Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 32
  1. #1
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    17,217

    Dark Money, Deep State

    Revealed: conservative group fighting to restrict voting tied to powerful dark money network

    Honest Elections Project, part of network that pushed supreme court pick Brett Kavanaugh, is now focusing on voting restrictions
    By Sam Levine and Anna Massoglia (Guardian)
    Wed 27 May 2020 12.00 BSTLast modified on Wed 27 May 2020 12.03 BST

    Revealed: conservative group fighting to restrict voting tied to powerful dark money network | US news | The Guardian


    Backed by a dark money group funded by rightwing stalwarts, the Honest Elections Project is quickly becoming a juggernaut in the escalating fight over voting rights. Illustration: Franziska BarczykThis story was reported in collaboration with OpenSecrets.

    A powerful new conservative organization fighting to restrict voting in the 2020 presidential election is really just a rebranded group that is part of a dark money network already helping Donald Trump’s unprecedented effort to remake the US federal judiciary, the Guardian and OpenSecrets reveal.

    The organization, which calls itself the Honest Elections Project, seemed to emerge out of nowhere a few months ago and started stoking fears about voter fraud. Backed by a dark money group funded by rightwing stalwarts like the Koch brothers and Betsy DeVos’ family, the Honest Elections Project is part of the network that pushed the US supreme court picks Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, and is quickly becoming a juggernaut in the escalating fight over voting rights.


    Republicans devote $20m and 50,000 people to efforts to restrict voting


    The project announced it was spending $250,000 in advertisements in April, warning against voting by mail and accusing Democrats of cheating. It facilitated letters to election officials in Colorado, Florida and Michigan, using misleading data to accuse jurisdictions of having bloated voter rolls and threatening legal action.

    Calling voter suppression a “myth”, it has also been extremely active in the courts, filing briefs in favor of voting restrictions in Nevada, Virginia, Texas, Wisconsin and Minnesota, among other places, at times represented by lawyers from the same firm that represents Trump. By having a hand in both voting litigation and the judges on the federal bench, this network could create a system where conservative donors have an avenue to both oppose voting rights and appoint judges to back that effort.
    Advertisement

    Despite appearing to be a free-standing new operation, the Honest Elections Project is just a legal alias for the Judicial Education Project, a well-financed nonprofit connected to a powerful network of dark money conservative groups, according to business records reviewed by the Guardian and OpenSecrets.

    “These are really well-funded groups that in the context of judicial nominations have been systematically, over the long term but also the short term, kind of pushing an agenda to pack the courts with pretty extreme right wing nominees,” said Vanita Gupta, the president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “The infrastructure that they’ve built over the years has been a really important vehicle for them to do this.”

    For nearly a decade, the organization has been almost entirely funded by DonorsTrust, known as a “dark money ATM” backed by the Koch network and other prominent conservative donors, according to data tracked by OpenSecrets. In 2018, more than 99% of the Judicial Education Project’s funding came from a single $7.8m donation from DonorsTrust.

    The Judicial Education Project is also closely linked to Leonard Leo, one of the most powerful people in Washington who has shaped Donald Trump’s unprecedented effort to remake the federal judiciary with conservative judges.

    The organization has deftly hidden the changes to its name from public view. In December, the Judicial Education Project formally changed its legal name to The 85 Fund, a group Leo backed to funnel “tens of millions” of dollars into conservative causes, according to Axios. The Honest Elections Project is merely a fictitious name – an alias – the fund legally adopted in February. The change was nearly indiscernible because The 85 Fund registered two other legal aliases on the same day, including the Judicial Education Project, its old name. The legal maneuver allows it to operate under four different names with little public disclosure that it is the same group.

    The Judicial Education Project is closely aligned with the Judicial Crisis Network, a group with unmatched influence in recent years in shaping the federal judiciary. The Judicial Crisis Network spearheaded the campaigns to get Gorsuch and Kavanaugh confirmed to the US supreme court, spending millions of dollars in each instance. It has also spent significantly on critical state supreme court races across the country.

    There is a lot of overlap between the Honest Elections Project and the Judicial Crisis Network. Both groups share personnel, including Carrie Severino, the influential president of the Judicial Crisis Network. Both groups have been funded by The Wellspring Committee, a group Leo raised money for until it shut down in 2018. Both have also paid money to BH Group, an LLC Leo once disclosed as his employer, that made a $1m mystery donation to Trump’s inauguration.


    The Honest Elections Project is part of the network that pushed the US supreme court picks Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch. Photograph: Doug Mills/Getty ImagesAdvertisement

    “This is a small community that is really trying to push forward these more suppressive tactics that will be challenged in court and having those judges on the bench, they’re really hoping it’s going to continue to rig the system in their favor,” said Lena Zwarensteyn, who closely follows judicial nominations at the Leadership Conference. “By changing the rules of the game and who the referees are, they’re trying to change the landscape.”

    Neither the Honest Elections Project nor the Judicial Crisis Network responded to requests for an interview.
    The Honest Elections Project has become active as Republicans are scaling up their efforts to fight to keep voting restrictions in place ahead of the election. The Republican National Committee will spend at least $20m on litigation over voting rights and wants to recruit up to 50,000 people to help monitor the polls and other election activities.

    Gupta said seeing a group that has been extremely successful in pushing judicial confirmations turn its attention to voting rights was alarming.

    “It isn’t any surprise to those of us that do work in both of these spaces that our opponents [who] want to constrict access to voting, access to the courts, who are seeking an anti-inclusive, anti-civil rights agenda are one in the same,” she said.
    Last edited by tomcat; 28-05-2020 at 04:40 PM.
    Majestically enthroned amid the vulgar herd

  2. #2
    กงเกวียนกำเกวียน HuangLao's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    สุโขทัย
    Posts
    10,149
    The continuing oligarchy.
    Quite reflective of the culture at large.


    Revelations for some.

  3. #3
    Elite Mumbler
    pickel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Isolation
    Posts
    7,694
    Part of me thinks Trump is getting everybodys focus on mail in ballots so it will be easier to hack the electronic voting machines and make fools of the Dems when they cry fraud.

  4. #4
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Chiang Mai
    Posts
    48,105
    It’s easier for me to believe Trump doesn’t want mail in ballots because it will make Republican efforts at discouraging minorities from voting difficult. So many polling places have been shut down in non-white areas. If minorities can just mail a ballot rather than taking hours off of work to stand in long lines or travel great distances to get to their voting station, there will be heaps more voting.

    Also easy for me to believe Cheeto Loco is stoking fear of voter fraud so he can resist leaving the presidency when he loses.

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat Airportwo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Last Online
    22-03-2024 @ 04:52 PM
    Location
    Flat Earth
    Posts
    4,002
    Quote Originally Posted by misskit View Post
    It’s easier for me to believe Trump doesn’t want mail in ballots because it will make Republican efforts at discouraging minorities from voting difficult. So many polling places have been shut down in non-white areas. If minorities can just mail a ballot rather than taking hours off of work to stand in long lines or travel great distances to get to their voting station, there will be heaps more voting.

    Also easy for me to believe Cheeto Loco is stoking fear of voter fraud so he can resist leaving the presidency when he loses.
    So your a democrat who believes that the minority vote is very important therefore worth bringing in as many minorities as possible if they will help swing the vote your way?
    What a fuked up world we live in, that people now think this way, consider it normal and will defend there position.
    Peace & Love

  6. #6
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    Quote Originally Posted by Airportwo View Post
    So your a democrat who believes that the minority vote is very important therefore worth bringing in as many minorities as possible if they will help swing the vote your way?
    It's a vote, what about that do you not understand? Minority or not, it is as valid as anyone else's.

    Quote Originally Posted by Airportwo View Post
    What a fuked up world we live in, that people now think this way
    You mean when people encourage voter participation and education? Yup - best tilt your tinfoil hat another 35 degrees to the right

  7. #7
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Chiang Mai
    Posts
    48,105
    Quote Originally Posted by Airportwo View Post
    So your a democrat who believes that the minority vote is very important therefore worth bringing in as many minorities as possible if they will help swing the vote your way?
    What a fuked up world we live in, that people now think this way, consider it normal and will defend there position.
    It’s more fucked that white peoples like you think white people have a greater right to vote than darker people. Fucked up is thinking voter suppression is normal and warranted. We are all Americans and should all be represented equally.

  8. #8
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    Quote Originally Posted by Airportwo View Post
    your
    you're

    Quote Originally Posted by Airportwo View Post
    there
    they're

    Maybe minorities can spell?

  9. #9
    Elite Mumbler
    pickel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Isolation
    Posts
    7,694
    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    they're
    Actually, it should be "their"..........Whitey.

  10. #10
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    17,217
    Quote Originally Posted by Airportwo View Post
    So your a democrat who believes that the minority vote is very important therefore worth bringing in as many minorities as possible if they will help swing the vote your way?
    What a fuked up world we live in, that people now think this way, consider it normal and will defend there position.
    Peace & Love
    ...our greatest need, of course, is trained and vigilant grammar police to protect the voting rights of those unable to communicate effectively...

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat

    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Last Online
    Today @ 07:28 PM
    Posts
    1,537
    This all could come back to bite him in his bloated ass.
    A second wave of Covid across America this fall, could have a profound effect on this election. Grandma, and Grandpa Trump Supporter might think twice about driving to the polling station, and standing in line to vote, with a renewed threat of the virus in the air.

  12. #12
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Chiang Mai
    Posts
    48,105
    ^ Yep.

  13. #13
    Thailand Expat

    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Last Online
    Today @ 07:28 PM
    Posts
    1,537
    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    ...our greatest need, of course, is trained and vigilant grammar police to protect the voting rights of those unable to communicate effectively...
    Your exactly right!

  14. #14
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    17,217
    Quote Originally Posted by beachbound View Post
    This all could come back to bite him in his bloated ass.
    A second wave of Covid across America this fall, could have a profound effect on this election. Grandma, and Grandpa Trump Supporter might think twice about driving to the polling station, and standing in line to vote, with a renewed threat of the virus in the air.
    ...one might think, then, that Old Farts would support mail-in ballots despite opposition from the Anus-in-Chief. There may yet come a time when even die-hard MAGAts see that tRump does not always have their interests at heart...

  15. #15
    Thailand Expat

    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Last Online
    Today @ 07:28 PM
    Posts
    1,537
    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    ...one might think, then, that Old Farts would support mail-in ballots despite opposition from the Anus-in-Chief.
    Tom, there really is no room for logic in this situation.

  16. #16
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    17,217
    Quote Originally Posted by beachbound View Post
    Tom, there really is no room for logic in this situation.
    ...agree: hard to kill the habits of a lifetime...

  17. #17
    Thailand Expat
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    38,456
    Why doesn't George Soros send mini buses through hoods with low voter registration, and offer $25 cash plus a free meal to all of those that hop on the bus and succesfully enrol to be a voter?

  18. #18
    Thailand Expat AntRobertson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    41,562
    Quote Originally Posted by Airportwo
    So your a democrat who believes that the minority vote is very important therefore worth bringing in as many minorities as possible if they will help swing the vote your way?
    What a fuked up world we live in, that people now think this way, consider it normal and will defend there position.
    Peace & Love
    I think you need to attend a Democracy 101 refresher course.

    Odd how you'll seemingly believe and promote any old conspiracy theory going but this is somehow all a bridge too far for you. Would it help to insert some Jews somehow?

  19. #19
    Thailand Expat
    Klondyke's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Last Online
    26-09-2021 @ 10:28 PM
    Posts
    10,105
    Not so bad, it's a usual "healthy" election development. Important is not to allow a foreign meddling... (please no names here)

  20. #20
    Thailand Expat

    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Last Online
    Today @ 07:28 PM
    Posts
    1,537
    Quote Originally Posted by KlonDork
    Not so bad, it's a usual "healthy" election development.
    Healthy, like a malignant tumor.

  21. #21
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    Dark Money, Deep State-putintitle-png




    Quote Originally Posted by pickel View Post
    Actually, it should be "their"..........Whitey.
    True, I messed up - and whitey doesn't denote Anglo

  22. #22
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    96,565
    Quote Originally Posted by beachbound View Post
    Your exactly right!
    I see what you did their.

  23. #23
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    96,565
    Quote Originally Posted by Airportwo View Post
    So your a democrat who believes that the minority vote is very important therefore worth bringing in as many minorities as possible if they will help swing the vote your way?
    What a fuked up world we live in, that people now think this way, consider it normal and will defend there position.
    Peace & Love
    You don't think every American should have equal access to the vote?

    And while you're at it, tell me, have you heard of Jim Crow?

  24. #24
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Chiang Mai
    Posts
    48,105
    Cooler heads.

    As Trump rages, state officials quietly press forward with vote by mail

    Judging solely by President Donald Trump's recent diatribes, mail-in voting would seem to have become one of the nation's most partisan flashpoints. But at the state level — where elections are actually administered — there's little disagreement.


    Instead, most state officials are ignoring partisanship and quietly laying the groundwork for an effective, mail-heavy election, including in those states led by Republicans.


    “State election directors are aware of that conversation, but I think they’ve got their heads down," said Ben Hovland, the chair of the federal Election Assistance Commission, which regularly videoconferences with state election chiefs and helps advise them in detail on how to deal with a surge of mailed ballots. "They focus on the job at hand. There’s more than enough to do without worrying about political fights that are taking place."

    MORE As Trump rages, state officials quietly press forward with vote by mail

  25. #25
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    96,565
    Quote Originally Posted by misskit View Post
    Cooler heads.

    As Trump rages, state officials quietly press forward with vote by mail

    Judging solely by President Donald Trump's recent diatribes, mail-in voting would seem to have become one of the nation's most partisan flashpoints. But at the state level — where elections are actually administered — there's little disagreement.


    Instead, most state officials are ignoring partisanship and quietly laying the groundwork for an effective, mail-heavy election, including in those states led by Republicans.


    “State election directors are aware of that conversation, but I think they’ve got their heads down," said Ben Hovland, the chair of the federal Election Assistance Commission, which regularly videoconferences with state election chiefs and helps advise them in detail on how to deal with a surge of mailed ballots. "They focus on the job at hand. There’s more than enough to do without worrying about political fights that are taking place."

    MORE As Trump rages, state officials quietly press forward with vote by mail
    Don't worry, the Republicans will still be looking at every opportunity to fuck it up.

    Baldy orange cunto's tweets about "election rigging" are as much a war cry to his supporters to indulge in it as anything else.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •