Dear Friends,

We have some breaking news that we want to share with you.

When we joined a coalition of more than 300 civil rights and democracy reform groups earlier this year to call out the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) for promoting voter suppression legislation, ALEC CEO Lisa Nelson published an op ed and sent a letter to ALEC’s corporate members vehemently denying that ALEC worked on voting issues.

She lied. And CMD just caught her red-handed.

CMD has obtained video from a Council for National Policy event in May where Nelson laid out in detail what ALEC is doing on voter suppression, including how it is outsourcing its elections model policies to Honest Elections Project, a dark money group with which it works closely. Read more.

ALEC is hiding its voter suppression work behind the Honest Elections Project because public outrage over its past efforts to promote controversial voter ID laws and gun laws and deny climate change spurred more than 100 of its corporate sponsors to dump ALEC.

CMD is not going to let them pull a fast one this time.

Our investigations have already revealed more than 100 ALEC-connected politicians sponsoring or cosponsoring voter suppression bills this year, and that its national board treasurer is leading the bogus Cyber Ninjas election “audit” in Arizona financed by promoters of Trump’s Big Lie that the election was stolen.

We also blew the whistle this summer on ALEC’s illegal scheme to provide sophisticated voter management campaign software tied to the RNC and worth more than $6 million to its overwhelmingly Republican members, by filing an IRS whistleblower complaint and campaign finance complaints in 15 states.

ALEC Lied About Its Work on Election Suppression Bills

ALEC claims that it "doesn't work on voting issues," but its CEO told a very different story to her right-wing audience at a Council for National Policy meeting in May.

Donate now and help CMD keep the heat on ALEC.

With your support, CMD will continue to shine a light on ALEC's voter suppression efforts and illegal campaign schemes.

Thank you!

If you'd prefer to donate by check, please mail it to:

Center for Media and Democracy
P.O. Box 259010
Madison, WI 53725-9010

More News from CMD

Bradley Foundation Bankrolls Controversial ALEC Voter Software

The right-wing Bradley Foundation has earmarked at least $1.7M for ALEC’s distribution of sophisticated voter management software deeply tied to the Republican Party since 2017, the subject of an IRS whistleblower complaint and multiple state campaign finance complaints.

Koch and Ryan Back Heavily Subsidized Startup Company

Both the Kochs and former House Speaker Paul Ryan decry government subsidies, except when it comes to their private interests, such as involvement in SHINE Medical Technologies, one of Wisconsin’s most heavily subsidized companies.

CMD's work was recently cited by several national outlets:

Time: How ‘America’s Frontline Doctors’ Sold Access to Bogus COVID-19 Treatments—and Left Patients in the Lurch
The Guardian: Rightwing lobbies and dark money funders backing assaults on voting rights
The Atlantic: Exposing ALEC: How Conservative-Backed State Laws Are All Connected
CounterPunch: Freedom of Speech According to the Gospel of Koch
Alternet: How schools can address their community’s deep trauma
Inside the Movement’s digital newsletter
South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Did right-wing organization violate campaign law and its own tax-exempt status? (Editorial)

Sludge republished our scoop about ALEC’s lies.

Thank you for keeping up with our investigative reporting. We appreciate your support as we expose the most nefarious groups and funders in the United States.

Arn Pearson, Executive Director

CMD is a 501(c)(3) national watchdog and media group that conducts in-depth investigations into corruption and the undue influence of corporations on media and democracy. Our work is regularly cited by news outlets, policymakers, and grassroots activists working to build a more sustainable future and just society. CMD is reader-supported. Please make your tax-deductible donation today. Thank you!