The American Legislative Exchange Council‘s (ALEC) annual meeting continues this week online with workshops on rewriting the U.S. Constitution, reopening schools amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and school privatization. The meeting was originally scheduled to be held in Orlando, but was moved online with cases of COVID-19 surging in the Sunshine State.
ALEC does not disclose its members and donors and keeps the attendees to its meetings secret. A list of the 2020 Annual Meeting attendees and sponsors was obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) and is being made publicly available below.
The list was missing some titles and institutions so CMD staff added them where possible. In addition, location information was added so that researchers can pull out state attendees. The list is likely not complete, as some speakers such as Rep. Phil King (R-TX) and Fair Lines America‘s Adam Kincaid are not listed.
Also, ALEC is offering a $50 workshop pass for this week, according to an email from ALEC CEO Lisa Nelson reviewed by CMD, so those taking up her offer will not be on this list.
In all, the list shows just 50 state lawmakers and their staff as in attendance, meaning legislators are outnumbered four to one by lobbyists and representatives of right-wing groups.
Charles Koch’s political network is well represented at the Annual Meeting with 20 staffers identified. Nine attended from Koch’s astroturf group Americans for Prosperity, eight from the Koch-founded and funded Mercatus Center at George Mason University, and one each from the Charles Koch Institute, the Cato Institute, and “Yes. Every Kid.”
Trump and the federal government again sent attendees to the Annual Meeting. In addition to Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia and Brooke Rollins, Assistant to the U.S. President for Strategic Initiatives, Justin Faulb, Legal Advisor for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Sayre Swarztrauber, Policy Advisor for the FCC; Lynn Johnson, Assistant Secretary for Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; and Steven Winberg, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Fuel Energy in the U.S. Department of Energy.
Below is the full list of attendees in searchable form.
2020 Annual Meeting Sponsors
The sponsors of ALEC’s 2020 Annual Meeting are disclosed below according to funding level with “Chairman” being the top and “Trustee” the lowest.
Chairman Level
- First Rule
- NetChoice
- Rubin, Turnbull, and Associates
Vice Chairman Level
- Cigar Association of America
- EdChoice
- Foundation for Government Accountability
- K12, Inc.
- Mackinac Center
- Pacific Legal Foundation
- PhRMA
Director Level
- American Federation for Children
- Lilly
Trustee Level
- Florida East Coast Industries
Photo credit: American Legislative Exchange Council’s YouTube account.
Thank goodness for people like David Armiak and the Center for Media and Democracy. I have been all too aware of ALEC for years, and yet it is never a major media story and I believe, the driving force behind all of these ghastly laws being passed in our states to restrict people from voting, from their reproductive rights, and from protecting our Constitution and our democratic republic. How ALEC is even allowed to exist is beyond me. Please keep us informed, and again, my thanks to all who do this kind of investigative and important work.
ALEC is a think tank that many people don’t know about or receives much National attention. I would like to see the news media expose this organization to the public on Vice news for the agenda that they have been implementing subversively. There is not an area of our government or an office in our states that has not been corrupted by this group. If you believe in an autocracy or oligarchies then join ALEC and they will lead you down the road to purgatory or learn the best way to fight and defend this great country from these greedy bastards. This a a time of crisis, get informed, get involved and go vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. They may not be perfect but they are better than the other choice and if Trump is elected that is exactly what you will lose, CHOICE!
Thank you, David Armiak! As ALEC has hidden their membership list from us for a couple years now…..we MUST depend on experts as yourself to find them….expose them! You did that for us!! I’ve saved lists from way back and can now add this to my Updated list! Now, on to CSPOA’s and their subversion, lol. Thank Goodness for CMD and yourself!
Scary. Most Americans have no idea of the plan to destroy democracy and take over America.
Thanks for your continued birddogging of ALEC.
I am sure we have some Montana Leg participants or Republican staffers
that are participating but hard to find out.
Will send donation to help you with your work.
Hi,
Thank you so much for your support! The list we obtained was not complete so it is entirely possible Montana lawmakers attended. For reference, here is our most up to date list of Montana ALEC-tied politicians: https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Montana_ALEC_Politicians
Appreciate your hard work!