Research Cited

With Republican election deniers on the ballot in Pennsylvania, activists search for votes in deep-red regions

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer | Published: 11/1/2022

During a workshop at an American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) policy summit last year, former Pennsylvania senator and Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum explained how Republicans can keep power through structural imbalance alone, according to a recording obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy. Because so many Democratic voters are concentrated in urban areas, […]

Anti-LGBTQ rhetoric roils Wisconsin, providing political fuel for the right

Democracy, Education, Extremism, SPN, Wisconsin

Source: Wisconsin Watch | Published: 10/27/2022

In two of the school-based challenges, WILL has partnered with Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian nationalist juggernaut that has supported criminalizing gay sex and sterilizing transgender people. It’s challenging gender identity policies in several other states because, according to its website, it views the existence of transgender people an “existential threat to society.” The Madison-based […]

Amazon quietly gave $400,000 to conservative nonprofit that opposed new antitrust legislation

Democracy, Economy, Extremism, Koch

Source: CNBC | Published: 10/27/2022

The forum’s board chair and heiress to the Vicks VapoRub fortune, Heather Higgins, boasted at a private donor retreat that the organization is part of the “Republican conservative arsenal” and conceded that it’s not neutral politically, according to reporting by the Center for Media and Democracy.

Checks & Imbalances

Campaign Finance, Democracy, Elections, Extremism, RAGA

Source: Forbes | Published: 10/24/2022

“RAGA Discloses $3.7 Million in Third-Quarter Revenue with the General Election Just Weeks Away” (Center for Media and Democracy) … “ULINE CEO Pours Another $7.1 Million Into His Restoration PAC to Boost Anti-Abortion and Right-Wing Candidates and Causes” (Center for Media and Democracy)

Inside Steve Bannon’s ‘disturbing’ quest to radically rewrite the US constitution

ALEC, Democracy, Extremism

Source: The Guardian | Published: 10/19/2022

They are also much better funded than people might think. The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), which monitors the constitutional convention movement, estimates that it pulled in $25m (£22m) in 2020, the last year for which figures are known. The funds were split between Cosa and other influential groups on the right. They include […]

The Conservative Astroturf Organization Rolling Back Child Labor Protections

Economy, Koch, Wisconsin

Source: The American Prospect | Published: 10/11/2022

“Contributions to the NFIB network of nonprofits over the last 6 years are difficult to track because the organizations do not disclose their funding sources or, in the case of the trade association NFIB, its members,” David Armiak, the research director for the Center for Media and Democracy, told Workday Magazine and the Prospect over […]

Federal judge: Montana campaign rules apply to out-of-state super PAC

Campaign Finance, Democracy, Elections

Source: Montana Free Press | Published: 10/11/2022

On Sept. 21, Mangan dismissed a separate complaint brought against the super PAC by the national watchdog nonprofit Center for Media and Democracy. CMD filed the complaint in August alleging that CSPF violated state law by concealing the true source of its funding. The super PAC, which spent more than $126,000 in Montana, got more than […]

Michigan’s Proposal 1 would change term limits, require financial disclosure for lawmakers

Democracy, Elections

Source: Detroit Free Press | Published: 10/6/2022

No More Time for Career Politicians − the opposition group − has reported just two contributions in total from individuals Daniel Rich and Joseph Rich who − through their trusts − gave $50,000 each. Two individuals with the same names have also contributed to Term Limits Action which is registered at the same address as […]

Voter suppression law to remain in effect this year in Arkansas

Democracy, Elections, Extremism

Source: Arkansas Times | Published: 10/6/2022

Is HEP non-partisan? The Center for Media and Democracy expresses a different opinion on its Source Watch website. Honest Elections Project (HEP) is a dark money voter suppression group formed in February 2020 that is a project of The 85 Fund.[1] The 85 Fund is the new legal name for the Judicial Education Project, a group closely linked […]

Foot soldiers for Ron DeSantis: The right-wing money and influence behind Moms for Liberty

Democracy, Elections, Extremism, Trump

Source: Alternet | Published: 10/5/2022

The Heritage Foundation was also a “meeting sponsor” of CNP’s 2022 annual conference, according to an agenda obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy. A description of a session led by the Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts stated that the foundation has been “a core partner of the Council for National Policy from the […]