Dear John,

This week, a Democratic legislator from Wisconsin was kicked out of ALEC’s policy summit. Despite claiming to be nonpartisan, ALEC targeted the one Democratic attendee as supposedly being “disruptive,” even though he never actually said anything, and had him forcibly removed.

Here at CMD, we’ve been exposing the partisan and pay-to-play machinations of ALEC for well over a decade. In the past two weeks we’ve exposed ALEC’s agenda for 2025 and how right-wing culture warriors instructed ALEC lawmakers on how to block measures to address the unfolding climate emergency and diversify workforces.

CMD’s work to shine a light on groups like ALEC is more important now than ever, as corporate titans and the far-right gear up to attack our rights and freedoms in 2025. 

Please consider making a year-end donation so we can keep doing our hard-hitting investigations!

Here’s the Latest From CMD

State Battles Over Ranked Choice Voting Reveal Shifting Fault Lines

It’s been a bad year for advocates of ranked-choice voting reforms. Legislatures in five states banned the reform outright, as did voters in Missouri. And voters in four states — Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon — rejected referendums on adopting the new system. Only in the District of Columbia did a majority vote in favor of adopting it, and Alaskans voted to keep the reform by a very slim margin. Read the full story here.

Top Leonard Leo Lieutenant Leads ALEC Bootcamp Against “Woke” Capitalism

On December 5, right-wing culture warriors instructed lawmakers attending ALEC’s States and Nation Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., on the steps their states can take to upend policies and practices designed to help address the unfolding climate emergency and diversify workforces. Read the full story here.

ALEC Maps Out Right-Wing Legislative Agenda for 2025 in DC

With less than two months until Trump begins his second term, ALEC is meeting in Washington, D.C., this week for its annual States and Nation Policy Summit, where state politicians, corporate lobbyists, and right-wing operatives will discuss and vote on model policies and resolutions to further climate delayism and preserve the use of fossil fuels, alter state election codes, protect purveyors of misinformation, privatize education, and push their extremist agenda in other ways. Read the full story here.

Billionaire Megadonors Push State Courts Rightward

Elon Musk, Richard Uihlein, and Jeff Yass are among the billionaire Republican megadonors who aimed extensive resources at this year’s state court races. Read the full story here.

This is a critical year for our democracy.

We’ve been shining a light on hidden corporate influence, threats to democracy, and disinformation for more than 30 years. 

Help us meet this moment by making a tax-deductible donation today!

When Voters Vote, Vouchers Lose

On Election Day, voters in Colorado, Kentucky, and Nebraska rejected efforts by right-wing school privateers to support and expand school vouchers in their states. Voucher schemes to defund public schools are now 0–11 when placed directly before voters on the ballot. Read the full story here.

DonorsTrust Injected More Than $150 Million in Untraceable Cash Into Right-Wing Groups in 2023

DonorsTrust — the donor conduit favored by the Koch political network — funneled over $152.5 million to MAGA groups, right-wing national and state think tanks and litigation centers, hate groups, youth groups, and more in 2023, according to an analysis of its latest IRS filings. Read the full story here.

The Invisible Hand: How Dark Money Is Inventing Prestige for Right-Wing Academics

On October 24, an organization called the American Academy of Sciences and Letters honored Stanford University Professor and health economist Dr. Jay Bhattacharya with its Robert J. Zimmer Medal for Intellectual Freedom. Read the full story here.

Dispatches From the COP29 Climate Talks in Baku

CMD guest contributor Alex Carlin provides his observations at the United Nations climate conference in Baku. Read all of Alex’s interviews with climate activists here.

CMD in the News

Our research has recently been cited by or featured in the following publications:

• Environmental Health News: “How The Plastic Industry Undermines Democracy By Blocking Bans”
• Common Dreams: “The Transactional World of Pam Bondi” 
• Drop Site News: “U.S. officials who hated ‘woke’ investing won't stop buying Israel Bonds” 
• Salon: “Trump savors victory — but the storm is coming. Will the media stand up?”

Thank you for following our investigations and for your continued support!

Team CMD

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