99XwPL2GsUCWbUlfMr0QoUFTilTH3rvZPcTKwORHP6frqbjz1kQ%2bQsn%2fLxrZKI7CJPRcva8W" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">$25,000</span></a>. Perlmutter has emerged as a major GOP donor since Trump’s first presidential run in 2016.</span></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">According to Scharf’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mec.mo.gov/CampaignFinanceReports/Generator.aspx?Keys=B2G41dEVPKgI8cDcdGFsgJsm99XwPL2GvsYE15ch5tQ%2b8y5hqvz%2fA1tU7WN0qKNkwNFuOlroIanVx7451FCpbGlz2VZnbLSf" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s4" style="box-sizing: inherit;">January</span></a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mec.mo.gov/CampaignFinanceReports/Generator.aspx?Keys=B2G41dEVPKgI8cDcdGFsgJsm99XwPL2G2uSowHFz718fYjtUh1pWWtP7BN9Ds0%2fTrGumzgRlW%2blSbBCUKOTqlbicvxTN4b74" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="s4" style="box-sizing: inherit;">April</span></a>&nbsp;filings, other major GOP donors who have jumped in early to support his campaign committee include:</font></span></p><ul class="ul1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><li class="li1" style="box-sizing: inherit; list-style-type: initial; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ken&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Kendrick, owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team: $2,825</span></font></span></li><li class="li1" style="box-sizing: inherit; list-style-type: initial; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Randy Kendrick, general manager of the Diamondbacks: $2,8</span>25</font></span></li><li class="li1" style="box-sizing: inherit; list-style-type: initial; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Suzie Kovner, wife of retired billionaire&nbsp;<b>hedge fund manager Bruce Kovner</b>: $2,000</font></span></li><li class="li1" style="box-sizing: inherit; list-style-type: initial; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Robert Kraft, chairman of Kraft Group and&nbsp;<b>owner of the New England Patriots football team:</b>&nbsp;$2,825</font></span></li><li class="li1" style="box-sizing: inherit; list-style-type: initial; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Bernard Marcus, retired founder and CEO of Home Depot: $2,825</font></span></li><li class="li1" style="box-sizing: inherit; list-style-type: initial; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Paul Singer, billionaire co-CEO of Elliott Investment Management: $2,650...">Deborah Hochberg, senior advisor at The Paul E. Singer Foundation: $2,82</span></font></span></li></ul></div></article></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/activist-arranged-thomas-wife-payouts/">https://www.alternet.org/activist-arranged-thomas-wife-payouts/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">an 5 23</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">clarence Thomas' wife, "Ginni" Thomas, reportedly received tens of thousands of dollars for consulting work, and her name was intentionally left off of the paperwork.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Ginni Thomas received the funds from conservative activist Leonard Leo—who has also helped former President Donald Trump select judicial nominees—according to the Washington Post's investigation. The news comes at a time when Clarence Thomas himself is under firefor reportedly receiving undisclosed gifts.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Leo made the arrangements through former Trump Administration official Kellyanne Conway, according to the Washington Post's report.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">"In January&nbsp;</span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">2012</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">, Leo instructed the GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway to bill a nonprofit group he advises and use that money to pay Virginia 'Ginni' Thomas, the documents show," according to the report. "The same year, the nonprofit, the&nbsp;</span><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Judicial Education Project,&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">filed a brief to the Supreme Court in a landmark voting rights case."[shelby]</span></b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The investigation further uncovered the circumstances surrounding how the payments were made secret.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">"Leo, a key figure in a network of nonprofits that has worked to support the nominations of conservative judges, told Conway that he wanted her to 'give' Ginni Thomas 'another $25K,' the documents show. He emphasized that the paperwork should have 'No mention of Ginni, of course,'" according to the Washington Post</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The Polling Company, Conway's firm, reportedly sent the Judicial Education Project a $25,000 bill, and listed the reason only as "Supplement for Constitution Polling and Opinion Consulting."</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">"In all, according to the documents, the Polling Company paid Thomas's firm, Liberty Consulting,<b>&nbsp;$80,000 between June 2011 and June2012, and it expected to pay $20,000 more</b>&nbsp;before the end of 2012," according to the Washington Post's investigation. "The documents reviewed by The Post do not indicate the precise nature of any work Thomas did for the Judicial Education Project or the Polling Company.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In a statement,&nbsp;<b>Leo reportedly told The Post that, "Knowing how disrespectful, malicious and gossipy people can be, I have always tried to protect the privacy of Justice Thomas and Ginni."</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">FROM YOUR SITE ARTICLES</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">'Ethics be damned': Legal experts aghast over bombshell report on Clarence Thomas’ luxury lifestyle ›</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Why Clarence and Ginni Thomas have done more than anyone to 'damage the High Court’s reputation': journalist ›</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Ex-GOP rep. slams 'slimy and unethical' Clarence and Ginni Thomas business enterprise ›</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">RELATED ARTICLES AROUND THE WEB</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Why the Clarence and Ginni Thomas scandal still matters. ›</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Is Ginni Thomas a Threat to the Supreme Court? | The New Yorker ›</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The Long Crusade of Clarence and Ginni Thomas - The New York ... ›</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
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</div><div><div><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Judicial activist directed fees to Clarence Thomas’s wife, urged ‘no mention of Ginni’</b></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Leonard Leo told GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway to bill nonprofit, then use money to pay spouse of Supreme Court justice</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">By Emma Brown, Shawn Boburg and Jonathan O'Connell</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">May 4, 2023&nbsp;</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Leonard Leo, a conservative judicial activist, speaks at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in D.C. in 2019. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo arranged for the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to be paid tens of thousands of dollars for consulting work just over a decade ago, specifying that her name be left off billing paperwork, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In January 2012, Leo instructed the GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway to bill a nonprofit group he advises and use that money to pay Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the documents show. The same year, the nonprofit, the Judicial Education Project, filed a brief to the Supreme Court in a landmark voting rights case.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>Leo, a key figure in a network of nonprofits that has worked to support the nominations of conservative judges, told Conway that he wanted her to “give” Ginni Thomas “another $25K,” the documents show. He emphasized that the paperwork should have “No mention of Ginni, of course.”</b></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Conway’s firm, the Polling Company, sent the&nbsp;<b>Judicial Education Project</b>&nbsp;a&nbsp;<b>$25,000</b>&nbsp;bill that day. Per Leo’s instructions, it listed the purpose as “Supplement for Constitution Polling and Opinion Consulting,” the documents show.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In all, according to the documents, the Polling Company paid Thomas’s firm, Liberty Consulting, $80,000 between June 2011 and June 2012, and it expected to pay&nbsp;<b>$20,000</b>&nbsp;more before the end of 2012. The documents reviewed by The Post do not indicate the precise nature of any work Thomas did for the Judicial Education Project or the Polling Company.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The arrangement reveals that Leo, a longtime Federalist Society leader and friend of the Thomases, has functioned not only as an ideological ally of Clarence Thomas’s but also has worked to provide financial remuneration to his family. And it shows Leo arranging for the money to be drawn from a nonprofit that soon would have an interest before the court.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Clarence Thomas gift disclosures</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The polite struggle to do something — anything — about Clarence Thomas</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Crow tuition payment for Thomas relative adds to outcry over court ethics</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A brief timeline of Clarence Thomas’s ethics questions</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Analysis</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Despite outrage from some, Congress reluctant to act on Supreme Court ethic...</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Clarence Thomas has for years claimed income from a defunct real estate fir...</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Clarence Thomas’s ethics are not the Supreme Court’s only problem</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Analysis</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Veteran U.S. judge joins calls for Supreme Court ethics code</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Gorsuch property sale renews calls for Supreme Court ethics reform</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The low cost (for a rich person) of sponsoring a Supreme Court justice</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Analysis</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Complaints about Justice Thomas’s disclosures sent to judicial committee</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Clarence Thomas might have recognized law at issue in his real estate deal</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Analysis</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Senators call for probe of Thomas amid report of real estate deals with GOP donor</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Judicial activist directed fees to Clarence Thomas’s wife, urged ‘no mention of Ginni’</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Parsing Clarence Thomas’s statements on the gifts he didn’t disclose</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Analysis</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Justice Thomas: Advisers said no need to report travel with GOP donor</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Supreme Court justices under new ethics disclosures on trips, other gifts</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Justice Thomas accepted luxury travel for years from GOP donor, report says</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">What is Bohemian Grove? The secretive camp visited by Clarence Thomas.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Who is Harlan Crow, the GOP megadonor who vacations with Justice Thomas?</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">End of carousel</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In response to questions from The Post, Leo issued a statement defending the Thomases. “It is no secret that Ginni Thomas has a long history of working on issues within the conservative movement, and part of that work has involved gauging public attitudes and sentiment. The work she did here did not involve anything connected with either the Court’s business or with other legal issues,” he wrote. “As an advisor to JEP I have long been supportive of its opinion research relating to limited government, and The Polling Company, along with Ginni Thomas’s help, has been an invaluable resource for gauging public attitudes.</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">”</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Of the effort to keep Thomas’s name off paperwork, Leo said: “Knowing how disrespectful, malicious and gossipy people can be, I have always tried to protect the privacy of Justice Thomas and Ginni.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>Leo’s statement did not address questions about whether he had arranged other work for Ginni Thomas or how much money he directed to her in all from the nonprofit.</b></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Conway, who was a senior adviser in the Trump White House, did not respond to messages seeking comment.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, on Capitol Hill last year. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The Thomases did not respond to messages seeking comment. Ginni Thomas, a political activist and former GOP aide on Capitol Hill, has long maintained that she and her husband keep their careers separate.</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">In December 2012, the&nbsp;<b>Judicial Education Project submitted an amicus brief in Shelby County v. Holder,</b>&nbsp;a case challenging a landmark civil rights law</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;aimed at protecting minority voters. The court struck down a formula in the Voting Rights Act that determined which states had to obtain federal clearance before changing their voting rules and procedures<b>. Clarence Thomas was part of the 5-to-4 majority.</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Thomas issued a concurring opinion in the case,</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;arguing that the preclearance requirement itself is unconstitutional. Thomas’s opinion, which was consistent with a previous opinion he wrote, favored the outcome the Judicial Education Project and several other conservative organizations had advocated in their<b>&nbsp;amicus briefs</b>. He did not cite the Judicial Education Project brief.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>Legal ethics experts disagreed about whether the arrangement outlined by Leo and the payments from Conway should have led Thomas to recuse himself from the Shelby case.</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Federal law requires justices to recuse if their “impartiality might reasonably be questioned,” a standard that has not been well-defined as applied to filers of amicus briefs, the experts said. Law professor Kathleen Clark of Washington University said that if the Judicial Education Project paid Ginni Thomas $100,000 in the year and a half before it filed its brief, the size and timing of the payments would have been enough to cast doubt on Clarence Thomas’s impartiality and require his recusal. Law professor Stephen Gillers of New York University, however, said that as the rule is now interpreted, the link appeared too “attenuated” to require recusal.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">But both experts said the arrangement shows that current ethics rules and disclosure requirements fail to protect public confidence in the independence of the courts. For example, although justices must report the name of companies that pay their spouses, they are not required to report the names of the companies’ clients. In this case, even if there were such a requirement, it is not clear that the Judicial Education Project would have been listed as a client, because the fees intended for Ginni Thomas were to go through Conway.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“The idea that Leonard Leo, who has a passionate ideological interest in how the court rules and who has worked hard for years to advance that interest, could pick up the phone and generate substantial compensation to Virginia Thomas, which also benefits Clarence Thomas — that idea is bad for the country, the court and the rule of law,” Gillers said. “It’s not the way the Supreme Court should do its business or allow its business to be done.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The effort to keep Ginni Thomas’s name off paperwork makes the arrangement seem “more egregious,” said Clark.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In his statement to The Post, Leo said that Ginni Thomas’s work had no bearing on her husband’s opinions.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“I have known Clarence and Ginni Thomas since 1990. They are dear friends and are people of tremendous good will and integrity. Anybody who thinks that Justice Thomas is influenced in his work by what others say or do, including his wife Ginni, is completely ignorant of who this man is and what he stands for. And anybody who thinks Ginni Thomas would seek to influence the Supreme Court’s work is completely ignorant of the respect she has for her husband and the important role that he and his colleagues play in our society.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Leonard Leo and the Supreme Court's push to the right</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">28:51</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Conservatives are winning the battle for America’s courts, a triumph decades in the making. This is how they did it. (Video: Dalton Bennett, Jesse Mesner-Hage, Jorge Ribas/The Washington Post)]</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Leo, 57, has for years been the behind-the-scenes leader of a network of interlocking nonprofits that has raised and spent hundreds of millions of dollars to support conservative judges and causes. Marble Freedom Trust, one of the organizations Leo chairs, received a contribution worth $1.6 billion in 2020 from a Chicago businessman, Barre Seid.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>The Judicial Education Project was part of that network, although Leo was not listed on its tax filings or incorporation records</b>. Leo’s allies founded the Judicial Education Project in 2004. Its mission was to “conduct research and&nbsp;<b>educate the public on the role of the judiciary as laid out in the U.S. Constitution,</b>” according to its tax filings. It secured tax-exempt status in 2011 and was not initially well-funded, filing paperwork with the<b>&nbsp;IRS indicating it brought in less than $50,000 annually.</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>In 2012, it received about $1.5 million from donors whose identities were not publicly disclosed,&nbsp;</b>the tax filings show. The Judicial Education Project spent $150,000 on “polling” that year, according to its tax filing. The filing does not identify which firm did the work.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The president of the Judicial Education Project that year was Neil Corkery, a Leo ally and bookkeeper for several of his nonprofit groups. Corkery certified on the group’s 2012 tax filing that no one other than the group’s officers or key employees had control over the nonprofit.</div><div><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</b></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Corkery declined to commen</b>t.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Clarence Thomas has been under scrutiny since ProPublica revealed in April that Texas billionaire Harlan Crow took him on lavish vacations and also bought from Thomas and his relatives a Georgia home where Thomas’s mother lived; the transaction was not listed on the justice’s annual disclosure forms.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Senate Democrats this week held a hearing focused on Supreme Court ethics. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. declined an invitation to testify, offering instead a statement signed by all the justices in which they reaffirmed their commitment to abide by “foundational ethics principles and practices.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">During the hearing, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) mentioned Leo, who The Post has reported used the nonprofit network during the Trump administration to conduct publicity campaigns in support of nominees he helped select. “This guy doesn’t have business before the court,” Whitehouse said. “His business is the court.”</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Leo’s ties to the Thomases go back decades and span their personal and professional lives.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Leo advised Clarence Thomas through his contentious confirmation process in the early 1990s and made Thomas the godfather of one of his children. Leo also has hosted the justice at his New England vacation home, according to the New York Times.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>At a Federalist Society event in 2018, Thomas shared a stage with Leo and jokingly told him, “You’re the Number Three most powerful person in the world.”</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The year before that, Ginni Thomas called Leo a “mentor to me” and “a hero” when she honored him with one of her Impact awards for conservative activists.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>“Leonard Leo has single-handedly changed the face of the judiciary</b>,” she said at the awards dinner, held at what was then the Trump International Hotel in Washington. “He has many hats. That isn’t even all he does<b>. He does not really tell all that he does</b>. But I know enough to know the man is a force of nature.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In 2009, when Thomas founded a tea party-aligned nonprofit called Liberty Central, Leo served on the board, tax filings show. Corkery was the nonprofit’s accountant, public records show.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Thomas stepped away from Liberty Central in late 2010 amid controversy over whether its anonymous funding — including one donation for $500,000 — posed a potential conflict of interest for her husband. (Politico reported the following year that the<b>&nbsp;donation had come from Crow.</b>)</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>She then formed Liberty Consulting, a for-profit firm.</b>&nbsp;On her LinkedIn page, Thomas describes her work as collaborating with “citizen activists, leaders and nonprofits to succeed and have impact in defending the principles that have made America an exceptional nation.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Liberty Consulting began receiving payments from Conway’s firm within months of its creation in 2011, documents reviewed by The Post show. On multiple occasions, Thomas contacted the Polling Company to discuss her payments, the documents show.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The documents do not indicate whether Thomas knew of Leo’s role in the arrangement with Conway’s company, or of the Judicial Education Project’s role. (Conway sold the company in 2017 to what is now known as CRC Advisors, another firm that Leo chairs.)</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Since its first amicus brief, in the voting rights case in 2012, the Judicial Education Project has submitted about a dozen amicus briefs to the Supreme Court. It has argued for limiting or rolling back race-based college admissions policies,<b>&nbsp;regulations on greenhouse-gas emissions and gun-control measures.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In 2014, the group filed a brief in the<b>&nbsp;Hobby Lobby</b>&nbsp;case, which challenged a mandate in the Affordable Care Act that employers make contraception available to workers at no cost to the workers. The court’s ruling struck down part of the requirement in a&nbsp;<b>split decision, with Clarence Thomas again in the narrow majority.</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>
</b></span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at the White House in 2018. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)]</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Thomas’s votes were aligned with the Judicial Education Project in six of the cases in which it filed briefs, including the Hobby Lobby case and two involving affirmative action at public universities.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Thomas, a longtime critic of affirmative action, voted with the majority to uphold Michigan’s prohibition on race-based admissions at its public universities, and he dissented in a ruling that upheld admissions policies at the University of Texas.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Thomas’s votes did not align with the group’s position in three other cases, including one that largely upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The court did not take up all the cases in which the Judicial Education Project filed briefs.</span></b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The group’s interest in the Supreme Court extended beyond the courtroom. It spent money on campaigns to support President Donald&nbsp;<b>Trump’s nominations of Brett M. Kavanaugh and Neil M. Gorsuch</b>&nbsp;to the Supreme Court.&nbsp;<b>And it is listed as a funder in the credits of a 2020 documentary that celebrated Thomas. Clarence and Ginni Thomas&nbsp;</b>are featured extensively in the documentary, titled “Created Equal: Justice Thomas In His Own Words,” talking about the justice’s upbringing and his judicial philosophy.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">As the Judicial Education Project pushed for a conservative court, the group grew into a financial juggernaut and was r<b>ebranded as the 85 Fund</b>. Between 2020 and 2021, its revenue nearly doubled from about $66 million to more than $117 million, tax forms show.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>Even so, the group has never had more than a handful of employees, tax filings show. It has listed its main office address as a UPS Store</b>&nbsp;situated amid rowhouses and retail stores in the Georgetown neighborhood of D.C.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Alice Crites contributed to this report.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></div></div></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://wallstreetonparade.com/2022/06/the-glue-that-connects-jeffrey-clark-john-eastman-ginni-thomas-and-the-guy-who-was-air-dropped-into-the-doj-is-charles-kochs-money/">
</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://wallstreetonparade.com/2022/06/the-glue-that-connects-jeffrey-clark-john-eastman-ginni-thomas-and-the-guy-who-was-air-dropped-into-the-doj-is-charles-kochs-money/">https://wallstreetonparade.com/2022/06/the-glue-that-connects-jeffrey-clark-john-eastman-ginni-thomas-and-the-guy-who-was-air-dropped-into-the-doj-is-charles-kochs-money/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">in&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">September 1999 the U.S. Department of Justice</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.justice.gov/civil/case-4" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">filed racketeering charges</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">against the major tobacco companies and two of their front groups. The court filings in that case carefully pieced together a half century of conspiratorial conduct and lies that gravely harmed the health of the American people, while lining the pockets of the tobacco industry, its lawyers and its paid shills.</span></font></div><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The January 6 Select House Committee has that same, once-in-a-lifetime power in its hands. But that window of opportunity will close soon. The January 6 Committee can connect all the dots of the attempted coup leading to the doorstep of Charles Koch and expose his four decades of establishing front groups to shill for the fossil fuels industry and anti-climate change groups, or it can present a false and narrow view that this was all about the ego and narcissism of Donald Trump.</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Charles Koch is the Chairman and CEO of one of the largest private companies in the world, Koch Industries, a fossil fuels and chemicals conglomerate that has been a serial polluter of the air and water for decades. According to Forbes, Koch has a net worth of $59.8 billion, making him the 17<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; height: 0px; line-height: 1; position: relative; bottom: 1ex;">th</span>&nbsp;richest man in the world. Charles Koch, and his late brother, David, functioned as backroom party bosses,&nbsp;<a href="http://wallstreetonparade.com/2015/04/faux-democracy-and-the-tea-party-how-far-back-does-it-go/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">behind the veil of a sprawling network of tax-exempt front groups</a>, for 40 years.</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wall Street On Parade</span>&nbsp;</b>has already produced the evidence tying the groups involved in the planning of the January 6 event to Charles Koch. See our report:&nbsp;<a href="https://wallstreetonparade.com/2021/01/the-money-trail-to-the-siege-at-the-capitol-leads-to-charles-koch-and-koch-industries/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Money Trail to the Siege at the Capitol Leads to Charles Koch and Koch Industries</a>.</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>We have already&nbsp;<a href="https://wallstreetonparade.com/2018/07/how-did-koch-industries-law-firm-grab-control-at-the-white-house/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">written about</a>&nbsp;how the Trump administration was staffed up with Koch-related people and took its marching orders from a Koch-related entity, Freedom Partners.</b></font></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">There is also documented evidence that the Koch network engaged in a multi-faceted strategy to discourage progressives and liberals from turning out in the 2016 presidential election, thus tipping the victory to Trump. Not only did the Koch network fund Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Partners Action Fund ads portraying Democrats as tax and spend bureaucrats but the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/07/23/koch-industries-is-staffing-up-with-voter-data-scientists-to-tip-the-november-election-to-the-extreme-right/" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Koch-controlled i360 voter database and voter-targeting operations</a>&nbsp;may have demoralized the progressive base from turning out while those same operations spurred Republicans to the polls.</font></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">And, today, we will show how key collaborators in the attempted coup on January 6 – Jeffrey Clark, John Eastman, Ginni Thomas, Cleta Mitchell, and&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Kenneth Klukowski –</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">&nbsp;the attorney who was air-dropped into the U.S. Department of Justice j</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">ust 35 days before the end of Trump’s term – all have ties to front groups funded by Charles Koch or his related nonprofits.</span></font></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Let’s start with</span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;Jeffrey Clark,</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;the environmental lawyer at the Department of Justice with no criminal experience that Trump wanted to name U.S. Attorney General because he was willing to go all-in with the attempted coup.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">After the failed coup, Clark was out of a job at the Department of Justice. He was, in short order,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2021/07/21/2266634/0/en/NCLA-Hires-Former-Asst-Atty-Gen-Jeff-Clark-to-Join-Battle-Against-Unlawful-Administrative-Power.html" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">named Chief of Litigation and Director of Strategy</a>&nbsp;at a group called the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA).</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;That’s a curious hire for someone likely facing a long criminal investigation and possible conviction.</span></font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>NCLA has received millions of dollars from Charles Koch related entities.</b>&nbsp;The Charles G. Koch Foundation gave NCLA $1 million in 2017, $1 million again in 2018, and $1 million again in 2019 for “general operating support,” according to its publicly-available 990 tax filings with the IRS. The Charles Koch Institute gave NCLA $1 million in 2020. Donors Trust, a dark money nonprofit with Charles Koch’s fingerprints all over it, gave NCLA more than $2 million from 2018 through 2020, according to its 990 filings.</font></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In addition to needing a job after the failed coup attempt, Jeffrey Clark needed a plugged-in attorney. Somehow, he found his way to</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;Harry MacDougald</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">,&nbsp;</span><a href="https://ccedlaw.com/personnel/harry-macdougald/" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a Managing Partner at Caldwell, Carlson, Elliott & DeLoach</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. The fossil fuels industry watchdog, DeSmog, describes MacDougald as follows:</span></font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>“MacDougald was&nbsp;part of the legal team&nbsp;that worked with the&nbsp;Southeastern Legal Foundation&nbsp;to challenge the&nbsp;EPA‘s endangerment finding on greenhouse gases.&nbsp;</b>In its lawsuit against the&nbsp;EPA,&nbsp;Southeastern Legal&nbsp;identified its allies in the effort&nbsp;as ‘like-minded organizations’ including the&nbsp;Competitive Enterprise Institute,&nbsp;Heritage Foundation,&nbsp;Cato Institute, and the&nbsp;Independent Women’s Forum, among others.”</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">DeSmog notes that MacDougald spoke at the Heartland Institute’s “America First Energy Conference” in New Orleans in 2018. The Heartland Institute is a climate science denier that has received more than $26 million from two Koch-related groups, Donors Capital Fund and Donors Trust, according to the Conservative Transparency Project using publicly available 990 IRS tax filings. The conference was promoted as follows:</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“The purpose of this event is to promote and expand energy freedom in the United States, as outlined in President Donald Trump’s bold America First Energy Plan, a proposal first released during the 2016 presidential campaign. The president’s plan marks a decisive change in direction from the Obama administration’s ‘war on fossil fuels’…”</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Two of the allied groups mentioned above, the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation, have long histories with Koch money.&nbsp;</b>Charles Koch and his late brother, David, were actually&nbsp;<a href="https://wallstreetonparade.com/secret-owners-of-cato-institute-surface-as-koch-brothers-move-to-take-control/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">secret owners of the Cato Institute for decades</a>. Greenpeace has called the Heritage Foundation “<a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/fighting-climate-chaos/climate-deniers/front-groups/the-heritage-foundation/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Koch Industries’ Climate Denial Front Group</a>” and reports that it has received $6,130,201 from Koch foundations from 1997 through 2017.</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who was firing off all of those emails to Trump’s White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, to press for the attempted coup, had previously received $1,051,214 in compensation from the Heritage Foundation&nbsp;</b>over a number of years. Clarence Thomas failed to report that compensation on his financial disclosure forms at the Supreme Court, even though he was required to do so.</font></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The ties between Ginni Thomas and another attempted coup collaborator,&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Cleta Mitchell</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, run deep</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;– with all roads leading to Koch money. As we reported in March:</span></font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the emails that Ginni Thomas sent to Trump’s Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, one of the people that she told Meadows to listen to was attorney Cleta Mitchell – a woman who has both a longstanding association with Ginni Thomas as well as with Koch front groups.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-stat/graphics/politics/jan-6-call-logs-white-house/daily-diary-of-president-donald-trump.pdf?itid=lk_interstitial_manual_10" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Trump’s phone log</a>&nbsp;for January 6 shows that Cleta Mitchell was one of the people that Trump spoke with at 7 :53 p.m. on the evening of the attack on the Capitol.</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Cleta Mitchell has been in the news previously as the lawyer who was on the January 2, 2021 call with Donald Trump when he phoned the Secretary of State of Georgia, Brad Raffensperger, and told him: “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/audio-trump-berates-georgia-secretary-of-state-urges-him-to-find-votes/2021/01/03/aba64f5f-8c3c-490f-af34-618ccea732d7_video.html" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I only need 11,000 votes. Fellas, I need 11,000 votes. Give me a break</a>.” That call took place two months after the presidential election. (Mitchell stepped down from her long-term employment at law firm Foley & Lardner after her presence on that call was made public.)</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Cleta Mitchell is also the attorney who filed an amicus brief in the&nbsp;Citizens United&nbsp;case before the Supreme Court that was decided on January 21, 2010. That case would be the tipping point to allow unlimited sums from corporations – like Koch Industries — in U.S. elections.</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Just eight days after Justice Thomas voted in favor of that decision to open the floodgates to corporate money in campaigns, Cleta Mitchell made a move that looked very much like a quid pro quo to Ginni Thomas.&nbsp;</b>Mitchell, then still a partner at Foley & Lardner, filed an application with the Internal Revenue Service to set up a nonprofit called Liberty Central, Inc. on behalf of Ginni Thomas. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/271222875" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">IRS tax filings</a>, Liberty Central&nbsp;received a combined $1.478 million from dark money donors in 2009 and 2010.</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On the IRS tax filings for Liberty Central for 2009 and 2010, Ginni (Virginia) Thomas is listed as President and CEO. The 2010 tax filing shows that Ginni Thomas received $120,511 in compensation from Liberty Central that year. She eventually stepped down from an official post at the nonprofit, stating she would serve as a consultant.</font></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Liberty Central&nbsp;</b>had the fingerprints of Charles Koch all over it. Acting as General Counsel in 2010 for Liberty Central was a former lawyer for the Charles G. Koch Foundation, Sarah Field. A former Koch lobbyist, Matt Schlapp, served on the Board of Liberty Central at inception.</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Mitchell’s law firm, Foley & Lardner,&nbsp;<a href="https://bdgrdemocracy.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/rep-vos-e-mail-reveals-koch-industry-lobbyists-authored-policy-pushing-milwaukee-initiative-now-to-be-implemented-statewide/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">employed three attorneys working as lobbyists for a Koch Industries affiliate</a>, Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC in Madison, Wisconsin in 2011. The Koch-related lobbyists were Ray Carey, Jason Childress and Kathleen Walby.</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Mitchell was a former lobbyist at the federal level in years 2005 through 2008 for the Alliance for Charitable Reform, a project of The Philanthropy Roundtable, another tax-exempt organization. Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund, two dark money groups which also have Charles Koch’s fingerprints all over them, were spun off from the Philanthropy Roundtable in 1999. (See our report:&nbsp;<a href="https://wallstreetonparade.com/koch-footprints-lead-to-secret-slush-fund-to-keep-fear-alive/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Koch Footprints Lead to Secret Slush Fund to Keep Fear Alive</a>.)</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3200/disclosure/30783/clarence-thomas/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">financial disclosure forms</a>&nbsp;filed by Clarence Thomas show that from 2011 through 2017, Ginni Thomas received a “salary” from the Daily Caller,</b>&nbsp;a right-wing spin organization founded in 2010 by Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson&nbsp;and former&nbsp;Dick Cheney&nbsp;aide Neil Patel. Its creation was announced at a gathering at the Heritage Foundation. The Daily Caller’s affiliated News Foundation has received funding from the&nbsp;Koch Family Foundations&nbsp;and the&nbsp;Charles Koch Institute.</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Despite the previous scandal over Clarence Thomas failing to report that Ginni Thomas had received income from the Heritage Foundation, there are no dollar ranges listed on his financial disclosure forms to show the range of “salary” Ginni Thomas actually received from the Daily Caller from 2011 to 2017.</font></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">From 2011 through 2020, Clarence Thomas shows that his wife was receiving “salary and benefits” from&nbsp;<b>Liberty Consulting.</b>&nbsp;But again, there is no range of salary and benefits shown. Instead, Liberty Consulting is listed under “Investments” and shows a “book value” of $100,000 to $250,000 in 2019, which then drops to $15,000 to $50,000 in 2020.</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Then there is<b>&nbsp;Ken Klukowski,</b>&nbsp;the man air-dropped into the Department of Justice just 35 days before Trump’s term ended to work at the elbow of Jeffrey Clark. The Select Committee believes that Klukowski may have been involved in drafting the proposed letter to state officials which falsely claimed that the Justice Department had “identified significant concerns” about the vote totals in those states and the states should consider sending “a separate slate of electors supporting Donald J. Trump.”</font></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Klukowski had been a writer at the right-wing outlet, Breitbart, which was formerly led by former Trump White House advisor, Steve Bannon. Bannon was the long-tenured filmmaker for Citizens United, the nonprofit involved in the history-making case at the U.S. Supreme Court that opened the floodgates to corporate money in campaigns. Bannon made right-wing propaganda documentaries for Citizens United like “Fire from the Heartland,” a&nbsp;</span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">glowing tribute to Michele Bachmann; “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1961604/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Undefeated</a></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">,” profiling the rise of&nbsp;</span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Sarah Palin&nbsp;</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">to national prominence and the darling of the T</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">ea Party movement; “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1624385/" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Generation Zero</a>,” blaming the 2008 financial crash on liberals instead of the Wall Street bank executives who presided over the unprecedented frauds; and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUvGQWAxJI8" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Occupy Unmasked</a>,” demonizing the young people attempting to remove their democracy from the&nbsp;<a href="http://wallstreetonparade.com/2012/09/freedom-of-the-press-under-assault-in-new-york-city/" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">iron grip of the one percent</a>&nbsp;as sinister criminals.</span></font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Klukowski got his law degree from George Mason University, one of the largest and longest recipients of Koch money</b>.&nbsp; In just the three most recent years that public 990 tax filings are available, they show that the Charles G. Koch Foundation gave a total of $46.89 million to George Mason University from 2017 through 2019.</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2018, New York Times reporters Erica L. Green&nbsp;and&nbsp;Stephanie Saul&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/05/us/koch-donors-george-mason.html" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">wrote about</a>&nbsp;how newly-released documents showed tha<b>t Koch’s money came with strings attached at George Mason University:</b></font></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The documents reveal in surprising detail that for years, as George Mason grew from a little-known commuter school to a major public university and a center of libertarian scholarship, millions of dollars in donations from conservative-leaning donors like the Charles Koch Foundation had come with strings attached.</span></font></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">“As early as 1990, entities controlled by the billionaire brothers Charles G. and David H. Koch were given a seat on a committee to pick candidates for a professorship that they funded,</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;the records show. Similar arrangements that continued through 2009 gave donors decision-making roles in selecting candidates for key economics appointments at the&nbsp;<b>Mercatus Center,&nbsp;</b>a Koch-funded think tank on campus that studies markets and regulation. The appointments, which also created faculty lines at George Mason, were steered to professors who, like the Kochs, embraced unconstrained free markets.”</span></font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">And, finally, there is&nbsp;<b>John Eastman,</b>&nbsp;the Trump lawyer who ranted on the stage before the crowd at the Capitol on January 6 about widespread voter fraud in the election and, according to the Select Committee, played a key role in the attempted coup.</font></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Both Cleta Mitchell and John Eastman are tied to the Public Interest Legal Foundation.&nbsp;</span><a href="https://publicinterestlegal.org/about/board-of-directors/" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mitchell is the Chair of the Board and Eastman is a Director</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. The New York Times has reported that it was Mitchell who “enlisted John Eastman, the lawyer who crafted specious legal theories claiming Vice President Mike Pence could keep Mr. Trump in power.”</span></font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Eastman is also Chairman of the Board of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM</b>) according to its website, a group opposing same-sex marriage.&nbsp;<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wall Street On Parade</em>&nbsp;looked into that group in 2011. We found multiple ties to the Koch network’s pursuit of the Citizens United decision at the U.S. Supreme Court.</font></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">When Ginni Thomas filed her registration statement for her own tea party group, Liberty Central, Inc., with the state of West Virginia on December 31, 2009, she listed her accountant as&nbsp;<b>Neil Corkery</b></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;with an address of 8665 Sudley Road, Suite 182 in Manassas, Virginia. According to a UPS store employee located there, there was no other business located at this site; just post office boxes.&nbsp; When Ginni Thomas filed her first IRS 990 form for tax year 2009 for Liberty Central, she listed her tax preparer as Conlon and Associates LLC.</span></font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">These same two names, Neil Corkery and<b>&nbsp;Conlon and Associates LLC,&nbsp;</b>would end up on the 2009 tax filings of the National Organization for Marriage.</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The IRS 2009 tax filing for the National Organization for Marriage, Inc. shows it took in $7.1 million and made five grants totaling $2,105,000.&nbsp; Stand for Marriage Maine received 93 percent of those funds, or $1,960,000.&nbsp;Stand for Marriage Maine waged the successful 2009 repeal of same-sex marriage in Maine, using the same tactics and, indeed, the&nbsp;<b>same ad and marketing firm that was used in the California Proposition 8 battle.</b></font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Secret donors washing money through a 501(c)(4) tax exempt organization and then funneling it to a Political Action Committee in Maine brought a request for an investigation to the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices by Fred Karger, founder of Californians Against Hate.&nbsp; The Commission initiated an investigation.&nbsp; Stepping forward to represent both the National Organization for Marriage and Stand for Marriage Maine PAC was the law firm&nbsp;<b>Bopp,</b>&nbsp;Coleson & Bostrom.</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">James Bopp of Bopp, Coleson & Bostrom is (wait for it) the lawyer who represented Citizens United in the lower courts and, hoping to gut campaign financing reform, maneuvered the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The law firm Bopp, Coleson & Bostrom is located in Terre Haute, Indiana.&nbsp;What is the statistical probability of it being sheer coincidence that an Indiana law firm is involved in a nonprofit advocacy group case in Maine involving secret donors; also involved in the Citizens United case before the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington D.C. involving secret donors; and the wife of&nbsp;Justice Clarence Thomas is using the same Neil Corkery and Conlon and Associates for her Tea Party nonprofit as Bopp’s anti same-sex marriage clients in the Maine case?</font></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">We strongly urge the January 6 Select Committee to provide the full, unvarnished truth to the American people.</font></p><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2021/03/dark-money-supreme-court/">https://www.alternet.org/2021/03/dark-money-supreme-court/</a></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">skolnik</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">During Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearings last year, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., at the time ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, expressed concern over Barrett's religious affiliation as a pious Roman Catholic identified with her church's most conservative elements. "I think whatever a religion is, it has its own dogma," Feinstein&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/26/us/politics/the-dogma-lives-loudly-within-you-revisiting-barretts-confirmation-hearing.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">said</a>, addressing Barrett directly. "In your case, professor, when you read your speeches, the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you."</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Feinstein was widely criticized for those remarks, which may not have been artfully phrased. But Barrett's confirmation did more than solidify a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court. She also became at least the sixth Catholic among the nine justices currently sitting on the court. Like Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, former President Trump's previous nominees, Barrett is visibly someone who understands the law through a religious and specifically Christian lens. (Gorsuch's religious affiliation is not entirely clear: He was raised Catholic but has attended Episcopal churches for most of his adult life. But even without counting him, the court is disproportionately Catholic: Barrett, Kavanaugh, Sonia Sotomayor, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Chief Justice John Roberts.)</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The three new justices of the Trump era have been accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/amy-coney-barrett-s-partisan-nomination-subverts-very-intent-supreme-ncna1244146" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">blatant</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/7/10/17553548/brett-kavanaugh-religious-liberty-scotus-supreme-court" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">disregard</a>&nbsp;for the separation of church and state. But the fact that they arrived at such positions of power is perhaps less concerning than exactly how they did. As with so much in conservative politics, their ascension was facilitated by a byzantine web of right-wing dark money, operating with little to no accountability.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Meet Neil and Ann Corkery,&nbsp;</b>a pair of veteran Republican operatives who have cultivated a&nbsp;<b>robust network of conservative and Catholic-affiliated nonprofits</b>, charities and funds notable for their near-<b>total opacity.&nbsp;</b>For more than a decade, the Corkerys have leveraged this network to prop up conservative judicial nominees, most of whom have been devout Catholics. Robert Maguire, research director at&nbsp;<b>Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW</b>), told Salon that "while most Americans wouldn't recognize their names," the Corkerys "have been the overseers of massive amounts of money that have gone into federal judicial races."</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"They have the discipline to not talk," Maguire explained, acknowledging the dearth of reporting on the duo. "They don't have social media accounts. They don't give public speeches. They've done a really good job of limiting the amount of public information on them."</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">We do, however, know bits and pieces. It's likely that the Corkery empire started around 2008, when Ann Corkery, a partner at the Washington law firm Stein Mitchell</span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;Cipollone&nbsp;</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Beato & Missner, established the now defunct&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Wellspring Committee, a 501(c)(4) organization</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;that took in tens of millions of dollars, if not hundreds, of millions, from undisclosed donors for upwards of a decade. Wellspring was founded with&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/billionaires-try-to-buy-the-supreme-court" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" 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;">the help</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;of Charles and David Koch, and raised its first $10 million seedling donation from attendees at a Koch donor seminar.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a 2013&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2013/11/06/243022966/secret-persuasion-how-big-campaign-donors-stay-anonymous" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">NPR interview</a>, Wellspring's lawyer promoted the notion that the organization had an innocuous-sounding goal, of assisting "other like-minded organizations in promoting free market policies and principles." She maintained that Wellspring was a "social welfare organization" that shepherded donors' money into other social welfare groups, much like an investment fund.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wellspring could pass itself off in those terms thanks to U.S. tax law, which a decade ago&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2013/11/wellsprings-flow/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">mandated</a>&nbsp;that organizations of that type could devote no more than 49 percent of their expenditures to political activity. What distinguished "political activity" from "social welfare" was (and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/irs-political-dark-money-groups-501c4-tax-regulation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">continues to be</a>) an open question, however. This loophole potentially gave Wellspring free rein to donate unlimited amounts of money to other social welfare groups, even if those groups had explicit political goals.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The Corkerys' political influence, as Maguire pointed out, has a highly specific orientation rooted in religious faith.&nbsp;</b>"When you look at the way money has flowed through the groups [Wellspring] is affiliated with," he explained, "you see a long history of supporting groups that fought against marriage equality and anti-abortion."</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">In 1990, the Corkerys gave an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1990-05-25-9001100227-story.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">interview</a>&nbsp;to the South Florida Sun Sentinel describing themselves as members of Opus Dei,</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;an enigmatic and highly secretive society within the Catholic Church. According to a 2013&nbsp;</span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130531231642/http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/oppositionwatch/documents/OpusDeiinLatinAmerica.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" 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;">investigative report</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;from the liberal group Catholics for Choice, members of Opus Dei "vehemently oppose legislation that allows divorce or civil marriages, as well as homosexuality and contraception." Critics have also&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2005/jan/28/religion.schools" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" 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;">alleged</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;that the group has internally supported various authoritarian world leaders.</span></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In 2008 alone, Wellspring&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">gave</a>&nbsp;the National Right to Life Committee and Susan B. Anthony List (also an anti-abortion advocacy organization) $542,000 and $753,000, respectively.</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;It has also made donations to</span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;Americans for Prosperity, the American Action Network and Americans for Job Security,</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;all of which have been big spenders on conservative political ads.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">AJS, for instance,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://go.bloomberg.com/political-capital/2012-09-28/business-group-runs-literally-8-million-in-ads/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" 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;">spent</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;some $8 million worth of<b>&nbsp;ads opposing the re-election of Barack Obama in 2012</b>, when the debate around marriage equality was at fever pitch. AFP&nbsp;</span><a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-08-23/koch-brothers-election-north-carolina/57254832/1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" 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;">spent</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;$122 million on television ads in the same vein.</span></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Other beneficiaries of Wellspring include People for United Privacy,</b>&nbsp;a foundation that fights against calls for campaign finance disclosure; the Catholic Association Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes Catholic causes; and the&nbsp;<b>Federalist Society, the well-known "constitutional conservative" group run by Leonard Leo,</b>&nbsp;a fellow devout Catholic who&nbsp;<a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/159683/oligarch-month-leonard-leo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">reportedly</a>&nbsp;belongs to the&nbsp;<b>Knights of Malta,&nbsp;</b>a secretive Catholic order dating to the Middle Ages that operates as a "<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-secrets-of-leonard-leo-the-man-behind-trumps-supreme-court-pick" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">quasi-independent sovereign nation</a>."</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">According to the Center for Responsive Politics, in every year since Wellspring's inception, it has given millions of dollars to the Judicial Crisis Network, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">established in 2005. JCN, which has in the past been interchangeably overseen by Ann and Neil Corkery, is known for promoting judicial appointments on a state and federal level. JCN did not respond to a request to clarify its financial activity, but a 2019&nbsp;</span><a href="http://rets.org/news/2019/05/an-influential-dark-money-group-turns-off-the-lights-for-the-last-time/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" 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;"><u>report</u></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;from Open Secrets shows that Wellspring accounted for over 90 percent of the group's funding.</span></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In 2016, Wellspring&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/05/dark-money-group-funded-by-17million-mystery-donor-before-kavanaugh/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" 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;"><u>reported</u></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;donating about $23.5 million to JCN, and tacked on another $15 million in 2017. It's unclear exactly when in those years these donations occurred, but they do correlate closely with two events in which the group had a clear interest. Merrick Garland (then a federal judge, and now President Biden's attorney general) was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Obama in March of 2016. His nomination was never considered by the Senate, and of course Justice Gorsuch was nominated by Trump less than a year later, in January 2017.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">JCN reportedly spent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/conservative-group-behind-kavanaugh-confirmation-has-spent-years" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;"><u>$7 million</u></a>&nbsp;on ad campaigns attacking Garland, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/30/big-money-behind-supreme-court-nominee-gorsuch-little-payoff/99790864/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;"><u>$10 million</u></a>&nbsp;on campaigns aimed at promoting Gorsuch.</span></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The JCN is now run by</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">&nbsp;Carrie Severino, who once served as a law clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">,</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;perhaps the Supreme Court's most conservative member (and a devout Catholic).<b>&nbsp;</b></span><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">She forms half of what the New York Times has described as "Washington's conservative power couple" with her&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">husband, Roger Severino,&nbsp;</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">who led the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services under Trump.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Roger has described the couple as "</span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/15/us/politics/severinos-amy-coney-barrett.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" 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;"><u>serious Catholics</u></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">" driven by their "proudly pro-life" beliefs. Carrie is more careful, telling the Times she did not want to categorize her religious beliefs: "I don't think it is relevant."&nbsp;<b>Roger Severino has spent much of his political career&nbsp;</b></span><b><a href="https://gen.medium.com/meet-the-conservative-power-couple-behind-trumps-war-on-your-civil-rights-fa3cf72fd424" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" 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;"><u>working</u></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;on a range of causes dear to the religious right: opposing marriage equality, reproductive rights and equality of health care access for the LGBTQ+ community.</span></b></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In 2016, Media Matters&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/supreme-court/familial-ties-bind-anti-garland-judicial-crisis-network-its-dark-money-funder" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;"><u>found</u></a>&nbsp;that JCN consisted of just two employees, despite the enormous amounts of money that flow through the organization on a regular basis. A recent glance at the nonprofit's&nbsp;<a href="https://judicialnetwork.com/about-duplicate/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;"><u>website</u></a>&nbsp;suggests that Carrie Severino is now the sole employee. She did not respond to Salon's request for comment.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">JCN's website lays out an artfully worded mission statement: "We support legislative and legal efforts which oppose attempts to undermine the rule of law ... or bias the legal system on behalf of politically favored groups or individuals." Arguably, the group's enthusiastic deployment of money from undisclosed donors to promote the nominations of overtly religious and partisan nominees suggests a degree of bias toward "politically favored" groups and individuals.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In 2016, JCN launched a smear campaign against Merrick Garland, depicting a judge almost universally depicted as a moderate as a "<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/03/22/first-look-group-slams-supreme-court-pick-liberal-extremist/82140624/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;"><u>liberal extremist</u></a>" on gun policy</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;These ads alleged that Garland had upheld an "illegal Clinton-era regulation" that would compel lawmakers to create a federal registry of all gun owners. In fact, Garland had no clear history on gun policy at the time and even Charles J. Cooper, an outside attorney for the NRA,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pfaw.org/press-releases/backgrounder-the-judicial-crisis-network-behind-the-group-spreading-misinformation-about-supreme-court-nominee-merrick-garland/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;"><u>argued</u></a>&nbsp;that Garland "possesse[d] the qualities of a fine judge" and "would comport himself on the bench with dignity and fairness."&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">When Garland was considered for an earlier Supreme Court vacancy in 2010 (which ultimately went to Justice Elena Kagan), Carrie Severino&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/22/AR2010042205460_2.html?sid=ST2010042304425" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" 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;"><u>told</u></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;the Washington Post piece that of the candidates Obama might choose, Garland was the "best scenario we could hope for."</span></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Unsurprisingly, JCN went to bat for Brett Kavanaugh in a big way</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;after his 2018 nomination. While public support for Kavanaugh gradually&nbsp;</span><a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-final-look-at-where-voters-stand-on-kavanaugh-before-the-senate-votes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" 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;"><u>declined</u></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;as&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/26/us/politics/brett-kavanaugh-accusers-women.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" 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;"><u>multiple women</u></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;from his past came forward to accuse the judge of sexual misconduct or assault,</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">&nbsp;anonymous donors pumped $30 million into JCN, which pledged&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/91c58df540884d698ceb35a529c34b08" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;"><u>at least a $10 million</u></a>&nbsp;ad campaign&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/91c58df540884d698ceb35a529c34b08" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;"><u>designed to convince the public</u></a>&nbsp;of Kavanaugh's "impeccable character, extraordinary qualifications, independence, and fairness."</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;Kavanaugh's uneven and highly emotional performance at his confirmation hearings sowed doubt in many people's minds about those qualities,<b>&nbsp;but JCN left the financial spigot on until he was finally confirmed in October.</b></span></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Barrett's nomination was bankrolled by the Corkerys as well.</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;Barrett, a devout Catholic and a former member of a Catholic community called People of Praise — which has been accused of&nbsp;</span><u style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/21/amy-coney-barrett-people-of-praise-trauma-abuse" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">subjecting female members</a></u><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;to "intense subjugation … by community leaders" — was the subject of a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://judicialnetwork.com/in-the-news/judge-amy-coney-barrett-confirmed/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" 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;"><u>$10 million</u></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;JNC ad campaign launched in October of 2020. JCN's first ad argued that confirming Barrett would be "</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29a0kDfsHOU&feature=youtu.be" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" 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;"><u>following precedent</u></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">," since Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O'Connor were confirmed expeditiously and with unanimous Senate support. In fact, Barrett wound up as the first justice in 151 years confirmed with zero votes from the minority party in the Senate.</span></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Many of JCN's ad campaigns present themselves as being "grassroots" or driven by "popular demand." For example, JCN launched a&nbsp;<a href="https://judicialnetwork.com/in-the-news/jcn-launches-multimillion-dollar-initial-ad-blitz-to-fill-scotus-seat/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;"><u>$2.2 million ad blitz</u></a>&nbsp;just three days after Justice Ginsburg's death, framing it as a "grassroots mobilization campaign."</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Maguire told Salon that this branding is blatantly false. "Insofar as the groups have tried to portray themselves as grassroots or speaking for the American people," he said, "the donations show just what a farce that this is. These are entities that are dependent entirely on a small handful of wealthy, anonymous donors. That's not what nonprofits were intended to be."</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Having secured both a conservative and Catholic majority on the Supreme Court, Ann and Neil Corkery may be looking elsewhere.&nbsp;<b>Most recently, they have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-right-wing-dark-money-is-trying-to-kneecap-the-biden-doj" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;"><u>taken aim</u></a>&nbsp;at Vanita Gupta,</b>&nbsp;Biden's nominee for associate attorney general, whose confirmation vote in the Senate is likely to be extremely close. Until now, the Corkerys haven't evinced much interest in executive branch nominees. Clearly there is room for growth.</font></p><div class="around-the-web" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="from-your-siteheadline" style="font-weight: 700; text-transform: uppercase;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FROM YOUR SITE ARTICLES</font></div><ul class="around-the-weblist" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline-block; width: 589.446px; list-style: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><li class="from-your-siteitem"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2021/03/kavanaugh/" class="from-your-sitelink" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s; font-weight: lighter; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;">Shadowy group behind Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation spending ... ›</a></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></li><li class="from-your-siteitem"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2021/02/warren-campaign-finance/" class="from-your-sitelink" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s; font-weight: lighter; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;">Sen. 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margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Replying to&nbsp;</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">@mrspanstreppon</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">@runPattirun</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;and&nbsp;</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">@RobertMaguire</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Maybe the Corkerys w/an assist from&nbsp;</span><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">CPA Thomas&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Conlon</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">,&nbsp;</span></font><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">are hiding the names of the Wellspring Committee board members so no one asks them any q.s about the committee's operations. Or to disguise related party transactions.....</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Nov 27, 2018</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Kathleen Marie Corker married Thomas S. Mellon</b>&nbsp;in Nov '16 & is,of course, a George Mason U. grad.&nbsp; She is now developmental director at her father's "not-for-profit" , the Sudan Relief Fund. Curious what Mr. Mellon does for a living....</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2016/04/new-nonprofit-tied-to-stealthy-circle-of-dark-money-groups/</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">april 2016</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Leading the pushback from the outside against President Obama’s attempt to bring the Supreme Court back up to its full complement of nine justices, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/03/the-jcn-story-building-a-secretive-gop-judicial-machine/" 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;">Judicial Crisis Network</a>&nbsp;claims to have spent&nbsp;<a href="http://judicialnetwork.com/judicial-crisis-network-launches-digital-ad-campaign-exposing-merrick-garlands-record-as-a-liberal/" 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;">$4 million</a>&nbsp;on a TV, radio and digital campaign attacking nominee Merrick Garland and arguing that the next president should fill the vacancy.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Additional politically active, nondisclosing nonprofits, such as the Independent Women’s Forum, the Susan B. Anthony List and the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/2a-groups-react-to-obama-scotus-nomination-thumbs-down" 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;">have also made noise</a>&nbsp;to try to shore up Senate Republicans who want to forestall voting on Garland’s confirmation.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">One right-leaning group has weighed in more quietly:<b>&nbsp;The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) has&nbsp;<a href="http://www.factdc.org/#!FACT-Requests-Records-about-Nominee-Garland-from-Harvard-University/c24/56fac9ac0cf20a08ed0aa40b" 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;">demanded</a>&nbsp;Harvard University release records having to do with Garland’s role in the debate in the early 1970s over whether to allow ROTC recruiters on that campus.</b></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>&nbsp;</b>In late March,&nbsp;<b>FACT’s executive director, Matthew Whitaker, was&nbsp;</b></span><b><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/mar/29/merrick-garland-begins-meeting-with-republican-sen/?page=1&cb=1459306137815" 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;">quoted</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;saying that “Americans have a right to know about Garland’s views of the military.”</span></b></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Turns out JCN and FACT have something in common, beyond a penchant for keeping the names of their donors secret:&nbsp;<b>Neil Corkery, who is treasurer of the judicial group and also the treasurer and a member of the board of directors at FACT, a 501(c)(3) organization.</b></font></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Longtime readers of&nbsp;<span style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/03/the-jcn-story-building-a-secretive-gop-judicial-machine/" 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;">OpenSecrets News</a></span>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<span style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/23/the-jcn-story-how-to-build-a-secretive-right-wing-judicial-machine.html?utm_content=buffer271c0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer" 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;">The Daily Beast</a></span>&nbsp;may remember that Corkery’s wife, Ann, had a big hand in getting JCN off the ground</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, back in early</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">2005 when the “C” in its initials stood for “confirmation,” not “crisis.” At the time, Justice Antonin Scalia himself — whose death two months ago precipitated the current battle over the vacancy — attended a small dinner that included JCN organizers and at least one funder</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">JCN originally promoted President George W. Bush’s nominations to the high court; conversely, it has attacked Obama’s. But many observers were surprised last fall when the group mounted an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/11/wellspring-gives-big-boost-to-judicial-crisis-network-with-6-6-million-grant/" 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;">ad campaign</a>&nbsp;criticizing Justice Anthony Kennedy and Chief Justice John Roberts, both appointed by GOP presidents, in an apparent effort to pressure them to take a harder conservative line. In addition, JCN has been involved in several state supreme court elections as well as attorneys general races.</font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">FACT is a much newer creation, organized in 2014 as a conservative counterweight to watchdog groups viewed as more left-of-center, such as Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.&nbsp;<b>The newer outfit took its first public action about a year ago when it filed a&nbsp;</b></span><b><a href="http://www.factdc.org/#!New-Ethics-Watchdog-Files-Preliminary-FEC-Complaint-on-Catalist-Major-Democratic-Operations/c24/555cd5220cf298b2d3d0aa6d" 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;">complaint</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;with the Federal Election Commission against Democratic voter data firm Catalist.</span></b></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Since then, FACT has, on rare occasions (possibly just once), gone after a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.factdc.org/#!FACT-Requests-Rep-Robert-Pittenger-Release-Ethics-Letter/c24/55e4742d0cf2de902a79c4e1" 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;">Republican</a>, but most frequently accuses Democrats —&nbsp;<a href="http://www.factdc.org/#!FACT-Releases-Top-10-Most-Ethically-Challenged-Hillary-Emails/c24/56e196be0cf2d5aa2194df34" 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;">particularly frontrunner</a>&nbsp;and former Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pres16/candidate.php?id=N00000019" 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;">Hillary Clinton</a>&nbsp;— of ethical or legal violations.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Its funding — $600,000 in 2014, according to the only tax return it has filed to date — comes entirely from a conservative donor-advised fund called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2783557-Donors-Trust-2014-990.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;">DonorsTrust</a>,&nbsp;</b>which means it could come from anywhere. DonorsTrust is a pass-through vessel that manages the charitable contributions of wealthy individuals and foundations to organizations that are “dedicated to the ideals of limited government, personal responsibility, and free enterprise,” according to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.donorstrust.org/who-we-are/mission-principles/" 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;">its website</a>&nbsp;while allowing the donors to remain anonymous. Charles Koch is among the many conservatives who have filtered money through DonorsTrust.</font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In other words, an organization “dedicated to promoting accountability, ethics, and transparency” gets 100 percent of its funds from a group that exists mainly as a vehicle for donors to elude transparency.</font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Meanwhile, Corkery adds FACT to a long list of nondisclosing nonprofits at which he holds or has held, a key position,</b><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;often treasurer, and which often have overlapping slates of directors or officers.&nbsp;</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">For instance, at two other groups where Corkery is treasurer, the</span><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;Judicial Education Project and&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Catholic Voices</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, a close family ally by the name of Dan Casey is president and director, respectively. Casey is also the secretary of JCN. At the Sudan Relief Fund, Corkery is president, Casey is treasurer, and Ann Corkery, Neil’s wife, is a director.</span></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Ann Corkery is also president of the&nbsp;</b><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Wellspring Committee,</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;from which JCN receives substantial funding, including more than $6.6 million in 2014; Kathleen Corkery, the&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">couple’s daughter, is on Wellspring’s board of directors, and its secretary-treasurer is Casey’s son. Neil Corkery draws salaries from several of the groups where he’s an office; Ann is paid by Wellspring. (Venn diagram in the works.)</span></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Many of the groups list the same Georgetown address as their office, with different suite numbers. In reality, the address is that of a UPS store,</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;and the suite numbers are post boxes.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">FACT’s listed address, in downtown Washington, D.C., has no markings; it appears to be an address that is cited by more than one organization without actually being physically used by any of them, with a receptionist who answers the phone with the names of various groups depending on which line is called.</span></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Neither Corkery nor Whitaker, FACT’s executive director, returned calls seeking comment.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2020/10/13/senator-whitehouse-calls-out-dark-money-networks-behind-amy-coney-barretts-scotus-nomination" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2020/10/13/senator-whitehouse-calls-out-dark-money-networks-behind-amy-coney-barretts-scotus-nomination</a></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">no lnx grafs</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>Senator Whitehouse Calls Out Dark-Money Networks Behind Amy Coney Barrett’s SCOTUS Nomination</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">By ExposedByCMD Editors | October 13th, 2020</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Bradley Files, Democracy, Featured Investigations, Koch, News, RAGA, Trump7 Comments</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Editor’s Note: The following is a transcript of remarks made by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) in the October 13, 2020, Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Thank you, Chairman, Judge Barrett. You can take a bit of a breather on your return to the committee, because what I want to do is go through with the people who are watching this now the conversation that you and I had when we spoke on the telephone. You were kind enough to hear out a presentation that I made, and I intend to ask some questions in that area, but it doesn’t make sense to ask questions if I haven’t laid the predicate, particularly for viewers who are watching this.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">So, I guess the reason that I want to do this is because people who are watching this need to understand that this small hearing room and the little TV box that you are looking at, the little screen that you are looking at, are a little bit like the frame of a puppet theater, and if you only look at what’s going on in the puppet theater you’re not going to understand the whole story. You are not going to understand the real dynamic what is going on here, and you are certainly not going to understand forces outside of this room who are pulling strings and pushing sticks and causing the puppet theater to react.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>So first, let me say, why do I think outside forces are here pulling strings?&nbsp;</b>Well, part of it is behavior. We have colleagues here who supported you, this nominee, before there was a nominee. That’s a little unusual.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">We have the political ram job that we have already complained of driving this process through at breakneck speed in the middle of a pandemic while the Senate is closed for safety reasons and while we are doing nothing about the COVID epidemic around us. We have some very awkward 180s from colleagues. Mr. Chairman, you figure in this. Our leader said back when it was Garland versus Gorsuch, that of course, of course, the American people should have a say in the Court’s direction. Of course, of course, said Mitch McConnell. That’s long gone.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Senator Grassley said the American people shouldn’t be denied a voice. That’s long gone. Senator Cruz said you don’t do this in an election year. That’s long gone. And our chairman made his famous hold-the-tape promise if an opening comes in the last year of President Trump’s term we’ll wait until the next election. That’s gone too.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">So there is a lot of hard-to-explain hypocrisy and rush taking place right now, and my experience around politics is that when you find hypocrisy in the daylight, look for power in the shadows. Now people say well, what does all this matter? This is a political parlor game; it’s no big deal. Well, there are some pretty high stakes here that we have been talking about here on our side, and I will tell you three of them right here.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Roe v. Wade, Obergefell, and the Obamacare cases. Here’s the GOP platform, the Republican platform, the platform of my colleagues on the other side of this aisle say that a Republican president will</span><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;appoint judges who will&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">reverse Roe, Obergefell, and the Obamacare cases</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">So if you have a family member with an interest in some autonomy over their body under Roe v. Wade, the ability to have a marriage, have friends marry, have a niece or a daughter or a son marry someone of their same-sex they have – you’ve got a stake, and if you are one of the millions and millions of Americans who depend on the affordable care act you’ve got a stake.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">It’s not just the platform. Over and over again, let’s start by talking about the Affordable Care Act. Here is the president talking about this litigation that we are gearing up this nominee for for November 10. In this litigation, he said we want to terminate healthcare under Obamacare.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">That is the president’s statement, so when we react to that, don’t act as if we are making this stuff up. This is what President Trump said. This is what your party platform says: reverse the Obamacare cases. Senator after senator, including many in this committee, filed briefs saying that the Affordable Care Act should be thrown out by courts. Why is it surprising for us to be concerned that you want this nominee to do what you want nominees to do?</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">One quick stop on NFIB v. Sebelius, because a lot of this has to do with money. This is an interesting comparison.&nbsp;<b>National Federation of Independent Businesses,</b>&nbsp;until it filed the NFIB v. Sebelius case, had its biggest donation ever of $21,000. In the year that it went to work on the Affordable Care Act, ten wealthy donors gave $10 million. Somebody deserves a thank you.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">So let’s go on to Roe v. Wade. Same thing. Same thing. The president has said that reversing Roe v. Wade will happen automatically because he is putting pro-life justices on the Court. Why would we not take him at his word? The Republican Party platform says it will reverse Roe. Why would we not comment on that and take you at your word?</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Senators here, including Senator&nbsp;<b>Hawley,&nbsp;</b>have said I will vote only for nominees who acknowledge that Roe v. Wade is wrongly decided, and their pledge to vote for this nominee. Do the math. That’s a really simple equation to run.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>The Republican brief in June Medical said Roe should be overruled,</b>&nbsp;so don’t act surprised when we ask questions about whether that’s what you are up to here. And finally, out in the ad world that you have spared yourself wisely Judge Barrett, the Susan B Anthony Foundation is running advertisements right now saying that you are set, you are set to give our pro-life country a Court that it deserves.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Here is the ad with the voiceover. She said – she said. And then Roe, Obamacare cases and Obergefell, gay marriages. National Organization for Marriage, the big group that opposes same-sex marriage, says in this proceeding, all our issues are at stake. The Republican platform says it wants to reverse Obergefell. And the Republican brief filed in the case said same-sex relationships don’t fall within any constitutional protection, so when we say the stakes are high on this, it’s because you have said the stakes are high on this. You have said that is what you want to do. So how are people going about doing it? What is the scheme here?</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Let me start with this one. In all cases, there’s big anonymous money behind various lanes of activity. One lane of activity is through the conduit of the Federalist Society. It is managed by a guy – was managed by – a guy named Leonard Leo, and it has taken over the selection of judicial nominees. How do we know that to be the case? Because Trump has said so over and over again. His White House counsel said so.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">So we have an anonymously funded group controlling judicial selection run by this guy&nbsp;<b>Leonard Leo.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Then in another lane, we have again anonymous funders running through something called the&nbsp;<b>Judicial Crisis Network, which is run by Carrie Severino</b>, and it is doing PR and campaign ads for Republican judicial nominees. It got $17 million – a single $17 million donation in the Garland-Gorsuch contest. It got another single $17 million donation to support<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;Kavanaugh. Somebody, perhaps the same person, spent $35 million to influence the United States Supreme Court. Tell me that’s good.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">And then over here you have a whole array of legal groups, also funded by dark money, which have a different role. They bring cases to the Court. They don’t wind their way to the Court, your Honor, they get shoved to the Court to by these legal groups, many of which ask to lose below so they can get quickly to the Court to get their business done there. And then they turn up in a chorus, an orchestrated chorus of amici.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Now I’ve had a chance to have a look at this. And I was in a case, actually, as an amicus myself, the&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Consumer Financial Protection Board case. And in that case there were 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 amicus briefs filed, and every single one of them was a group funded by something called&nbsp;<b>DonorsTrust.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">DonorsTrust is a gigantic identity-scrubbing device for the right wing so that it says DonorsTrust is the donor without whoever the real donor is. It doesn’t have a business. It doesn’t have a business plan. It doesn’t do anything. It’s just an identity scrubber.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>And this group here, the Bradley Foundation, funded eight out of the 11 briefs.</b>&nbsp;That seems weird to me when you have amicus briefs coming in little flotillas that are funded by the same groups but nominally separate in the court.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">So I actually attached this to my brief as an appendix. Center for Media and Democracy saw it, and they did better work. They went on to say which foundations funded the brief writers in that CFPB case. Here is the Bradley Foundation for $5.6 million to those groups. Here’s DonorsTrust, $23 million to those brief writing groups.&nbsp;<b>The grand total across all the donor groups was $68 million to the groups that were filing amicus briefs, pretending that they were different groups.</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Right-Wing Foundations Fund Anti-Consumer Protection Groups, 2014-present</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>Sixteen right-wing foundations gave nearly $69 million to groups urging the Supreme Court to&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">abolish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau</span>&nbsp;since 2014.</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>Donor<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Amount</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">DonorsTrust<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$23,460,705</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Charles Koch Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$12,986,462</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Sarah Scaife Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$7,550,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">L&H Bradley Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$5,579,500</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Searle Freedom Trust<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$4,550,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Dunn Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$4,450,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Donors Capital Fund<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$2,522,680</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">John William Pope Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$1,895,175</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Bradley Impact Fund<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$1,363,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mercer Family Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$1,200,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Adolph Coors Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$1,155,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">F.M. Kirby Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$672,500</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Charles Koch Institute<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$517,134</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Ed Uihlein Family Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$408,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Pierre F. and Enid Goodrich Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$395,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">William H. Donner Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$167,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>TOTAL<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$68,872,156</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">And it’s not just in the Consumer Financial Protection Board case.<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;You might say well that was just a one-off. Here’s Janus, the anti-labor case that had a long trail through the Court, through Friedrichs, and through Knox, and through other decisions.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">And SourceWatch and ProPublica did some work about this. Here’s DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund. And here’s the Bradley Foundation. And they totaled giving $45 million to the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15<b>&nbsp;groups that filed amicus briefs, pretending to be different groups, and both of the lawyer groups in the case, funded by DonorsTrust, funded by Bradley Foundation in Janus.</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">This is happening over and over and over again, and it goes beyond just the briefs. It goes beyond just the amicus presentations.<b>&nbsp;The Federalist Society&nbsp;</b>– remember this group that is acting as the conduit and that Donald Trump has said is doing his judicial selection? They’re getting money from the same foundations, from DonorsTrust, $16.7 million and the Bradley Foundation, $1.37 million. From the same group of foundations total, $33 million.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Donors to the Federalist Society, 2014-present</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The same 16 foundations that fund the amicus brief filers all give to the Federalist Society</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>donor<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Amount</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">DonorsTrust<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$16,733,100</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mercer Family Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$4,850,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Donors Capital Fund<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$4,231,120</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Charles Koch Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$2,419,264</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Searle Freedom Trust<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$1,551,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$1,375,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Ed Uihlein Family Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$1,000,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">John William Pope Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$250,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Adolph Coors Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$230,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Pierre F. and Enid Goodrich Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$210,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Dunn Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$150,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">F.M. Kirby Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$120,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">William H. Donner Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$45,000</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Bradley Impact Fund<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$15,250</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Charles Koch Institute<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$6,400</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>TOTAL<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$33,286,134&nbsp;&nbsp;</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">So you can start to look at these, and you can start to tie them together.</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;The legal groups, all the same funders over and over again, bringing the cases and providing us orchestrated, orchestrated chorus of amici. Then the same group also funds the Federalist Society over here</span><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">.</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">&nbsp;The Washington Post wrote a big expose about this, and that made Leonard Leo a little hot, a little bit like a burned agent. So he had to jump out. And he went off to go do anonymously-funded voter suppression work. Guess who jumped in to take over the selection process in this case for Judge Barrett? Carrie Severino made the hop.&nbsp;</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">So once again, ties right in together.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>So, Center for Media and Democracy did a little bit more research.</b>&nbsp;Here’s a<b>&nbsp;Bradley Foundation</b>&nbsp;memo that they’ve published. The Bradley Foundation is reviewing a grant application asking for money for this orchestrated amicus process, and what do they say in the staff recommendation? It is important to orchestrate – their word, not mine – important to orchestrate high-caliber amicus efforts before the Court.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Page 3 of 2015 Bradley Summary Judicial Education Project Proposal 150K</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Contributed to DocumentCloud by Staff 18 of Documented • View document or read text</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">They also note that Bradley has done previous philanthropic investments in the actual underlying legal actions. So Bradley is funding – what do they call – philanthropically investing in, the underlying legal action and then giving money to groups to show up in the orchestrated chorus of amici. That can’t be good.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">And it goes on, because they also found this email. This email comes from an individual at the Bradley Foundation, and it asks our friend, Leonard Leo, who used to run the selection process, is there a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to which Bradley could direct any support of the two Supreme Court amicus projects other than DonorsTrust? I don’t know why they wanted to avoid the reliable identity-scrubber DonorsTrust, but for some reason they did.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Page 6 of 2014 Bradley Leonard Leo Neil</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">&nbsp;Corkery</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;Carrie Severino&nbsp;<b>Judicial+Education+Project</b></span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Contributed to DocumentCloud by Staff 18 of Documented • View document or read text]</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">So Leonard Leo writes back on Federalist Society address – so don’t tell me that it isn’t Federal Society business – on Federalist Society, on his address, he writes back, yes, send it to the Judicial Education Project, which could take and allocate the money.&nbsp;<b>And guess who works for the Judicial Education Project? Carrie Severino,&nbsp;</b>who also helped select this nominee, running the Trump Federalist Society selection process.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">So the connections abound. In the Washington Post article, they point out that the Judicial Crisis Network’s office is on the same hallway in the same building as the Federalist Society, and when they sent their reporter to talk to somebody at the Judicial Crisis Network, somebody from the Federalist Society came down to let them up.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>This more and more looks like it’s not three schemes, but it’s one scheme with the same funders selecting judges, funding campaigns for the judges, and then showing up in court in these orchestrated amicus flotillas to tell the judges what to do.</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">On the Judicial Crisis Network, you’ve got the Leonard Leo connection, obviously. She hopped in to take over for him with the Federalist Society. You’ve got the campaigns that I’ve talked about, where they take $17 million contributions. That’s a big check to write, $17 million, to campaign for Supreme Court nominees. No idea who that is or what they got for it. You’ve got briefs that she wrote.&nbsp;<b>The Republican senators filed briefs in that NFIB case signed by Ms. Severino.</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">
</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">The woman who helped choose this nominee has written briefs for Republican senators attacking the ACA.</span>&nbsp;Don’t say the ACA is not an issue here.<b><u>&nbsp;And by the way, the Judicial Crisis Network funds the Republican attorneys general. It funds RAGA</u></b>, the Republican Attorneys General Association, and it funds individual Republican attorneys general. And guess who the plaintiffs are in the Affordable Care Act case? Republican attorneys general.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Trump joined them because he didn’t want to defend, so he’s in with the Republican attorneys general. But here’s the Judicial Crisis Network campaigning for Supreme Court nominees, writing briefs for senators against the Affordable Care Act, supporting the Republicans who are bringing this case, and leading the selection process for this nominee</span>.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Here is the page off the brief. Here is where they are. Mitch McConnell, and on through the list, Senator Collins, Senator Cornyn, Senator Hoeven, Senator — who’s still here? Marco Rubio. It’s a huge assortment of Republican senators who Carrie Severino wrote a brief for against the Affordable Care Act.</span>&nbsp;So this is a, to me, pretty big deal. I’ve never seen this around any court that I’ve ever been involved with, where there’s this much dark money and this much influence being used.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>Here’s how the Washington Post summed it up. This is “a conservative activist behind-the-scenes campaign to remake the nation’s courts,” and it’s a $250 million dark money operation. $250 million is a lot of money to spend if you’re not getting anything for it. So that raises the question, what are they getting for it?</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Well, I showed the slide earlier on the Affordable Care Act. And on Obergefell and on Roe v. Wade, that’s where they lost. But with another judge, that could change. That’s where the contest is. That’s where The Republican Party platform tells us to look at how they want judges to rule, to reverse Roe, to reverse the Obamacare cases, and to&nbsp;<b>reverse Obergefell and take away gay marriage.</b>&nbsp;That is their stated objective and plan. Why not take them at their word?</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">But there is another piece of it, and that is not what’s ahead of us, but what’s behind us. What’s behind us is now 80 cases,&nbsp;<b>Mr. Chairman, 80 cases under Chief Justice Roberts that have these characteristics. One, they were decided five to four by a bare majority. Two, the five-to-four majority was partisan in the sense that not one Democratic appointee joined the five. I refer to that group as the “Roberts Five.”</b></span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">It changes a little bit as–with Justice Scalia’s death, for instance – but there’s been a steady “Roberts Five” that has delivered now 80 of these decisions.<b>&nbsp;And the last characteristic of them is that there is an identifiable Republican donor interest in those cases, and in every single case, that donor interest won. It was an 80 to zero, 5 to 4 partisan rout, ransacking.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">And it’s important to look at where those cases went, because they’re not about big, public issues like getting rid of the Affordable Care Act, undoing Roe v. Wade, and undoing same sex marriage.<b>&nbsp;They’re about power.</b>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">And if you look at those 80 decisions, they fall into f<b>our categories over and over and over again. One, unlimited and dark money and politics.&nbsp;</b>Citizens United is the famous one, but it’s continued since with McCutcheon and we’ve got one coming up now.&nbsp;<b>Always the five for unlimited money in politics. Never protecting against money dark money in politics, despite the fact that they said it was going to be transparent.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">And who wins when you allow unlimited dark money in politics? A very small group. The ones who have unlimited money to spend and a motive to spend it in politics. They win. Everybody else loses. And if you’re looking at who might be behind this, let’s talk about people with unlimited money to spend and a motive to do it. We’ll see how that goes.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>Next, knock the civil jury down.</b>&nbsp;Whittle it down to a nub. The civil jury was in the Constitution, in the Bill of Rights, in our darn Declaration of Independence, but it’s annoying to big corporate powers because you can swagger your way as a big corporate power through Congress. You can go and tell the president you put money into to elect what to do. He will put your stooges at the EPA. It’s all great until you get to the civil jury, because they have an obligation, as you know, Judge Barrett, they have an obligation under the law to be fair to both parties irrespective of their size.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">You can’t bribe them. You’re not allowed to. It’s a crime to tamper with the jury. It’s standard practice to tamper with Congress. And they make decisions based on the law. If you’re used to being the boss and swaggering your way around the political side, you don’t want to be answerable before a jury. And so one after another, these 80 5-to-4 decisions have knocked down, whittled away at, the civil jury, a great American institution.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>Third – first was unlimited dark money, second was demean and diminish the civil jury – third is weaken regulatory agencies.</b>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">A lot of this money, I’m convinced, is polluter money. The Koch Industries is a polluter, the fossil fuel industry is a polluter. Who else would be putting buckets of money into this and wanting to hide who they are behind DonorsTrust or other schemes?</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">And what are – if you’re a big polluter – what do you want? You want weak regulatory agencies. You want ones that you can box up and run over to Congress and get your friends to fix things for you in Congress. Over and over and over again, these decisions are targeted at regulatory agencies to weaken their independence and weaken their strength. And if you’re a big polluter, a weak regulatory agency is your idea of a good day.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>And the last thing is in politics. In voting.</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;Why on earth the Court made the decision, a factual decision – not something appellate courts are ordinarily supposed to make, as I understand it Judge Barrett – the factual decision that nobody needed to worry about minority voters in preclearance states being discriminated against, or that legislators would try to knock back their ability to vote. These five made that finding in&nbsp;<b>Shelby County a</b>gainst bipartisan legislation from both houses of Congress, hugely passed, on no factual record.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">They just decided that that was a problem that was over, on no record with no basis, because it got them to the result that we then saw. What followed? State after state after state passed voter suppression laws. One so badly targeting African Americans that two courts said it was surgically, surgically tailored to get after minority voters</span>.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>And gerrymandering, the other great control.</b>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Bulk gerrymandering where you go into a state, like the Red Map project did in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and you pack Democrats so tightly into a few districts that all the others become Republican majority districts. And in those states, you send a delegation to Congress that has a huge&nbsp;<b>majority of Republican members, like 13 to 5, as I recall, in a state where the five, the party of the five actually won the popular vote.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">You’ve sent a delegation to Congress that is out of step with the popular vote of that state and court after court figured out how to solve that, and the Supreme Court said nope. 5 to 4 again. Nope. We’re not going to take an interest in that question</span>. In all these areas where it’s about political power for big special interests, and people who want to fund campaigns, and people who want to get their way through politics without actually showing up, doing it behind DonorsTrust and other groups, doing it through these schemes over and over and over again, you see the same thing.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><b>80 decisions, Judge Barrett. 80 decisions. An 80-to-0 sweep</b>.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">I don’t think you’ve tried cases, but some cases, the issue is bias and discrimination. And if you’re making a bias case as a trial lawyer – Lindsey Graham is a hell of a good trial lawyer. If he wanted to make a bias case – Dick Durbin is a hell of a good trial lawyer. If they wanted to make a bias case and they could show an 80-to-0 pattern, A, that’s admissible, and B, I’d love to make that argument to the jury. I’d be really hard pressed to be the lawyer saying no, 80-to-0 is just a bunch of flukes.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">All five-four. all partisan, all this way</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">.&nbsp;</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">So something is not right around the Court. And dark money has a lot to do with it. Special interests have a lot to do with it. DonorsTrust and whoever is hiding behind DonorsTrust has a lot to do with it, and the Bradley Foundation orchestrating its amici over at the Court has a lot to do with it.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">So I thank you, Judge Barrett, for listening to me now a second time and I think this gives you a chance for you and I to tee up an interesting conversation tomorrow. And I thank my colleagues for hearing me out.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div></div></div><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2x?</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/11/trump-inauguration-money-links-secretive-dark-money/">https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/11/trump-inauguration-money-links-secretive-dark-money/</a></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Notorious “dark money” conduit&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/wellspring-committee/" 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;">Wellspring Committee</a></b><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><b>&nbsp;gave $14.8 million to the primary spender on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation</b>&nbsp;and<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;paid $919,900 to the mysterious LLC that made a $1 million donation to President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee,</span>&nbsp;according to a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5299825-Wellspring-2017-990.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 tax return</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;obtained Nov. 27 by the Center for Responsive Politics.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Wellspring has acted as a conduit for large contributions from secretive donors since it was set up, effectively laundering multi-million dollar donations with no substantive disclosure or accountability.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Despite operating behind the scenes with a name unknown to most of the American public, Wellspring is at the crux of Ann and Neil Corkery’s network of politically active dark money groups, funneling millions from anonymous financiers to political causes they don’t want their names attached to — and doing ostensibly little else.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Wellspring has continued to be the chief financier of the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000026924" 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;">Judicial Crisis Network</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;(JCN), with a $14,814,998 contribution last year.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><b>JCN is another nondisclosing politically active nonprofit linked to the Corkerys’ network of conservative dark money groups.</b>&nbsp;It has become the predominant dark money spender in Supreme Court&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/09/kavanaugh-confirmation-dark-money/" 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;">confirmation fights</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;as a vehicle for deep-pocketed donors to funnel millions of dollars behind or against judicial nominees.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Since 2010, Wellspring has funneled more than $54.2 million to JCN, according to tax returns obtained by CRP.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">The bulk of Wellspring’s funds that came from three multi-million dollar secret donors in 2017, a shift from prior years in which the biggest amount the group received from a single mystery donor increased with each passing year. The largest donor accounted for $8.9 million, another gave $5.5 million and a third secret donor provided $2 million — but all of their identities remain hidden from the public.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">The biggest anonymous contribution to Wellspring in 2016 was nearly $28.5 million, a jump from $8.5 million in 2015 and $6.96 million in 2014. That one secret donor accounted for around 90 percent of Wellspring’s funding in 2016, a year it gave $23 million to JCN.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">As a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, JCN is not required to report its donors to the IRS — and chooses not to disclose its funders’ identities to the public — so its only discoverable donors are other entities like Wellspring that act as conduits for the anonymous money directed at JCN.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">JCN was back in the limelight this year as the biggest spender in support of Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. Following its tried and true playbook, JCN launched its first ad about Kavanaugh before Trump even finished announcing his nomination and soon after announced plans to spend $10 million on his confirmation. JCN pledged $10 million&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2017/11/web-of-secret-money-hides-one-mega-donor-funding-conservative-court/" 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;">to support</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;the successful confirmation of Trump’s first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, the prior year and reported spending $7 million to block the confirmation of Merrick Garland before President Barack Obama left office.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">JCN has also spent substantial sums on lobbyists, including&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/rev_summary.php?id=77747" 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;">Jon Kyl,</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;who lobbied to help JCN marshall in Gorsuch’s nomination before becoming the official White House “sherpa” guiding Kavanaugh through that same process. He was later appointed to fill the late Sen. John McCain’s seat — ultimately enabling him to vote for the confirmation he was once tasked with helping Kavanaugh secure.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">JCN&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/10/only-a-fraction-of-dark-money-spending-on-kavanaugh-disclosed/" 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;">spent</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;$483,246 in total on Facebook ads and just $1,900 on Google platforms around the fight to confirm Kavanaugh with an estimated reach of potentially millions of Facebook users.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">TV advertising made up the bulk of JCN’s reported spending on Kavanaugh with around $3.9 million going TV ads, according to Kantar Media/CMAG estimates — leaving millions of dollars JCN had pledged to spend unaccounted for.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">The puzzle of Trump’s mysterious inaugural gift</b></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">T<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">he only contractor paid by Wellspring last year was<b>&nbsp;BH Group</b>, the mysterious LLC created four months to the day before it made a $1 million donation to the Trump inaugural committee on Dec. 22, 2016.</span></span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">The newly discovered payment for “public relations” follows a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/05/group-that-spent-millions-to-boost-gorsuch-also-paid-mysterious-inaugural-donor/" 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;">$750,000 payment</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;to the newly minted BH Group the prior year as well as&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4463990-Judicial-Crisis-Network-990-2016-2017.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;">$947,000</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;from JCN to the BH Group around when the LLC made its inaugural donation.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">While it initially appeared that BH Group was merely a shell company created solely for the purpose of laundering money into the Trump inaugural committee, more information about the LLC has only added to its mystery.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">New&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5188744-Judicial-Education-Project-2017-990.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;">tax returns</a></b><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><b>&nbsp;reviewed by CRP reveal that Judicial Education Project, JCN’s sister 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, also paid an additional $1.3 million to BH Group LLC last year.</b>&nbsp;Judicial Education Fund keeps its donors anonymous but CRP tracked the bulk of the group’s recent funding to DonorsTrust, which accounted for more than 99 percent of its money last year. Like JCN, Judicial Education Fund has also been funded by Wellspring in prior years.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">One name that CRP has&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.mcclatchydc.com/latest-news/article210176219.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;">tied</a></b><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><b>&nbsp;to the mysterious LLC is Leonard Leo,&nbsp;</b>the executive vice president at the Federalist Society, an influential conservative and libertarian legal organization, who listed “BH Group” as his employer in a campaign finance filing reported to the Federal Election Commission.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Leo’s more widely known affiliation with the Federalist Society has gained attention after reports that it played a substantial role guiding the hand of Trump’s White House in its judicial nomination process, including in the selection of Supreme Court justices.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Ann Corkery, the Wellspring Committee’s former president and wife of current president Neil Corkery, has&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/05/mystery-gift-to-trump-inauguration-from-conservative-activists/" 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;">reportedly</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;worked closely with him in this process and Leo has been “directly involved” in raising much of the anonymous money the Wellspring Committee brings in every year.</span></b></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">A public records request&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/03/secret-contributions-to-trump-inauguration/" 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;">revealed</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;that Leo and another Federalist Society vice president have also been involved in a nonprofit called the BH Fund, which was set up to enforce a donor agreement between an anonymous $20 million donor and the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, whose president came under fire for allowing donors to dictate conditions in return for financial gifts.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Incorporation records list BH Group’s address as a virtual office in Arlington, Va. and the only identified point of contact is Donna Smith, whose name matches that of a longtime paralegal at&nbsp;<b>Holtzman Vogel</b>&nbsp;Josefiak Torchinsky, the law firm that shared a Warrenton, Va. office with the address the&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Trump inaugural committee on its tax return.</span></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Continuing the money churn</strong></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Staying the course from prior years, Wellspring also gave $400,000 to the Catholic Association, $48,000 to the Annual Fund and $350,000 to the Foundation for Government Accountability’s 501(c)(4) arm, FGA Action.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Another appendage of the Corkerys’ dark money web is the<b>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT)</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">, a nonprofit run by acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker b</span>efore he became Jeff Sessions’ chief of staff, as CRP&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2016/04/new-nonprofit-tied-to-stealthy-circle-of-dark-money-groups/" 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;">first reported</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;in 2016. Like Wellspring, JCN and the Judicial Education Project, Neil Corkery is also the treasurer of FACT. Nearly 100 percent of FACT’s funding came from a single anonymous donor each year since the group was created in 2014, which CRP&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/11/one-donor-accounts-for-all-dark-money-funding-whitakers-nonprofit/" 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;">discovered</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;came entirely from a donor-advised fund called&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2783557-Donors-Trust-2014-990.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;">DonorsTrust</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">In addition to longstanding dark money stalwarts that have realigned their priorities for the Trump era, new groups spending heavily in support of Trump’s agenda also weighed in on Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation battle but are not entirely isolated from the Washington swamp Trump pledged to drain.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Wellspring was one of the early donors of 45Committee, another 501(c)(4) social welfare nonprofit that primarily exists to support Trump’s agenda which&nbsp;</span><a href="https://twitter.com/annalecta/status/1037813122298511361" 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;">spent</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;on ads supporting Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation this year.</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><b>Another spender was America First Policies, the 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization staffed by former Trump campaign and White House personnel that has become the main dark money group supporting Trump’s agenda.</b></span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Although&nbsp;<b style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">America First Policies</b>&nbsp;itself does not reveal donors’ identities, CRP&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/11/pro-trump-dark-money-group-tax-return/" 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;">traced</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;over a quarter of its funding to major corporate players, including&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5188743-2017-Corporate-Contributions-to-501-C-4-and-501.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;">Reynolds American</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;and&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000504" 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;">Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;(PhRMA), a trade group representing the drug company industry’s lobbying interests.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">New&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5141937-Great-America-Alliance-2017-990.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;">tax documents</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;filed by another pro-Trump nonprofit,&nbsp;<b>Great America Alliance</b>, show it raised and spent around $3.4 million during that period. Unlike America First Policies, which reported millions more in previously undisclosed political spending it its new tax return, Great America Alliance claimed that it “educated voters through direct and indirect political advocacy messaging nationwide within the scope of applicable laws and regulations.”</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">This highlights one of the many legal grey areas emerging in the wake of Trump’s unprecedented move to register as a candidate for the 2020 presidential election on his first day in office — leaving the vast majority of financiers behind the growing network of dark money groups spending on his agenda a mystery.</span></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/03/right-wing-groups-gearing-up-onslaught-merrick-garland-supreme-court/">https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/03/right-wing-groups-gearing-up-onslaught-merrick-garland-supreme-court/</a></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>&nbsp;Wednesday, President Barack Obama picked Merrick Garland, a federal court of appeals judge with a stellar and moderate reputation, to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.</b>&nbsp;His strategy was obvious: present obstructionist Republicans with a nominee with little or no baggage. But Senate Republicans immediately signaled that the Garland nomination would not change their calculations—that the fight to block any nominee was on. And prior to Obama’s announcement, conservative groups were already gearing up for this crusade, perhaps the last big battle of the right’s war on Obama.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The political players leading this effort are the usual suspects. The Republican National Committee had already announced plans to oppose Obama’s nominee—whoever it might be—and to run ads in competitive Senate races in Colorado, Ohio, Florida, New Hampshire and elsewhere, in addition to targeting Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The tea party group FreedomWorks is rallying grassroots voters to the cause. On the other side of political spectrum, liberal advocacy groups such as the Alliance for Justice and People for the American Way are girding for a massive fight.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This face-off could well be nastier and more expensive than past confrontations over the Supreme Court. It’s the first political fight of this kind since the controversial Citizens United decision allowed money to flow freely into the political system. The influx of money has also helped create a well-funded extra-party political infrastructure that is now turning its sights on the SCOTUS fight.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Thanks to Citizens United, campaign finance rules that once limited the use of corporate and union money for certain advertisements no longer exist. Meanwhile, dark-money groups—which can get involved in campaigns but don’t have to disclose their donors—are supposed to spend slightly more than half of their money on nonelection activities to keep their nonprofit status. As a result, they “may funnel a lot of the rest of their money into Supreme Court-related ads,” says Rick Hasen, an election law professor at the University of California-Irvine law school</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Here’s a look at the groups launching the assault against Garland:</b></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Judicial Crisis Network:</b>&nbsp;Perhaps the biggest player in the Supreme Court fight is the Judicial Crisis Network, launched in 2005 and long a dark-money conduit for a number of rich conservative donors. Founded by Ann Corkery, a low-profile conservative fundraiser and lawyer, the group reportedly launched with startup money from California foreclosure king Robin Arkley II, a wealthy conservative who helped bankroll the effort to unseat former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle (D). Corkery’s husband Neil is JCN’s treasurer.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Other early JCN supporters included Jay Sekulow,</b>&nbsp;a longtime culture warrior and chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice (which was created by televangelist Pat Robertson), and Leonard Leo, the executive vice president of the Federalist Society, a leading conservative legal group. Originally called the Judicial Confirmation Network, the group was formed to help push through George W. Bush’s judicial nominees. After Obama was elected in 2008, the group shifted its focus to blocking his federal court nominees.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In 2008, JCN ran ads attacking then-candidate Obama for associating with former Weatherman Bill Ayers and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. The group went all in to oppose the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor in 2009, setting up state-level opposition groups to pressure vulnerable Democratic senators. It also ran attack ads against Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan the following year.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Since Citizens United, JCN has become more heavily involved in elections,&nbsp;</b>particularly judicial and attorney general elections at the state level. It has spent millions of dollars to swing state supreme courts to the right and to elect business-friendly attorney generals. The group is a beneficiary of significant amounts of dark money.<b>&nbsp;The bulk of its budget in 2014 came from an outfit called Wellspring Committee, a secretive nonprofit group that isn’t required to disclose its donors.</b></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">According to Wellspring’s most recent tax filing, it gave JCN nearly $7 million that year. Wellspring was a creation of the Koch brothers, the billionaire industrialists who have pumped millions of dollars into conservative political campaigns over the past several years<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">. According to&nbsp;<b>Ken Vogel’s book Big Money, Wellspring was one of the Kochs’ first forays into using a nonprofit entity to funnel money secretly to other political organizations to obscure the source of the funding. The Koch brothers reportedly broke with Wellspring in 2008 and moved on to other projects,</b>&nbsp;but Wellspring still apparently maintains ties with members of their donor network.</span></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>
</b></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Within a week of Scalia’s passing, JCN announced the launch of a $1 million ad campaign calling on Senate Republicans to refuse Obama a hearing on any Supreme Court nominee.&nbsp;</b>The ads praised senators in competitive 2016 races who had already pledged to block any Obama nominee. (Last week, the group ran ads attacking Judge Jane Kelly, a federal appeals court judge who was briefly on Obama’s Supreme Court short list, for once having represented a “child molester.”) After Obama announced Garland’s nomination, JCN disclosed that it would spend another $2 million on ads opposing his confirmation.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Carrie Severino, a former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas who serves as JCN’s chief counsel and policy director, said last month, “We cannot allow President Obama turn the Supreme Court nomination process into another partisan game, where Obama’s goal is to dominate the court with extremist liberal ideologues.”</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>America Rising:&nbsp;</b>A super-PAC, America Rising was founded in 2013 by Mitt Romney’s former campaign manager, Matt Rhoades. The PAC’s biggest donor this cycle is Republican hedge fund mogul Paul Singer.</span>&nbsp;Close behind is Mike Fernandez, a big Jeb Bush donor. The outfit has made a name for itself by sending out trackers to follow Democratic congressional candidates during the 2014 election—looking for material for attack ads. The trackers scored a big hit when they captured Senate candidate Bruce Braley calling Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley “a farmer from Iowa who never went to law school,” a comment that hurt Braley’s campaign.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">America Rising’s involvement in the Supreme Court fight is coming largely through a subsidiary, America Rising Squared, run by a former communications director for Sen. John McCain, that was created to do opposition research on Democratic candidates. Before the Garland pick was announced, JCN and the Republican Party each hired American Rising to dig up dirt on potential Supreme Court nominees. After Garland’s nomination, America Rising Squared executive director Brian Rogers released a statement warning of the judge’s liberal leanings. “Merrick Garland has been called the ideal judge to move the Supreme Court to the left and cement President Obama’s liberal legacy for decades into the future.” And he told the Washington Post, “We’ve done a good deal of research on Judge Garland so far and now we’re in the midst of a big surge to get after the record to make sure the American people have all the information they need to weigh this debate.”</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>One Nation:&nbsp;</b>Republican strategist&nbsp;<b>Karl Rove’s dark-money monster, Crossroads GPS,</b>&nbsp;will be a key player in Senate elections, though under a less familiar name. That outside spending group, created in the wake of Citizens United, has lately been operating using an entity called One Nation</span>. The new group is headed by Crossroads’ President Steven Law, a former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has made obstructing Obama’s Supreme Court nominee a priority. One Nation has already spent several million dollars trying to help endangered GOP senators such as Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The group has said it will likely focus its Senate campaign efforts on the Supreme Court fight, honing in on the impact of a new potential liberal justice and the effect on core conservative issues. Ian Prior, a spokesman for the group, told Politico last month, “The consequences of our next Supreme Court justice and what that will do to shape the court for 20 years is certainly an issue that One Nation will be front and center in addressing over the next several months.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/05/an-influential-dark-money-group-turns-off-the-lights-for-the-last-time/">https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/05/an-influential-dark-money-group-turns-off-the-lights-for-the-last-time/</a></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One of the most influential “dark money” groups you’ve probably never heard of has officially shut its doors.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The Wellspring Committee’s existence has come to an apparent end, according to state incorporation records showing the dark money group’s termination. Wellspring was just shy of eleven years old.</b></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The group died as it lived, surreptitiously. Officially shutting down in December 2018, its fate was not&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/andrewperezdc/status/1130156764446494721" 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;">discovered</a>&nbsp;until May 19, 2019.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The name Wellspring Committee may already be forgotten — or entirely unknown — to most, but its life’s efforts were certainly not in vain.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Many of the facets of modern-day society that we now take for granted, such as the multi-million dollar price tag on each Supreme Court confirmation fight, can be traced back to Wellspring’s efforts. What Wellspring lacked in name recognition, it made up in largesse. Operating behind the scenes, Wellspring leaves behind countless dark money groups it helped sire and judges now on the bench thanks in part to its anonymous financiers’ generosity.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Wellspring is survived by Judicial Crisis Network (JCN), another&nbsp;<b>501(c)(4)</b>&nbsp;nonprofit that has established itself the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/05/dark-money-group-funded-by-17million-mystery-donor-before-kavanaugh/" 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;">preeminent vehicle for deep-pocketed donors to funnel millions of dollars behind or against judicial nominees</a>&nbsp;in Supreme Court confirmation fights, largely bankrolled by Wellspring.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Since Wellspring’s birth from a short-lived union of the Koch network and GOP political operatives leading up to the 2008 election, it has accounted for more than 90 percent of JCN’s total funding.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Wellspring’s delivery into the world came at the hands of Republican operative Ann Corkery while her husband Neil took the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/03/right-wing-groups-gearing-up-onslaught-merrick-garland-supreme-court/" 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;">reigns</a>&nbsp;of the more publicly visible JCN and an allied 501(c)(3) “charitable” nonprofit, Judicial Education Project. Like JCN, it’s sister “charity” has received considerable funding from Wellspring and other closely-tied dark money groups like DonorsTrust, a pass-through vessel managing the money flow from wealthy donors to conservative and libertarian groups — including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/11/one-donor-accounts-for-all-dark-money-funding-whitakers-nonprofit/" 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;">other groups</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/11/trump-inauguration-money-links-secretive-dark-money/" 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;">Corkery’s network</a>&nbsp;— while allowing the donors to remain anonymous that has earned it the reputation of being a Koch-linked “<a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/12/donors-trust-franklin-center-alec-mercatus-center-dark-money/" 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;">dark money ATM</a>.”</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wearing multiple hats for various groups in the network, Neil Corkery worked impossibly hard. At one point tax returns&nbsp;<a href="https://www.draw.io/?state=%7B%22ids%22:%5B%221RMNvJFCA_CbAL3EfD_TWFaDIZQQscYFb%22%5D,%22action%22:%22open%22,%22userId%22:%22106201961196436599495%22%7D#G1Ea2j3VrDXtDHG71l8IGPcfZGQoyZetc9" 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;">showed</a>&nbsp;him working a combined 100 hours a week between his various nonprofits.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">JCN’s existence has not always hinged entirely on Wellspring. For its first three years in operation under the Judicial Confirmation Network moniker before rebranding following Obama’s&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">2008 election, JCN received initial support from California “foreclosure king”&nbsp;<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/03/right-wing-groups-gearing-up-onslaught-merrick-garland-supreme-court" 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;">Robin Arkley II</a>&nbsp;and raked in seed money from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB111629602487135425" 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 Center for Law and Justice</a>&nbsp;under Jay Sekulow, President Donald Trump’s personal attorney and a member of the Federalist Society, the influential conservative and libertarian lawyers network that does disclose its donors in annual reports.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Since then, the organizations had been inseparable. Sitting at the crux a powerful&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/11/trump-inauguration-money-links-secretive-dark-money/" 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;">network of dark money groups</a>, Wellspring and JCN have existed in this symbiotic relationship for over a decade, with JCN operating as the operation’s public-facing mouthpiece and Wellspring as its money bag.</b></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">After all that, years of investigations and speculation about the identity of donors bankrolling the operation have yet to produce a definitive answer about the ultimate source of the operations funds.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Tax returns have revealed the groups behind a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2013/11/wellsprings-flow/" 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;">few hundred thousand in grants</a>&nbsp;from other dark money groups like American Democracy Alliance and Rosebush. But that accounts for a drop in the bucket — less than a percent — of Wellspring’s overall earnings and, even then, the ultimate financier behind those groups remains a secret.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/category/outside-money/" 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;">central player</a>&nbsp;in orchestrating Wellspring’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/11/trump-inauguration-money-links-secretive-dark-money/" 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;">dark money network</a>&nbsp;has been Leonard Leo, Trump’s judicial adviser and a longtime executive at the Federalist Society.</b></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">While the identity of their donors remains a secret, dark money groups like JCN and Wellspring are required to disclose the amount received from different donors. In their most recent tax returns, JCN received most of its funds from two multi-million dollar donors, with roughly 90 percent of that accounted for by Wellspring and the remainder for a mystery donor.&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Most of Wellspring’s funds came from three multi-million dollar secret donors, a shift from prior years in which the biggest amount the group received from a single mystery donor increased with each passing year. Wellspring’s largest donor in their most recent tax return accounted for $8.9 million, another gave $5.5 million and a third provided $2 million. All of their identities remain hidden.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Financial information for Wellspring’s final year of operation is not required to be reported until months following the end of their final fiscal year, long after the group’s official termination.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">While much of its money has ended up in the judicial advocacy space, Wellspring helped seed a number of other politically active nonprofits that took on a life other their own and went on to have other significant impacts. A&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">few that gained particular notoriety in recent years include&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2013/11/wellsprings-flow/" 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 Job Security</a>, the pro-Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2017/03/wellsprings-dark-money-crucial-to-trump-orbit/" 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;">45Committee</a>&nbsp;and the American Dream Initiative, which was later&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2017/05/nonprofits-backing-trump-have-deep-swampy-ties/" 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;">rebranded</a>&nbsp;as the pro-Trump Great America Alliance.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[<a href="https://cdn1.opensecrets.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/23113231/WellspringsWeb1-1024x670.png">https://cdn1.opensecrets.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/23113231/WellspringsWeb1-1024x670.png</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="https://cdn1.opensecrets.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/23113231/WellspringsWeb1-1024x670.png" /></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;map graf]</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Conservative activists have continued honoring the memory of the recently deceased group by doing what it loved best: creating opaque vehicles to secretly funnel millions of dollars into groups aiming to reshape the legal system.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>At least one new group has already risen from Wellspring’s ashes: the Article III Project (A3P).</b></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Formed to “fight to confirm President Trump’s judicial nominees” and defend sitting judges, A3P was launched as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit May 18, indicating it will not disclose its donors. Any money funneled to A3P through another nonprofit organization is not required to be disclosed until tax returns are due months after the end of the fiscal year when that payment took place, and other funding from individuals or opaque entities like limited-liability companies may remain hidden from the public.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A3P was sculpted in the mold of its predecessors and plans to work closely with JCN. “Excited to work hand-in-glove with @JCN<b>Severino,&nbsp;</b>my other longtime friends at JCN, and many others on the outside who understand the critical importance of the judicial fight,” A3P president Mike Davis tweeted.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Davis was chief counsel for Senate Judiciary Committee during the most recent Supreme Court confirmation battles and Justice Neil Gorsuch’s former law clerk. His talks at Federalist Society events have earned the distinction of being included in the congressional record at the request of his former employer, Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00001758" 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;">Chuck Grassley</a>&nbsp;(R-Iowa). During Davis’ time at the Senate, he played a pivotal role in securing votes for Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Dubbed the Kavanaugh confirmation fight’s “warrior” and the “general” of the Gorsuch confirmation battle, Davis has differentiated A3P from other groups with a more militant approach,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/18/us/politics/conservatives-judicial-nominees.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;">promising</a>&nbsp;to “punch back” with a “brass knuckles approach.”</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">According to Davis, these punches are warranted. A3P was launched partly in response to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/10/only-a-fraction-of-dark-money-spending-on-kavanaugh-disclosed/" 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;">Demand Justice</a>, a liberal dark money group&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/06/kennedys-resignation-sparks-seven-figure-ad-campaigns-from-conservative-liberal-groups/" 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;">launched</a>&nbsp;in 2018 as the left’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/10/facebook-ads-kavanaugh-confirmation-swing-states/" 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;">counterweight</a>&nbsp;to Wellspring and JCN</span>. Demand Justice’s arrival on the scene brought with it a significant shift to the judicial money race, which has traditionally been one-sided with the vast majority of funds from the right, most of which can be traced to JCN and Wellspring.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Indeed, Wellspring’s legacy lives on not only in the conservative dark money infrastructure it helped build but also in the inspiration it provided to their equivalent on the left.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wellspring may be gone, but its indelible impact on the American legal landscape will long be remembered.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In addition to its enduring judicial legacy through attempts to reshape the legal system, Wellspring and the operatives behind it have reshaped the way the game is played. By helping shepherd in their chosen judges onto the Supreme court and across the federal judiciary, Wellspring and its operatives ushered in a new era of increasingly expensive judicial battles largely fueled by deep-pocketed donors whose identities remain secret.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As groups on the left put the same clandestine tactics and big money traditionally characteristic of more conservative judicial advocacy groups into play, those battles across the country may have given way to a full-blown war for the future of the judiciary.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But conservative judicial activists are not just building a covert network anymore, they’re building an army.&nbsp;</font></p><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ref</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/11/trump-inauguration-money-links-secretive-dark-money/">https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/11/trump-inauguration-money-links-secretive-dark-money/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2x?</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Notorious “dark money” conduit&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/wellspring-committee/" 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;">Wellspring Committee</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;gave $14.8 million to the primary spender on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation and paid $919,900 to the mysterious LLC that made a $1 million donation to President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee, according to a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5299825-Wellspring-2017-990.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 tax return</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;obtained Nov. 27 by the Center for Responsive Politics.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Wellspring has acted as a conduit for large contributions from secretive donors since it was set up, effectively laundering multi-million dollar donations with no substantive disclosure or accountability.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Despite operating behind the scenes with a name unknown to most of the American public, Wellspring is at the crux of Ann and Neil Corkery’s network of politically active dark money groups, funneling millions from anonymous financiers to political causes they don’t want their names attached to — and doing ostensibly little else.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Wellspring has continued to be the chief financier of the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000026924" 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;">Judicial Crisis Network</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;(JCN), with a $14,814,998 contribution last year.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">JCN is another nondisclosing politically active nonprofit linked to the Corkerys’ network of conservative dark money groups. It has become the predominant dark money spender in Supreme Court&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/09/kavanaugh-confirmation-dark-money/" 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;">confirmation fights</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;as a vehicle for deep-pocketed donors to funnel millions of dollars behind or against judicial nominees.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Since 2010, Wellspring has funneled more than $54.2 million to JCN, according to tax returns obtained by CRP.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">The bulk of Wellspring’s funds that came from three multi-million dollar secret donors in 2017, a shift from prior years in which the biggest amount the group received from a single mystery donor increased with each passing year. The largest donor accounted for $8.9 million, another gave $5.5 million and a third secret donor provided $2 million — but all of their identities remain hidden from the public.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">The biggest anonymous contribution to Wellspring in 2016 was nearly $28.5 million, a jump from $8.5 million in 2015 and $6.96 million in 2014. That one secret donor accounted for around 90 percent of Wellspring’s funding in 2016, a year it gave $23 million to JCN.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">As a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, JCN is not required to report its donors to the IRS — and chooses not to disclose its funders’ identities to the public — so its only discoverable donors are other entities like Wellspring that act as conduits for the anonymous money directed at JCN.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">JCN was back in the limelight this year as the biggest spender in support of Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. Following its tried and true playbook, JCN launched its first ad about Kavanaugh before Trump even finished announcing his nomination and soon after announced plans to spend $10 million on his confirmation. JCN pledged $10 million&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2017/11/web-of-secret-money-hides-one-mega-donor-funding-conservative-court/" 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;">to support</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;the successful confirmation of Trump’s first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, the prior year and reported spending $7 million to block the confirmation of Merrick Garland before President Barack Obama left office.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">JCN has also spent substantial sums on lobbyists, including&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/rev_summary.php?id=77747" 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;">Jon Kyl,</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;who lobbied to help JCN marshall in Gorsuch’s nomination before becoming the official White House “sherpa” guiding Kavanaugh through that same process. He was later appointed to fill the late Sen. John McCain’s seat — ultimately enabling him to vote for the confirmation he was once tasked with helping Kavanaugh secure.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">JCN&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/10/only-a-fraction-of-dark-money-spending-on-kavanaugh-disclosed/" 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;">spent</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;$483,246 in total on Facebook ads and just $1,900 on Google platforms around the fight to confirm Kavanaugh with an estimated reach of potentially millions of Facebook users.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">TV advertising made up the bulk of JCN’s reported spending on Kavanaugh with around $3.9 million going TV ads, according to Kantar Media/CMAG estimates — leaving millions of dollars JCN had pledged to spend unaccounted for.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">The puzzle of Trump’s mysterious inaugural gift</b></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">The only contractor paid by Wellspring last year was BH Group, the mysterious LLC created four months to the day before it made a $1 million donation to the Trump inaugural committee on Dec. 22, 2016.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">The newly discovered payment for “public relations” follows a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/05/group-that-spent-millions-to-boost-gorsuch-also-paid-mysterious-inaugural-donor/" 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;">$750,000 payment</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;to the newly minted BH Group the prior year as well as&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4463990-Judicial-Crisis-Network-990-2016-2017.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;">$947,000</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;from JCN to the BH Group around when the LLC made its inaugural donation.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">While it initially appeared that BH Group was merely a shell company created solely for the purpose of laundering money into the Trump inaugural committee, more information about the LLC has only added to its mystery.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">New&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5188744-Judicial-Education-Project-2017-990.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;">tax returns</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;reviewed by CRP reveal that Judicial Education Project, JCN’s sister 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, also paid an additional $1.3 million to BH Group LLC last year. Judicial Education Fund keeps its donors anonymous but CRP tracked the bulk of the group’s recent funding to DonorsTrust, which accounted for more than 99 percent of its money last year. Like JCN, Judicial Education Fund has also been funded by Wellspring in prior years.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">One name that CRP has&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.mcclatchydc.com/latest-news/article210176219.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;">tied</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;to the mysterious LLC is Leonard Leo, the executive vice president at the Federalist Society, an influential conservative and libertarian legal organization, who listed “BH Group” as his employer in a campaign finance filing reported to the Federal Election Commission.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Leo’s more widely known affiliation with the Federalist Society has gained attention after reports that it played a substantial role guiding the hand of Trump’s White House in its judicial nomination process, including in the selection of Supreme Court justices.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Ann Corkery, the Wellspring Committee’s former president and wife of current president Neil Corkery, has&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/05/mystery-gift-to-trump-inauguration-from-conservative-activists/" 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;">reportedly</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;worked closely with him in this process and Leo has been “directly involved” in raising much of the anonymous money the Wellspring Committee brings in every year.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">A public records request&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/03/secret-contributions-to-trump-inauguration/" 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;">revealed</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;that Leo and another Federalist Society vice president have also been involved in a nonprofit called the BH Fund, which was set up to enforce a donor agreement between an anonymous $20 million donor and the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, whose president came under fire for allowing donors to dictate conditions in return for financial gifts.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Incorporation records list BH Group’s address as a virtual office in Arlington, Va. and the only identified point of contact is Donna Smith, whose name matches that of a longtime paralegal at Holtzman Vogel&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Josefiak Torchinsky, the law firm that shared a Warrenton, Va.&nbsp;</span>office with the address the Trump inaugural committee on its tax return.</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Continuing the money churn</strong></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Staying the course from prior years, Wellspring also gave $400,000 to the Catholic Association, $48,000 to the Annual Fund and $350,000 to the Foundation for Government Accountability’s 501(c)(4) arm, FGA Action.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Another appendage of the Corkerys’ dark money web is the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a nonprofit run by acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker before he became Jeff Sessions’ chief of staff, as CRP&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2016/04/new-nonprofit-tied-to-stealthy-circle-of-dark-money-groups/" 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;">first reported</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;in 2016. Like Wellspring, JCN and the Judicial Education Project, Neil Corkery is also the treasurer of FACT. Nearly 100 percent of FACT’s funding came from a single anonymous donor each year since the group was created in 2014, which CRP&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/11/one-donor-accounts-for-all-dark-money-funding-whitakers-nonprofit/" 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;">discovered</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;came entirely from a donor-advised fund called&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2783557-Donors-Trust-2014-990.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;">DonorsTrust</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">In addition to longstanding dark money stalwarts that have realigned their priorities for the Trump era, new groups spending heavily in support of Trump’s agenda also weighed in on Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation battle but are not entirely isolated from the Washington swamp Trump pledged to drain.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Wellspring was one of the early donors of 45Committee, another 501(c)(4) social welfare nonprofit that primarily exists to support Trump’s agenda which&nbsp;</span><a href="https://twitter.com/annalecta/status/1037813122298511361" 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;">spent</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;on ads supporting Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation this year.</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Another spender was America First Policies, the 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization staffed by former Trump campaign and White House personnel that has become the main dark money group supporting Trump’s agenda.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Although America First Policies itself does not reveal donors’ identities, CRP&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/11/pro-trump-dark-money-group-tax-return/" 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;">traced</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;over a quarter of its funding to major corporate players, including&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5188743-2017-Corporate-Contributions-to-501-C-4-and-501.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;">Reynolds American</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;and&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000504" 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;">Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;(PhRMA), a trade group representing the drug company industry’s lobbying interests.</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">New&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5141937-Great-America-Alliance-2017-990.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;">tax documents</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;filed by another pro-Trump nonprofit, Great America Alliance, show it raised and spent around $3.4 million during that period. Unlike America First Policies, which reported millions more in previously undisclosed political spending it its new tax return, Great America Alliance claimed that it “educated voters through direct and indirect political advocacy messaging nationwide within the scope of applicable laws and regulations.”</span></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">This highlights one of the many legal grey areas emerging in the wake of Trump’s unprecedented move to register as a candidate for the 2020 presidential election on his first day in office — leaving the vast majority of financiers behind the growing network of dark money groups spending on his agenda a mystery.</span></font></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://truthout.org/articles/one-six-figure-donor-funds-whitaker-nonprofit-with-dark-money/">https://truthout.org/articles/one-six-figure-donor-funds-whitaker-nonprofit-with-dark-money/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>A&nbsp;</b><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><b>single six-figure donor accounted for 100 percent of funding raised by a nonprofit run by acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker&nbsp;</b>before he became Jeff Sessions’ chief of staff last year, new tax documents obtained by the Center for Responsive Politics reveal.</span></font></div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; clear: both; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">President Trump tapped Whitaker to become acting Attorney General earlier in November after Jeff Sessions was asked to resign.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><b>The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) is a self-proclaimed 501(c)(3) “watchdog” nonprofit.</b></span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">This is not the first year a single big donor has accounted for the entirety of FACT’s funding, according to an exclusive new analysis by CRP. Nearly 100 percent of FACT’s funding — all but a few dollars in interest accrued on money left-over from prior years — came from a single anonymous donor again in 2015, 2016 and again last year.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">CRP&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2016/04/new-nonprofit-tied-to-stealthy-circle-of-dark-money-groups/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">discovered FACT’s first tax return back in 2016</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">, revealing its funding — $600,000 for&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5205295-FACT-2014-990.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">2014</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">, its first year of operation — came entirely from a donor-advised fund called&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2783557-Donors-Trust-2014-990.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">DonorsTrust</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">, which acts as a pass-through vessel managing the money flow from wealthy individuals and foundations to nonprofit organizations while allowing the donors to remain anonymous. Beneficiaries of DonorsTrust include a breadth of conservative and libertarian initiatives. Due to DonorsTrust’s design, although CRP is able to reveal the direct funder of FACT by piecing together grants from different tax returns, the&nbsp;<b>ultimate donor remains hidden.</b></span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">New tax returns obtained by CRP show that wasn’t the only time DonorsTrust was FACT’s main funder. In fact, DonorsTrust accounted for 100 percent of FACT’s income from donations again in&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5205291-FACT-2015-990.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">2015</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">, in&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5205292-FACT-2016-990.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">2016</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;and its&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5205281-FACT-2017-990.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">most recent tax return</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;— meaning Whitaker’s organization that claimed to be “dedicated to promoting accountability, ethics, and transparency” has gotten all of its funds from a group that exists mainly as a vehicle for donors to elude transparency every year since its inception.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">deep Ties to Dark Money Networks</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">In their application for tax-exempt status, FACT — then called the Free Market America Educational Foundation — told the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that its purpose was to “conduct research and provide informational studies on free market concepts in relation to environmental regulations and policy.” The IRS approved the group’s application for tax-exempt charity status on July 21, 2014, according to its&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5218962-FACT-Determination-Letter.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">determination letter</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">Tax-exempt status in hand, the nonprofit changed its address to a UPS store and its name just weeks later, according to Virginia incorporation records. The nonprofit changed its name again that October, first to the Working for Rights to Express & Communication before finally landing on its current name — ultimately changing its name three times in the months following IRS approval for tax-exempt status, twice in just one day. That month, Whitaker, took control of the organization after losing his bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Iowa.&nbsp;</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" /></span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><b>As the Free Market America Educational Foundation, the group was started by Ray Wotring,</b>&nbsp;an operative who had long ago been tied to another&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2012/06/rich-rewards-one-mans-shadow-money-network/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">shadowy network of politically active nonprofits</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">. Wotring also served on another conservative nonprofit, Americans for Limited Government, which has close financial ties to the network and shared the same UPS story mailing address as FACT’s first iteration as the Free Market America Educational Foundation as well as Free Market America’s 501(c)(4) nonprofit arm.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">Free Market America’s nonprofit arm has remained active and began to spend on&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=F226770%20%20%20&year=2018" style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">lobbying</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;in 2018, reporting six-figure spending.</span></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FACT’s dark money ties don’t end there.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">The treasurer and a member of the board of directors at FACT is&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2016/04/new-nonprofit-tied-to-stealthy-circle-of-dark-money-groups/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">Neil Corkery</a></b><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><b>.</b>&nbsp;Corkery, along with his wife Ann, sit at the helm of a network of conservative “dark money” groups organized to influence public policy and has become a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2017/03/wellsprings-dark-money-crucial-to-trump-orbit/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">key player</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;promoting Trump’s agenda.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">The network has become well-known for the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2017/03/wellsprings-dark-money-crucial-to-trump-orbit/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">Judicial Crisis Network</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">(JCN), a nondisclosing group that emerged as the predominant dark money spender in Supreme Court confirmation fights since its&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2016/04/new-nonprofit-tied-to-stealthy-circle-of-dark-money-groups/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">launch</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;in 2005, allowing deep-pocketed donors to funnel&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2017/03/wellsprings-dark-money-crucial-to-trump-orbit/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">millions</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;of dollars opposing or supporting judicial nominees, including a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/06/kennedys-resignation-sparks-seven-figure-ad-campaigns-from-conservative-liberal-groups/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">pledge</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;to spent $10 million on the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/10/facebook-ads-kavanaugh-confirmation-swing-states/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">confirmation</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. JCN’s primary benefactor over the years has been the Wellspring Committee, an even more opaque nonprofit run by the Corkerys that accounted for over 80 percent of its total revenue in 2016.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Many of the groups tied to the network list the same address as their office, with different “suite” numbers. In reality, the address is also a UPS store and the suite numbers are PO boxes.</font></p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 3rem 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; line-height: 1.2; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Links to Trump’s Mysterious Inaugural Donor</font></h2><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102); box-sizing: inherit;">In addition to its ostensible political spending fueled by secret donors, disclosures by groups in the Corkery’s network have also raised question about other vehicles of influence behind the scenes, most notably in ties to a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/05/mystery-gift-to-trump-inauguration-from-conservative-activists/" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102); box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">$1 million gift</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;to President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee from a mysterious Northern Virginia company called&nbsp;<b>BH Group, LLC.</b></span></span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Little is known about the LLC other than the seven-figure check on Dec. 22, 2016, almost a month before President Trump was sworn in, and a trail of clues pieced together from tax documents and other disclosures.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">These&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.mcclatchydc.com/latest-news/article210176219.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">clues</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;have also led to Leonard Leo, the executive vice president at the Federalist Society, who listed “BH Group” as his employer in a&nbsp;</span><a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00669069/1222738/sa/11AI" style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">filing</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">with the Federal Election Commission.</span></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">Tax documents previously obtained by CRP show that the&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Wellspring Committee made a&nbsp;</span></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/05/group-that-spent-millions-to-boost-gorsuch-also-paid-mysterious-inaugural-donor/" style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">$750,000 payment</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;to BH Group for “public relations” and that JCN made an additional cash infusion of&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4463990-Judicial-Crisis-Network-990-2016-2017.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">$947,000</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">to the BH Group around when the LLC made its inaugural donation.</span></span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">New&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5188744-Judicial-Education-Project-2017-990.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">tax documents</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;first obtained by Maplight and reviewed by CRP reveal that Judicial Education Project, JCN’s sister 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, paid an additional $1.3 million to BH Group LLC last year.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As a 501(c)(3) organization, Judicial Education Fund is not required to reveal its donors and chooses to keep them secret. However, CRP has been able to trace the source of the bulk of the group’s 2017 funding. Like FACT,&nbsp;<b>Judicial Education Fund</b>&nbsp;received millions of dollars coming from DonorsTrust accounting for more than 99 percent of the group’s funding.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That newly revealed payment from Judicial Education Fund brings the total known income for the BH Group to more than $3 million, according to CRP’s analysis — over three times the $1 million it gave to President Trump’s inaugural committee and raising more questions about its other activities that have yet to be reported.</font></p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 3rem 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; line-height: 1.2; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Whitaker’s Watchdog</font></h2><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">FACT’s own activities since 2014 have largely revolved around legal and ethics complaints, mostly targeting Democrats and with a particularly aggressive focus on Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>FACT has paid more than half-a-million dollars to Republican opposition research firm America Rising LLC,&nbsp;</b>according to its most recent three tax returns.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FACT raised just over $3.4 million since it was conceived in 2014, according to tax filings obtained by CRP. Whitaker’s salary accounts for more than a third of FACT’s entire revenue since its exception, making him its single largest expense.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Whitaker received more than $1.2 million from FACT over the three years he led the organization, according to CRP’s analysis of the group’s tax returns, with the salary he drew from FACT rising precipitously — in some cases increasing by more than six-figures with each passing year.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Whitaker made $502,000 in 2017 — around half of FACT’s spending — despite having left the organization to take a position at the Justice Department as then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ chief of staff in September of that year.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[graph]</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FACT provided the vast majority of Whitaker’s income for the entire span of time covered by his financial disclosures on file with the Office of Government Ethics and released by the Justice Department the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, following weeks of scrutiny and multiple requests.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Whitaker’s selection as acting Attorney General has been contested on multiple fronts, and the release of his financial disclosures has only fueled the dumpster fire.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Disclosures revealed that Whitaker’s unsuccessful 2014 campaign received four donations totaling $8,800 this year — years after he lost the election and just months after he joined the Justice Department. The donations were the only money the campaign has received in over two years, raising questions about the potential implications of the donations under the Hatch Act, a federal law that generally prohibits federal officials from knowingly soliciting or accepting campaign donations and a separate Justice Department memo further restricting political activity by its personnel in the hopes of keeping the agency as apolitical as possible.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">A provision of the Hatch Act allows officials to raise money to retire campaign debt, but the campaign’s only reported spending was 2018 were $228 to reimburse “data services” and $500 to Whitaker’s old law firm for renting office space, according to the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/20/us/politics/matthew-whitaker-finances.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">New York Times</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Whitaker’s law partner of eight years,&nbsp;<b>William Gustoff,&nbsp;</b>who was treasurer for Whitaker’s unsuccessful 2014 Senate campaign and also serves on the board of FACT, signed off on the FEC filings.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“The checks came in. I, as the treasurer, deposited the checks, and I retired the debt that I knew I could without talking to Matt,” Gustoff told the New York Times, “I don’t talk to Matt about the campaign.”</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Gustoff did say that FACT had been “well received” by Republican donors.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2017 Form 990 tax returns for DonorsTrust and Judicial Education Project were first obtained by Maplight’s Andrew Perez and reviewed by the Center for Responsive Politics.</font></p><div><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p></div><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FACT whitaker</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Post determined from other tax filings that the money came from&nbsp;<b>DonorsTrust,&nbsp;</b>a large nonprofit organization that wealthy contributors have used to anonymously give millions to conservative nonprofits in recent years.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The president of DonorsTrust, Lawson Bader, declined to identify the source of the funding contributed to FACT through his organization.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FACT launched its advocacy efforts shortly after Whitaker took over, describing itself in a news release as a “new watchdog group.”</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On its website and in tax filings in 2014, FACT said that its mission was “to educate the public about unethical conduct on the part of public officials by publicizing these actions through media outlets throughout the country” and through its own website.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The new three-member board now comprised Whitaker, Whitaker’s former law partner and a conservative activist,<b>&nbsp;Neil Corkery,</b>&nbsp;who is involved in operating or funding multiple conservative charities.</font></font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Whitaker’s former partner, William Gustoff, did not return calls for comment. Corkery did not respond to phone messages seeking comment.&nbsp;</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">OS</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Annual Fund&nbsp;</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Centreville, VA (Legal domicile: DE)</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parent OrganizationN/ATypeCivic Leagues, Social Welfare Organizations, and Local Associations of EmployeesYear Founded2010Reported Political Activity to IRS?NoPeriod of Last ReportJul 2011 - Jun 2012IndustryN/A</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total number of volunteers0Total number of employees0</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Overall FEC-reported spending from Jul 2011 - Jun 2012 $0 Overall Political Spending of all known grant recipients $738,188 Recipient Political Spending Attributable to Donor $100,000 FEC-reported spending since last IRS filing $0</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Longterm Political Activity Ranking105</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">---</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2014:&nbsp;</font></p><table class="DataTable dataTable no-footer" data-order="[[ 2, " desc="desc" id="DataTables_Table_0" role="grid" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-spacing: 0px; width: 688px;"><tbody style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><tr role="row" class="odd" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=262046485" 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-block;">Wellspring Cmte</a></font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">12/31/2014</font></td><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$49,000</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">AMC Annual Fund</span>
josesph stuart, neil corkery am action network 100K$</font></td></tr></tbody></table><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/the-anti-catholic-playbook/">https://www.thenation.com/article/the-anti-catholic-playbook/</a>&nbsp;no lnx</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CORRUPTIONPODCASTS OPP-ART: DISPATCHES FROM THE RESISTANCE</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Nation</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">SUPREME COURT&nbsp; The ‘Anti-Catholic’ Playbook</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">SUPREME COURTRELIGIONBRETT KAVANAUGH</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The ‘Anti-Catholic’ Playbook</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Does Brett Kavanaugh think abortion should be illegal? A secret network of right-wing activists has spent millions attacking such questions as anti-religious bigotry.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">By Sarah PosnerTwitter SEPTEMBER 5, 2018</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Confirmation hearings for President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanaugh, began yesterday with a sustained uproar from Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, who protested Republican efforts to barrel through the process. From the opening moments, Democrats prevailed on committee chair Charles Grassley to postpone the hearings—or entertain their motion to adjourn—because so many of Kavanaugh’s records as associate White House counsel, and all of his records as staff secretary to President George W. Bush, have yet to be released.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This article was reported in partnership with The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute, where Sarah Posner is a reporting fellow. Additional research by Eli Clifton, Richard Salame and Maia Hibbett.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Committee Republicans, undaunted by this breach of transparency, turned to laying the groundwork for the questioning of Kavanaugh, set to begin this morning, by sowing fear in the Republican base about what Democrats would do if he were not confirmed and they gained more control of the confirmation process after the midterms. Senator Ted Cruz reminded the public of litigation brought by religious groups, including Catholic nuns, against the Obama administration, claiming that employer-provided contraception coverage under the Affordable Care Act violated their religious freedom. Democrats, Cruz charged, “want justices who will further that assault on religious liberty.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The hearings were fast-tracked by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, who is pressing the Senate to confirm Kavanaugh by October 1. The rushed timeline is just the latest maneuver in an aggressive Republican campaign to make sweeping, long-lasting changes to the federal judiciary by packing it with judges hostile to civil rights, reproductive freedom, LGBTQ equality, and church-state separation—while at the same time taking extreme measures to block Democratic nominees. If he is confirmed, the 53-year-old Kavanaugh could tip the balance of the high court for decades, potentially overturning the right to an abortion and dramatically expanding religious exemptions to civil-rights laws and reproductive-health services. He could play a pivotal role in matters that could decide the future of the Trump presidency, from the scope of executive power, which Kavanaugh has argued is vast, to whether or not a sitting president may be subpoenaed or charged with a crime. On a wide range of issues with a profound impact on the daily lives of Americans, a Justice Kavanaugh could prove the decisive vote that cements conservative gains, while wiping out past civil-rights advances.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the coming days, the 21 senators on the judiciary committee will have an opportunity to ask Kavanaugh tough questions about his legal philosophy on abortion, LGBTQ rights, executive power, and, as the point person on government faith-based initiatives while in the White House counsel’s office of George W. Bush, the proper role of government in the face of faith-based discrimination. Civil-rights advocates say these are precisely the questions that must be posed, given the stakes in choosing a successor to Anthony Kennedy, long the Court’s crucial swing vote on many of these issues. But if a tight-knit network of conservative activists has its way, these senators will instead pull their punches, fearing ferocious, well-funded attacks that deliberately misrepresent such scrutiny as signs of anti-religious bias.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Conservatives, including Kavanaugh himself, have long awaited and carefully prepared for this moment</b>. In the wake of the crushing defeat of conservative legal hero Robert Bork, nominated to the Supreme Court in 1987, and deep disappointment that subsequent, more-moderate Republican appointees Kennedy and David Souter failed to adjudicate as conservative ideologues, right-wing political operatives began building a new strategy for the courts. The Federalist Society continued to build a&nbsp;<b>pipeline</b>&nbsp;of conservative nominees, but strategists bruised from the Bork fight knew they also would need a hard-hitting public-relations campaign to press for their confirmation. They would have to successfully portray rigid ideologues as mainstream, while intimidating lawmakers from grilling them on their more extreme views.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">A key tactic would be to shut down questioning on how the nominee would approach cases on abortion or LGBTQ rights by accusing Democratic senators probing these issues of being anti-religious—even anti-Catholic—bigots.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That campaign, honed over more than a decade, has been fueled by tens of millions of dollars in dark-money donations, designed by conservative political consultants and PR firms, disseminated by<b>&nbsp;advocacy groups such as the Catholic League and the Judicial Crisis Network, and validated by GOP senators such as Orrin Hatch,&nbsp;</b>who in past confirmation battles has accused “the left” of “trying to enforce an anti-religious litmus test.” The network also includes Federalist Society executive Leonard Leo, who famously delivered a list of judicial nominees to then-candidate Trump, and has continued to closely advise him on his picks as president.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In his East Room speech accepting Trump’s nomination in July, Kavanaugh spoke often about his faith. He recalled his Jesuit education at Georgetown Preparatory School, in the suburbs of Washington, DC, which taught him the motto “men for others,” a creed Kavanaugh said had inspired a lifelong dedication to public service. He highlighted his standing in “the vibrant Catholic community” in Washington, noting that “the members of that community disagree about many things, but we are united by a commitment to serve.” He hit the same notes yesterday in his opening remarks, referencing his Jesuit education and his volunteer work with Catholic Charities.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>In emphasizing his Catholic faith, Kavanaugh had perfectly teed up conservative activists to launch a preemptive attack on anyone who might question his views on abortion, LGBTQ issues, and religious liberty.&nbsp;</b>Within hours of his nomination, one conservative Catholic advocacy organization, Catholic Vote, which claims nearly half a million lay Catholics as members, declared Catholic voters to be “thrilled” with the pick, but warned that they would be vigilant for “any whiff of anti-Catholic bigotry” in the confirmation process. “The experience of past judicial confirmation battles suggest attacks on a nominee’s personal religious views are inevitable,” the group’s president, Brian Burch, said. Op-eds warned of “another explosion of public anti-Catholicism” and predicted the “ugly insinuation” of “the same ‘dual loyalties’ chestnut that bigots have smeared Catholic candidates for public office for going on 200 years in this country.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Kavanaugh’s nomination was not even a day old, yet Burch was already issuing a warning: “CatholicVote.org is prepared to defend Judge Kavanaugh from any such personal smear campaign by anti-Catholic zealots. We intend to hold every Senator, of both parties, accountable. Any whiff of anti-Catholic bigotry must be met with universal condemnation by every senator. This is especially true for those senators seeking re-election in states won by President Trump.” These senators include North Dakota’s Heidi Heitkamp, Indiana’s Joe Donnelly, and West Virginia’s Joe Manchin—all Democrats in close races. All three are Catholic, and all three have been targeted with ads over the Kavanaugh nomination by Catholic Vote and the Judicial Crisis Network.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>It’s unlikely that anyone on the Senate Judiciary Committee missed Burch’s meaning. The network had bludgeoned Dianne Feinstein of California, the committee’s ranking Democrat, for a year over a single sentence she uttered during confirmation hearings last September for Amy Coney Barrett,&nbsp;</b>a Notre Dame Law School professor and conservative Catholic whom Trump had nominated to serve on the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. After Barrett insisted that as a judge she would follow Supreme Court precedent, Feinstein asked how Barrett would resolve conflicts between her religious beliefs and the law as a judge. “Dogma and law are two different things,” Feinstein told Barrett. “I think whatever a religion is, it has its own dogma. The law is totally different. And I think in your case, professor, when you read your speeches, the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you. And that’s of concern when you come to big issues that large numbers of people have fought for for years in this country.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The clip caused an immediate uproar among conservatives. Catholic Vote published a piece on its website, “Dear Anti-Catholic Left: Bigotry Lives Loudly Within You.” The Judicial Crisis Network, the dark-money group at the center of the conservative march to stack the courts, leapt to Barrett’s defense with an inflammatory, six-figure ad campaign, titled “Catholics Need Not Apply.” It accused Feinstein and fellow Judiciary Committee Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois, himself a Catholic, of having “mocked” Barrett’s faith. “Their hypocrisy knows no limits,” the ad charged. “They attack a woman for her Catholic faith, make it a religious test, while they are afraid to call radical Islam, radical Islam.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The Senate confirmed Barrett, who became an instant celebrity to Trump’s Christian-right base, a standing that soon landed her on Trump’s short list for the Supreme Court.</b>&nbsp;Meanwhile a variation on Feinstein’s phrase—“the dogma lives loudly within me”—became a right-wing meme, appearing on T-shirts and coffee mugs sold on conservative websites, and her quote continues to provide fodder for right-wing pundits.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But while conservative Catholic activists have succeeded in claiming loudly that they have been oppressed, many liberal Catholic leaders argue that their views don’t represent all Catholics. “The religious right, including ultraconservative Catholic special-interest groups, are the squeaky wheel in American politics,” said Jon O’Brien, President of Catholics for Choice. “They get heard and privileged above the majority of Americans of faith or no faith. We are incredibly concerned that Kavanaugh and the special interests he is backed by will radically redefine religious freedom in America to mean religious privilege for a few at the expense of everyone else, including women and LGBT individuals.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Indeed, yesterday, as Kavanaugh’s hearings got underway, 1,550 Catholic nuns, priests, deacons, and other leaders wrote to the Senate raising concerns about Kavanaugh’s views on health care, immigration, workers’ rights, voting rights, and the death penalty. “As Catholics,” they wrote, “we believe that any government official—including a Supreme Court Justice—must be concerned with the needs of people who are marginalized, not just the rich and powerful or a member of one’s own political party.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Kavanaugh, it turns out, is deeply familiar with this playbook built around allegations of bias,</b>&nbsp;as it dates back to his days as a top adviser in the George W. Bush White House during the religion wars over Bush’s judicial nominees, some of whom had out-of-the-mainstream views on abortion, gender, and LGBTQ rights.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">From 2001 through the middle of 2003, Kavanaugh served as associate White House counsel, helping Bush shepherd his judicial nominations through the Senate. In mid-2003, Bush named Kavanaugh his special adviser and staff secretary; shortly afterward, he nominated Kavanaugh to be a judge on the powerful US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Throughout this period, Bush’s judicial nominees—many of whom, like Trump’s nominees, had been cultivated and vetted by the Federalist Society—provoked pitched confrontations in a narrowly divided Senate.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2003, while Kavanaugh was still in the White House counsel’s office, conservatives accused Democrats of anti-Catholic bias during confirmation hearings for James Leon Holmes, whom Bush had nominated to be a federal trial judge in Arkansas. Holmes had a history of misogynist writing in which he had argued, with his wife, that “the woman is to place herself under the authority of the man” and insisted that an abortion ban would not violate the rights of women who had been sexually assaulted. “Concern for rape victims is a red herring,” he wrote in a letter to a local newspaper, “because conceptions from rape occur with approximately the same frequency as snowfall in Miami.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The “controversy around Leon Holmes,” according to an account by conservative Catholic political operative Deal Hudson, provided a “perfect opening” for Republicans to accuse Democrats of being anti-Catholic. According to documents related to Kavanaugh’s White House tenure released by the George W. Bush Presidential Library, Manuel Miranda, at the time counsel to Senate majority leader Bill Frist, circulated an e-mail blast to White House staff, including Kavanaugh, from the&nbsp;<b>arch-conservative Catholic League</b>. “catholicism on trial: religious test applied to judicial nominee,” it read, going on to describe Holmes as “a man of deep religious conviction” and accuse Democrats of having “unfairly tagged him a misogynist, misunderstanding what the pope, the U.S. bishops and Holmes have said regarding this matter.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“It does not get better than this,” Miranda enthused in his cover note. Miranda later left his post over a scandal in which he was implicated in secretly accessing and leaking Democratic computer files about judicial nominations. Holmes was confirmed.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The religion wars only intensified when Bush nominated William Pryor to serve on the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.&nbsp;</b>Because he was up for an appellate seat, Pryor generated more adamant Democratic opposition than had Holmes. Senators probed his hard-line beliefs on abortion, church-state separation, and LGBTQ rights, including questioning him about his rescheduling of a family vacation to Disney World because it coincided with “Gay Day,”and an amicus brief he authored as Alabama attorney general in the landmark Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas, in which he argued that gay sex should remain criminalized because the Court had “never recognized a fundamental right to engage in sexual activity outside of monogamous heterosexual marriage, let alone to engage in homosexual sodomy.” Pryor supporters, again, portrayed legitimate questions about a nominee’s position on abortion—a constitutional right that enjoys majority support among not only Americans as a whole but also among Catholics—as a de facto litmus test against Catholics.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Their intention is smearing senators as anti-religious for asking questions,” said Peter Montgomery, senior fellow at People for the American Way, which has been in the thick of judicial nominations for decades. “In doing that they’re hoping to intimidate the senator somehow. They raise these questions when senators are asking the nominees about important issues like Roe v. Wade.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Throughout this entire period, Kavanaugh was specifically enlisted by the Bush White House to engage the Catholic community, including about judges.</b>&nbsp;He was asked, along with&nbsp;<b>Karl Rove</b>, to address supporters of the Catholic magazine Crisis. He also spoke about judicial nominations to a Pro-Life Pilgrimage from Legatus, a conservative Catholic network created by Domino’s Pizza founder Thomas Monaghan, for Catholic business leaders who have “committed themselves to study, live and spread the Catholic faith in their business and personal lives.” And he volunteered to be the office’s specialist on faith-based initiatives, “given my general interest and my previous religious liberty work in my pre-WH days.” Kavanaugh had served on the Religious Liberty Practice Group at the Federalist Society; in private practice he authored an amicus brief in a school-prayer case, arguing that student-delivered prayers at football games were constitutional (the Supreme Court held that they were not).</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It was during the Pryor nomination fight that conservative advocacy groups first aggressively advanced the claim that Catholics were being excluded from the bench by the left. The Committee for Justice, led by former George H.W. Bush White House Counsel C. Boyden Gray, and the Ave Maria List, a political-action committee funded by Monaghan, ran newspaper ads in support of Pryor that targeted moderate and swing-state Democratic senators. The ads featured a picture of a closed courtroom door with a sign over it reading, “Catholics Need Not Apply”—the first of the phrase’s many appearances in confirmation campaigns.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Senate Republicans helped press the charge that Democrats were anti-religion. Hatch, then the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters, “It appears that nominees who openly adhere to Catholic and Baptist doctrines, as a matter of personal faith, are unqualified for the federal bench in the eyes of the liberal Washington interest groups. Period.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But the Committee for Justice ads drew condemnation from other quarters, including from the Anti-Defamation League, which protested that they were “misleading and inflammatory.” A Washington Post editorial described them as “beyond the pale.” Senate Democrats mounted a filibuster, consigning Pryor to a recess appointment, but he was eventually confirmed in 2005 in a bipartisan deal.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The political battle, however, turned out to be far more damaging to the senators who had opposed Pryor’s confirmation.&nbsp;</b>As the 2004 election season got underway, it became clear that an attack machine sounding the alarm about anti-Catholic bias was perfectly comfortable with harsh assaults on Catholic Democrats. Then–Senate minority leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Patrick Leahy of Vermont, both Catholics themselves, had denounced the Committee for Justice ads on the Senate floor. Daschle, declaring himself “proud of my Catholic faith,” said, “I know about the bias against immigrants and against Catholics. That was real discrimination. What is being spread this week is a falsehood uttered for partisan political purposes.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Despite his public declaration of pride in his Catholic faith, Daschle would become a target of conservatives—including conservative Catholics—who sought to oust him from the Senate in order to pave a clear path for confirmation of Bush’s judicial picks. The 2004 elections, with John Kerry, another liberal Catholic at the top of the presidential ticket, featured brutal attacks on both men’s faith.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Republican National Committee attacked Kerry’s Catholicism, launching a website, KerryWrongforCatholics.com, critical of his positions on abortion, same-sex marriage, and judicial nominations, noting that as senator he had pledged to “filibuster any Supreme Court nominee who would turn back the clock on the right to choose, on civil rights and individual liberties, on the laws protecting workers and the environment.” Kerry was also being Swift Boated, a campaign conceived in part by a PR firm, Creative Response Concepts, that would go on to become a player in the Catholic judicial-nominations network. The Committee for Justice launched a website and ad campaign called “Kerry’s Scary” to attack his views on abortion, same-sex marriage and the pope, as well as his judicial philosophy, calling the latter issue urgent because “Court watchers believe as many as four Justices might retire in the next four years.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Conservatives also raised questions about Daschle’s Catholicism during his 2004 reelection bid, attacking him in ads over his stance on the judiciary, abortion, and LGBTQ rights. The stakes were high for those who dreamed of a conservative takeover of the courts: If Democrats reversed Republicans’ razor-thin margin in the Senate, they would control the chamber, giving them the ability to block Bush’s nominees, including for anticipated Supreme Court vacancies, or push through those nominated by a potential president Kerry.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Even before the campaign got underway, conservative magazines spread stories that Daschle’s bishop was denying him communion because he was divorced. Then the ads started. The Ave Maria List PAC spent $100,000 running ads accusing Daschle of misinforming South Dakota voters that he was against abortion. One ad said Daschle had once called abortion “an abhorrent practice,” but had later supported pro-choice groups as senator. “Tom Daschle tries to claim he’s pro-life even though his voting record and actions in Washington prove he’s not,” the ad charged. “Tom Daschle has changed and it’s time for South Dakota voters to make a change of their own.”</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Another anti-Daschle ad campaign, titled “You’re Fired”—modeled on Trump’s reality-television show The Apprentice—was produced by the You’re Fired PAC and funded by Robin P.<b>&nbsp;Arkley</b>&nbsp;II, a California real-estate magnate. Arkley donated over half a million dollars to the effort.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“The people of South Dakota want to protect traditional marriage,” an affiliated website declared. “You’re Fired Inc. believes the Federal Marriage Amendment is the only way to prevent liberal, activist judges from imposing same sex marriage as they have in Massachusetts—on the rest of American society.” The site depicted a boardroom meeting, during which an executive concluded, “We have one too many Democrats around here and that’s not a good thing,” punctuating his statement with the trademark “You’re fired.” Another Arkley ad charged that Daschle “refused to protect marriage” and “would let liberal, activist judges redefine it.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Daschle lost his reelection bid, the Republicans retained control of the Senate, and Bush beat Kerry, winning reelection to a second term during which he put John Roberts and Samuel Alito on the Supreme Court.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">With the White House and Senate in Republican hands, and with the GOP riding high on passing same-sex marriage bans at the ballot box in 11 states, conservative activists set to work on getting Bush’s conservative judicial nominees confirmed. After the 2004 election, one of Arkley’s top aides, Ann Corkery, who had directed philanthropy at his loan-servicing firm, founded the Judicial Confirmation Network. The group blandly described itself as “an organization of citizens joined together to support the confirmation of highly qualified individuals to the Supreme Court of the United States.” Yet Corkery and her husband Neil would soon become pivotal figures in a broadening coalition of conservatives as they prepared for the confirmation battles ahead.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That coalition, according to a 2006 account in Crisis magazine, was directed by a “war room” of activists “acquainted with each other through Catholic and conservative public causes.” Among them were major players from the Bush reelection campaign, including Gary Marx, who had led the campaign’s outreach to social conservatives, and Greg Mueller, described by Crisis as “the group’s public-relations maestro,” whose public relations firm, Creative Response Concepts, had advised Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Today, CRC represents the Judicial Crisis Network as well as the Catholic Association, another advocacy group the Corkerys helped launch in 2007, to influence policy-makers on issues concerning “the family, Catholic institutions, religious liberty, and cultural values.” CRC did not respond to repeated requests to interview representatives of JCN and the Catholic Association.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">According to Crisis, “Mueller, Leo, and their colleagues would provide the main talking points, media training, rapid response to any attacks on the nominees, assistance with ad buys, and ongoing legal analysis.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Our most important goals were to support the idea of judicial restraint, to define the character of the nominee within the first 24 hours, and to continue to provide support as the process wended its way,” Leo told Crisis, reflecting on the war room’s role in the successful confirmation of both Roberts and Alito. “To accomplish this, we engaged in a variety of approaches—an aggressive paid media effort, rapid response activity, and positive messages.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Mueller described the war room in far more political terms. “We tried to take the approach of corporate crisis management, along with the daily political communications that go on in a political campaign.” It fell to Marx, fresh off the Bush-Cheney campaign and newly appointed as JCN’s first executive director, as Crisis wrote, to develop “a state-based strategy that would target the political pressure points—an organization that would make Democratic senators in Republican states feel the political heat.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">During Bush’s second term—as Kavanaugh’s nomination to the DC Circuit was held up over a period of years, with Democrats arguing that his role in drafting the Starr Report and in the investigation of the suicide of Clinton aide Vince Foster had marked him as too partisan to warrant his confirmation as a judge—<b>the war room kicked in. JCN openly threatened Democratic senators with the Daschle treatment.</b>&nbsp;If lawmakers filibuster Kavanaugh, JCN warned in 2006, a midterm-election year, “Americans in key states will react just as they did when former Senate Democrat leader Tom Daschle did the same thing. Americans care about judges and the role of the courts in our society.” The Senate confirmed Kavanaugh two weeks later, by a vote of 57-36.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Today, the<b>&nbsp;president of JCN is not a public figure like Marx but a player so behind-the-scenes as to barely leave a public trace. But Daniel Casey, a public-relations, political, and “crisis” consultant, is a veteran of the Bork confirmation battle—a fight that conservatives painfully lost, triggering the scorched-earth organizing JCN spearheads today.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Then the executive director of the American Conservative Union, Casey was “a crucial player” in the Bork fight, said Patrick McGuigan, who worked then for the Free Congress Foundation, a political advocacy group founded by religious-right architect Paul Weyrich that helped push the GOP to the right. The dust jacket of Ninth Justice, a book McGuigan wrote with Weyrich’s daughter Dawn, detailing each move and countermove in the Bork fight, describes McGuigan and Casey as “intensely Republican, devout Catholics, ardent admirers of the nominee—who understood from the first moment of the battle that they were involved in the most significant political confrontation of their lives.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">McGuigan, who now works as a journalist in Oklahoma, described his relationship with Casey as “co-captains” in the Bork battle, in which conservatives were heavily outspent and outmaneuvered by the liberal opposition. He said that at the time, there was “insufficient organization of ideas and messaging on the conservative side of things compared to the left side.” Casey’s forte, said McGuigan, was “neighborhood by neighborhood, precinct by precinct, household by household organization patterned after the labor unions, but on the conservative end of the spectrum instead. I think that’s what Dan was good at.” (Casey declined to be interviewed for this article, referring interview requests to Peter Robbio at CRC, who did not respond.) In the years after the failure of the Bork nomination, conservatives saw the appointment of Kennedy, and then of Bill Clinton’s nominees Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer. Although Kennedy was nominated by a Republican, he proved a bitter disappointment to conservatives, particularly for his majority opinion in Lawrence in 2003, ruling anti-sodomy laws unconstitutional—a ruling that led, 12 years later, to the legalization of same-sex marriage nationwide.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">During the&nbsp;<b>Bork</b>&nbsp;hearings, Casey argued that “the American people should be outraged that the liberals are spending millions of dollars to try to buy a Supreme Court seat.” Three decades later, Casey is the president of the moneyed advocacy organizations JCN and the related Judicial Education Project, as well as of Catholic Voices. He is also treasurer and director of the Catholic Association Foundation and the Catholic Association. Together, they are part of a multimillion-dollar dark-money campaign backing a relentless drive by Trump and his Republican allies in the Senate to reshape the federal judiciary for generations, from federal trial courts all the way to the Supreme Court, and to shape public opinion about Catholicism and religious liberty.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">JCN does not disclose the identity of its donors. But the group has said it anticipates spending at least $10 million advocating for Kavanaugh’s nomination. While many of the early ads focused on promoting Kavanaugh as a mainstream, impartial jurist admired by former clerks of all political stripes, the most recent ads touted him a “grand slam for conservatives” and warned Democrats against succumbing to “pressure from East Coast liberals.”</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">After 2008, the Judicial Confirmation Network changed tacks, from battering the opponents of Bush’s court nominees to blocking President Barack Obama’s. JCN, now renamed the<b>&nbsp;Judicial Crisis Network, was the first conservative organization to blast Obama’s selection of Sonia Sotomayor—a Catholic</b>—as “a liberal judicial activist of the first order who thinks her own personal political agenda is more important that the law as written.” Although JCN had repeatedly claimed that liberal Democrats had unfairly attacked conservative Catholics, it again did not hesitate to attack a liberal Catholic.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">John Gehring, Catholic program director at Faith in Public Life, a liberal group that advocates for progressive expressions of faith in politics, said that for conservative Catholics, Obama’s presidency “was very formative to the idea that Catholic identity was under siege by an administration that had elitist contempt for what the church believes.” The University of Notre Dame’s invitation to the pro-choice Obama to deliver a commencement speech in 2009, said Gehring, triggered “a huge divide” and “an earthquake in Catholic political conversation.” The Obama administration’s policies, particularly the contraception benefit written into the Affordable Care Act, which became the core target of conservatives’ legal strategy on religious freedom, further inflamed the world of conservative Catholicism.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But Gehring argues that this “well-funded, deep network” has “had disproportionate influence on what Catholic identity is in the public square and in politics.” He said the network has helped to create the distorted impression that Catholic priorities are limited to opposing abortion and LGBTQ rights, when traditional Catholic social-justice teaching includes a range of issues such as immigration, poverty, and the environment. Gehring pointed out, as an example, that conservative Catholics ignore the 1891 papal encyclical, “Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor,” written in support of workers rights, including the right to unionize.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">What’s more, the conservative network’s position on abortion doesn’t represent the majority of Catholics. According to the Pew Research Center, 53 percent of Catholics say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. O’Brien, of Catholics for Choice, also points out that “Catholic women have abortions at the same rate as women of other faiths or no faith.” Kavanaugh’s decisions as an appellate judge on reproductive rights and the role of religion in politics, O’Brien added, “underscore just how out of touch he is with the majority of Catholics who are pro-choice and who support a healthy separation between church and state.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>During the Obama era, the dark money ramped up. The Wellspring Committee,<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">a nonprofit formed in 2008 where&nbsp;<b>both Corkerys have served as president</b>, became the chief funder of JCN, bankrolling its campaigns to block Merrick Garland’s confirmation, and, under Trump, to support the nomination of Neil Gorsuch and other nominees to federal courts. According to an investigation last year by the Center for Responsive Politics, “most of Wellspring’s funds, in turn, came from a single mysterious donor who gave the organization almost $28.5 million—nearly 90 percent of its $32.2 million in revenues” in 2016. According to this report, Wellspring gave more than $23 million to JCN in 2016, quadrupling its 2015 donation to the group of $5.8 million.</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Wellspring&nbsp;</b>also donated money to the Catholic Association, another nonprofit the Corkerys helped found, this one to advocate on behalf of “religious liberty,” and to the Federalist Society. In yet another sign of the intimacy of this network, the association paid Leo, known as Trump’s Supreme Court whisperer, $120,000 for “management consulting.” (Leo also earned $435,000 from the Federalist Society that year, according to its tax return.) Neither Leo nor the Corkerys responded to requests for comment.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Another mysterious Corkery-linked company,<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;BH Group LLC</span>, created in 2016, donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee</b>. Not much is known about what BH Group does, or who its principals are, but in 2016, the Corkerys’ Wellspring Committee paid BH Group $750,000 for “public relations,” according to its tax return, and JCN paid the firm $947,000 for “consulting services.” And Leo later identified BH Group as his employer in an FEC filing.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In early May 2017, about a month after Gorsuch was confirmed to the Supreme Court, Leo was awarded the prestigious Canterbury Medal from the&nbsp;<b>Becket Fund&nbsp;</b>for Religious Liberty, billed by the organization as “religious liberty’s highest honor.” A major Christian-right legal firm, the Becket Fund is best known for its victory in 2014’s landmark Hobby Lobby case, in which the Supreme Court ruled that the Affordable Care Act’s requirement of contraceptive coverage violated the company’s religious freedom. In his acceptance speech at a gala held at The Pierre, a New York luxury hotel overlooking Central Park, Leo, in white tie, could barely conceal his elation that Trump had beaten the odds to win the White House. Looking back on the campaign, Leo recalled the “fear that permeated every day in that countdown to November 8” and rejoiced at the “amazing turn of events, thanks to our 45th president.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">With Trump as president<b>, Leo is, for all practical purposes, on the inside, as a handsomely compensated guide to judicial nominees who will satisfy religious conservatives. JCN runs the outside game,&nbsp;</b>spending its mounds of dark money to promote the president’s—or rather, Leo’s—judicial nominees.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">But even as the Trump administration was already well on its way to stacking the judiciary, including the Supreme Court, with judges inclined to expand the reach of Hobby Lobby, Leo had not quite let go of the urgency of the Obama years—or what he’d seen as the threat of a potential Hillary Clinton presidency suppressing religious freedom.&nbsp;</span>“As government policy becomes more grudging toward religious freedom, that attitude spreads in the broader culture. A hostile stance in Washington creates space for groups with kindred ideological designs,” Leo said, going on to warn of even more dire consequences. “A government that suffocates something so elemental as freedom of religion is not likely to be respectful of any other right.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">At one point, he released the tension with a joke at Clinton’s expense. “Of course everyone thought they knew how the election was going to go,” Leo said. “The Democratic nominee looked so confident, so relaxed, so content. With just days remaining, what could possibly go wrong?” And then, “Well, not everyone had access to&nbsp;<b>Rebekah Mercer</b>’s crystal ball.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">At the time Leo spoke, Mercer’s family’s data-analytics firm, Cambridge Analytica, was not yet under federal investigation for harvesting private Facebook data and potentially violating US election laws. But even so, it was striking that he referenced the Mercer family—whose political giving is led by Rebekah and her father Robert, the reclusive, Trump-supporting, Republican financier—at a celebration of religious freedom, given that one of the family’s pet projects, Breitbart News, has long been a hotbed of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. It turns out that Mercer had also long been a generous funder of an array of organizations in Leo’s orbit—the conservative legal and Christian organizations that claim to represent ordinary citizens fed up with Democrat-appointed “judicial activists” and Democratic “gridlock” in holding up Republican nominees.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Charity filings show that between 2013 and 2016, the Mercer Family Foundation gave a million dollars to the Becket Fund,</b>&nbsp;on whose board Leo has served since 2014. Between 2013 and 2015, the foundation donated nearly $6 million to the Federalist Society. In fact, Rebekah Mercer’s ties with Leo go even deeper.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>In 2014, Leo joined the board of a new group called Reclaim New York, led by Mercer and Steve Bannon, then ensconced at Breitbart.</b>&nbsp;The group claims to provide citizen trainings to “empower citizens to engage their state and local government,” but critics call it an astroturf organization dedicated instead to sowing distrust in state and local government and laying the groundwork for far-right Republican candidates to win elections. In 2015, Reclaim New York shared office space with Cambridge Analytica in midtown Manhattan and paid the firm for data-analytic services. (Reclaim New York did not respond to a request for comment about Leo’s role.) In 2016, Leo, along with Mercer and Kellyanne Conway, now a top adviser to President Trump, incorporated a related lobbying organization, the Reclaim New York Initiative.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">A core element of Leo’s strategy, throughout the Bush and Obama years, was to portray religious freedom, a treasured American virtue, as under siege by supposed government overreach and disdainful, elite liberal culture. In another May 2017 speech, this one before the&nbsp;<b>Acton&nbsp;</b>Institute, a conservative think tank, Leo placed the blame on the left for making confirmation battles “so intense.” Liberals, he said, want to invest the Supreme Court with “something close to absolute power,” including the<b>“creation of rights found nowhere in the text or structure of the Constitution,”</b>&nbsp;citing Griswold v. Connecticut, from 1965, which struck down laws criminalizing the sale of contraception; Roe v. Wade, from 1973, which legalized abortion; and Obergefell v. Hodges, from 2015, which legalized same-sex marriage.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>But now, he said, thanks to Trump, liberals were finally losing control of the courts. “For constitutionalists,” Leo told the Acton Institute, “our improbable 45th president has turned out to be, to borrow a phrase from his predecessor, the change we’ve been waiting for.”</b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Sarah PosnerTWITTERSarah Posner is a Reporting Fellow with the Investigative Fund and expert on the intersection of religion and politics.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Most Americans have probably never heard of Leonard A. Leo, who has long served as executive vice president of the Federalist Society, an organization of conservatives and libertarians who “place a premium on individual liberty, traditional values and the rule of law.” But as Mr. Trump begins the process of filling what could be the most federal court vacancies left to any president in nearly a half-century, Mr. Leo is playing a critical role in reshaping the judiciary.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">He sits at the nexus of an immensely influential but largely unseen network of conservative organizations, donors and lawyers who all share a common goal: Fill the federal courts with scores of judges who are committed to the narrow interpretation of the Constitution that they believe the founders intended.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“The Supreme Court needs to be an institution that helps to undergird limited constitutional government,” said Mr. Leo, 51, whose cerebral, unassuming demeanor belies the enormous clout he has developed in Washington.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">It is a worldview that has brought Mr. Leo and his allies together with a range of conservative players. In addition to major corporate backers such as Google and Chevron, the Federalist Society’s supporters include well-known industry-oriented and libertarian-minded business leaders like Charles G. and David H. Koch; the family foundation of Richard Mellon Scaife; and the Mercer family, which gave significantly to Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign and helped start Breitbart News.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Photo</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Cardboard cutouts of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch at the Judicial Crisis Network’s booth at the Conservative Political Action Conference last month. Credit Al Drago/The New York Times</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This judicial reformation is being coordinated from Washington by a relatively small team closely aligned around Mr. Leo, who is on leave from the Federalist Society while he helps the White House shepherd the Gorsuch nomination. The network includes John G. Malcolm of the Heritage Foundation and Ann Corkery, a Washington lawyer who along with her husband, Neil, oversees the Judicial Crisis Network and related dark-money groups that also support the cause.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">While a free-market agenda and the desire to place judges who will be more skeptical of federal and state regulations is a driving force, several central players in the group are also motivated by intense religious beliefs.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“We can have an incredible impact,” said Carrie Severino, chief counsel of the Judicial Crisis Network. Ms. Severino counts among her clients Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, a group of Catholic nuns who participated in a lawsuit that reached the Supreme Court alleging that Obamacare limited their religious freedom.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp; &nbsp; With my client Mother Assumpta in front of the Supreme Court - tons of nuns supporting religious freedom! pic.twitter.com/sIxJ0TqZgp</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp; &nbsp; — Carrie Severino (@JCNSeverino) March 23, 2016&nbsp;</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Judge Gorsuch, 49, is their first test case, with his confirmation hearing set to begin on Monday — but the conservative activists say more is at stake than just the Supreme Court.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“Make no mistake,” Mr. Leo said in a speech last month at the Ronald Reagan Dinner at the Conservative Political Action Conference. “How we deal with this vacancy now, the strength that we as the pro-Constitution movement demonstrate in this fight, will determine the extent to which we are able to both nominate and confirm pro-Constitution judges as we move forward.”</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Document</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The Money Behind Conservative Legal Movement</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Tens of millions of dollars flow each year to a collection of non profit groups — from the Federalist Society to the Judicial Crisis Network — that are trying to reshape the federal and state judicial systems. Most of the money moves anonymously, other is disclosed. Here we take a look.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">OPEN Document</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mr. Trump already has 124 judgeships to fill — a backlog created by Senate Republicans who blocked the confirmation of many of President Barack Obama’s nominees. That includes 19 vacancies on the federal appeals courts.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Because of the age of many judges today, the White House expects between 70 to 90 appeals court positions to open up over the next four years. That would give Mr. Trump the opportunity to fill anywhere from one-third to half of all appellate seats — a profound impact considering that those courts are often the final word on thousands of cases that never reach the Supreme Court.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The scale and sophistication of the right’s judicial confirmation efforts would seem to portend a dark period ahead for the left, which, despite having made great strides under Mr. Obama, finds itself outmaneuvered.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“The right wing, very purposely and methodically, has built a stable of nominees that fit their ideological profile, and it’s been a national movement, well organized and strategized,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, who serves on the Judiciary Committee. “Frankly, I think the progressives of the Democratic Party have been less vigilant and vigorous than the right.”</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Hitching to Trump</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">There was little question to whom Mr. Trump would turn when he was putting together his list of possible Supreme Court nominees last year: Mr. Leo, who has spent almost his entire legal career at the Federalist Society, after graduating from Cornell Law School in 1989.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Photo</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A bookshelf in Mr. Leo’s office displays trinkets related to Supreme Court justices. Credit Lexey Swall for The New York Times</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The father of seven children and fond of speaking in biblical allusions, he rose to prominence more than a decade ago as the Republican Party’s co-chairman of Catholic outreach. At Justice Antonin Scalia’s funeral last year, he read from the Old Testament.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">When President George W. Bush made his two nominations to the Supreme Court in 2005, picking Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., Mr. Leo assumed the responsibility of coordinating outside campaigns to buttress their Senate confirmations. It is a role — which he has described as analogous to running a political campaign — that he has reprised with the Gorsuch confirmation.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mr. Leo has an exalted reputation among conservatives, including Scott Pruitt, the former Oklahoma attorney general who is now head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Pruitt recalled in a speech last year at the conservative bastion Hillsdale College how he was in Washington for a Federalist Society meeting in 2013. Mr. Leo asked him to stay an extra night for dinner, without giving a hint of who might show up.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“Any time that Leonard asks you to go to dinner, you stay, because he feeds you well,” Mr. Pruitt said. But it was not only the menu that was impressive. Mr. Pruitt arrived to see Justices Scalia and Clarence Thomas at the table.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“We spent three hours talking about the Constitution and things that we were involved in as attorneys general,” Mr. Pruitt recalled. “It was a fabulous time.”</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Graphic</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Older Judges and Vacant Seats Give Trump Huge Power to Shape American Courts</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mr. Trump could soon find himself responsible for appointing a greater share of federal court judges than any first-term president in 40 years.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">OPEN Graphic</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mr. Leo has been at the center of Mr. Trump’s judicial selection process since last spring, when Donald F. McGahn II, Mr. Trump’s campaign lawyer and now the White House counsel, introduced them. It helped enormously that Mr. Leo came to the campaign at a critical time of need.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mr. Trump’s relationship with the conservative moment was tenuous at best. Last March, a prominent group of Catholic leaders in the United States, including several with close ties to Mr. Leo, published an open letter in National Review, a conservative magazine, declaring Mr. Trump “manifestly unfit to be president of the United States.” It was the type of rejection that was becoming all too worrisome for Mr. Trump. At the same time, a faction of delegates threatened to block his nomination.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">So in May, in an unprecedented move for a presidential candidate, Mr. Trump shrewdly released the first of two lists of people he was considering to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Scalia, at first with help from Mr. Malcolm of the Heritage Foundation. Judge Gorsuch’s name was added in a second version of this list, with Mr. Trump thanking the Federalist Society and Heritage for their help.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Polls showed this published list of 21 names was a significant factor in the election. Of the one-fifth of voters who said the Supreme Court was the most important issue in their decision, 57 percent voted for Mr. Trump.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mr. Trump gave broad discretion to Mr. Leo and his colleagues. Mr. Trump’s most important criterion, these lawyers said, was that he wanted judges who were “not weak” and of “high quality.”</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Photo</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Carrie Severino, chief counsel of the Judicial Crisis Network, said efforts to secure Judge Gorsuch’s seat on the Supreme Court reflected the consensus of voters who put President Trump in power. Credit T.J. Kirkpatrick for The New York Times</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Their approach in coming up with candidates was similar to President Ronald Reagan’s. “They had this very sophisticated, detailed frame of reference from which they could begin to say, ‘O.K., well, who understands these things like we do?’” Mr. Leo said in an interview, referring to the Reagan era. “As opposed to an administration that might sit around and say, ‘Who’s a really smart lawyer who’s been really accomplished?’ Or, ‘Hey, what about my frat buddy from 1964?’”</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">And as Reagan did by nominating Justices Scalia and Anthony M. Kennedy, Mr. Leo and his conservative colleagues have looked for judges who can serve as long as possible. “Young is good,” Mr. Leo said. “There will be an opportunity for a transformation of the federal bench.”</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A Small Network</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Even before Mr. Trump walked into the East Room of the White House on Jan. 31 to name Judge Gorsuch as his first Supreme Court nominee, the public relations campaign to confirm him had started.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“Neil Gorsuch’s talent and skill would make for a great #SupremeCourt Justice,” said a post sent out on Twitter by the Judicial Crisis Network on the afternoon before the announcement.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">By that point, television and radio advertisements about Judge Gorsuch were already on their way to stations across the country. The campaign focused on five states picked for a very explicit reason: Each had a Democratic senator up for re-election next year, and all the states had voted to elect Trump.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Outdoorsman Video by Judicial Crisis Network</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This more public part of the push — Mr. Leo has never been particularly comfortable in the spotlight — has been handled by Ms. Severino, 40, a Harvard Law School graduate who served as a clerk to Justice Thomas and is a frequent speaker at Federalist events. Ms. Severino said the group’s efforts to secure Judge Gorsuch’s confirmation reflected the consensus of American voters, who picked Mr. Trump in part because of the Supreme Court choices he said he would make.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Photo</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Television ads supporting Judge Gorsuch aired in states that voted for Mr. Trump and have Democratic senators up for re-election next year. Credit Judicial Crisis Network</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">But an examination of the Judicial Crisis Network’s operations and financial records suggests that the group, in fact, has an incredibly narrow base. In 2015, the last year that tax records were available, the Judicial Crisis Network’s entire budget of $5.7 million appears to have come from a single donor, an organization called the Wellspring Committee, based in Manassas, Va., that describes its mission as advancing “limited government and free markets.” Judicial Crisis and a sister organization, the Judicial Education Project, reported in tax returns that they had a total of only two employees and no volunteers, and instead largely relied on outside consultants, like CRC Public Relations, a Virginia firm that also lists the Federalist Society and other conservative groups as clients.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Ms. Severino, asked whether her group was simply a shell to secretly move money on behalf of others, said the Judicial Crisis Network should not be judged based on the size of its staff.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“We are not trying to be a large membership organization,” Ms. Severino said in a written statement, sent by CRC, which asked that the remarks be attributed to her. “There are others who excel at that type of work, and we are happy to support them as allies.”</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">It is clear that there are close personal ties among the leaders of the push to confirm Judge Gorsuch. Ann and Neil Corkery help run a network of nonprofit organizations like Catholic Voices USA, an organization that promotes the church’s views. They also help Mr. Leo in managing the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, tax records show.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Photo</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mr. Trump has 124 judgeships to fill, including 19 vacancies on the federal appeals courts. Credit Al Drago/The New York Times</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">There are even overlaps with the funding. Mr. Corkery is listed as treasurer of the Judicial Crisis Network. A separate Internal Revenue Service filing shows that Ms. Corkery is president of the Wellspring Committee. Tax records from the past two years also show that Mr. and Ms. Corkery were paid nearly $600,000 to help run 15 nonprofit groups, including the Judicial Crisis Network. They declined requests to discuss their overlapping roles in these organizations.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The impact of this intertwined network can also be seen in a number of state-level efforts to appoint more originalist judges.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Last year, the Judicial Crisis Network and a second organization it donated money to bought political advertisements in two Supreme Court races in Arkansas, which are decided directly by voters. The advertising by the groups, which spent far more than the candidates themselves, attracted widespread attention to what has normally been a low-profile race.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The intervention was considered disturbing enough that the Republican-controlled state legislature held a special hearing last year where those targeted by the groups testified.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“I suppose some with misplaced or contorted egos might be flattered these shadowy groups would spend over a half-million dollars directed to keep one off the court,“ said Clark W. Mason, a Little Rock, Ark., lawyer who was one of the candidates for the Supreme Court. “But I am outraged. They are attempting to shift the scale of justice.”</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The legislature this year failed to pass a law that would require a group like Judicial Crisis to disclose the source of its funding if it wants to play a similar role in future elections in the state.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Judicial Crisis has also donated more than $2 million to the Republican Attorneys General Association — making it the single largest contributor in the 2016 election cycle, as it sought to elect top state law enforcement officers who could bring conservative-inspired cases to state or federal courts with judges the group also helped put into place.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mark Holden, general counsel of Koch Industries, a donor to the Federalist Society, said in an interview that the efforts of these conservative legal activists were necessary to overcome a bias favoring judges who put their agendas before the law.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“It’s very important that we have the right people in place, people who will follow our laws, judges who will follow our laws as they have been written and not as they wish they were written,” Mr. Holden said.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">One point all the parties agree on: Mr. Trump must not repeat the mistake that Mr. Bush made in moving slowly to fill the many vacancies in the federal court system.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mr. Leo is ready to play his part.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“Those nominations to the lower federal courts are a high priority to the president and for senior administration staff,” Mr. Leo said in an interview last month that was broadcast on C-Span. He said the number of vacancies was historic. “It is something that is very much on the president’s mind.”</font></p><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/18/us/politics/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court-conservatives.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/18/us/politics/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court-conservatives.html</a></font></div><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/ann-corkery/</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">koch conf?</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">...most prominent guest was Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, but his table also boasted a mix of high-powered conservatives, including some deep-pocketed donors. Among the elite were&nbsp;<b>Federalist Society executive Leonard Leo</b>, fundraiser and lawyer&nbsp;<b>Ann Corkery</b>, and California real estate magnate Robin Arkley II. “The big prize was to sit next to Scalia,” quipped one attendee at the soiree, adding that Arkley was one such lucky winner.</font></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">As it happened, the bash coincided with the birth of a new judicial advocacy outfit that Corkery was instrumental in launching, and Arkley in funding, according to<b>&nbsp;</b>conservative sources familiar with the events. The Judicial Confirmation Network (JCN), set up as a 501(c)(4) “social welfare” group that doesn’t disclose its donors, would prove to be a crucial player in drumming up support for Bush Supreme Court nominees John Roberts Jr. and Samuel Alito Jr. — eventual allies for Scalia on the Court’s right flank.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In the years since, JCN’s modus operandi and battlegrounds have shifted — particularly since Barack Obama won the White House, which prompted the group to sound the alarm and change its name to the Judicial&nbsp;<i>Crisis</i>&nbsp;Network. In the ensuing years, not only has it fought to block Obama’s nominees to the high court, but it has spent millions to sway state judicial elections and attorneys general races, helping to uphold state laws backed by conservatives, nurture like-minded talent in the states, and advance pro-business, limited-government legal agendas aligned with its donors’ leanings.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>To expand its influence in state elections, JCN has emerged as a pipeline for secret money to other, better-known dark money groups like the Wisconsin Club for Growth and the American Future Fund which, in turn, have spent big bucks in state Supreme Court and AG races.</b></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">JCN heightened its focus on AG races last year when it pumped $1 million in secret money into the Republican Attorneys General Association, making it the third-biggest contributor to RAGA and helping the GOP pick up three new slots so that it now controls the majority of state AG posts.&nbsp;<b>&nbsp;</b></font></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">JCN’s pivotal part in the surge of spending on court elections has received scant attention. But in 2012,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mcfn.org/pdfs/reports/MCFN_2012_Cit_Guide_final_rev..pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">it dished out more than $2 million</a>&nbsp;in court races in Michigan alone — half of that in a single down-ticket state circuit contest</span>, SCHUTTE according to the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mcfn.org/pdfs/reports/MCFN_2012_Cit_Guide_final_rev..pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Michigan Campaign Finance Network</a>. And over the last two years, the organization contributed a minimum of<b>&nbsp;</b>about $2 million to groups that were involved in 2014 state judicial elections and efforts to influence how judges are chosen. Recipients of JCN checks<b>&nbsp;</b>included the many-tentacled Republican State Leadership Committee, which for the first time invested in court races around the country, spending more on them than any other outside group.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>More broadly, in the last election cycle TV ad spending in state Supreme Court elections jumped to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.justiceatstake.org/newsroom/press-releases-16824/?tv_ad_spending_reaches_nearly_14_million_in_2014_state_supreme_court_races&show=news&newsID=19337" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">at least $13.8 million</a></b>, according to a preliminary tally by the nonprofit Justice at Stake Campaign. Outside groups, both conservative and liberal, accounted for an estimated $4.9 million of that, or more than 35 percent — a greater share than ever before.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The sharp rise in judicial election spending by JCN and other groups on both sides of the political aisle troubles some judicial candidates who have been targeted. “To the extent that judicial campaigns start looking like other campaigns, there’s a risk that judges will be perceived as having a political agenda,” Sam Ervin IV, a North Carolina Supreme Court justice, told&nbsp;<em>The Daily Beast</em>. Ervin, who was elected &nbsp;in 2014 and is the grandson of the celebrated senator who led Congress’s investigation of the Watergate scandal, lost an earlier race in 2012 after a spending blitz by several outside groups totaling almost $2.6 million, much of it dark money including $75,000 from JCN. “The public is better served, in an environment where judges are elected, if they know the source of the funding for those campaigns,” Ervin, a Democrat, added.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">To fill its own coffers, JCN has increasingly relied on funding — to the tune of nearly $4 million, according to IRS documents — from another non-disclosing group, the&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Wellspring Committee, that’s run by Corkery</b>&nbsp;and was founded seven years ago with the help of conservative donors in the network led by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch. Corkery’s entree to that rarefied network came via JCN supporter Arkley, an early attendee of their famed retreats. And Ann Corkery and her husband, Neil — who is JCN’s treasurer — are central figures in a cluster of other nonprofits, IRS filings show.</span></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong>A fast rise</strong></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">JCN’s early niche entailed working in tandem with a well-organized conservative coalition — in which Leo, the Federalist Society’s executive vice president, was a key player — to ensure that Roberts and Alito won Senate confirmation. To that end, JCN spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in 2005 and January 2006 on radio and online ads, as well as on grassroots efforts, to shape public opinion. One example: The group ran a radio ad blitz in late 2005 in Arkansas, where the two Democratic senators’ votes were considered in play, using Christmas themes and an appeal from a black minister.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Well-connected consultants helped JCN get things up and running. One was&nbsp;<b>Gary Marx,&nbsp;</b>a rising social conservative star who Corkery recruited to became the group’s executive director, according to a well-placed source.</font></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Another was New York lawyer&nbsp;<b>Wendy Long,</b>&nbsp;a former clerk for Clarence Thomas. She left the law firm Kirkland & Ellis and signed on as counsel to JCN, becoming the organization’s face on cable news and buttressing its legal bona fides.</font></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">But mostly, JCN’s early rise was attributable to Corkery’s ability to rope in a few big donors. “Ann is very good at cultivating relationships and capitalizing on them,” a conservative source observed.</font></p></section><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Robin Arkley, the president and CEO of Security National Corp. who had tapped Corkery to be his political liaison and senior advisor, became a key underwriter of JCN’s operations, to the tune of the high six or low seven figures, sources say. The pair went to some of the early fundraising and policy retreats held by the Kochs — events that now draw a glittering cast of wealthy allies and conservative stars to raise millions for the brothers’ network of politically active groups. Arkley was also a financial backer of the Federalist Society. “Arkley helped put Ann in play” as a liaison to funding for advocacy groups on the right, said one conservative.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Corkery had a breakthrough year in 2008. Koch operatives gave her the reins to their fledgling&nbsp;<a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2013/11/wellsprings-flow/" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Wellspring Committee</a>, a dark money conduit that began pumping funds to other dark money Koch-backed groups like Americans for Prosperity. At the same time, Corkery served as a finance vice chair for Mitt Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign.</font></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Though Corkery’s most direct Koch ties frayed after the ’08 elections and Arkley’s wallet took a hit in the financial crisis, according to sources and reports, Corkery mined other big donors she’d been courting for Wellspring, such as John&nbsp;<b>Templeton Jr., a Pennsylvania philanthropist, and New York hedge fund mogul Paul Singer,&nbsp;</b>conservative sources said.</font></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Conservative and business groups had been pouring money into state court elections through the early 2000s in order to produce a friendlier legal climate — one that&nbsp;<b>curbed tort liability for corporations,&nbsp;</b>for example. Smart marketing and intellectual heft provided by Leo’s Federalist Society helped them notch significant gains. From 2000 to 2009, business and conservative groups spent more than twice as much on state court elections as plaintiffs’ lawyers, unions, and liberal groups —&nbsp;<a href="http://www.justiceatstake.org/media/cms/JASNPJEDecadeONLINE_8E7FD3FEB83E3.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">$26.3 million to $11.9 million</a>, according to Justice at Stake.</span><br class="content article-main-content" />
</font></p></section><section class="content article-main-content" style="line-height: 24px;"><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>Wellspring, followed quickly by JCN, became big players in directly and indirectly funding state Supreme Court races</b>. In 2008, for example, Wellspring funneled $200,000 to a group that produced the negative attack ads that helped a conservative eke out a victory over a sitting Supreme Court justice in Wisconsin, tipping control of the bench to the right. In 2009, Wellspring grants went to groups&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">trying to change judicial selection methods in Missouri and Tennessee.</span></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In 2010, Wellspring began sending money directly to JCN, giving it and a related organization, the Judicial Education Project, $400,000; an additional $306,000 came in 2011, then $1.5 million in 2012 and $1.4 million the next year. Big grants also went to other organizations playing in judicial politics — including $400,000 in 2011 for&nbsp;<b>Wisconsin Club for Growth,&nbsp;</b>a major actor in that state’s shift to a conservative Supreme Court majority.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Wisconsin Club for Growth was also aided by JCN to the tune of more than half-a-million dollars from mid-2012 to mid-2013 as JCN began to function as a dark money conduit like Wellspring<b>. The Wisconsin group spent close to $400,000 to help win a second 10-year term for Justice Patience Roggensack.</b></font></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Conservative control of the Wisconsin court, enabled in no small part by the big pots of dark money dumped into the state, has proved vital to the rejection of challenges to two signature conservative policies championed by GOP Gov. Scott Walker: his initiatives to<b>&nbsp;curb public sector unions and to require voter IDs</b>. (The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned away a challenge to the voter ID law, so it will stand.)</font></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">And an investigation into whether Walker illegally coordinated efforts with several groups — including Wisconsin Club for Growth — in the run-up to his 2012 recall vote now depends on a ruling by the state’s justices. The special prosecutor leading the probe&nbsp;<a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/john-doe-prosecutor-asks-one-or-more-justice-to-step-aside-b99444515z1-291866271.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">has asked at least one</a>&nbsp;— perhaps all four — of the court’s conservatives to recuse themselves because of support they have gotten from the groups. (Given recent history and the state’s&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wisciviljusticecouncil.org/policy-project/legislative-report-special-legislative-committee-studies-judicial-discipline-and-recusal/" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">weak judicial conduct rules</a>, court observers say that seems unlikely.)</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong>The lower court money bomb</strong></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong>
</strong></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong></strong></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong>cmd</strong></font></p><div id="mw-content-text" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en" style="direction: ltr; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Wellspring Committee is a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/501(c)(4)" title="501(c)(4)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">501(c)(4)</a>&nbsp;organization operating out of Manassas, Virginia that serves as a fund for conservative political nonprofit groups.<sup id="cite_ref-wsflow_1-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-wsflow-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup>&nbsp;Founded in 2008, the Wellspring Committee regularly contributes funding to nonprofits that create ads for Republican candidates and causes.<sup id="cite_ref-wsflow_1-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-wsflow-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup>&nbsp;However, because the Wellspring Committee does not fund the ads directly, its IRS tax filings maintain the Wellspring Committee is not engaged in "political campaign activities on behalf of or in opposition to candidates for public office."<sup id="cite_ref-wsflow_1-2" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-wsflow-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wellspring is a major funding source for the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network" title="Judicial Crisis Network" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Judicial Crisis Network</a>, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that uses undisclosed dark money "issue ads" to influence state and federal judicial appointments and elections, and which has spent heavily to oppose President Obama's appointment of a replacement for deceased U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a></sup>&nbsp;JCN was founded by Wellspring president Ann Corkery.<sup id="cite_ref-big_boost_jcn_3-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-big_boost_jcn-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[3]</a></sup></font></p><div id="toc" class="toc" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); padding: 7px; display: table; zoom: 1;"><div id="toctitle" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /><h2 style="background: none; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: none; display: inline; line-height: 1.3;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contents</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></h2>&nbsp;<span class="toctoggle" style="user-select: none;">&nbsp;[<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#" id="togglelink" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">hide</a>]&nbsp;</span></div><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#Ties_to_the_Koch_Brothers" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">1</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">Ties to the Koch Brothers</span></a></font></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#Donors_Not_Disclosed" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">2</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">Donors Not Disclosed</span></a></font></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#Finances" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">3</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">Finances</span></a></font><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#Contributors_and_Membership" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">3.1</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">Contributors and Membership</span></a></font></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#Core_Finances" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">3.2</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">Core Finances</span></a></font></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#Distribution_of_Grants_and_Other_Financial_Assistance" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">3.3</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">Distribution of Grants and Other Financial Assistance</span></a></font><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#2014" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">3.3.1</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">2014</span></a></font></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#2013" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">3.3.2</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">2013</span></a></font></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#2012" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">3.3.3</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">2012</span></a></font></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#2008-2011" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">3.3.4</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">2008-2011</span></a></font></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#Spending_Tied_to_2011-2012_Wisconsin_Recall_and.22John_Doe.22_Investigation_into_Alleged_Illegal_Campaign_Coordination" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">3.3.5</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">Spending Tied to 2011-2012 Wisconsin Recall and "John Doe" Investigation into Alleged Illegal Campaign Coordination</span></a></font></li></ul></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-12" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#Personnel" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">4</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">Personnel</span></a></font><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-13" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#Ann_Corkery" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">4.1</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">Ann Corkery</span></a></font></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-14" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#Other_Personnel" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">4.2</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">Other Personnel</span></a></font></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-15" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#Articles_and_References" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">5</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">Articles and References</span></a></font><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-16" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#References" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><span class="tocnumber">5.1</span>&nbsp;<span class="toctext">References</span></a></font></li></ul></li></ul></div><h2 style="background: none; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ties to the Koch Brothers</font></h2><table style="vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid rgb(216, 216, 205);"><tbody><tr><th style="background: rgb(222, 21, 13); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 48, 21); text-align: left; padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Koch Wiki</font></th></tr><tr><td><div style="padding: 2px 5px;"><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Koch_brothers" title="Koch brothers" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Koch brothers</a>&nbsp;--&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_H.Koch" title="David H. Koch" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">David</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Charles_G.Koch" title="Charles G. Koch" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Charles</a>&nbsp;-- are the right-wing billionaire co-owners of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Koch_Industries" title="Koch Industries" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Koch Industries</a>. As two of the richest people in the world, they are key funders of the right-wing infrastructure, including the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Legislative_Exchange_Council" title="American Legislative Exchange Council" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">American Legislative Exchange Council</a>&nbsp;(ALEC) and the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/State_Policy_Network" title="State Policy Network" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">State Policy Network</a>&nbsp;(SPN). In SourceWatch, key articles on the Kochs include:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Koch_Brothers" title="Koch Brothers" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Koch Brothers</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Koch_Industries" title="Koch Industries" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Koch Industries</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Prosperity" title="Americans for Prosperity" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Americans for Prosperity</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Encore" title="American Encore" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">American Encore</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Freedom_Partners" title="Freedom Partners" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Freedom Partners</a>.</font></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wellspring was founded in 2008 "with the help of conservative donors in the network led by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch," according to a report by the Center for Responsive Politics. Current president Ann Corkery, who took over Wellspring in 2008, has also worked for Robin Arkley's Security National Servicing Corporation, and the two reportedly attended early&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Koch_Donor_Network" title="Koch Donor Network" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">donor summits</a>&nbsp;of the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Koch_Brothers" title="Koch Brothers" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Koch brothers</a>' political network.<sup id="cite_ref-jcn_story_4-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-jcn_story-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a></sup>&nbsp;While Corkery's ties to the Kochs reportedly "frayed" after that, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, she continued to raise funds from other Koch network donors, including&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Paul_E.Singer" title="Paul E. Singer" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Paul E. Singer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Templeton,Jr." title="John Templeton, Jr." style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">John Templeton, Jr.</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-jcn_story_4-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-jcn_story-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a></sup></font></p><h2 style="background: none; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Donors Not Disclosed</font></h2><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As a 501(c)(4) organization, the Wellspring Committee does not disclose its donors. The group's tax status allows it to be "part of a network of conservative tax-exempt groups that do little but transfer money, via grants, to other groups closer to the political front lines."<sup id="cite_ref-wsflow_1-3" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-wsflow-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Wellspring is "little more than [a] UPS mailbox," and was created because:</font></p><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><dd style="margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"For donors especially concerned with protecting their anonymity, the bounce pass -- writing a check to a non-disclosing group that'll turn around and give the funds to another non-disclosing group -- can seem attractive. IRS rules prevent the public disclosure of donors to a group like, say, the Faith and Freedom Coalition -- which spent $216,441 on ads in the 2010 election, and $570,744 in 2012, FEC reports show. But why not layer in more protection? That way, if a group is ever forced to say where its money came from -- and there are lawsuits, pending legislation and an array of state attorneys general trying to make that happen -- it will only have to cite the name of other, similarly protected groups. Like Wellspring -- which, as it happens, has given $250,000 to Faith and Freedom.<sup id="cite_ref-wsflow_1-4" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-wsflow-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup></font></dd></dl><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wellspring's "recipient groups spent about $60 million in the 2010 election cycle, and more than double during the 2012 cycle."<sup id="cite_ref-wsflow_1-5" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-wsflow-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup>&nbsp;A significant portion of that money has also been used to fund State Supreme Court campaigns throughout the U.S.<sup id="cite_ref-wsflow_1-6" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-wsflow-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup></font></p><h2 style="background: none; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Finances</font></h2><h3 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: none; line-height: 1.6;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contributors and Membership</font></h3><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/501(c)(4)" title="501(c)(4)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">501(c)(4)</a>&nbsp;nonprofit, the Wellspring Committee is not required to disclose its donors. A small amount of its revenue has been traced back to identifiable donors; the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Democracy_Alliance&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="American Democracy Alliance (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">American Democracy Alliance</a>&nbsp;gave $150,000,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Founding_Principles&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Founding Principles (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Founding Principles</a>&nbsp;PAC gave $1,026 and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rosebush_Corp.&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Rosebush Corp. (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Rosebush Corp.</a>&nbsp;gave $100,000.<sup id="cite_ref-wsflow_1-7" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-wsflow-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-npr_5-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-npr-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[5]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wellspring has become a major funding source for the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network" title="Judicial Crisis Network" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Judicial Crisis Network</a>, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that uses undisclosed dark money "issue ads" to influence state and federal judicial appointments and elections. JCN was launched by Wellspring president Ann Corkery, whose husband Neil Corkery serves as JCN's treasurer. Wellspring's secretary and treasurer, Michael Casey, is the son of a JCN board member.<sup id="cite_ref-big_boost_jcn_3-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-big_boost_jcn-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[3]</a></sup></font></p><h3 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: none; line-height: 1.6;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Core Finances</font></h3><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wellspring's budget doubled from 2013 to 2014. As detailed under&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#Distribution_of_Grants_and_Other_Financial_Assistance" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Distribution of Grants and Other Financial Assistance</a>, the bulk of its expenditures each year comprise contributions to the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network" title="Judicial Crisis Network" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Judicial Crisis Network</a>, which totaled $6.7 million in 2014.</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>2014</b><sup id="cite_ref-2014_990_6-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-2014_990-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[6]</a></sup></font></p><ul data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total Revenue: $7,802,442</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total Expenses: $8,654,094</font><ul data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wellspring President Ann Corkery received $120,000 in compensation for a reported 10 hours of work per week.</font></li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Net Assets: $190,191</font></li></ul><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>2013</b><sup id="cite_ref-2013_990_7-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-2013_990-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[7]</a></sup></font></p><ul data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total Revenue: $3,576,053</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total Expenses: $3,038,102</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Net Assets: $1,041,843</font></li></ul><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>2012</b><sup id="cite_ref-2012_990_8-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-2012_990-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[8]</a></sup></font></p><ul data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total Revenue: $2,351,661</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total Expenses: $2,409,257</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Net Assets: $503,890</font></li></ul><h3 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: none; line-height: 1.6;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Distribution of Grants and Other Financial Assistance</font></h3><h4 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: none; line-height: 1.6;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2014</font></h4><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Grants issued:<sup id="cite_ref-2014_990_6-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-2014_990-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[6]</a></sup></font></p><ul data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network" title="Judicial Crisis Network" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Judicial Crisis Network</a>: $6,655,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wedgwood Circle Institute: $5,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Dream_Initiative&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="American Dream Initiative (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">American Dream Initiative</a>: $250,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Adam_Smith_Foundation&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Adam Smith Foundation (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Adam Smith Foundation</a>: $25,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Annual_Fund&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Annual Fund (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Annual Fund</a>: $49,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Arizona_Public_Integrity_Alliance&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Arizona Public Integrity Alliance (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Arizona Public Integrity Alliance</a>: $15,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federalist_Society" title="Federalist Society" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Federalist Society</a>: $235,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=1st_Amendment_Alliance_Ed&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="1st Amendment Alliance Ed (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1st Amendment Alliance Ed</a>: $250,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=North_Carolina_Chamber_of_Commerce&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="North Carolina Chamber of Commerce (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">North Carolina Chamber of Commerce</a>: $25,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rule_of_Law_Project&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Rule of Law Project (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Rule of Law Project</a>: $30,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Catholic_Association&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Catholic Association (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Catholic Association</a>: $650,000</font></li></ul><h4 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: none; line-height: 1.6;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2013</font></h4><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Grants issued:<sup id="cite_ref-2013_990_7-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-2013_990-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[7]</a></sup></font></p><ul data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network" title="Judicial Crisis Network" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Judicial Crisis Network</a>: $1,435,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=State_Government_Leadership_Foundation&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="State Government Leadership Foundation (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">State Government Leadership Foundation</a>: $100,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Future_Fund" title="American Future Fund" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">American Future Fund</a>: $125,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=AMC_Annual_Fund&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="AMC Annual Fund (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">AMC Annual Fund</a>: $48,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Catholic_Association&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Catholic Association (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Catholic Association</a>&nbsp;Inc.: $60,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Common_Sense_VA_PAC&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Common Sense VA PAC (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Common Sense VA PAC</a>&nbsp;(listed as a 501(c)(4) in the tax filing): $719,193</font><ul data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This PAC ran ads in Virginia's 2013 election, some against Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and some for Republican Attorney General candidate Mark Obenshain.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-9" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[9]</a></sup>&nbsp;Based on the PAC's filings with the Virginia State Board of Elections, Wellspring's contributed 99.2 percent of the PAC's contributions over $100 in 2013.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-10" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[10]</a></sup></font></li></ul></li></ul><h4 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: none; line-height: 1.6;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2012</font></h4><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Grants issued:<sup id="cite_ref-2012_990_8-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-2012_990-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[8]</a></sup></font></p><ul data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Conservative_Union" title="American Conservative Union" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">American Conservative Union</a>: $240,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Breitbart Fund: $5,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Catholic_Association&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Catholic Association (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Catholic Association</a>: $440,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Catholic Association Foundation: $10,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network" title="Judicial Crisis Network" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Judicial Crisis Network</a>: $1,515,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Swim America: $10,000</font></li></ul><h4 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: none; line-height: 1.6;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2008-2011</font></h4><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the following organizations received assistance from the Wellspring Committee between the years 2008 and 2011:</font></p><ul data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Action_Network" title="American Action Network" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">American Action Network</a>: $305,500</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Energy_Alliance" title="American Energy Alliance" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">American Energy Alliance</a>: $604,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Future_Fund" title="American Future Fund" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">American Future Fund</a>: $367,457</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Majority_Action" title="American Majority Action" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">American Majority Action</a>&nbsp;(<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Majority" title="American Majority" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">American Majority</a>): $1,020,125</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Job_Security" title="Americans for Job Security" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Americans for Job Security</a>: $2,951,922</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Prosperity" title="Americans for Prosperity" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Americans for Prosperity</a>: $1,651,811</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Citizens_for_the_Republic" title="Citizens for the Republic" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Citizens for the Republic</a>: $360,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Common_Sense_Issues_Coalition&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Common Sense Issues Coalition (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Common Sense Issues Coalition</a>&nbsp;(<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Common_Sense_Issues&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Common Sense Issues (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Common Sense Issues</a>): $50,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Concerned_Women_for_American_Legislative_Committee&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Concerned Women for American Legislative Committee (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Concerned Women for American Legislative Committee</a>&nbsp;(<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Concerned_Women_for_America" title="Concerned Women for America" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Concerned Women for America</a>): $50,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Faith%26_Freedom_Coalition&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Faith & Freedom Coalition (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Faith & Freedom Coalition</a>: $250,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network" title="Judicial Crisis Network" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Judicial Crisis Network</a>: $520,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Judicial_Education_Project&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Judicial Education Project (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Judicial Education Project</a>: $186,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Let_Freedom_Ring" title="Let Freedom Ring" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Let Freedom Ring</a>: $25,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Right_to_Life&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Right to Life (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Right to Life</a>: $542,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/RightChange.com" title="RightChange.com" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">RightChange.com</a>: $1,131,459</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Susan_B_Anthony_List&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Susan B Anthony List (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Susan B Anthony List</a>: $753,278</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wisconsin_Manufacturers%26_Commerce" title="Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce</a>: $200,000</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wisconsin_Club_for_Growth" title="Wisconsin Club for Growth" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Wisconsin Club for Growth</a>: $400,000 (This grant was reported in 2011.)<sup id="cite_ref-jcn_story_4-2" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-jcn_story-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a></sup></font></li></ul><h4 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: none; line-height: 1.6;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Spending Tied to 2011-2012 Wisconsin Recall and "John Doe" Investigation into Alleged Illegal Campaign Coordination</font></h4><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wellspring reported a $400,000 grant in 2011 to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wisconsin_Club_for_Growth" title="Wisconsin Club for Growth" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Wisconsin Club for Growth</a>, which spent $9.1 million during Wisconsin's historic 2012 recall races for Governor, Lt. Governor and State Senate.<sup id="cite_ref-WISDC_recall_11-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-WISDC_recall-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[11]</a></sup>&nbsp;That spending was at the center of a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Doe" title="John Doe" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">John Doe</a>&nbsp;investigation; prosecutors in Wisconsin alleged that Friends of Scott Walker and dark money groups were part of a "criminal scheme" to coordinate activities during the state's 2011 and 2012 recall election, in violation of the state's campaign finance laws.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-12" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[12]</a></sup>&nbsp;The group's board of directors includes&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Eric_O%27Keefe" title="Eric O'Keefe" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Eric O'Keefe</a>, a right-wing political operative with deep ties to the Koch brothers.</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wisconsin Club for Growth sued in both state and federal court to stop the probe. In July 2015 the Wisconsin State Supreme Court, whose conservative majority was elected with millions in spending from the outside groups under investigation in the probe,<sup id="cite_ref-7th_circuit_13-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-7th_circuit-13" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[13]</a></sup>&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/07-16-15_ruling.pdf" http="http" 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" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: url(">ruled</a>&nbsp;that Walker's campaign and conservative groups did not violate campaign finance laws.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-14" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[14]</a></sup>&nbsp;The ruling effectively rendered Wisconsin's disclosure rules and spending limits meaningless.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-15" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[15]</a></sup></font></p><h2 style="background: none; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Personnel</font></h2><h3 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: none; line-height: 1.6;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ann Corkery</font></h3><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ann_Corkery&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Ann Corkery (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Ann Corkery</a>&nbsp;serves as president of the Wellspring Committee<sup id="cite_ref-2014_990_6-2" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-2014_990-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[6]</a></sup>&nbsp;and is a partner at Stein Mitchell Cipollone Beato & Missner LLP. Her official biography describes her as "an expert communication strategist" who "has leveraged her media expertise and sources to shape campaigns and influence outcomes."<sup id="cite_ref-corkery_16-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-corkery-16" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[16]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ann Corkery and her husband Neil are closely involved in a set of nonprofits that seek to advance right-wing judicial and social agendas, several of which receive funding from Wellspring.<sup id="cite_ref-jcn_story_4-3" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-jcn_story-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As a fundraiser and recruiter, Corkery was "instrumental" in launching the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network" title="Judicial Crisis Network" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Judicial Crisis Network</a>&nbsp;in 2008, according to&nbsp;<i>Open Secrets</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-jcn_story_4-4" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-jcn_story-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a></sup>&nbsp;At that time Corkery also worked for Robin Arkley's Security National Servicing Corporation, and the two reportedly attended early&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Koch_Donor_Network" title="Koch Donor Network" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">donor summits</a>&nbsp;of the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Koch_Brothers" title="Koch Brothers" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Koch brothers</a>' political network.<sup id="cite_ref-jcn_story_4-5" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-jcn_story-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a></sup></font></p><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><dd style="margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Arkley helped put Ann in play" as a liaison to funding for advocacy groups on the right, said one conservative.<sup id="cite_ref-jcn_story_4-6" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-jcn_story-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a></sup></font></dd></dl><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2008 Corkery also served as vice chair for finance of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Mitt_Romney" title="Mitt Romney" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Mitt Romney's</a>&nbsp;presidential campaign and took over the Kochs' Wellspring Committee.> While Corkery's ties to the Kochs reportedly "frayed" after that, she continued to raise funds from other Koch network donors, including&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_Singer&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Paul Singer (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Paul Singer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Templeton" title="John Templeton" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">John Templeton</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-jcn_story_4-7" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-jcn_story-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2011, Corkery replaced the other two board members of Wellspring, John Klink and Stever Wagner, with her daughter Kathleen and Michael Casey, whose father was a board member of JCN alongside Neil Corkery.<sup id="cite_ref-jcn_story_4-8" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-jcn_story-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Corkery had a history in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Religious_Right" title="Religious Right" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Religious Right</a>&nbsp;activism prior to her involvement with Wellspring and JCN. She has served on the board or acted as an officer for the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Catholic_League&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Catholic League (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Catholic League</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Becket_Fund_for_Religious_Liberty&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Becket Fund for Religious Liberty (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Becket Fund for Religious Liberty</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/National_Organization_for_Marriage" title="National Organization for Marriage" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">National Organization for Marriage</a>, and the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network" title="Judicial Crisis Network" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Judicial Crisis Network</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-wsflow_1-8" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-wsflow-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup>&nbsp;She and her husband&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Neil_Corkery&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Neil Corkery (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Neil Corkery</a>, are known for their "significant political contributors to Republican social conservative candidates" including former Senator&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rick_Santorum&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Rick Santorum (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Rick Santorum</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-17" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[17]</a></sup>&nbsp;In "2003, she was appointed by&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">President Bush</a>&nbsp;to be a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly, where she fought for a ban on human cloning; he also made her a delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women."<sup id="cite_ref-wsflow_1-9" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-wsflow-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Neil Corkery serves as treasurer of JCN, president of JCN's Judicial Education Project, and executive director of the Sudan Relief Fund, and is affiliated with the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/National_Organization_for_Marriage" title="National Organization for Marriage" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">National Organization for Marriage</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=ActRight_Action&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="ActRight Action (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">ActRight Action</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Catholic_Association_Foundation&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Catholic Association Foundation (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Catholic Association Foundation</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Catholic_Voices&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Catholic Voices (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Catholic Voices</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-jcn_story_4-9" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-jcn_story-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a></sup></font></p><h3 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: none; line-height: 1.6;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Other Personnel</font></h3><ul data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Kathleen Corkery, Director<sup id="cite_ref-2014_990_6-3" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-2014_990-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[6]</a></sup></font></li></ul><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><dd style="margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Kathleen Corkery is Ann Corkery's daughter.<sup id="cite_ref-big_boost_jcn_3-2" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-big_boost_jcn-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[3]</a></sup></font></dd></dl><ul data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Michael Casey, Secretary and Treasurer<sup id="cite_ref-2014_990_6-4" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-2014_990-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[6]</a></sup></font></li></ul><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Previously known personnel:</font></p><ul data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">John Klink, Director</font></li></ul><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><dd style="margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Klink also served as Consultant for the Pontifical Council for the Family and President of the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC). He has also served on the executive boards for Unicef and the U.N.'s children's fund. In 2001, Klink was a member of the Republican National Committee's Catholic Task Force and an adviser to President George W. Bush. During that time Klink "advocated against the use of condoms and oral contraceptive pills."<sup id="cite_ref-pacbiz_18-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-pacbiz-18" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[18]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-19" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[19]</a></sup></font></dd></dl><ul data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Steve Wagner, Director, Secretary, and Treasurer. Wagner, who was replaced on the board in 2011, told the Center for Responsive Politics, "I never saw any financial records. I was treasurer in name only."<sup id="cite_ref-jcn_story_4-10" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_note-jcn_story-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a></sup></font></li></ul><h2 style="background: none; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Articles and References</font></h2><h3 style="background: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: none; line-height: 1.6;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">References</font></h3><ol class="references" style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 3.2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li id="cite_note-wsflow-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;">↑&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-wsflow_1-0" 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:</span>1.0</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-wsflow_1-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1.1</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-wsflow_1-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1.2</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-wsflow_1-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1.3</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-wsflow_1-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1.4</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-wsflow_1-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1.5</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-wsflow_1-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1.6</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-wsflow_1-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1.7</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-wsflow_1-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1.8</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-wsflow_1-9" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1.9</a></sup></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Viveca Novak, Robert Maguire and Peter Overby,<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2013/11/wellsprings-flow.html" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">Wellspring's Flow: Dark Money Outfit Helped Fuel Groups on Political Front Lines</a>, Opensecrets, November 5, 2013.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#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</span>↑</a></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Judicial Crisis Network, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://judicialnetwork.com/let-the-people-decide-statement/" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">JCN Launches 'Let the People Decide' Campaign</a>," press release, February 18, 2016.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-big_boost_jcn-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;">↑&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-big_boost_jcn_3-0" 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:</span>3.0</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-big_boost_jcn_3-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">3.1</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-big_boost_jcn_3-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">3.2</a></sup></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Viveca Novak, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/11/wellspring-gives-big-boost-to-judicial-crisis-network-with-6-6-million-grant/" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">Wellspring gives big boost to Judicial Crisis Network with $6.6 million grant</a>," Center for Responsive Politics,&nbsp;<i>Open Secrets</i>, November 24, 2015.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-jcn_story-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;">↑&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-jcn_story_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 to:</span>4.00</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-jcn_story_4-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.01</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-jcn_story_4-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.02</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-jcn_story_4-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.03</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-jcn_story_4-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.04</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-jcn_story_4-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.05</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-jcn_story_4-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.06</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-jcn_story_4-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.07</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-jcn_story_4-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.08</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-jcn_story_4-9" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.09</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-jcn_story_4-10" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.10</a></sup></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Viveca Novak and Peter Stone, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/03/the-jcn-story-building-a-secretive-gop-judicial-machine/" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">The JCN Story: Building a Secretive GOP Machine</a>]," Center for Responsive Politics,&nbsp;<i>Open Secrets</i>, March 23, 2015.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-npr-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-npr_5-0" 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</span>↑</a></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Peter Overby, Viveca Novak, Robert Maguire&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://m.npr.org/programs/all/3/243022966" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">Secret Persuasion: How Big Campaign Donors Stay Anonymous</a>, NPR.org, November 6, 2013.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-2014_990-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;">↑&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-2014_990_6-0" 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:</span>6.0</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-2014_990_6-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">6.1</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-2014_990_6-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">6.2</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-2014_990_6-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">6.3</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-2014_990_6-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">6.4</a></sup></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Wellspring Committee, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2014/262/046/2014-262046485-0bfe7bdc-9O.pdf" http="http" 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" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: url(">2014 IRS Form 990</a>," organization tax filing, November 23, 2015.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-2013_990-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;">↑&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-2013_990_7-0" 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:</span>7.0</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-2013_990_7-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">7.1</a></sup></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Wellspring Committee, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2013/262/046/2013-262046485-0af4ca42-9O.pdf" http="http" 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" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: url(">2013 IRS Form 990</a>," organization tax filing, December 12, 2014.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-2012_990-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;">↑&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-2012_990_8-0" 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:</span>8.0</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-2012_990_8-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">8.1</a></sup></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Wellspring Committee, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2012/262/046/2012-262046485-09d23827-9O.pdf" http="http" 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" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: url(">2012 IRS Form 990</a>," organization tax filing, November 19, 2013.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-9" 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</span>↑</a></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">"<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/22/1249685/-Anti-LGBT-Extremist-Common-Sense-Virginia-Runs-500k-Worth-of-False-Ads-Attacking-McAuliffe" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">Anti-LGBT, Extremist “Common Sense Virginia” Runs $500k Worth of False Ads Attacking McAuliffe</a>,"&nbsp;<i>Blue Virginia</i>, October 22, 2013.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#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</span>↑</a></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Virginia State Board of Elections, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://cfreports.sbe.virginia.gov/Report/Index/35340" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">Campaign Finance Report: Common Sense Virginia (PAC-13-00516)</a>," report accessed April 2016.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-WISDC_recall-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-WISDC_recall_11-0" 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</span>↑</a></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Wisconsin Democracy Campaign,&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.wisdc.org/pr072512.php" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">Recall Race for Governor Cost $81 Million</a>, Posted: July 25, 2012/Updated: January 31, 2013</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-12" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#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</span>↑</a></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Patrick Marley, Daniel Bice, Bill Glauber,&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/john-doe-prosecutors-allege-scott-walker-at-center-of-criminal-scheme-263839791.html" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">John Doe prosecutors allege Scott Walker at center of 'criminal scheme'</a>, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 19, 2014.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-7th_circuit-13" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-7th_circuit_13-0" 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</span>↑</a></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Brendan Fischer, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://prwatch.org/news/2014/09/12609/7th-circuit-smacks-down-judge-who-halted-walker-probe" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">After Koch-Tied Judge Is Reversed, Walker Probe Rests with Conflicted WI Supreme Court</a>," Center for Media and Democracy, PR Watch, September 25, 2014. Accessed September 30, 2014.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-14" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#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</span>↑</a></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Patrick Marley and Mary Spicuzza,&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/wisconsin-supreme-court-ends-john-doe-probe-into-scott-walkers-campaign-b99535414z1-315784501.html" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">Wisconsin Supreme Court ends John Doe probe into Scott Walker's campaign</a>,&nbsp;<i>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel</i>, July 16, 2015.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-15" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#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</span>↑</a></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Brendan Fischer, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://prwatch.org/news/2015/07/12887/five-things-know-about-scott-walker-john-doe-ruling" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">Five Things to Know About the Scott Walker John Doe Ruling</a>," Center for Media and Democracy,&nbsp;<i>PR Watch</i>, July 16, 2015.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-corkery-16" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-corkery_16-0" 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</span>↑</a></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Stein Mitchell, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.steinmitchell.com/lawyers-Ann-Corkery.html" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">Ann Corkery</a>," corporate website, accessed April 2016.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-17" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#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</span>↑</a></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Human Rights Campaign&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.hrc.org/nomexposed/profile/neil-ann-corkery#.UnqjzflJOuI" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">Neil and Ann Corkery</a>, Official Website, accessed November 6, 2013.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-pacbiz-18" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-pacbiz_18-0" 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</span>↑</a></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">Pacific Coast Business Times Staff&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.pacbiztimes.com/2009/09/14/22m-bankruptcy-spotlights-montecito/" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">$22M Bankruptcy Spotlights Montecito</a>,&nbsp;<i>Pacific Coast Business Times,</i>&nbsp;September 14, 2009.</span></font></li><li id="cite_note-19" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-cite-backlink" style="user-select: none;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee#cite_ref-19" 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</span>↑</a></span>&nbsp;<span class="reference-text">O'Meara, Ferguson, Whelan and Conway,&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.omearaferguson.com/staff/john-m-klink/" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" csvg="Csvg" http="http" a="A" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" cg="Cg" transform="transform" translate="translate" crect="Crect" x="x" y="y" fill="fill" fff="fff" stroke="stroke" cpath="Cpath" m831.194="M831.194" h5.234v5.391l-1.571="h5.234v5.391l-1.571" z="z" m835.424="M835.424" l.022="l.022" fg="Fg" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) right center no-repeat, url(" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data">John M. Klink, Consultant Biography</a>, Official Website, accessed November 6, 2013.</span></font></li></ol></div><div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); padding: 5px; margin-top: 1em; clear: both;"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Category</a>:&nbsp;</font><ul style="list-style: none none; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><li style="margin: 0.125em 0px; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.25em; border-left: none; padding: 0px 0.5em 0px 0.25em; zoom: 1;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Koch_Connection" title="Category:Koch Connection" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Koch Connection</a></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></li></ul></div></div><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong></strong></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong>http://www.thepelicangrp.com/</strong></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">O'Meara, Ferguson, Whelan and<b>&nbsp;Conway</b>, $ mgr</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong></strong></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.nationofchange.org/2022/07/07/opus-dei-supreme-indecency-extreme-deceit/">https://www.nationofchange.org/2022/07/07/opus-dei-supreme-indecency-extreme-deceit/</a></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">the<strong>&nbsp;</strong>current Supreme Court majority that just denied women a legal right to abortion (<em>Dobbs vs. Jackson</em>) consists of religious fanatics whose careers have been fast-tracked (so that young Justices can serve for decades) by ultra-wealthy, like-minded lobbyists and political operatives. The nexus of this activity lies with a powerful arch-conservative organization within the Catholic Church, Opus Dei, that in the U.S. operates out of the Catholic Information Center in Washington D.C.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">I am not targeting Catholics but rather the Church’s reactionary, fundamentalist wing. Many Catholic organizations are dedicated to upholding the rights and lives of minorities (and majorities, such as women), victims of pedophilic priests, gays, the poor, immigrants, etc. The fundamentalist wing of any religion has more in common with other creeds’ fundamentalisms than with many of its own co-religionists, whom they often regard as enemies. Catholic fundamentalism is obviously not the only “brand” influencing American politics, but it is the one with a dominant insidious influence on the judiciary.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Opus Dei and its partner organizations have poured tens of millions of dollars into&nbsp;<a href="https://rollcall.com/2019/08/06/conservative-judicial-group-is-top-donor-to-gop-state-elections-arm/">promoting the careers and appointments</a>&nbsp;of Chief Justice Roberts and the five Justices who overturned Roe: Thomas, Alito, Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Barrett (Roberts, an arch-conservative, nonetheless dissented on the abortion case).</b>&nbsp;</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Opus Dei was founded in Spain by Escriva de Balaguer in 1928 and grew in power, wealth, and influence during the Fascist dictatorship of Francisco Franco who, with significant military help from Nazi Germany, overthrew the legitimate Spanish government and ruled over a police state from 1939-1975. The group extended its power throughout Latin America, supporting Pinochet’s murderous regime in Chile and other terrorizing dictatorships. It consistently opposes gay, sexual, and reproductive rights, and the Catholic liberation movements that champion the poor in Latin America. It has been involved in the Vatican’s banking scandals but still wields enormous influence over Vatican finances, as detailed by Robert Hutchison in his book,&nbsp;<em>Their Kingdom Come</em>. Opus Dei’s assets as of 2008 were $2.8 billion, but they have undoubtedly grown since. Popes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.population-security.org/cffc-97-01.htm">John Paul II</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://opentabernacle.wordpress.com/2014/04/05/pope-francis-increases-opus-dei-power/">Francis&nbsp;</a>both elevated Opus Dei officials to the highest Church offices. One of Opus Dei’s core principles,&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130531231642/http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/oppositionwatch/documents/OpusDeiinLatinAmerica.pdf">as articulated by its founder</a>, is to engage in “the sphere of public life”, not because they are human or Catholic rights but because “they are God’s rights…May such ‘fanaticism’ for the Faith…become stronger every day.” Opus Dei is not simply a conservative religious group, it is openly dedicated to wielding political and financial power in nations throughout the world. And that often means promoting and aligning itself with the most violent, reactionary regimes and acting in the shadow realms of political influence.</font></p><p><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Opus Dei members were prominent in&nbsp;<a href="http://churchandstate.org.uk/2019/03/opus-deis-influence-on-the-u-s-judiciary/">Trump’s White House</a>, including Attorney General William Barr and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/06/29/1108798387/jan-6-committee-subpoenas-pat-cipollone-trumps-former-white-house-counsel">Pat Cipollone</a>, Trump’s former&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/02/white-house-counsels-betrayal-his-office/605980/">White House counsel</a>. Opus Dei had&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/21/koch-lobbyists-and-opus-dei--whos-dropping-in-on-trump-budget-czar-mick-mulvaney.html">access to Trump’s budget&nbsp;</a>director,<b>&nbsp;Mick Mulvaney</b>, along with other noted right-wing lobbyists (Heritage Foundation, Koch Industries), meetings the Trump administration<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/21/koch-lobbyists-and-opus-dei--whos-dropping-in-on-trump-budget-czar-mick-mulvaney.html">&nbsp;tried to keep secret</a>.&nbsp;<b><a href="https://churchandstate.org.uk/2019/06/opus-deis-influence-is-felt-in-all-of-washingtons-corridors-of-power/">Member Larry Kudlow</a></b>&nbsp;was Trump’s director of the National Economic Council. It may well be the most powerful political lobby in the world and yet its explicit political agenda is absolutely subservient to its extreme, authoritarian religious agenda.</font></span></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>A key fixer in this effort is Leonard Leo.&nbsp;<a href="https://churchandstate.org.uk/2019/06/opus-deis-influence-is-felt-in-all-of-washingtons-corridors-of-power/">Leo is on the board of directors</a>&nbsp;of the Catholic Information Center (William Barr was a past director) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/politico50/leonard-leo/">Executive Vice President&nbsp;</a>of the Federalist Society, a lobbying group that adheres to an “originalist” interpretation of the Constitution</b>&nbsp;(more on this below). The two organizations are close political allies, as Leo’s dual role suggests. As Trump’s close advisor during his presidency, Leo was responsible for selecting and guiding the Supreme Court nominations of Alito, Barrett, Kavanaugh, and Gorsuch and was instrumental in riddling the lower Federal courts with&nbsp;<a href="https://abovethelaw.com/2017/03/lower-court-judicial-nominations-by-the-trump-administration/">Trump appointees</a>. Meanwhile, members of both Opus Dei and The Federalist Society include Alito, Clarence Thomas, and the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Chief Justice Roberts is a Federalist Society member and the Society’s&nbsp;<a href="https://fedsoc.org/contributors">members and supporters</a>&nbsp;are prominent in many of nation’s top law schools and most powerful law firms, which allows it to have an untoward influence over judicial selections. When Clarence Thomas headlined a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.commoncause.org/democracy-wire/justice-thomas-crosses-the-line-again/">2013 Federalist Society fundraiser</a>, guests were seated in proximity to him according to the size of their donations. In effect, the Federalist Society and Opus Dei have become the Supreme Court of the land.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><b>Much of Opus Dei’s influence was exerted via the Wellspring Committee, established and run by Opus Dei members Ann and Neil Corkery in 2008</b></span>. The Koch brothers were instrumental in providing Wellspring with its first $10 million in seed money.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salon.com/2021/03/30/behind-the-dark-money-web-that-put-barrett-and-kavanaugh-and-gorsuch-on-the-supreme-court/">According to Robert Maguire</a>&nbsp;of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the Corkerys “have been the overseers of massive amounts of money that have gone into federal judicial races.” Wellspring closed down in 2018 but not before passing its mantle to the Judicial Crisis Network (JCN); in 2017 Wellspring transferred&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/262046485/02_2019_prefixes_25-26/262046485_201712_990O_2019022016111921">$14,814, 998.00</a>, or 94% of its donations that year, to JCN. JCN was formerly directed by Leonard Leo and now by Carrie Severino, who served as Thomas’s law clerk. (Opus Dei’s Roger Severino, Carrie’s husband, was Director of Trump’s Office for Civil Rights). JCN is a 501(c)(4) organization so its donors can remain secret. JCN&nbsp;<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/05/26/secret-money-behind-push-ban-abortion?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=twitter">poured millions</a>&nbsp;into supporting Bush and Trump’s Supreme Court nominees (Roberts, Alito, Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Barrett) and millions&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/billionaires-try-to-buy-the-supreme-court">blocking&nbsp;</a>Obama’s Court nominee, Merrick Garland.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Given Opus Dei’s absolute anti-choice ideology,&nbsp; global power, and influence over the Supreme Court, it is clear the Court’s anti-choice decision was not driven by legal arguments over the right to privacy, strict or “originalist” interpretations of the Constitution, or states rights. These were all just window dressing. The Supreme Court—and much of our judiciary—has been taken over by fanatics with a strictly&nbsp;<em>theological&nbsp;</em>agenda: to replace “separation of Church and State” with “the Church&nbsp;<em>runs</em>&nbsp;the state”. It is a narrow, fanatical religious ideology that decided the case.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The so-called “originalist” theory of interpreting the Constitution claims the Constitution only protects rights explicitly mentioned in the text. The Constitution itself rejects the “originalist” idea so central to conservative ideology.</b>&nbsp;The Ninth Amendment reads, “<em>The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.</em>” This clearly states that interpreting the Constitution is a living, evolving process, for how else can those “other[s]” rights be “retained by the people”? The Ninth is also a safety valve: “If we left out any important rights, sorry, our bad, it doesn’t mean those rights aren’t protected as well.” The Ninth has been used to uphold such diverse rights as teaching non-English languages, sending kids to private schools, protecting against forced sterilization, and the 1965 Griswold decision overturning bans on contraception, in which privacy was deemed a “penumbra” (also called “unenumerated”) right. The penumbra concept was then applied to abortion in 1973’s Roe decision.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Justice Harry Blackmun wrote the majority decision in Roe v. Wade, citing both the Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments:&nbsp;</b>“This right of privacy, whether it be founded in the Fourteenth Amendment’s concept of personal liberty and restrictions upon state action, as we feel it is, or…in the Ninth Amendment’s reservation of rights to the people, is broad enough to encompass a woman’s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy. The detriment that the State would impose upon the pregnant woman by denying this choice altogether is apparent.” The Court also recognized that “When those trained in the respective disciplines of medicine, philosophy, and theology are unable to arrive at any consensus, the judiciary…is not in a position to speculate as to the answer.” Blackmun’s decision includes an overview of the dramatic shifts in cultural and legal attitudes towards abortion, though most views differentiated abortions in the first 12-16 weeks (before the baby is usually felt moving inside the womb) from those occurring later.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The “sanctity of the foetus”, that is, viewing abortion at any stage of pregnancy as equivalent to murder, is the linchpin of the anti-choice position and its driving emotional trigger. However, even the Catholic Church’s historical opposition to abortion had nothing to do with the sanctity of the foetus; it was&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12178868/">aimed at the “sin” of sexual pleasure</a>. Church policy varied over the centuries but the foetus’s life was either absent as an issue or secondary to sexual sin and other theological concerns. St. Thomas Aquinas asserted that in its earlier stages&nbsp;<a href="https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/st-thomas-aquinas-c-1225-1274">a foetus is in a “vegetal”</a>&nbsp;and then “animal” state before achieving person-hood at some point, most likely at the end of the third month. It wasn’t until 1965 that the Church banned abortion on the basis of sanctity of life rather than sexual sin. However, the Bible passages used to justify this claim 1) do not really address abortion (the BIble is much more direct in advising that adulterers be stoned to death); 2) are drawn mostly from the Old Testament, a Jewish document, significant since the Jewish religion allows abortion; and 3) are in the Bible, which has no legal standing in the United States. Or didn’t.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Court’s decision in&nbsp;<em>Dobbs v. Jackson</em>&nbsp;is only the beginning, as anti-abortion activists and GOP-led extremists mobilize to assault a wide range of rights. The anti-choice movement was never only about abortion. Abortion was used as the emotional catalyst for a broad attack on the values of tolerance and social commitment embodied in Federal guarantees backed by Constitutional authority. The well-being of Americans and our system of government is now in the hands of religious fanatics on a crusade against all those who do not believe in their degraded, medieval version of truth. They are welcome to their beliefs but are not welcome to impose those beliefs on the rest of us, nor to challenge the fundamental values of the United States, which holds the value of human beings above adherence to extreme and rigid political or religious ideologies.
</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong /></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><strong><strong><strong><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></strong></strong></strong></strong></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ggl 7 22
LOVE OF GOD IS SHROUDED IN SECRECY OPUS DEI ...
https://www.sun-sentinel.com › news › fl-xpm-1990-05-2...
May 24, 1990 — Corkery, 30, has a law degree and a family. She stopped practicing law to raise her two young children. She was skeptical about Opus Dei before ...

Behind the dark-money web that put Barrett (and Kavanaugh ...
https://www.salon.com › ... › Jon Skolnik's Articles
Mar 30, 2021 — Meet Neil and Ann Corkery, a pair of veteran Republican operatives who have cultivated a robust network of conservative and Catholic-affiliated ...

Ann Corkery - EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki
https://en.everybodywiki.com › Ann_Corkery
Nov 28, 2021 — Ann Corkery is an American attorney and political activist. known as the founder of ... In the 1990s, Ann Corkery was a member of Opus Dei.
‎Career · ‎Connection to 501(c)4... · ‎The Wellspring Committee

Anne Loo on Twitter: "Here's a handy Opus Dei quick list. Add ...
https://twitter.com › loonyberg › status
This story is about OD Bill Barr and his cover-up regarding Inslaw/PROMIS theft by the DOJ. This story is huge. Epic. So is the info in the following tweet.

INSTITUTE INDEX: The secret money behind the push to ban ...
https://www.facingsouth.org › 2019/05 › institute-index...
May 23, 2019 — ... for anonymous contributions to conservative causes and is led by hard-line Opus Dei Catholic Ann Corkery and her husband, Neil Corkery, ...

Wellspring's Flow: Dark Money Outfit Helped Fuel Groups on ...
https://www.opensecrets.org › news › wellsprings-flow
Nov 5, 2013 — For people who guard their privacy closely, Ann and Neil Corkery are ... she was introduced to Opus Dei by Neil; he was a member but later ...

Ann Corkery - Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner LLP
https://www.steinmitchell.com › professionals-Ann-Cor...
Ann Corkery works at the intersection of law, public policy, and communications in the for-profit and non-profit world. She has extensive experience in ...

Wellspring Committee - Add Relationship - LittleSis
https://littlesis.org › org › 266354-Wellspring_Committee
Ann Corkery arch-conservative; Wellspring Committee dirctor, Opus Dei member, former director of ultra-right Catholic League, Becket Fund board member.

Opus Dei: Supreme indecency, extreme deceit
https://www.nationofchange.org › 2022/07/07 › opus-d...
2 days ago — Much of Opus Dei's influence was exerted via the Wellspring Committee, established and run by Opus Dei members Ann and Neil Corkery in 2008.

Judicial Crisis Network (JCN) - InfluenceWatch
https://www.influencewatch.org › non-profit › judicial-...
It was run since its founding by Ann Corkery, one of the co-founders of JCN. ... She has been associated with Opus Dei, a controversial Catholic religious ..</font><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">.

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</div><div><div><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">see leo</font></span></div><div><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">kellyanne</font></span></div><div><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">see ginni</font></span></div><div><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">hobby lobby</font></span></div><div><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">shelby v</font></span></div><h2 linux="Linux" libertine="Libertine" georgia="Georgia" times="Times" serif="serif" line-height="line-height" 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);"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">jok: vote by mail suppress</font></span></h2><div><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">html&nbsp;</font></span><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">endit1</span></div><div><span class="mw-headline"><div><span dir="auto" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></span></div><div><span dir="auto" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div><span dir="auto" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/activist-arranged-thomas-wife-payouts/">https://www.alternet.org/activist-arranged-thomas-wife-payouts/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">an 5 23</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>clarence Thomas' wife, "Ginni" Thomas, reportedly received tens of thousands of dollars for consulting work, and her name was intentionally left off of the paperwork.</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Ginni Thomas received the funds from conservative activist&nbsp;<b>Leonard Leo</b>—who has also helped former President Donald Trump select judicial nominees—according to the Washington Post's investigation. The news comes at a time when Clarence Thomas himself is under fire for reportedly receiving undisclosed gifts.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Leo made the arrangements through former Trump Administration official&nbsp;<b>Kellyanne Conway,</b>&nbsp;according to the Washington Post's report.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">"In January&nbsp;</span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">2012</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">, Leo instructed the GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway to bill a nonprofit group he advises and use that money to pay Virginia 'Ginni' Thomas, the documents show," according to the report. "The same year, the nonprofit, the&nbsp;</span><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Judicial Education Project,&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">filed a brief to the Supreme Court in a landmark voting rights case."[shelby]</span></b></div><div>
</div><div>The investigation further uncovered the circumstances surrounding how the payments were made secret.</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">"Leo, a key figure in a network of nonprofits that has worked to support the nominations of conservative judges, told Conway that he wanted her to 'give' Ginni Thomas 'another $25K,' the documents show. He emphasized that the paperwork should have 'No mention of Ginni, of course,'" according to the Washington Post</span>.</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The Polling Company, Conway's firm, reportedly sent the Judicial Education Project a $25,000 bill, and listed the reason only as "Supplement for Constitution Polling and Opinion Consulting."</span></div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">"In all, according to the documents, the Polling Company paid Thomas's firm,<b>&nbsp;Liberty Consulting,&nbsp;$80,000 between June 2011 and June2012, and it expected to pay $20,000 more</b>&nbsp;before the end of 2012," according to the Washington Post's investigation. "The documents reviewed by The Post do not indicate the precise nature of any work Thomas did for the Judicial Education Project or the Polling Company.</span></div><div>
</div><div>In a statement,&nbsp;<b>Leo reportedly told The Post that, "Knowing how disrespectful, malicious and gossipy people can be, I have always tried to protect the privacy of Justice Thomas and Ginni."</b></div><div>
</div><div>FROM YOUR SITE ARTICLES</div><div>'Ethics be damned': Legal experts aghast over bombshell report on Clarence Thomas’ luxury lifestyle ›</div><div>Why Clarence and Ginni Thomas have done more than anyone to 'damage the High Court’s reputation': journalist ›</div><div>Ex-GOP rep. slams 'slimy and unethical' Clarence and Ginni Thomas business enterprise ›</div><div>RELATED ARTICLES AROUND THE WEB</div><div>Why the Clarence and Ginni Thomas scandal still matters. ›</div><div>Is Ginni Thomas a Threat to the Supreme Court? | The New Yorker ›</div><div>The Long Crusade of Clarence and Ginni Thomas - The New York ... ›</div><div>
</div><div>----</div><div>ref no lnx</div><div>
</div><div><div><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Judicial activist directed fees to Clarence Thomas’s wife, urged ‘no mention of Ginni’</b></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Leonard Leo told GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway to bill nonprofit, then use money to pay spouse of Supreme Court justice</span></div><div>
</div><div>By Emma Brown, Shawn Boburg and Jonathan O'Connell</div><div>May 4, 2023&nbsp;</div><div>Leonard Leo, a conservative judicial activist, speaks at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in D.C. in 2019. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)</div><div>
</div><div>Conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo arranged for the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to be paid tens of thousands of dollars for consulting work just over a decade ago, specifying that her name be left off billing paperwork, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post.</div><div>
</div><div>In January 2012, Leo instructed the GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway to bill a nonprofit group he advises and use that money to pay Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the documents show. The same year, the nonprofit, the Judicial Education Project, filed a brief to the Supreme Court in a landmark voting rights case.</div><div>
</div><div><b>Leo, a key figure in a network of nonprofits that has worked to support the nominations of conservative judges, told Conway that he wanted her to “give” Ginni Thomas “another $25K,” the documents show. He emphasized that the paperwork should have “No mention of Ginni, of course.”</b></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Conway’s firm, the Polling Company, sent the&nbsp;<b>Judicial Education Project</b>&nbsp;a&nbsp;<b>$25,000</b>&nbsp;bill that day. Per Leo’s instructions, it listed the purpose as “Supplement for Constitution Polling and Opinion Consulting,” the documents show.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In all, according to the documents, the Polling Company paid Thomas’s firm<b>, Liberty Consulting, $80,000&nbsp;</b>between June 2011 and June 2012, and it expected to pay&nbsp;<b>$20,000</b>&nbsp;more before the end of 2012. The documents reviewed by The Post do not indicate the precise nature of any work Thomas did for the Judicial Education Project or the Polling Company.</span></div><div>
</div><div>The arrangement reveals that Leo, a longtime Federalist Society leader and friend of the Thomases, has functioned not only as an ideological ally of Clarence Thomas’s but also has worked to provide financial remuneration to his family. And it shows Leo arranging for the money to be drawn from a nonprofit that soon would have an interest before the court.</div><div>
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</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In response to questions from The Post, Leo issued a statement defending the Thomases. “It is no secret that Ginni Thomas has a long history of working on issues within the conservative movement, and part of that work has involved gauging public attitudes and sentiment. The work she did here did not involve anything connected with either the Court’s business or with other legal issues,” he wrote. “As an advisor to JEP I have long been supportive of its opinion research relating to limited government, and The Polling Company, along with Ginni Thomas’s help, has been an invaluable resource for gauging public attitudes.</span>”</div><div>
</div><div>Of the effort to keep Thomas’s name off paperwork, Leo said: “Knowing how disrespectful, malicious and gossipy people can be, I have always tried to protect the privacy of Justice Thomas and Ginni.”</div><div><b>Leo’s statement did not address questions about whether he had arranged other work for Ginni Thomas or how much money he directed to her in all from the nonprofit.</b></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Conway, who was a senior adviser in the Trump White House, did not respond to messages seeking comment.</span></div><div>Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, on Capitol Hill last year. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)</div><div>The Thomases did not respond to messages seeking comment. Ginni Thomas, a political activist and former GOP aide on Capitol Hill, has long maintained that she and her husband keep their careers separate.</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">In December 2012, the&nbsp;<b>Judicial Education Project submitted an amicus brief in Shelby County v. Holder,</b>&nbsp;a case challenging a landmark civil rights law</span>&nbsp;aimed at protecting minority voters. The court struck down a formula in the Voting Rights Act that determined which states had to obtain federal clearance before changing their voting rules and procedures<b>. Clarence Thomas was part of the 5-to-4 majority.</b></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Thomas issued a concurring opinion in the case,</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;arguing that the preclearance requirement itself is unconstitutional. Thomas’s opinion, which was consistent with a previous opinion he wrote, favored the outcome the Judicial Education Project and several other conservative organizations had advocated in their<b>&nbsp;amicus briefs</b>. He did not cite the Judicial Education Project brief.</span></div><div>
</div><div><b>Legal ethics experts disagreed about whether the arrangement outlined by Leo and the payments from Conway should have led Thomas to recuse himself from the Shelby case.</b></div><div>
</div><div>Federal law requires justices to recuse if their “impartiality might reasonably be questioned,” a standard that has not been well-defined as applied to filers of amicus briefs, the experts said. Law professor Kathleen Clark of Washington University said that if the Judicial Education Project paid Ginni Thomas $100,000 in the year and a half before it filed its brief, the size and timing of the payments would have been enough to cast doubt on Clarence Thomas’s impartiality and require his recusal. Law professor Stephen Gillers of New York University, however, said that as the rule is now interpreted, the link appeared too “attenuated” to require recusal.</div><div>
</div><div>But both experts said the arrangement shows that current ethics rules and disclosure requirements fail to protect public confidence in the independence of the courts. For example, although justices must report the name of companies that pay their spouses, they are not required to report the names of the companies’ clients. In this case, even if there were such a requirement, it is not clear that the Judicial Education Project would have been listed as a client, because the fees intended for Ginni Thomas were to go through Conway.</div><div>
</div><div>“The idea that Leonard Leo, who has a passionate ideological interest in how the court rules and who has worked hard for years to advance that interest, could pick up the phone and generate substantial compensation to Virginia Thomas, which also benefits Clarence Thomas — that idea is bad for the country, the court and the rule of law,” Gillers said. “It’s not the way the Supreme Court should do its business or allow its business to be done.”</div><div>
</div><div>The effort to keep Ginni Thomas’s name off paperwork makes the arrangement seem “more egregious,” said Clark.</div><div>
</div><div>In his statement to The Post, Leo said that Ginni Thomas’s work had no bearing on her husband’s opinions.</div><div>
</div><div>“I have known Clarence and Ginni Thomas since 1990. They are dear friends and are people of tremendous good will and integrity. Anybody who thinks that Justice Thomas is influenced in his work by what others say or do, including his wife Ginni, is completely ignorant of who this man is and what he stands for. And anybody who thinks Ginni Thomas would seek to influence the Supreme Court’s work is completely ignorant of the respect she has for her husband and the important role that he and his colleagues play in our society.”</div><div>
</div><div>Leonard Leo and the Supreme Court's push to the right</div><div>28:51</div><div>
</div><div>Conservatives are winning the battle for America’s courts, a triumph decades in the making. This is how they did it. (Video: Dalton Bennett, Jesse Mesner-Hage, Jorge Ribas/The Washington Post)]</div><div>
</div><div>Leo, 57, has for years been the behind-the-scenes leader of a network of interlocking nonprofits that has raised and spent hundreds of millions of dollars to support conservative judges and causes. Marble Freedom Trust, one of the organizations Leo chairs, received a contribution worth $1.6 billion in 2020 from a Chicago businessman, Barre Seid.</div><div>
</div><div><b>The Judicial Education Project was part of that network, although Leo was not listed on its tax filings or incorporation records</b>. Leo’s allies founded the Judicial Education Project in 2004. Its mission was to “conduct research and&nbsp;<b>educate the public on the role of the judiciary as laid out in the U.S. Constitution,</b>” according to its tax filings. It secured tax-exempt status in 2011 and was not initially well-funded, filing paperwork with the<b>&nbsp;IRS indicating it brought in less than $50,000 annually.</b></div><div>
</div><div><b>In 2012, it received about $1.5 million from donors whose identities were not publicly disclosed,&nbsp;</b>the tax filings show. The Judicial Education Project spent $150,000 on “polling” that year, according to its tax filing. The filing does not identify which firm did the work.</div><div>
</div><div>The president of the Judicial Education Project that year was Neil Corkery, a Leo ally and bookkeeper for several of his nonprofit groups. Corkery certified on the group’s 2012 tax filing that no one other than the group’s officers or key employees had control over the nonprofit.</div><div><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</b></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Corkery declined to commen</b>t.</span></div><div>Clarence Thomas has been under scrutiny since ProPublica revealed in April that Texas billionaire Harlan Crow took him on lavish vacations and also bought from Thomas and his relatives a Georgia home where Thomas’s mother lived; the transaction was not listed on the justice’s annual disclosure forms.</div><div>
</div><div>Senate Democrats this week held a hearing focused on Supreme Court ethics. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. declined an invitation to testify, offering instead a statement signed by all the justices in which they reaffirmed their commitment to abide by “foundational ethics principles and practices.”</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">During the hearing, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) mentioned Leo, who The Post has reported used the nonprofit network during the Trump administration to conduct publicity campaigns in support of nominees he helped select. “This guy doesn’t have business before the court,” Whitehouse said. “His business is the court.”</span></div><div>
</div><div>Leo’s ties to the Thomases go back decades and span their personal and professional lives.</div><div>Leo advised Clarence Thomas through his contentious confirmation process in the early 1990s and made Thomas the godfather of one of his children. Leo also has hosted the justice at his New England vacation home, according to the New York Times.</div><div>
</div><div><b>At a Federalist Society event in 2018, Thomas shared a stage with Leo and jokingly told him, “You’re the Number Three most powerful person in the world.”</b></div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The year before that, Ginni Thomas called Leo a “mentor to me” and “a hero” when she honored him with one of her Impact awards for conservative activists.</span></div><div>
</div><div><b>“Leonard Leo has single-handedly changed the face of the judiciary</b>,” she said at the awards dinner, held at what was then the Trump International Hotel in Washington. “He has many hats. That isn’t even all he does<b>. He does not really tell all that he does</b>. But I know enough to know the man is a force of nature.”</div><div>In 2009, when Thomas founded a tea party-aligned nonprofit called Liberty Central, Leo served on the board, tax filings show. Corkery was the nonprofit’s accountant, public records show.</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Thomas stepped away from Liberty Central in late 2010 amid controversy over whether its anonymous funding — including one donation for $500,000 — posed a potential conflict of interest for her husband. (Politico reported the following year that the<b>&nbsp;donation had come from Crow.</b>)</span></div><div>
</div><div><b>She then formed Liberty Consulting, a for-profit firm.</b>&nbsp;On her LinkedIn page, Thomas describes her work as collaborating with “citizen activists, leaders and nonprofits to succeed and have impact in defending the principles that have made America an exceptional nation.”</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><b>Liberty Consulting</b>&nbsp;began receiving payments from Conway’s firm within months of its creation in 2011, documents reviewed by The Post show. On multiple occasions, Thomas contacted the Polling Company to discuss her payments, the documents show.</span></div><div>
</div><div>The documents do not indicate whether Thomas knew of Leo’s role in the arrangement with Conway’s company, or of the Judicial Education Project’s role.&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">(Conway sold the company in 2017 to what is now known as CRC Advisors, another firm that Leo chairs.)</span></div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Since its first amicus brief, in the voting rights case in 2012, the Judicial Education Project has submitted about a dozen amicus briefs to the Supreme Court. It has argued for limiting or rolling back race-based college admissions policies,<b>&nbsp;regulations on greenhouse-gas emissions and gun-control measures.</b></span></div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In 2014, the group filed a brief in the<b>&nbsp;Hobby Lobby</b>&nbsp;case, which challenged a mandate in the Affordable Care Act that employers make contraception available to workers at no cost to the workers. The court’s ruling struck down part of the requirement in a&nbsp;<b>split decision, with Clarence Thomas again in the narrow majority.</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>
</b></span></div><div>Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at the White House in 2018. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)]</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><b>Thomas’s votes were aligned with the Judicial Education Project in six of the cases in which it filed briefs, including the Hobby Lobby case</b>&nbsp;and two involving affirmative action at public universities.&nbsp;</span>Thomas, a longtime critic of affirmative action, voted with the majority to uphold Michigan’s prohibition on race-based admissions at its public universities, and he dissented in a ruling that upheld admissions policies at the University of Texas.</div><div>
</div><div><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Thomas’s votes did not align with the group’s position in three other cases, including one that largely upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions.&nbsp;</span>The court did not take up all the cases in which the Judicial Education Project filed briefs.</b></div><div>
</div><div>The group’s interest in the Supreme Court extended beyond the courtroom. It spent money on campaigns to support President Donald&nbsp;<b>Trump’s nominations of Brett M. Kavanaugh and Neil M. Gorsuch</b>&nbsp;to the Supreme Court.&nbsp;<b>And it is listed as a funder in the credits of a 2020 documentary that celebrated Thomas. Clarence and Ginni Thomas&nbsp;</b>are featured extensively in the documentary, titled “Created Equal: Justice Thomas In His Own Words,” talking about the justice’s upbringing and his judicial philosophy.</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">As the Judicial Education Project pushed for a conservative court, the group grew into a financial juggernaut and was r<b>ebranded as the 85 Fund</b>. Between 2020 and 2021, its revenue nearly doubled from about $66 million to more than $117 million, tax forms show.</span></div><div>
</div><div><b>Even so, the group has never had more than a handful of employees, tax filings show. It has listed its main office address as a UPS Store</b>&nbsp;situated amid rowhouses and retail stores in the Georgetown neighborhood of D.C.</div><div>
</div><div>Alice Crites contributed to this report.</div><div>
</div><div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div><span dir="auto" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">=</div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">speech 1st // parents def fdm CRT BS"</div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><h2 style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Funding"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Funding</font></span></h2><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; font-size: small; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In May of 2018, Neily refused to disclose donor information to&nbsp;<i>Politico</i>&nbsp;and refused to say if the Kochs were involved to&nbsp;<i>The Nation.</i>&nbsp;The organization collects $5 dues from its members. Neily said in May that Speech First had around 1,000 members.<sup id="cite_ref-Politico_3-3" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Speech_First#cite_note-Politico-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[3]</a></sup>&nbsp;Such makes up a “negligible part” of Speech First's Funding "which mainly comes from undisclosed backers."<sup id="cite_ref-nation_2-2" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Speech_First#cite_note-nation-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[2]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; font-size: small; line-height: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Speech First is not required to disclose its funders. Its major funders, however, can be found through a search of IRS filings.</font></p><ul data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%225%22" height="%2213%22%3E" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="%222.5%22" cy="%229%22" r="%222.5%22" fill="%22%23222%22/%3E" c="C" e="E" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="font-size: small; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bader_Family_Foundation&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Bader Family Foundation (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Bader Family Foundation</a>: $175,000 (2018-2019)</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Conru Foundation: $5,000 (2019)</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund</b>: $500,250 (2018)</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Judicial_Education_Project" class="mw-redirect" title="Judicial Education Project" 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; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">Judicial Education Project</a>: $1,000,000 (2017-2</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">018)</span></b></font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Melvin_S_Cohen_Foundation&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Melvin S Cohen Foundation (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Melvin S Cohen Foundation</a>: $10,000 (2020)</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">National Philanthropic Trust: $1,050,000 (2018-2019)</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=The_85_Fund" title="The 85 Fund" 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; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">The 85 Fund</a>: $1,000,000 (2019-2020)</font></li></ul></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">
</div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">=</div></span></div><div><span dir="auto" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">=</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">igor salon</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">https://www.alternet.org/2021/10/glenn-youngkin-2655355138/</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>A billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salon.com/2021/05/10/trump-spawned-a-new-group-of-mega-donors-who-now-hold-sway-over-the-gops-future_partner/" 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;">Trump donor</a>&nbsp;who funded a group that marched on the Capitol ahead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salon.com/topic/capitol_riot" 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;">Jan. 6 Capitol riot</a>&nbsp;is bankrolling a dark-money group boosting Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin's attacks on Democratic opponent Terry McAuliffe.</b></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The Republican-aligned Restoration PAC&nbsp;</b>this week&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CHUDIw4Yac" 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;">new ads</a>&nbsp;attacking McAuliffe, who served a previous term as governor, over crime rates. (Virginia's unusual term limits restrict governors to one term, but does not bar them from running again after leaving office.) The PAC has spent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vpap.org/indexpenditures/150240/" 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;">$1.767 million</a>&nbsp;funding ads against McAuliffe, making it&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vpap.org/money/independent-expenditures/spenders/" 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;">by far the largest</a>&nbsp;<b>independent</b>&nbsp;expenditure group in the race.</span></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The group is funded almost entirely by Republican mega-donor Richard Uihlein, co-founder of the Wisconsin shipping supply giant Uline. Uihlein contributed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cycle=2020&cmte=C00571588" 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;">$24.5 million</a>&nbsp;to the group in the 2020 election cycle, making up 97% of its funding, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. He put another $1.5 million into the group in May, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?cycle=2022&data_type=processed&committee_id=C00571588&line_number=F3X-11AI" 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;">FEC filings</a>.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Uihlein and his wife Liz are among the biggest Republican donors in the country, having given more than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/summ.php?disp=D" 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;">$65 million</a>&nbsp;to former President Donald Trump,&nbsp;</b>Republican candidates and conservative groups since 2019. The Uihleins have also contributed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicago-area-billionaire-gave-millions-to-patriots-group-that-backed-pro-trump-rally/a5ea9afa-e58f-4987-a698-7d847c244189" 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;">$4.3 million</a>&nbsp;over the past five years to the<b>&nbsp;Tea Party Patriots, including $800,000 in October 2020</b>, making them by far the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cycle=2020&cmte=C00540898" 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;">group's biggest donors</a>.&nbsp;</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The Tea Party Patriots participated in the "March to Save America" rally that preceded the Capitol riot and were one of 11 groups listed as part of the "#StopTheSteal coalition,"</b>&nbsp;according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicago-area-billionaire-gave-millions-to-patriots-group-that-backed-pro-trump-rally/a5ea9afa-e58f-4987-a698-7d847c244189" 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;">WBEZ</a>.&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">The group also contributed to Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., who was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/01/13/ali-alexander-capitol-biggs-gosar/" 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;">accused</a>&nbsp;by "Stop the Steal" organizer Ali Alexander of helping plan the rally, which Brooks has denied. Tea Party Patriots also contributed to Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who led objections to the certification of Electoral College results in the Senate.</span></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Restoration PAC last month also gave&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vpap.org/committees/399840/women-speak-out-virginia-2021/" 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;">$942,000</a>&nbsp;to Women Speak Out Virginia — 2021, a PAC affiliated with the anti-choice Susan B. Anthony List that launched a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sba-list.org/newsroom/press-releases/women-speak-out-virginia-2021-announces-1-4m-campaign-to-defeat-abortion-extremist-terry-mcauliffe" 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;">$1.4 million</a>&nbsp;campaign to attack McAuliffe on abortion.</b></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Uihlein's foundation also contributed $275,000 to Trump booster Charlie Kirk's Turning Point Action between 2014 and 2016.&nbsp;</span>The group was listed as a participant in the Capitol protest and Kirk took credit for "sending 80+ buses full of patriots to DC to fight for this president" in a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1348660824886296577?s=20" 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;">since-deleted tweet</a>.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Turning Point Action also previously received&nbsp;<a href="https://jacobinmag.com/2021/01/dark-money-gop-capitol-riot-biden-trump" 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;">$50,000</a>&nbsp;from the Judicial Crisis Network</span>, a conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/05/conservative-dark-money-network-voting-restrict/" 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;">dark-money group</a>&nbsp;that helped Trump fill federal courts with conservative judges and is pushing to restrict voting</b>.&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">The group also&nbsp;<a href="https://documented.net/2020/10/new-filing-shows-massive-dark-money-support-from-judicial-crisis-network-to-republican-attorneys-general-association/" 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;">funds</a>&nbsp;the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA)</span>, giving it $2.1 million last October and a total of $12.7 million since 2014. RAGA's fundraising arm, the&nbsp;<b>Rule of Law Defense Fund,&nbsp;</b><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/republican-ags-group-sent-robocalls-urging-march-capitol-n1253581" 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;">sent out robocalls</a>&nbsp;urging supporters to "march to the Capitol building and call on Congress to stop the steal" on Jan. 6.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">The Judicial Crisis Network has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2021/06/secretive-dark-money-network-anti-critical-race-theory/" 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;">multiple legal aliases</a>&nbsp;it uses for other initiatives, including The Concord Fund and&nbsp;<b>Free to Learn Action.&nbsp;</b></span>That latter group has launched a&nbsp;<a href="https://freetolearn.org/press-release-free-to-learn-coalition-launches-with-national-ad-campaign-focused-on-taking-politics-out-of-the-classroom/" 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;">$1 million</a>&nbsp;ad campaign focused on "critical race theory" in schools, an issue Youngkin and other conservatives have seized on. The group is spending&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/577761-education-group-backed-by-conservatives-1-million-ad-campaign-hitting" 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;">$1 million</a>&nbsp;attacking McAuliffe for arguing that parents should not dictate school curricula.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">The Judicial Crisis Network is also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/05/conservative-dark-money-network-voting-restrict/" 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;">closely aligned and shares staff</a>&nbsp;with the Judicial Education Project and its Honest Elections Project</span>, a conservative initiative pushing voting restrictions. The Judicial Education Network is almost entirely funded by th<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">e Donors Trust,</span>&nbsp;a dark-money group backed by the Koch network</b>. Donors Trust in 2019 gave more than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/13/dark-money-gop-fund-funneled-millions-groups-that-pushed-voter-fraud-claims.html" 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;">$20 million</a>&nbsp;to at least a dozen groups who would later question the results of the election. Last year, the Honest Elections Project&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salon.com/2021/10/22/billionaire-donor-funded-jan-6-group-now-pouring-dark-money-into-glenn-youngkin-campaign/#blogHeader" 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;">announced</a>&nbsp;a six-figure ad campaign stoking fears of a "brazen attempt to manipulate the election system for partisan advantage" before the election even happened.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Youngkin has tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salon.com/2021/10/12/va-candidate-backs-away-from-trumps-big-lie--but-wants-an-audit/" 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;">walk a fine line</a>&nbsp;on Trump's election lies as he tries to solidify his Republican base without alienating independent and suburban voters in the increasingly blue state. He refused to acknowledge President Biden's election victory while seeking the Republican nomination, doing so only after he had already triumphed over Republican rivals. And while Youngkin has said he would have voted to certify the election results, he is nonetheless&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salon.com/2021/10/12/va-candidate-backs-away-from-trumps-big-lie--but-wants-an-audit/" 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;">calling for an "audit"</a>&nbsp;of voting machines in Virginia (something the state already does) and boosting election conspiracy theorists.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Youngkin, the former CEO of the private equity firm the Carlyle Group</b>,<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">&nbsp;is also the primary funder of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salon.com/2021/07/24/virginia-gop-candidate-glenn-youngkin-tries-to-pivot-away-from-trump--but-theres-nowhere-to-go/" 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;">Virginia Wins</a>, contributing $1 million to back Republican candidates in down-ballot races.</span>&nbsp;The PAC has funneled tens of thousands to candidates who attended the Stop the Steal rally, organized transportation for others to attend the event, defended Capitol rioters or pushed election conspiracy theories,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/10/virginia-gop-candidate-glenn-youngkin-financed-a-pac-that-supports-2020-deniers-and-1-6-apologists/" 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;">Mother Jones</a>&nbsp;reported on Thursday.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Youngkin did not respond to a request for comment.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"It's no surprise that some of the most powerful, pro-insurrection dark money forces are rushing to Glenn Youngkin's side in this campaign," Manuel Bonder, a spokesman for the Virginia Democratic Party, said in a statement to Salon. "They are supporting Youngkin because he's all in on their agenda — and they have full confidence that if elected, Glenn will do exactly what Donald Trump says. He belongs nowhere near the governorship."</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">=</font></p></span></div><div><span dir="auto" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div><span dir="auto" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2020/10/10/snapshot-secret-funding-amicus-briefs-tied-leonard-leo-federalist-society-leader-promoter-amy-barrett/">https://www.exposedbycmd.org/<b>2020/10/10</b>/snapshot-secret-funding-amicus-briefs-tied-leonard-leo-federalist-society-leader-promoter-amy-barrett/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">lisa g</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A new review of grant documents, first published on the dark web, provides a snapshot of how groups tied to Leonard Leo–the man who put Amy Barrett on President Trump’s list for the Supreme Court–have been secretly funded to file briefs with the Supreme Court to overturn U.S. laws, including the Affordable Care Act.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Leo, the co-chair of the Federalist Society's board, was previously the group’s Executive Vice President. Earlier this year, he announced the launch of a for-profit firm called&nbsp;<b>CRC Advisors, which is working closely with Leo-tied non-profits that were being rebranded–including one previously known only as the “Judicial Education Project” (JEP).</b></font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">His move came in the aftermath of an in-depth&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/leonard-leo-federalists-society-courts/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 102); box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">investigation of Leo in 2019</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;by Robert O’Harrow and Shawn Boberg of the&nbsp;</span><i style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102); box-sizing: inherit;">Washington Post’</i><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">s investigative unit, which documented how Leo directed millions from big donors to groups spending big to get nominees of Trump confirmed and to block Merrick Garland’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.&nbsp;</span><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Senators Stabenow, Schumer, and Whitehouse recently&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/-stabenow-schumer-whitehouse-announce-next-phase-of-captured-courts-effort-detailing-whats-at-stake-for-the-american-people" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 102); box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">announced</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;that they will be issuing a new series of</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">reports about the impact of court capture on Americans’ rights,</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;f</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">ollowing on earlier&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=839500" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 102); box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">white papers</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">, and Senator Whitehouse recently&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/whitehouse-testifies-on-the-right-wing-capture-of-our-courts" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 102); box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">testified</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;about these issues before the House.</span></font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Last year, the&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Post</em>&nbsp;tallied the Leo network’s spending to get federal and state judges appointed and to influence the law at more than $250 million over the past few years–not counting money given in 2018, which was not publicly available due to tax filing deadlines.</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;Leo-tied groups, like the legally separate Judicial Crisis Network, have also recently funneled money from major donors, who are not publicly known, to fund activities by the&nbsp;</span><b><a href="https://truenorthresearch.org/report/wisconsin-supreme-court-capture-leonard-leo-tied-dark-money-judicial-crisis-network-rslc/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 102); box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Republican State Leadership Committee</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">, which has used a related entity to</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">&nbsp;spend big on negative ads the week before</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">state supreme court elections,&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">and the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://twitter.com/duboo/status/1285322819153403909?s=20" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 102); box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Republican Attorneys General Association</span></a></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">. Earlier this year, JEP filed for the use of a “</span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">fictitious name” to do business in Virginia, calling itself the “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/27/honest-elections-project-conservative-voting-restrictions" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Honest Elections Project.</span></a>”</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;This new Leo-connected group is amplifying claims of voter fraud and downplaying evidence of voter suppression measures, assertions that have been widely&nbsp;</span><a href="https://fairfight.com/honest-elections-project-exposed/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 102); box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">assailed</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">.</span></font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The newly reviewed grant documents include<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7223998-2014-Bradley-Leonard-Leo-Neil-Corkery-Carrie.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;emails&nbsp;</span></a>showing that the Bradley Foundation”s grant officer conferred with Leo at the Federalist Society about how the foundation could fund “two Supreme Court&nbsp;<i style="box-sizing: inherit;">amicus</i>&nbsp;projects” without funneling the money through DonorsTrust, in 2014. Leo connected them to Neil Corkery, a long-time ally of his in an array of groups, and the listed leader of JEP. That group was launched in 2004 alongside another group Leo has deep ties to: the Judicial Confirmation Network, which is now known as the Judicial Crisis Network (JCN).<b>&nbsp;JCN was created at a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/03/the-jcn-story-building-a-secretive-gop-judicial-machine/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">small dinner party Leo attended with Corkery and others that Justice Antonin&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Scalia&nbsp;</span></span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">attended too, after the 2004 election.</span></b></font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Corkery is also a central figure in the now-defunct&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/05/an-influential-dark-money-group-turns-off-the-lights-for-the-last-time/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Wellspring Committee</span></a></span>, which transferred millions from one secret source to JCN, as it fought to block Merrick Garland’s confirmation to the Court and to advance Neil Gorsuch to that seat. Corkery has been on the board of a number of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wellspring_Committee" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">anti-choice and anti-gay rights</span></a>&nbsp;groups and other entities–sometimes with&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><a href="https://www.americanoversight.org/new-records-illustrate-extensive-influence-wielded-by-leader-of-group-pushing-conservative-judicial-agenda" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Gary Marx</span></a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-jcn-story-how-to-build-a-secretive-right-wing-judicial-machine" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Dan Casey</span></a>.</span>&nbsp;At the time of the Bradley grant, Corkery was operating JEP as president, with&nbsp;<b><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/09/dark-money-groups-gear-up-supreme-court/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Carrie Severino</span></a>&nbsp;as staff and on the Board. She is a former law clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas.</b></font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Severino is now the leader and spokesperson of JCN, which recently announced a multi-million dollar ad campaign in support of Barrett’s confirmation. As the&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Washington Post</em>&nbsp;documented, during the fight over Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination she had an office&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/five-takeaways-from-the-posts-report-on-leonard-leo/2019/05/20/c547954c-78e9-11e9-b3f5-5673edf2d127_story.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">just down the hall from the Federalist Society.</span></a></font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Bradley&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7223993-2015-Bradley-Summary-Judicial-Education-Project.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">grant summary</span></a>&nbsp;states that the request for funding for JEP’s amicus briefs was “initiated by Bradley Prize recipient Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies.”</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">According to that document, JEP provided Bradley with a proposal seeking $200,000 to help subsidize the cost of two amicus briefs, which were described by Bradley as costing $250,000 each. Bradley’s grant officer recommended that its board approve $150,000 to help underwrite the costs of those briefs to the Supreme Court, stating:</font></span></p><blockquote style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 40px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><p class="p2" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="s3" style="box-sizing: inherit;">At this highest of legal levels, it is often very important to orchestrate high-caliber amicus efforts that showcase respected high-profile parties who are represented by the very best lawyers with strong ties to the Court. Such is the case here, with&nbsp;</span><span class="s4" style="box-sizing: inherit;">King</span><span class="s3" style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;and&nbsp;</span><span class="s4" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Friedrichs</span><span class="s3" style="box-sizing: inherit;">, even given Bradley’s previous philanthropic investments in the actual, underlying legal actions. (Bradley Grant Proposal Record of the Judicial Education Project)</span></font></p></blockquote><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Bradley’s proposal summary expressly stated that the funding was needed “for two important cases pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.”</font></span></p><h2 class="p4" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 10px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The King Litigation Was an Attack on Health Care</font></span></h2><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“King” is a reference to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/king-v-burwell/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><i style="box-sizing: inherit;">King v. Burwell</i></span></a>, which the Court decided later that year, in 2015. That case involved a challenge by four individual plaintiffs to an IRS rule providing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7224742-2015-Bradley-FGA-Proposa-JEP-King-v-Burwell.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">federal-exchange subsidies</span></a>&nbsp;nationwide as part of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the signature health insurance reform bill of the Obama administration.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Bradley’s recommendation to provide funding to support JEP’s amicus brief&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7223993-2015-Bradley-Summary-Judicial-Education-Project.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">noted&nbsp;</span></a>that “the King statutory interpretation case itself was brought with Bradley support by the&nbsp;<b>Competitive Enterprise Institute” (CEI</b>)</span>. The Supreme Court’s Rule 29.6 required disclosure in the case notes that the plaintiffs were four individuals. There is no reference to CEI in the Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docketfiles/14-114.htm" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">docket sheet</span></a>&nbsp;for the case as a lawyer or litigant, but the group’s website stated that&nbsp;<a href="https://cei.org/content/scotus-announces-review-cei%E2%80%99s-healthcare-case-king-v-burwell" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">CEI “is coordinating and funding both the King v. Burwell case and the D.C. Circuit Halbig v. Burwell case.”</span></a>&nbsp;There is no mention of CEI as an intermediary for Bradley funding of this litigation.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">After the Supreme Court ruled against the four plaintiffs and upheld the ACA, the Bradley summary for CEI’s grant&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7223999-2015-Bradley-Competitive-Enterprise-Institute.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">stated</span></a>:</font></span></p><blockquote style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 40px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><p class="p2" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="s3" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">[T]he U.S. Supreme Court handed CEl, and perhaps conservatism in general, one of its biggest legal losses ever.</span>&nbsp;The Court ruled against CEI’s ambitiously creative challenge to Obamacare’s tax subsidies to individuals purchasing insurance coverage through the federal health-insurance exchange. CEI acknowledges that the loss was deeply disappointing – not only because it kept intact subsidies not authorized by statute, but also because it signaled a shift in the Court’s respect for the plain meaning of laws enacted by Congress. Nonetheless, it argues, the case succeeded in reshaping the country’s public discourse about health-care policy, the rule of law, the role of Congress, and agency accountability. (</span>Bradley Grant Proposal Record of the Competitive Enterprise Institute)</font></p></blockquote><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Bradley’s grant summary also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7223999-2015-Bradley-Competitive-Enterprise-Institute.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">specifies</span></a>&nbsp;that CEI has long been funded by the Koch family fortune, Sarah Scaife, Barre Seid, Exxon, Murray Energy, and Pfizer. It also noted that Leo was on CEI’s board of legal advisors alongside Michael Greve of George Mason’s law school, which has received many millions in Koch money. (<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/competitive-enterprise-institute" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">CEI</span></a>&nbsp;was founded by Fred Smith in the 1980s after he worked with Charles Koch at his&nbsp;<a href="https://kochdocs.org/2019/06/07/charles-koch-chairman-council-competitive-economy-new-member/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Council for a Competitive Economy</span></a>, the predecessor of Citizens for a Sound Economy, now known as Americans for Prosperity. CEI has a long history of peddling&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/a-two-decade-crusade-by-conservative-charities-fueled-trumps-exit-from-paris-climate-accord/2017/09/05/fcb8d9fe-6726-11e7-9928-22d00a47778f_story.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">climate change denial</span></a>.)</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Billionaire Charles Koch’s political arm, Americans for Prosperity, has announced that it will spend millions to push for the quick confirmation of Barrett to the Supreme Court.</b>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Koch has spent tens of millions through organizations he controls to attack the ACA over the past decade. He began&nbsp;<a href="https://kochdocs.org/2020/02/06/breaking-new-documents-show-charles-kochs-fortune-subsidizing-attacks-on-election-laws-since-more-than-40-years-ago/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">subsidizing litigation against anti-corruption election laws</span></a>&nbsp;in the 1970s.</span></font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Koch-founded and -funded Cato Institute also submitted an&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160331182238/https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publications/supreme_court_preview/BriefsV4/14-114_amicus_pet_Cato.authcheckdam.pdf" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">amicus</span>&nbsp;brief&nbsp;</span></a>in the&nbsp;<i style="box-sizing: inherit;">King</i>&nbsp;case, urging that the Supreme Court strike down the ACA.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The&nbsp;<a href="http://sblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/14-114-Amicus-Brief-of-Senator-John-Cornyn-et-al-.pdf" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">JEP brief</span></a>&nbsp;that Bradley mentioned as worthy of its philanthropic subsidy had been filed in 2014 by Severino and other lawyers on behalf of seven elected officials: Senators John Cornyn, Ted Cruz, Orrin Hatch, Rob Portman, and Marco Rubio as well as Reps. Dave Camp and Darrell Issa. The main law firm on the brief with JEP was Cooper & Kirk, one of the firms Bradley noted in its grant write-up. The discussion with Leo about funding occurred about two weeks before this brief was submitted to the Court.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">So, in essence, the Bradley Foundation wanted to subsidize an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court prepared by a for-profit law firm for GOP Members of Congress by funding a non-profit group working with that firm.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The Bradley proposal documents also noted that it was funding two other groups that submitted amicus briefs in the&nbsp;<i style="box-sizing: inherit;">King</i>&nbsp;litigation: the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7224001-2014-Bradley-Pacific-Research-Institute-Board.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Pacific Research Institute (</span></a>PRI) and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7224005-2014-Bradley-Galen-Amicus-IRA-Pages-Pdf-3.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Galen Institute</span></a>.</span>&nbsp;Both groups specifically requested Bradley funding for amicus briefs seeking to get the Supreme Court to overturn the ACA. PRI’s brief is<a href="http://sblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Cert-Amicus-Brief-PRI.pdf" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;here</span></a>. The Galen Institute’s brief is&nbsp;<a href="https://boydengrayassociates.com/brief-of-amicus-curiae-the-galen-institute-king-v-burwell-no-14-114-s-ct-dec-29-2014/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">here</span></a>, on the website of C. Boyden Gray’s law firm.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Galen also received funding for its amicus briefs against the ACA from the Randolph Foundation, which is controlled by Vicks VapoRub heir, Heather Higgins, who leads the Independent Women’s Voice (IWV) and Independent Women’s Forum (IWF). IWV received $150,000 from JCN in 2014, and later&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/02/dark-money-group-led-by-trump-judicial-adviser-scotus-picks/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">received $4 million from Leo’s Freedom and Opportunity Fund&nbsp;</span></a>over two years as it opposed Garland’s confirmation and supported Gorsuch’s confirmation. Her groups also played a prominent role in defense of Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination, and JEP gave $300K to IWF in 2018. IWF and IWV leaders are actively pressing for Barrett’s rapid confirmation. Notably, Higgins has used claims about the ACA in outreach to swing-state voters right before the election in 2016, and she&nbsp;<a href="https://truenorthresearch.org/report/group-stealthily-targeted-independent-women-and-claimed-decisive-role-in-trumps-win/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">took credit for moving women in Wisconsin toward Trump</span></a>&nbsp;in sufficient numbers to help him win the presidency.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>IWF joined forces with the Cato Institute in the follow-on case to&nbsp;<i style="box-sizing: inherit;">King</i></b>, a consolidated set of cases under the name&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cato.org/publications/legal-briefs/zubik-v-burwell" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Zubik v. Burwell</span></a>. IWF has received both Koch and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2017/06/21/bradley-foundation-fueled-independent-womens-forum-campaign-against-paid-sick-leave-laws-and-more/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-wpel-link="internal" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Bradley funding</span></a>&nbsp;for other work over the years. It has deep ties to Koch–even being led for years by the former top lobbyist for Koch Industries and being co-led and co-located with Citizens for a Sound Economy/Americans for Prosperity.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Judge Barrett, Trump’s nominee for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat on the Supreme Court, has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/judge-barrett-aca-health-care-law/2020/09/28/429d165e-ff4c-11ea-b555-4d71a9254f4b_story.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">criticized the Affordable Care Act</span></a>. The Court has schedule oral arguments for November 10 in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/california-v-texas/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">latest case attacking that law</span></a>–which extended access to health care to millions of Americans and which makes it illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Trump has attacked the ACA repeatedly and sought its repeal, and never forgave Senator McCain for refusing to go along with his plan.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apha.org/news-and-media/news-releases/apha-news-releases/2020/executive-order" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Trump’s recently issued declaration “policy” about pre-existing conditions would provide no actual enforceable protections</span></a>, if the Court were to strike down the law as he seeks. That declaration is little more than a talking point that was issued right after Justice Ginsburg died, as he prepared to nominate Barrett to the Supreme Court. With covid-19 spreading in the U.S., millions of Americans may now or in the future have significant pre-existing conditions as a result of this deadly pandemic.</font></span></p><h2 class="p4" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 10px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Friedrichs Litigation Was an Attack on Unions</font></span></h2><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The “Friedrichs” case mentioned by Bradley in its funding document was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/friedrichs-v-california-teachers-association/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><i style="box-sizing: inherit;">Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association</i></span></a>. That case attacked the dues collected by unions from employees to negotiate for benefits for all non-management employees.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Bradley&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7223993-2015-Bradley-Summary-Judicial-Education-Project.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">noted</span></a>&nbsp;in early 2015 that “Various amici in Friedrichs likely will include current and former governors, state attorneys general, First Amendment scholars, and leading Bradley-supported education-reform entities — including PRl. At this writing, two or three others may be commissioned.” The Koch-funded Cato Institute also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/NAI_1500534639_1_14-915tsacTheCatoInstitute.pdf" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">filed</span></a>&nbsp;an amicus brief in&nbsp;<i style="box-sizing: inherit;">Friedrichs.</i></font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It is noteworthy that in its evaluation of which groups to fund on these issues, Bradley touted that the Friedrich’s case and a related case could be a “powerful one-two punch” against unions that could cause them to “lose an estimated $60 million annually.: (That was part of the summary of the Bradley grant recommendation for the group&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7224004-2015-Bradley-Students-First-IRA-Pages-1-Pdf-2.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">StudentsFirst</span></a>&nbsp;in 2015.)</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">After Justice Antonin Scalia died in early 2016, the Court was deadlocked 4-4 in the&nbsp;<i style="box-sizing: inherit;">Friedrichs</i>&nbsp;case, which resulted in affirming a lower court decision that had refused to overrule “agency shop” rules for public sector unions. Those long-standing rules prevent free riders from benefiting from union negotiations without dues. However, after Gorsuch was confirmed, the Court struck down those rules in a 5-4 decision with a different plaintiff, Mark&nbsp;<a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/06/30/janus-bleed-unions-state-policy-network/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Janus</span></a>, pursuing the same line of arguments as those subsidized by the Bradley Foundation. (A brief history of the roots of the Janus litigation and the so-called “right-to-work” laws that undermine collective bargaining rights is available&nbsp;<a href="https://inthesetimes.com/article/koch-anti-union-janus-supreme-court" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">here</span></a>.)</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cir-usa.org/legal_docs/friedrichs_merits_amicus_con_law_profs.pdf" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">amicus brief JEP submitted</span></a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<i style="box-sizing: inherit;">Friedrichs&nbsp;</i>case, after receiving Bradley funding, was on behalf of eight law professors, all of whom were then and are still leading voices in the Federalist Society, including one of its co-founders: Steven Calabresi. (One of them has since passed away.) In 2010, the Bradley Foundation awarded Calabresi, Leonard Leo, and other founders or leaders of the Federalist Society the&nbsp;<a href="https://fedsoc.org/2009-bradley-prize" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Bradley Prize</span></a>, a gift of $250,000, which it has also given to others like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7224062-BradleyPrize10AnnRep-Doc.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Paul Gigot</span></a>, when he was on the&nbsp;<i style="box-sizing: inherit;">Wall Street Journal&nbsp;</i>editorial board.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">So, in the case of&nbsp;<i style="box-sizing: inherit;">Friedrichs</i>, the Bradley Foundation was in touch with the Executive Vice President of the Federalist Society about helping to subsidize an amicus brief for the U.S. Supreme Court that was later written and filed on behalf of professors, all of whom were contributors to the Federalist Society.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This is only one snapshot of the role that the Bradley Foundation and others have played in funding amicus briefs submitted to the Supreme Court to try to get laws overturned. In this instance, one of the groups that submitted amicus briefs the foundation subsidized is part of Leo’s dark money network, which has spent millions to get the judges he wants on our nation’s highest court.</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">The documents used to illustrate this story in the public interest are only a few of the thousands of pages of documents in the Bradley files trove, which the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) began examining in 2017</span>. It noted:</font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">“The documents were made public in October 2016 on two Twitter accounts that cyber security analysts have linked to one of the Russian hackers alleged to have breached the Democratic National Committee. The Bradley Foundation confirmed&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.bradleyfdn.org/On-Lion-Letter/ID/2342/Statement-of-Bradley-Foundation-president-Richard-W-Graber-on-cyber-intrusion" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">in a statement</span></span></a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;that the hack had taken place and was reported to the FBI. More information about how the Bradley files became public is available&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.exposedbycmd.org/how-did-bradley-files-become-public/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-wpel-link="internal" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">here</span></span></a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">.</span></font></span></p><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The documents open a window to the behind-the-scenes workings of one of America’s largest right-wing foundations. With $835 million in assets as of June 2016, the Bradley Foundation is as large as the three Koch family foundations combined, yet receives much less attention as a significant funder of the right.”</font></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 3.6px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">For more on the Bradley Foundation’s activities, see CMD’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.exposedbycmd.org/bradley-files/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-wpel-link="internal" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none;">Bradley Files</a>&nbsp;investigation.</font></span></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div></span></div><div><span dir="auto" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div style="font-size: small;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2020/10/13/senator-whitehouse-calls-out-dark-money-networks-behind-amy-coney-barretts-scotus-nomination" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2020/10/13/senator-whitehouse-calls-out-dark-money-networks-behind-amy-coney-barretts-scotus-nomination</a></font></div><div style="font-size: small;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</div><div><b>Senator Whitehouse Calls Out Dark-Money Networks Behind Amy Coney Barrett’s SCOTUS Nomination</b></div><div>
</div><div>By ExposedByCMD Editors | October 13th, 2020</div><div>
</div><div>Bradley Files, Democracy, Featured Investigations, Koch, News, RAGA, Trump7 Comments</div><div>Editor’s Note: The following is a transcript of remarks made by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) in the October 13, 2020, Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.</div><div>
</div><div>Thank you, Chairman, Judge Barrett. You can take a bit of a breather on your return to the committee, because what I want to do is go through with the people who are watching this now the conversation that you and I had when we spoke on the telephone. You were kind enough to hear out a presentation that I made, and I intend to ask some questions in that area, but it doesn’t make sense to ask questions if I haven’t laid the predicate, particularly for viewers who are watching this.</div><div>
</div><div>So, I guess the reason that I want to do this is because people who are watching this need to understand that this small hearing room and the little TV box that you are looking at, the little screen that you are looking at, are a little bit like the frame of a puppet theater, and if you only look at what’s going on in the puppet theater you’re not going to understand the whole story. You are not going to understand the real dynamic what is going on here, and you are certainly not going to understand forces outside of this room who are pulling strings and pushing sticks and causing the puppet theater to react.</div><div>
</div><div><b>So first, let me say, why do I think outside forces are here pulling strings?&nbsp;</b>Well, part of it is behavior. We have colleagues here who supported you, this nominee, before there was a nominee. That’s a little unusual.</div><div>
</div><div>We have the political ram job that we have already complained of driving this process through at breakneck speed in the middle of a pandemic while the Senate is closed for safety reasons and while we are doing nothing about the COVID epidemic around us. We have some very awkward 180s from colleagues. Mr. Chairman, you figure in this. Our leader said back when it was Garland versus Gorsuch, that of course, of course, the American people should have a say in the Court’s direction. Of course, of course, said Mitch McConnell. That’s long gone.</div><div>
</div><div>Senator Grassley said the American people shouldn’t be denied a voice. That’s long gone. Senator Cruz said you don’t do this in an election year. That’s long gone. And our chairman made his famous hold-the-tape promise if an opening comes in the last year of President Trump’s term we’ll wait until the next election. That’s gone too.</div><div>
</div><div>So there is a lot of hard-to-explain hypocrisy and rush taking place right now, and my experience around politics is that when you find hypocrisy in the daylight, look for power in the shadows. Now people say well, what does all this matter? This is a political parlor game; it’s no big deal. Well, there are some pretty high stakes here that we have been talking about here on our side, and I will tell you three of them right here.</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Roe v. Wade, Obergefell, and the Obamacare cases. Here’s the GOP platform, the Republican platform, the platform of my colleagues on the other side of this aisle say that a Republican president will<b>&nbsp;appoint judges who will reverse Roe, Obergefell, and the Obamacare cases</b>.&nbsp;</span>So if you have a family member with an interest in some autonomy over their body under Roe v. Wade, the ability to have a marriage, have friends marry, have a niece or a daughter or a son marry someone of their same-sex they have – you’ve got a stake, and if you are one of the millions and millions of Americans who depend on the affordable care act you’ve got a stake.</div><div>
</div><div>It’s not just the platform. Over and over again, let’s start by talking about the Affordable Care Act. Here is the president talking about this litigation that we are gearing up this nominee for for November 10. In this litigation, he said we want to terminate healthcare under Obamacare.</div><div>
</div><div>That is the president’s statement, so when we react to that, don’t act as if we are making this stuff up. This is what President Trump said. This is what your party platform says: reverse the Obamacare cases. Senator after senator, including many in this committee, filed briefs saying that the Affordable Care Act should be thrown out by courts. Why is it surprising for us to be concerned that you want this nominee to do what you want nominees to do?</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">One quick stop on NFIB v. Sebelius, because a lot of this has to do with money. This is an interesting comparison.&nbsp;<b>National Federation of Independent Businesses,</b>&nbsp;until it filed the NFIB v. Sebelius case, had its biggest donation ever of $21,000. In the year that it went to work on the Affordable Care Act, ten wealthy donors gave $10 million. Somebody deserves a thank you.</span></div><div>
</div><div>So let’s go on to Roe v. Wade. Same thing. Same thing. The president has said that reversing Roe v. Wade will happen automatically because he is putting pro-life justices on the Court. Why would we not take him at his word? The Republican Party platform says it will reverse Roe. Why would we not comment on that and take you at your word?</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Senators here, including Senator Hawley, have said I will vote only for nominees who acknowledge that Roe v. Wade is wrongly decided, and their pledge to vote for this nominee. Do the math. That’s a really simple equation to run.</span></div><div>
</div><div>The Republican brief in June Medical said Roe should be overruled, so don’t act surprised when we ask questions about whether that’s what you are up to here. And finally, out in the ad world that you have spared yourself wisely Judge Barrett, the Susan B Anthony Foundation is running advertisements right now saying that you are set, you are set to give our pro-life country a Court that it deserves.</div><div>
</div><div>Here is the ad with the voiceover. She said – she said. And then Roe, Obamacare cases and Obergefell, gay marriages. National Organization for Marriage, the big group that opposes same-sex marriage, says in this proceeding, all our issues are at stake. The Republican platform says it wants to reverse Obergefell. And the Republican brief filed in the case said same-sex relationships don’t fall within any constitutional protection, so when we say the stakes are high on this, it’s because you have said the stakes are high on this. You have said that is what you want to do. So how are people going about doing it? What is the scheme here?</div><div>
</div><div>Let me start with this one. In all cases, there’s big anonymous money behind various lanes of activity. One lane of activity is through the conduit of the Federalist Society. It is managed by a guy – was managed by – a guy named Leonard Leo, and it has taken over the selection of judicial nominees. How do we know that to be the case? Because Trump has said so over and over again. His White House counsel said so.&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">So we have an anonymously funded group controlling judicial selection run by this guy&nbsp;<b>Leonard Leo.</b></span></div><div>
</div><div>Then in another lane, we have again anonymous funders running through something called the&nbsp;<b>Judicial Crisis Network, which is run by Carrie Severino</b>, and it is doing PR and campaign ads for Republican judicial nominees. It got $17 million – a single $17 million donation in the Garland-Gorsuch contest. It got another single $17 million donation to support<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;Kavanaugh. Somebody, perhaps the same person, spent $35 million to influence the United States Supreme Court. Tell me that’s good.</span></div><div>
</div><div>And then over here you have a whole array of legal groups, also funded by dark money, which have a different role. They bring cases to the Court. They don’t wind their way to the Court, your Honor, they get shoved to the Court to by these legal groups, many of which ask to lose below so they can get quickly to the Court to get their business done there. And then they turn up in a chorus, an orchestrated chorus of amici.</div><div>
</div><div>Now I’ve had a chance to have a look at this. And I was in a case, actually, as an amicus myself, the&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Consumer Financial Protection Board case. And in that case there were 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 amicus briefs filed, and every single one of them was a group funded by something called&nbsp;<b>DonorsTrust.</b></span></div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">DonorsTrust is a gigantic identity-scrubbing device for the right wing so that it says DonorsTrust is the donor without whoever the real donor is. It doesn’t have a business. It doesn’t have a business plan. It doesn’t do anything. It’s just an identity scrubber.</span></div><div>
</div><div><b>And this group here, the Bradley Foundation, funded eight out of the 11 briefs.</b>&nbsp;That seems weird to me when you have amicus briefs coming in little flotillas that are funded by the same groups but nominally separate in the court.</div><div>
</div><div>So I actually attached this to my brief as an appendix. Center for Media and Democracy saw it, and they did better work. They went on to say which foundations funded the brief writers in that CFPB case. Here is the Bradley Foundation for $5.6 million to those groups. Here’s DonorsTrust, $23 million to those brief writing groups.&nbsp;<b>The grand total across all the donor groups was $68 million to the groups that were filing amicus briefs, pretending that they were different groups.</b></div><div>
</div><div>Right-Wing Foundations Fund Anti-Consumer Protection Groups, 2014-present</div><div>
</div><div><b>Sixteen right-wing foundations gave nearly $69 million to groups urging the Supreme Court to&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">abolish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau</span>&nbsp;since 2014.</b></div><div>
</div><div><b>Donor<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Amount</b></div><div>DonorsTrust<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$23,460,705</div><div>Charles Koch Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$12,986,462</div><div>Sarah Scaife Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$7,550,000</div><div>L&H Bradley Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$5,579,500</div><div>Searle Freedom Trust<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$4,550,000</div><div>Dunn Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$4,450,000</div><div>Donors Capital Fund<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$2,522,680</div><div>John William Pope Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$1,895,175</div><div>Bradley Impact Fund<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$1,363,000</div><div>Mercer Family Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$1,200,000</div><div>Adolph Coors Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$1,155,000</div><div>F.M. Kirby Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$672,500</div><div>Charles Koch Institute<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$517,134</div><div>Ed Uihlein Family Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$408,000</div><div>Pierre F. and Enid Goodrich Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$395,000</div><div>William H. Donner Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$167,000</div><div><b>TOTAL<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$68,872,156</b></div><div>
</div><div>And it’s not just in the Consumer Financial Protection Board case.<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;You might say well that was just a one-off. Here’s Janus, the anti-labor case that had a long trail through the Court, through Friedrichs, and through Knox, and through other decisions.</span></div><div>
</div><div>And SourceWatch and ProPublica did some work about this. Here’s DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund. And here’s the Bradley Foundation. And they totaled giving $45 million to the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15<b>&nbsp;groups that filed amicus briefs, pretending to be different groups, and both of the lawyer groups in the case, funded by DonorsTrust, funded by Bradley Foundation in Janus.</b></div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">This is happening over and over and over again, and it goes beyond just the briefs. It goes beyond just the amicus presentations.<b>&nbsp;The Federalist Society&nbsp;</b>– remember this group that is acting as the conduit and that Donald Trump has said is doing his judicial selection? They’re getting money from the same foundations, from DonorsTrust, $16.7 million and the Bradley Foundation, $1.37 million. From the same group of foundations total, $33 million.</span></div><div>
</div><div><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Donors to the Federalist Society, 2014-present</b></div><div>
</div><div>The same 16 foundations that fund the amicus brief filers all give to the Federalist Society</div><div>
</div><div><b>donor<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Amount</b></div><div>DonorsTrust<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$16,733,100</div><div>Mercer Family Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$4,850,000</div><div>Donors Capital Fund<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$4,231,120</div><div>Charles Koch Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$2,419,264</div><div>Searle Freedom Trust<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$1,551,000</div><div>Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$1,375,000</div><div>Ed Uihlein Family Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$1,000,000</div><div>John William Pope Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$250,000</div><div>Adolph Coors Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$230,000</div><div>Pierre F. and Enid Goodrich Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$210,000</div><div>Dunn Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$150,000</div><div>F.M. Kirby Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$120,000</div><div>William H. Donner Foundation<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$45,000</div><div>Bradley Impact Fund<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$15,250</div><div>Charles Koch Institute<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$6,400</div><div><b>TOTAL<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>$33,286,134&nbsp;&nbsp;</b></div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">So you can start to look at these, and you can start to tie them together.</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;The legal groups, all the same funders over and over again, bringing the cases and providing us orchestrated, orchestrated chorus of amici. Then the same group also funds the Federalist Society over here</span><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">.</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">&nbsp;The Washington Post wrote a big expose about this, and that made Leonard Leo a little hot, a little bit like a burned agent. So he had to jump out. And he went off to go do anonymously-funded voter suppression work. Guess who jumped in to take over the selection process in this case for Judge Barrett? Carrie Severino made the hop.&nbsp;</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">So once again, ties right in together.</span></div><div>
</div><div><b>So, Center for Media and Democracy did a little bit more research.</b>&nbsp;Here’s a<b>&nbsp;Bradley Foundation</b>&nbsp;memo that they’ve published. The Bradley Foundation is reviewing a grant application asking for money for this orchestrated amicus process, and what do they say in the staff recommendation? It is important to orchestrate – their word, not mine – important to orchestrate high-caliber amicus efforts before the Court.</div><div>
</div><div>Page 3 of 2015 Bradley Summary Judicial Education Project Proposal 150K</div><div>
</div><div>Contributed to DocumentCloud by Staff 18 of Documented • View document or read text</div><div>
</div><div>They also note that Bradley has done previous philanthropic investments in the actual underlying legal actions. So Bradley is funding – what do they call – philanthropically investing in, the underlying legal action and then giving money to groups to show up in the orchestrated chorus of amici. That can’t be good.</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">And it goes on, because they also found this email. This email comes from an individual at the Bradley Foundation, and it asks our friend, Leonard Leo, who used to run the selection process, is there a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to which Bradley could direct any support of the two Supreme Court amicus projects other than DonorsTrust? I don’t know why they wanted to avoid the reliable identity-scrubber DonorsTrust, but for some reason they did.</span></div><div>
</div><div>Page 6 of 2014 Bradley Leonard Leo Neil Corkery Carrie Severino Judicial+Education+Project</div><div>
</div><div>Contributed to DocumentCloud by Staff 18 of Documented • View document or read text]</div><div>
</div><div>So Leonard Leo writes back on Federalist Society address – so don’t tell me that it isn’t Federal Society business – on Federalist Society, on his address, he writes back, yes, send it to the Judicial Education Project, which could take and allocate the money.&nbsp;<b>And guess who works for the Judicial Education Project? Carrie Severino,&nbsp;</b>who also helped select this nominee, running the Trump Federalist Society selection process.</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">So the connections abound. In the Washington Post article, they point out that the Judicial Crisis Network’s office is on the same hallway in the same building as the Federalist Society, and when they sent their reporter to talk to somebody at the Judicial Crisis Network, somebody from the Federalist Society came down to let them up.</span></div><div>
</div><div><b>This more and more looks like it’s not three schemes, but it’s one scheme with the same funders selecting judges, funding campaigns for the judges, and then showing up in court in these orchestrated amicus flotillas to tell the judges what to do.</b></div><div>
</div><div>On the Judicial Crisis Network, you’ve got the Leonard Leo connection, obviously. She hopped in to take over for him with the Federalist Society. You’ve got the campaigns that I’ve talked about, where they take $17 million contributions. That’s a big check to write, $17 million, to campaign for Supreme Court nominees. No idea who that is or what they got for it. You’ve got briefs that she wrote.&nbsp;<b>The Republican senators filed briefs in that NFIB case signed by Ms. Severino.</b></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">The woman who helped choose this nominee has written briefs for Republican senators attacking the ACA.</span>&nbsp;Don’t say the ACA is not an issue here.<b><u>&nbsp;And by the way, the Judicial Crisis Network funds the Republican attorneys general. It funds RAGA</u></b>, the Republican Attorneys General Association, and it funds individual Republican attorneys general. And guess who the plaintiffs are in the Affordable Care Act case? Republican attorneys general.</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Trump joined them because he didn’t want to defend, so he’s in with the Republican attorneys general. But here’s the Judicial Crisis Network campaigning for Supreme Court nominees, writing briefs for senators against the Affordable Care Act, supporting the Republicans who are bringing this case, and leading the selection process for this nominee</span>.</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Here is the page off the brief. Here is where they are. Mitch McConnell, and on through the list, Senator Collins, Senator Cornyn, Senator Hoeven, Senator — who’s still here? Marco Rubio. It’s a huge assortment of Republican senators who Carrie Severino wrote a brief for against the Affordable Care Act.</span>&nbsp;So this is a, to me, pretty big deal. I’ve never seen this around any court that I’ve ever been involved with, where there’s this much dark money and this much influence being used.</div><div>
</div><div><b>Here’s how the Washington Post summed it up. This is “a conservative activist behind-the-scenes campaign to remake the nation’s courts,” and it’s a $250 million dark money operation. $250 million is a lot of money to spend if you’re not getting anything for it. So that raises the question, what are they getting for it?</b></div><div>
</div><div>Well, I showed the slide earlier on the Affordable Care Act. And on Obergefell and on Roe v. Wade, that’s where they lost. But with another judge, that could change. That’s where the contest is. That’s where The Republican Party platform tells us to look at how they want judges to rule, to reverse Roe, to reverse the Obamacare cases, and to&nbsp;<b>reverse Obergefell and take away gay marriage.</b>&nbsp;That is their stated objective and plan. Why not take them at their word?</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">But there is another piece of it, and that is not what’s ahead of us, but what’s behind us. What’s behind us is now 80 cases,&nbsp;<b>Mr. Chairman, 80 cases under Chief Justice Roberts that have these characteristics. One, they were decided five to four by a bare majority. Two, the five-to-four majority was partisan in the sense that not one Democratic appointee joined the five. I refer to that group as the “Roberts Five.”</b></span></div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">It changes a little bit as–with Justice Scalia’s death, for instance – but there’s been a steady “Roberts Five” that has delivered now 80 of these decisions.<b>&nbsp;And the last characteristic of them is that there is an identifiable Republican donor interest in those cases, and in every single case, that donor interest won. It was an 80 to zero, 5 to 4 partisan rout, ransacking.</b></span></div><div>
</div><div>And it’s important to look at where those cases went, because they’re not about big, public issues like getting rid of the Affordable Care Act, undoing Roe v. Wade, and undoing same sex marriage.<b>&nbsp;They’re about power.</b>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">And if you look at those 80 decisions, they fall into f<b>our categories over and over and over again. One, unlimited and dark money and politics.&nbsp;</b>Citizens United is the famous one, but it’s continued since with McCutcheon and we’ve got one coming up now.&nbsp;<b>Always the five for unlimited money in politics. Never protecting against money dark money in politics, despite the fact that they said it was going to be transparent.</b></span></div><div>
</div><div>And who wins when you allow unlimited dark money in politics? A very small group. The ones who have unlimited money to spend and a motive to spend it in politics. They win. Everybody else loses. And if you’re looking at who might be behind this, let’s talk about people with unlimited money to spend and a motive to do it. We’ll see how that goes.</div><div>
</div><div><b>Next, knock the civil jury down.</b>&nbsp;Whittle it down to a nub. The civil jury was in the Constitution, in the Bill of Rights, in our darn Declaration of Independence, but it’s annoying to big corporate powers because you can swagger your way as a big corporate power through Congress. You can go and tell the president you put money into to elect what to do. He will put your stooges at the EPA. It’s all great until you get to the civil jury, because they have an obligation, as you know, Judge Barrett, they have an obligation under the law to be fair to both parties irrespective of their size.</div><div>
</div><div>You can’t bribe them. You’re not allowed to. It’s a crime to tamper with the jury. It’s standard practice to tamper with Congress. And they make decisions based on the law. If you’re used to being the boss and swaggering your way around the political side, you don’t want to be answerable before a jury. And so one after another, these 80 5-to-4 decisions have knocked down, whittled away at, the civil jury, a great American institution.</div><div>
</div><div><b>Third – first was unlimited dark money, second was demean and diminish the civil jury – third is weaken regulatory agencies.</b>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">A lot of this money, I’m convinced, is polluter money. The Koch Industries is a polluter, the fossil fuel industry is a polluter. Who else would be putting buckets of money into this and wanting to hide who they are behind DonorsTrust or other schemes?</span></div><div>
</div><div>And what are – if you’re a big polluter – what do you want? You want weak regulatory agencies. You want ones that you can box up and run over to Congress and get your friends to fix things for you in Congress. Over and over and over again, these decisions are targeted at regulatory agencies to weaken their independence and weaken their strength. And if you’re a big polluter, a weak regulatory agency is your idea of a good day.</div><div>
</div><div><b>And the last thing is in politics. In voting.</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;Why on earth the Court made the decision, a factual decision – not something appellate courts are ordinarily supposed to make, as I understand it Judge Barrett – the factual decision that nobody needed to worry about minority voters in preclearance states being discriminated against, or that legislators would try to knock back their ability to vote. These five made that finding in&nbsp;<b>Shelby County a</b>gainst bipartisan legislation from both houses of Congress, hugely passed, on no factual record.</span></div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">They just decided that that was a problem that was over, on no record with no basis, because it got them to the result that we then saw. What followed? State after state after state passed voter suppression laws. One so badly targeting African Americans that two courts said it was surgically, surgically tailored to get after minority voters</span>.</div><div>
</div><div><b>And gerrymandering, the other great control.</b>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Bulk gerrymandering where you go into a state, like the Red Map project did in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and you pack Democrats so tightly into a few districts that all the others become Republican majority districts. And in those states, you send a delegation to Congress that has a huge&nbsp;<b>majority of Republican members, like 13 to 5, as I recall, in a state where the five, the party of the five actually won the popular vote.</b></span></div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">You’ve sent a delegation to Congress that is out of step with the popular vote of that state and court after court figured out how to solve that, and the Supreme Court said nope. 5 to 4 again. Nope. We’re not going to take an interest in that question</span>. In all these areas where it’s about political power for big special interests, and people who want to fund campaigns, and people who want to get their way through politics without actually showing up, doing it behind DonorsTrust and other groups, doing it through these schemes over and over and over again, you see the same thing.</div><div>
</div><div><b>80 decisions, Judge Barrett. 80 decisions. An 80-to-0 sweep</b>. I don’t think you’ve tried cases, but some cases, the issue is bias and discrimination. And if you’re making a bias case as a trial lawyer – Lindsey Graham is a hell of a good trial lawyer. If he wanted to make a bias case – Dick Durbin is a hell of a good trial lawyer. If they wanted to make a bias case and they could show an 80-to-0 pattern, A, that’s admissible, and B, I’d love to make that argument to the jury. I’d be really hard pressed to be the lawyer saying no, 80-to-0 is just a bunch of flukes.</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>All five-four. all partisan, all this way.&nbsp;</b>So something is not right around the Court. And dark money has a lot to do with it. Special interests have a lot to do with it. DonorsTrust and whoever is hiding behind DonorsTrust has a lot to do with it, and the Bradley Foundation orchestrating its amici over at the Court has a lot to do with it.</span></div><div>
</div><div>So I thank you, Judge Barrett, for listening to me now a second time and I think this gives you a chance for you and I to tee up an interesting conversation tomorrow. And I thank my colleagues for hearing me out.</div><div>
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</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/the-propaganda-war-against-voting-by-mail/"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/the-propaganda-war-against-voting-by-mail/</font></a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;THE FIRST Tuesday in April, as the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic was becoming all too real, Americans got a scary glimpse of what Election Day in November might look like if the virus were still spreading. We also got a big, loud, ugly preview of the 2020 voting wars.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The state of Wisconsin had no business holding an election on April 7. Sixteen other states had bumped their primary dates back, hoping to give election officials time to adjust to the drastic new conditions and allow more voters to cast their ballots safely by mail. Governor Tony Evers had issued a statewide stay-at-home order. In Milwaukee alone, at least 51 people had already died from the new coronavirus. And so many poll workers were refusing to show up that the city, home to Wisconsin’s largest concentration of voters of color, would be hard-pressed to open even a handful of polling places, never mind the usual 180. “We are over our heads in chaos,” Neil Albrecht, Milwaukee’s election chief, told The Guardian a few days before the voting was slated to start.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Evers, a Democrat, tried to push the election date to May 23 and send mail ballots to all registered Wisconsinites. But he waited too late. By the time Evers called the state legislature into emergency session the week before the polls were to open, asking legislators to approve the delay and green-light an all-mail ballot, President Donald Trump and his right-wing amen chorus had begun to paint voting by mail not as a public-health necessity during a pandemic, but instead as a Democratic plot to “rig” the 2020 elections—“perhaps the worst of all the scams perpetrated through the COVID nightmare,” as Trump fan Laura Ingraham put it to viewers of her Fox News Channel show.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In addition to the Democratic presidential primary that was to take place on that day, there was also an election for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“A lot of people cheat with mail-in voting,” the president said on April 4. “In Wisconsin what happened is I, through social media, put out a very strong endorsement of a Republican conservative judge, who’s an excellent brilliant judge, he’s a justice. And I hear what happened is his poll numbers went through the roof, and because of that, I think they delayed the election.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>
</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>So Wisconsin Republicans forced the show to go on.&nbsp;</b>The Republican leaders of the state Assembly and Senate both gaveled in their special sessions, then gaveled them out within seconds. When the governor responded by issuing an executive order to delay the primary, the majority-Republican state Supreme Court stayed it on the night before the election.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>
</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Voting went smoothly enough in the state’s smaller counties and towns, where white Republicans predominate and polling places had no lines. But in the cities, it was an unholy mess. Lines were so long in Green Bay that some people couldn’t vote till after midnight.</b>&nbsp;In Milwaukee, the scene was downright eerie; some poll workers wore makeshift hazmat suits fashioned from plastic bags. National Guard troops, hastily called in to serve as poll workers, dashed around with plastic bottles of disinfectant spray, wiping things down between voters. Local firefighters passed out hand sanitizer to the thousands who waited for hours in lines that stretched for blocks, far past the trail of orange traffic cones that had been set up to keep folks six feet apart. Outside Washington High School, one waiting voter, Jennifer Taft, summed it all up perfectly, holding up a hand-lettered sign reading: “THIS IS RIDICULOUS.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“I’m disgusted,” Taft told a local reporter. “I requested an absentee ballot almost three weeks ago and never got it. I have a father dying from lung disease, and I have to risk my life and his just to exercise my right to vote.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Statewide, overall turnout was higher than expected. Even in that compressed time period, 1.1 million of Wisconsin’s 3.3 million voters had sent in absentee ballots—five times the number of voters who did so in the&nbsp; 2016 primary</b>.<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;And when the votes were all tallied six days later, the Democratic Supreme Court challenger had won easily, giving the lie to Trump’s theory that Evers wanted to delay the election to prevent a GOP victory.</span></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">But the Republicans’ efforts to sew confusion and long lines in the cities had worked in certain ways: In Milwaukee, which saw historically low Black turnout in 2016 after a strict new Voter ID law went into effect, the primary vote was half what it had been four years earlier. “It was voter suppression on steroids,” said Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez. “They tried to steal the election.</span>”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[I have to risk my life just to exercise my right to vote.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">JENNIFER TAFT, MILWAUKEE VOTER]</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The mail balloting hadn’t gone smoothly, either: Nearly 12,000 voters who’d requested absentee ballots, like Jennifer Taft, never got them. Three tubs full of absentee ballots that never reached voters were found in a mail center outside Milwaukee. And 23,000 absentee ballots sent in by voters—more than Trump’s margin of victory in the state in 2016—had been disqualified for technical problems. Here as elsewhere, Republican lawmakers had made the process as complicated and time-consuming as possible to keep mail voting down, including a requirement that a witness sign every ballot. Voters’ signatures had to match the signatures on file with the state; as in other states, it’s left to election volunteers and staffers, not handwriting experts, to decide whether the signatures match. Thousands of votes were tossed on this subjective basis. (In June, after the delayed New York primary, 30,000 votes from Brooklyn, one-quarter of the total, would be tossed out for similar reasons.)</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>
</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The threat of robust turnout figures posed by mail-in voting had fully stirred the right-wing propaganda machine by now—and it had given them a fresh new story to tell about what they claimed was the looming threat of mass left-wing “voter fraud.</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">” The same day Wisconsin’s primary results were announced, an apparently new group called the</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">&nbsp;Honest Elections Project</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;aired an Orwellian TV and digital ad across the country—a six-figure buy—casting what happened in Wisconsin as Democrats’ “brazen attempt to manipulate the election system for partisan advantage by exploiting the coronavirus pandemic.”</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;It was, the narrator intoned, a sign of election-rigging to come: “The facts about the Wisconsin election: Record absentee voting. Five times more than 2016. Democrats didn’t think they could win so they tried lawsuits, changing the rules, even canceling the election. They create chaos. It’s wrong.”</span></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>
</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">The Honest Elections Project turned out to be a legal alias for the Judicial Education Project, a powerful dark-money PAC funded by the Donors Trust,</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;a nonprofit donor-advised fund often referred to as the “dark money ATM” of the right, with such heavy-hitting benefactors as billionaire Charles Koch and the (Betsy) DeVos family.</span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;It was the brainchild of Leonard Leo,</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;a Trump confidant who was instrumental in the choice and confirmations of the president’s Supreme Court nominees, and it would soon begin filing lawsuits seeking to block the expansion of remote voting, and other pandemic-inspired election reforms—using the same lead attorney, longtime Washington litigator William Consovoy, as the Trump campaign.</span></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, a litigious right-wing group that sues to effect voter-roll purges.]</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>At least three other lavishly funded far-right groups—Judicial Watch, the Public Interest Legal Foundation, and True the Vote—are also combining legal challenges with propaganda efforts designed to discredit, and disable, remote voting for November.&nbsp;</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The Republican National Committee issued a statement this spring promising to devote at least $20 million to such lawsuits as well.&nbsp;</span>The messages they’re all promoting are identical to Trump’s rhetoric about the dangers of mail-in balloting and the Democrats’ purportedly cynical promotion of it to allegedly rig the election. Their combined resources and firepower adds up to the biggest coordinated effort to suppress votes in history. Until this year, battles over voting rules were mostly waged by Republican state lawmakers and right-wing legal firms not quite acceptable to the mainstream,&nbsp;<b>cheered on by talk-radio shouters and extremist websites like The Gateway Pundit and Breitbart.</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">“You used to have these small-time, right-wing operations,” Mark Elias, a top Democratic litigator who’s working on several ongoing lawsuits, told The Washington Post in June. “Because Donald Trump has normalized all these crackpot theories about voter fraud, they’ve all now joined forces under the banner of the legitimate Republican establishment.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">All they want, they say, are the same old “fair” and “normal” elections that Trump keeps calling for. But the president, characteristically, had already given away the game before the Wisconsin primary lit the right wing on fire. On “Fox & Friends” during the week before that primary from hell, he’d warned the friendly hosts what would happen if voting by mail were allowed to metastasize: “You’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[Gallows humor from artist Mike Licht regarding Wisconsin’s April 7, during-the-pandemic, in-person Spring election. via Flickr creative commons]</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">THE CRUSADE TO suppress votes in the 2020 election began long before COVID-19 existed, and long before the pandemic led to a popular clamor for more voting by mail. Three weeks after his razor-thin victory in the Electoral College, still irked at hearing about Hillary Clinton’s edge in the popular vote, President-elect Trump issued a tweetstorm citing right-wing conspiracy theories. His chief claim, often to be repeated: “I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>
</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>On stage at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Committee convention three months later, Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, backed up Trump’s claims. “The left would have you believe that we have about 43 million aliens in this country, both lawful and unlawfully present,” he said. “And none of them vote!</b>” The activists in the audience cheered and chuckled. “You know, under the Obama administration, they opposed Voter ID; they opposed the idea of even asking someone whether they were a citizen before they register to vote,” Fitton went on to say. “Why would you be opposed to that, other than maybe wanting to steal elections when necessary?” Cue applause.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>
</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Fitton also seconded Trump’s call for a “federal investigation into voter fraud,” promising that it would be “the most significant civil rights investigation in a generation,” because, he said, “We’re on the side of civil rights.</b>&nbsp;We’re on the side of the civil rights of Americans who potentially are having their votes stolen from them by the thousands, if not millions, by illegal votes.” Getting the findings to back up those assertions would be a breeze, he promised. “It’s easy to figure out where there’s voter fraud,” Fitton said, “and obviously that’s why the leftist voters are screaming, because they’re afraid their gig is up.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Not quite, as it transpired. That “investigation” was launched in May 2017, when Trump made appointments to his newly concocted Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which included top vote-suppression specialists Kris Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state and anti-immigration zealot, and Hans von Spakovsky of the Heritage Foundation. But it didn’t prove so easy to find hard proof of the massive fraud they’d long been claiming.&nbsp;<b>After eight months of trying, the commissioners dug up only scattered cases drawn from media reports, and the president disbanded the effort.</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[This is a pretext for blocking voices they do not want to hear.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">STACEY ABRAMS, FAIR FIGHT FOUNDER]</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>But voter-suppression is now an industry unto itself, and Judicial Watch and its peers didn’t skip a beat.&nbsp;</b>Ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, Judicial Watch and PILF sent 248 letters to state and local election officials across the country, threatening lawsuits if they didn’t undertake massive, aggressive “purges” of their voter rolls</span>. “Your jurisdiction is in apparent violation of Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act,” the letters claimed. The NVRA, known as the “Motor Voter Act,” was passed in 1993 to “expand voting opportunities” in various ways, including offering registration at driver’s license offices. It also required local elections offices to undertake “uniform, non-discriminatory maintenance” of their registration rolls, striking those who’d become ineligible—by dying, going to prison, or moving out of state.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Under previous administrations, the Justice Department monitored these purges and sometimes stepped in when they became overzealous and were clearly targeting voters of color. “The rationale of removing voters from the rolls to protect against fraud is nonsensical,” Stacey Abrams, who founded the voting-rights group Fair Fight after narrowly losing the Georgia governor’s race in 2018, told Mother Jones earlier this year. “This is a pretext for blocking voices they do not want to hear.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The letters contained legal threats, but their primary purpose was to stoke publicity about voter fraud—and to raise the profiles of Fitton and<b>&nbsp;J. Christian Adams, a former Department of Justice official who heads PILF and served on the ill-fated Election Integrity Commission. Adams is best known as the DOJ attorney who promoted a 2008 “voter intimidation” case against two members of a group that dubbed itself the New Black Panthers.</b></span><b>&nbsp;On Election Day 2008, the two stationed themselves outside a predominantly white polling place in Philadelphia, one of them holding a nightstick.<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">When Obama’s Justice Department declined to press charges, Adams loudly resigned and wrote a book called “Injustice: Exposing the Racial Agenda of the Obama Justice Department.</span>” In lawsuits and legal threats targeting jurisdictions with large numbers of non-white voters, Adams first launched suits via the&nbsp;<b>American Civil Rights Union (a right-wing group</b>&nbsp;that fancies itself to be the analog to the American Civil Liberties Union), and then with PILF.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[“The rationale of removing voters from the rolls to protect against fraud is nonsensical,” says Stacey Abrams. “This is a pretext for blocking voices they do not want to hear.” (Photo of Abrams on election night 2018 from Abrams’ Facebook page.)]</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Judicial Watch and PILF got a few big victories out of their threats and lawsuits, in 2018 and again last year. In 2018, the Supreme Court upheld a Judicial Watch settlement agreement with&nbsp;<b>Ohio and allowed a massive voter purge</b>—a decision that opened the floodgates for more of the same, permitting states to strike voters who haven’t voted in recent elections.</span>&nbsp;</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As 2020 began, counties in California and Kentucky were busy removing close to 2 million voters; ditto, Allegheny County, one of the largest Pennsylvania counties carried by Hillary Clinton in 2016. In three other large<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;Clinton-voting&nbsp;<b>Pennsylvania&nbsp;</b>counties Judicial Watch dragged into court this year, the group claimed an almost comically high number of “ineligible” voters—800,000 in all, which would amount to more than 65 percent of all registered voters in the counties. “We 100-percent dispute the claims,” Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar, who was also sued, told state senators.</span></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Most of this year’s election lawsuits are related to COVID-19—or, more precisely, they target attempts by states and municipalities to make voting easier and safer during the pandemic.</span>&nbsp;<b>The number of these cases is staggering: More than 200&nbsp;</b>were still percolating through the courts in mid-August. Many have been brought by the Trump campaign, the<b>&nbsp;Republican National Committee, Judicial Watch, PILF, and the Honest Elections Project,</b>&nbsp;all of whom have the same agenda: Keep voting restrictions in place. Three more states have switched to all-mail elections this year: California, Nevada, and Vermont. When lawmakers in Nevada, where Trump lost by just 27,000 votes in 2016, approved all-mail voting in a special session on the first Sunday of August, Trump called it “an illegal late-night coup” on Twitter, with the promise, “See you in court!” Two days later, still fuming, he posted a tweet falsely stating that voting by mail would mean a “Rigged Election.” It became the first tweet flagged by Twitter as untrue. The same day, the Republican National Committee, the Trump campaign, and Nevada Republican Party all filed suit against Nevada.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In most states, election officials and lawmakers have simply tried to ease restrictions that can make absentee voting difficult or confusing: early deadlines for requesting ballots, Election Day deadlines for having them returned or postmarked, requirements that witnesses or notaries sign the ballots, strictly limited forms of acceptable ID. In some cases, the<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;question is whether vulnerability to COVID-19 counts as an “excuse” for needing a mail ballot</span>.&nbsp;<b>(Most states already allow no-excuse absentee voting, but a few—like emerging battleground Texas—do not.)</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Graphic from the National Conference of State Legislatures.]</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Justin Levitt, a Loyola University law professor who tracks all these cases, has not detected a pattern in the decisions.&nbsp;<b>But as he’s noted, it’s already a win for right-wing organizations and the Republicans to keep elections officials tied up in courts—and election rules in a state of suspended uncertainty as states try, with chronically inadequate funding, to manage an election during a pandemic</b>. “My usual election-cycle comment is that we’re trying to find enough duct tape to cover the holes in the bucket,” Levitt said recently. “This time, we’re trying to make the bucket out of duct tape.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>
</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The uncertainty created by the lawsuits, combined with the disinformation about voting that will be plastered all over social media this fall, creates an indirect but powerful form of voter suppression in itself.&nbsp;</b>“Voter suppression is a combination of things,” says Georgia state Rep. and voting-rights advocate Renitta Shannon. “It’s a chipping away of people either not being able to vote, or thinking it will be a major hassle. When people have a question about whether their vote is going to be counted, that [becomes] a reason not to vote.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
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</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">ON JUNE 5, Tom Fitton and J. Christian Adams were both invited to testify at a U.S. House hearing on “Protecting the Right to Vote During the COVID-19 Crisis.” It was another sign of how formerly fringe right-wing conspiracies had become thoroughly mainstreamed in Trump’s GOP.&nbsp;</span>And it provided another platform to spread the falsehood that Democrats were using the pandemic to make real their fraudulent dreams.&nbsp;<b>“It is now about five months until Election Day,” Fitton testified, “and the pandemic’s infection curve has flattened. Insisting now on all-mail-ballot elections seems less like a response to a health crisis and more like a partisan application of the immortal words of Rahm Emanuel: ‘Never let a good crisis go to waste.’</b>”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Fitton’s coronavirus predictions would soon be disproved, but the notion of Democrats using mail ballots to commit grand theft in 2020—“using COVID to defraud the American people,” as Trump expressed it on the first night of the Republican National Convention—remains the central deceit of the right’s propaganda campaign. “The Democrats have cooked this thing up,” Rush Limbaugh bellowed in August, “because they don’t feel confident that they can win in a traditionally fair and normal election.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[J. Christian Adams, president and general counsel of the Public Interest Legal Foundation in 2019 screencap.]</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>In many places, the relative unfamiliarity of mail voting is a boon to the fear-mongering.</b>&nbsp;And with folks on the right having been treated to years’ worth of “voter fraud” talk, they’d been conditioned to take it seriously. “When they talk about voter fraud,” says Tomas Lopez, executive director of the progressive group Democracy North Carolina, “they’re talking about race, of course. They’re lamenting the fact that those people get a vote.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Across platforms—Fox News, talk radio, social media, presidential briefings—the narrative being served up about mail voting has been remarkably consistent in all its main plot points. It’s almost as if Judicial Watch teamed with the Trump campaign and sent out a bullet-point memo, which kicks off with “stealing and rigging” and proceeds, from there, to the following talking points:</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Even more “illegals” get to vote.&nbsp;</b>“Here’s a shocking things for your audience to consider,” senior Trump advise<b>r Stephen Miller,</b>&nbsp;architect of the immigration policy that caged children at the U.S.-Mexico border, said in August on “Fox & Friends.” “Nobody who mails in a ballot has their identity confirmed; nobody checks to see if they’re even a U.S. citizen. Think about that. Any foreign national—talk about foreign election interference—can mail in a ballot, and nobody even verifies if they’re a citizen of the United States of America.” (In reality, every state verifies the identity of the person requesting the mail-in ballot.)</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>This summer, Judicial Watch bought at least 263 ads on Facebook (cost: $210,000) to drive home the same spurious claim delivered by Miller on Fox News.</b>According to a tally from Media Matters for America, 144 of the ads, which were full of disinformation about “voter fraud,” claimed that “illegal aliens are voting,” while 119 got more specific, claiming that “25% of noncitizens are registered to vote.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Ballots Are On the Loose.</b>&nbsp;</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">On May 1, Trump retweeted<b>&nbsp;Mollie Hemingway, a writer for The Federalist,</b>&nbsp;a right-wing publication, who had some “news” that sounded startling: “Nearly one in five of all absentee and mail-in-ballots between 2012 and 2018 remain unaccounted for, according to data from the federal Election Assistance Commission,” she wrote. Hemingway drew her figures from a new and scholarly looking report by PILF—J. Christian Adams’ organization—which claimed that 28 million absentee ballots had “gone missing” in recent election cycles. Those ballots represent a golden opportunity for mass-scale fraud, Adams said in a statement accompanying the PILF report—“28 million opportunties for someone to cheat.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The “missing ballots” meme spread like wildfire. But as voting-rights advocates (and logical thinkers) pointed out, the ballots aren’t just floating around, waiting for noncitizens and Democrats to scoop them up and send them in; they simply hadn’t been returned by the voters who got them. Twelve million of the “loose” ballots, as they’re also called, had been sent by election officials in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington state, where everyone who registers automatically receives one. About 30 percent of voters in those states typically don’t return their ballots in a given election. “Where are they now?” said Paul Gronke, a Reed College professor who runs the Early Voting Information Center, of the so-called “missing” ballots. “Most likely, in landfills.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>
</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Democrats Are Harvesting Those Loose Ballots.</b>&nbsp;</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Expect to hear several earfuls about “ballot harvesting” between now and November. It’s the hip, scary-sounding new catchphrase for voter-fraudsters, though the practice it describes is a routine feature of absentee voting in more than half the states: Basically, it just means that a third party can collect someone’s vote in its sealed envelope and hand-deliver it to an election office. The laws are meant to help people who live at great distances from polling places without transportation, or who are sick or shut in, to cast a vote. In March, Trump’s own ballot in the Florida primary was “harvested”—he gave it to an (unknown) third party, who delivered it directly to an elections office in Palm Beach. Nonetheless, as he tweeted on April 14, we must “GET RID OF BALLOT HARVESTING, IT IS RAMPANT WITH FRAUD.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Democratic workers sometimes organize “community collections,” leading right-wing pundits to peddle fantastical visions of thugs pounding on doors and demanding people’s blank ballots for harvesting. The proof? Well, in Paterson, N.J., this spring, a postal employee noticed something odd in a local post office five days before an all-mail primary: 347 completed ballots bundled together. They were part of a scheme for which four perpetrators, including one city council member, have all been charged with fraud. Amid the controversy, Paterson’s election board disqualified 19 percent of the ballots in the primary—which, trickling up from Gateway Pundit, a conspiracy theory website, to the West Wing, served as&nbsp; evidence of the fraudulent potential of “harvesting.” “Look at Patterson[sic], N.J.,” Trump tweeted. “20% of vote was corrupted!” In fact, election officials said that most of the uncounted ballots were tossed out for the usual technical reasons—mainly for signatures that didn’t appear to match those on file.&nbsp;<b>The only example of large-scale ballot harvesting occurred in a North Carolina congressional race in the 2018 midterms. It was organized by a paid GOP operative who’s facing both state and federal charges.</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“THIS IS GOING TO BE the greatest election disaster in history,” Trump promised reporters in the middle of yet another rant against vote-by-mail in August. He failed to mention how hard he and his right-wing allies were fighting to make his apocalyptic predictions about the election come true—or how much his prospects for victory may hinge on it.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The right’s doomsaying about chaos and fraud at the polls have definitely penetrated the national consciousness. In August, a Pew poll found that nearly half of registered U.S. voters expect to “have difficulties casting a ballot” this year. That might not sound surprising—but it’s a sea change from 2018, when 85 percent expected voting to be “easy.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When it comes to mail voting in particular, however, it’s only Republicans who are moved by the propaganda. When Pew asked Trump supporters how they planned to vote, 80 percent said they’d do it in person, while just 17 percent would vote by mail. By contrast, most Biden supporters—58 percent—said they’d be voting remotely.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Given those results, it’s no surprise that, in the 2020 battleground states,&nbsp; Democrats are outpacing Republicans in&nbsp; absentee ballot requests.</b>&nbsp;Far more, in fact. Four years ago in Florida, Democrats requested 6,000 more absentee ballots than Republicans; by the end of August this year, ballot requests by Democrats had surpassed those from&nbsp; Republicans by 600,000. In North Carolina, where absentee voting has always been sparse, 177,000 Democrats had asked for ballots compared to 50,000 Republicans. “Everybody’s up,” said Michael Bitzer, a politics professor at Catawba College. “It’s just that Democrats and unaffiliated are through the roof, and Republicans are not even on the second floor.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This disparity, which is consistent in other battleground states, has saner Republican officials and activists deeply worried. What if the anti-mail campaign ends up backfiring, and suppressing their votes? And with the virus likely to still be raging come November, will GOP voters—seniors, in particular—actually take the risk to show up in person to vote? “What the president is doing when he keeps saying that this mail-in balloting thing is fraudulent, he’s scaring our own voters from using a legit way to cast your ballot,” Rohn Bishop, chair of the Fond du Lac County GOP in Wisconsin, told USA Today. “We’re kind of hurting ourselves.” When he tries to talk up absentee voting to fellow Republicans, Bishop said, he gets a lot of flak that he’s “ignoring voter fraud.” It’s not easy to argue when the Republican president keeps calling vote-by-mail “the greatest scam in history.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The weird thing, said Bishop and other Republican state leaders, is that while the president continues to slam mail voting on a daily basis, the Trump campaign and RNC have told them to promote it.</b>&nbsp;“I’m out there pushing it at the request of the campaign, because they asked me [to] do that,” said Lawrence Tabas, chair of the Republican Party in Pennsylvania, which Trump carried by less than 1 percent in 2016—and where Democrats have made 68 percent of all mail-ballot requests, while Republicans requested just 24 percent. “And then the president is publicly opposed to it,” Tabas added. “Let’s put it this way; it’s made my job more challenging.” The Pennsylvania GOP website urges Republicans to “Vote Safe: By mail. From home.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">GOP voters in California also heard that “safe, from home” message before they voted in this spring’s primary—from two of Trump’s family members, no less. Both daughter-in-law Lara Trump and Donald Jr. recorded robocalls</span>&nbsp;in April urging mail votes for a Republican congressional candidate in a special election. “Nancy Pelosi and liberal Democrats are counting on you to sit on the sidelines this election, but you can prove them wrong,” Lara Trump said in one call. “You can safely and securely vote for Mike Garcia by returning your mail-in ballot by May 12.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Both Lara Trump and Donald Jr. recorded robocalls in April urging mail votes for a Republican congressional candidate in a special election.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One major group on the right, Americans for Prosperity, is flexing its considerable muscle to counter the president’s message and urge right-wing voters to take advantage of either early or absentee voting this fall. Tim Phillips, president of the “grasstops” group, which underwrote the Tea Party movement, told Politico this spring that AFP “is absolutely going to up the percentage of dollars that go into absentee and early voting.” The group, which raked in $83 million in donations in 2018, has plenty to spend. It plans to target conservative voters in dozens of competitive congressional districts.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But Judicial Watch, PILF, the Honest Elections Project, and allied groups like True the Vote—which is recruiting ex-Navy SEALs to serve as GOP poll-watchers on Nov. 3—are delivering a contrary message: It’s perfectly safe to vote in person. “Don’t let the left scare you from voting on Election Day,” Tom Fitton said on a Judicial Watch podcast on July 31. The same message continues to blast out on conservative media. “If people can go to Home Depot and distance six feet,” Fox host Jeanine Pirro said this summer, “why can’t they go to the voting booth and distance six feet?”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Is there a coherent strategy here, somehow? Do the clashing messages make any strategic sense? Perhaps not. But some political observers suspect that Trump is setting up a way to delegitimize the results in November. If more Republicans do turn out in person, their votes will be among those tallied first—creating a chance that Trump may lead on election night, even if only half of the total vote, or less, is counted by then. In that event, Jamelle Bouie wrote this summer in his New York Times column, “There’s no mystery about what Donald Trump intends to do… . First, he’ll claim victory. Then, having spent most of the year denouncing vote-by-mail as corrupt, he’ll demand that authorities stop counting mail-in and absentee ballots. He’ll have a team of lawyers challenging courts and ballots across the country.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It’s certainly plausible. Just as in 2016, Trump has refused to say he’ll accept the results—unless, that is, they show him winning. “You don’t know until you see,” he said this summer on Fox News. “It depends. I think mail-in voting is going to rig the election, I really do.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In November 2018, when the Republican candidates for governor and senator in Florida held leads on election night that began to dissipate as the vote-counting continued, Trump telegraphed what he might say this November: “The Florida election should be called in favor of Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis in that large numbers of new ballots showed up out of nowhere, and many ballots are missing or forged,” he tweeted. “<b>An honest vote count is no longer possible—ballots massively infected. Must go with Election Night!”</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Attorney General William Barr has indicated that the Department of Justice would have Trump’s back if he tries to shut down the count.</b>&nbsp;“I think the people who want to experiment with different ways of voting right now … are playing with fire and are grossly irresponsible,” Barr told Fox News’ Mark Levin in August. Sounding more like a Judicial Watch attorney than the attorney general of the United States, Barr called it “scary” that “most of those mailings go to a lot of addresses where the people no longer live. They’re misdirected. And I think they will create a situation—they could easily create a situation where there’s going to be a contested election.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That is chilling to hear. It stirs up nightmare visions of Florida 2000 but on a national scale—and in a year that’s already been full of unrest. Realistically, though, it’s also a far-fetched strategy born of desperation. And there’s a much rosier scenario that is just as plausible as Bouie’s, if not more so.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Say this election proves to be less apocalyptic than Trump and the right are hoping—and say Trump is clearly a loser on election night. The president’s defeat, and the pandemic-inspired rise of mail voting, could begin to unravel the elaborate system of barriers to voting that Republicans have been erecting over the past decade. If Democrats retake a majority in the U.S. Senate, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act will surely be one of the first measures to pass, restoring protections and federal oversight to elections. And if Republicans lose control of state houses they captured (which they are poised to do in several battleground states), Democratic majorities can begin to reverse the race-based voting restrictions that the GOP has been cooking up with relentless creativity since the Tea Party insurrection lifted them to unprecedented power in Congress and the states.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“What we’ve had is the 21st century equivalent of the Mississippi Plan of 1890,” says Carol Anderson, the Emory University historian and best-selling author of One Person, One Vote. That “plan” was the template for other states to “redeem” white supremacy after Reconstruction by disenfranchising Black men all over again, through tactics like poll taxes, literacy tests, and violent intimidation. The 2010s were eerily similar. “It’s been legislative evil genius,” Anderson says. “And so Jim Crow.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Anderson is a serious historian, so she’ll make no predictions. But there is at least a fair chance that the latest manifestation of the Republicans’ long and fraudulent voter-fraud campaign—the demonizing of remote-voting during a pandemic—will backfire on them in a lasting way. The hollering won’t die down, of course; Trump himself will make sure of that. The voter-suppression industry—the Judicial Watches, the PILFs, the Honest Elections Projects—won’t disappear. Chief Justice John Roberts won’t suddenly start deciding in favor of voting rights. But the more Americans grow accustomed to voting by mail, and the more they keep demanding that it be made easier and more reliable, the harder their votes will be to suppress or toss out. Trump is right, after all, about one thing: Wherever remote voting becomes routine, turnout soars. And we all know who loses then.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tags: Carol AndersonDonald J. TrumpJ Christian AdamsJamelle BouieJennifer TaftJustice John RobertsJustin LevittLaura IngrahamLawrence TabasLeonard LeoMark EliasMichael BitzerRohn BishopRon DeSantisStacey AbramsTim PhillipsTom FittonTony EversWilliam BarrWilliam Consovoy</font></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">=</font></div></span></div><div><span dir="auto" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></span></div><div><span dir="auto" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div><span dir="auto" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">voter felon suppression 2020, pal of ginni and jok?</font></span></div><div><span dir="auto" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div><span dir="auto" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div><span dir="auto"><p times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" px="px" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizelegibility" max-width="max-width" width="width" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 20px 20px 20px 252.078px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Cash matters, but O’Keefe’s personal connections&nbsp;</b>are where the depth and seamlessness of this coordination with the Republican Party become truly apparent. They also offer a glimpse into the vast network that has formed to suppress the vote this fall—a network years in the making, of which Project Veritas is but a humble node.</font></p><p times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" px="px" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizelegibility" max-width="max-width" width="width" style="margin: 20px 20px 20px 252.078px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Take</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">&nbsp;litigator&nbsp;<a href="https://consovoymccarthy.com/team/william-s-consovoy/" target="blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;"><span class="Hyperlink0">William Consovoy</span></a>, the legal point man on many of the conservative-funded election integrity cases pursued during the Trump era.</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;He is, like O’Keefe, a New Jersey native with&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/15/us/elections/voting-william-consovoy-trump.html" target="blank" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;"><span class="Hyperlink0">a long history in local Republican politics</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>. A former law clerk for Clarence Thomas,</b>&nbsp;Consovoy is also&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-trump-attacks-voting-by-mail-gop-builds-2020-strategy-around-limiting-its-expansion/2020/05/31/a17ccfa0-a00d-11ea-b5c9-570a91917d8d_story.html" target="blank" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;"><span class="Hyperlink0">reportedly</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;a friend of Federalist Society Executive Vice President&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/leonard-leo-federalists-society-courts/" target="blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;"><span class="Hyperlink0">Leonard Leo</span></a>, whose&nbsp;<b>nephew David Maxham has been a friend of O’Keefe’s since their undergraduate years at Rutgers</b>.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">(Maxham, naturally, was also invited to O’Keefe’s wedding.)</span></font></p><p times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" px="px" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizelegibility" max-width="max-width" width="width" style="margin: 20px 20px 20px 252.078px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">This year, Leonard Leo has stepped aside from day-to-day management of the Federalist Society&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/leonard-leo-crc-advisors-federalist-society-50d4d844-19a3-4eab-af2b-7b74f1617d1c.html" target="blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;"><span class="Hyperlink0">to run</span></a>&nbsp;a new conservative donor group,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6889355-The-85-Fund-Fictious-Name-Certificate-Honest.html" target="blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;"><span class="Hyperlink0">CRC Advisors</span></a>, that is pouring money into Consovoy’s legal challenges in key battleground states across the country</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. CRC has been steering money into something called the “Honest Election­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­s Project,” a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6889355-The-85-Fund-Fictious-Name-Certificate-Honest.html" target="blank" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;"><span class="Hyperlink0">fictitious name</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;filed in Virginia for&nbsp;</span><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Leo’s old group the&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Judicial Education Project</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">,&nbsp;</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">now officially called the 85 Fund. As&nbsp;</span><i style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The Guardian</i><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;reported, 99 percent of the Judicial Education Project’s funding in 2018 was&nbsp;</span><span class="Hyperlink0" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">a single $7.8 million donation funneled through Donors Trust</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.guk?</span></font></p><p times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" px="px" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizelegibility" max-width="max-width" width="width" style="margin: 20px 20px 20px 252.078px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">With generous assistance from the Honest Election­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­s Project and the RNC, Consovoy’s firm Consovoy McCarthy PLLC has recently<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">&nbsp;brought cases against the re-enfranchising of felons in Florida and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mailing-of-ballots-to-all-voters-in-las-vegas-area-puts-sharp-focus-on-election-safeguards/2020/05/28/912c099a-9f63-11ea-b5c9-570a91917d8d_story.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_44" target="blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;"><span class="Hyperlink0">sued</span></a>&nbsp;to block California’s plans to deliver absentee ballots to all of the state’s registered voters.</span>&nbsp;</b><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Consovoy has contributed to related motions filed in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, Michigan, and&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Texas, where Ken Paxton’s</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;victory against mail-in voting in May&nbsp;</span><a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1265827032707072000" target="blank" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102); text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;"><span class="Hyperlink0">earned praise from President Trump on Twitter</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">.&nbsp;</span></b></font></p></span></div><div><span dir="auto" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></span></div></span></div><h2 linux="Linux" libertine="Libertine" georgia="Georgia" times="Times" serif="serif" line-height="line-height" 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);"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></span></h2><h2 linux="Linux" libertine="Libertine" georgia="Georgia" times="Times" serif="serif" line-height="line-height" 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);"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Funding and Finances</font></span></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;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Ties_to_the_Wellspring_Committee.2C_a_Dark_Money_Group"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ties to the Wellspring Committee, a Dark Money Group</font></span></h3><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">According to reporting by&nbsp;<i>Open Secrets</i>, "JCN’s tightest ties with any group or individual revolve around Ann and Neil Corkery."</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Neil Corkery, the treasurer of JCN, has also been affiliated with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Liberty_Central" title="Liberty Central" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Liberty Central</a>, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tea_Party" title="Tea Party" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Tea Party</a>&nbsp;group registered by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Virginia_Thomas" title="Virginia Thomas" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Virginia Thomas</a>, wife of Justice Thomas.<sup id="cite_ref-koch_entertained_6-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network#cite_note-koch_entertained-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[6]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">According to calculations made by&nbsp;<i>Open Secrets</i>:</font></p><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2012, tax records show that Neil Corkery was not only treasurer of JCN, president of its allied&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Judicial_Education_Project&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Judicial Education Project (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Judicial Education Project</a>, and executive director of a charity called the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sudan_Relief_Fund&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Sudan Relief Fund (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Sudan Relief Fund</a>, all of which paid him salaries; but he also drew paychecks from at least four other organizations: the anti-gay union&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Organization_for_Marriage" title="National Organization for Marriage" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">National Organization for Marriage</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=ActRight_Action&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="ActRight Action (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">ActRight Action</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Catholic_Association_Foundation&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Catholic Association Foundation (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Catholic Association Foundation</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Catholic_Voices&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Catholic Voices (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Catholic Voices</a>. His total earnings were almost $450,000, and his weekly workload was 105 hours in the first half of the year, the groups’ IRS filings show, before dropping back to a mere 80.<sup id="cite_ref-open_secrets_jcn_1-11" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network#cite_note-open_secrets_jcn-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[1]</a></sup></font></dd></dl><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ann Corkery, who is married to Neil, was influential in forming JCN and has played a key role in its funding and spending. She is the President of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Wellspring_Committee" title="Wellspring Committee" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Wellspring Committee</a>, an organization that&nbsp;<i>Open Secrets</i>characterizes as a "dark money machine"<sup id="cite_ref-open_secrets_jcn_1-12" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network#cite_note-open_secrets_jcn-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[1]</a></sup>&nbsp;which is "little more than [a] UPS mailbox" that cloaks donors' identities by serving as a conduit for contributions to other politically active nonprofits.<sup id="cite_ref-wellsprings_flow_7-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network#cite_note-wellsprings_flow-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[7]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2016, "Wellspring received 90 percent of its revenue, nearly $28.5 million, from a single anonymous donor"<sup id="cite_ref-LRB_2-5" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network#cite_note-LRB-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[2]</a></sup>&nbsp;and then in proceed to give a grant to the Judicial Crisis Network which amounted to 84 percent of its over 25 million dollars total revenue that year.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network#cite_note-28" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[28]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2011, Ann Corkery replaced two of Wellspring's board members with her own daughter and a JCN board member's son. In 2012 and 2013, JCN received nearly $3 million from Wellspring.<sup id="cite_ref-open_secrets_jcn_1-13" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network#cite_note-open_secrets_jcn-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[1]</a></sup></font></p><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;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Funding_Sources_and_Ties_to_the_Koch_Brothers"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Funding Sources and Ties to the Koch Brothers....?</font></span></h3><div><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></span></div><div><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">endit1</font></span></div><div><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></span></div></div>