America First Legal

America First Legal (AFL) is a right-wing litigation center launched by Stephen Miller, senior advisor for policy and White House director of speechwriting to former President Donald Trump. AFL officially received 501(c)3 tax-exempt status from the IRS in February 2021.

AFL was created to "help organize Republican attorneys general against perceived executive branch abuses in addition to filing lawsuits of its own, according to six people familiar with the planning," Politico reported.

News and Controversies

Bradley Funding Accounts for Over 60% in 2022

In December 2023, the Center for Media and Democracy reported that the Milwaukee-based Bradley Impact Fund and its network had funneled a total of $27.1 million into AFL. On the firm The Washington Posts writes, "AFL has weaponized the grievance politics embodied by Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ movement through dozens of federal lawsuits, challenging efforts to remedy racial disparities, support LGBTQ students and expand the pool of early voters."

AFL was the recipient of Bradley's largest single grant for $27.1 million.

AFL Seeking Hard-Right Lawyers to Support Trump

In a December 2023 report from The Guardian, AFl is "Stocking a future administration with more ideological lawyers loyal to Trump in key posts at the justice department, other agencies and the White House is alarming to former DoJ officials and analysts who say such plans endanger the rule of law."

Stephen Miller, on his part, is playing a pivotal role in recruitment. "His search is for those with unswerving loyalty to Trump, who could back Trump’s increasingly authoritarian talk about plans to “weaponize” the DoJ against critics, including some he has labeled as “vermin”.

AFL Attacks Corporate ‘Bigotry’ Against White Men

AFL and Stephen Miller have launched numerous lawsuits against brands like NASCAR and Macy's Inc. over what they say are bigoted attacks against white men. In the wake of the US Supreme Court's decision to reject affirmative action in colleges, Miller is " bent on eradicating diversity initiatives in American business as well." He states, “We are going to completely transform the legal architecture in this country.”

His attacks are set to force companies to rethink diversity initiatives out of the fear of lawsuits; his push will set back millions of women and minority groups that have fought fiercely for equity in the workplace. Miller states, “This DEI bigotry is sinister, wrong, immoral – and must be defeated.”

AFL Co-Launches Center for Legal Equality

AFL joined forces with the Conservative Partnership Institute and Turning Point USA in creating the Center for Legal equality, which serves to "identify and defend victims of the Left's equity racket." In an email announcing the new project, CPI Chair Jim DeMint wrote, "AFL is going to sue them, depose them, expose them, and bankrupt every organization that continues this racist, sexist, unconstitutional, illegal discrimination. They will drag liberal elites kicking and screaming into court and then into compliance with the law."

Conservative Partnership Institute Touts Role in Founding of AFL

In its 2021 Annual Report, the Conservative Partnership Institute touted the founding of AFL to fight the Left and push back against the Biden administration. "Stephen Miller, Gene Hamilton, and CPI's Mark Meadows created AFL to fight the radical Left's unconstitutional and unlawful actions using the same tactics the Left has used for years-FOIA requests, challenges to regulations, and lawfare in the federal courts," the report states.

"In 2021, the America First Legal Foundation gave the 234 new federal judges appointed by Donald Trump the chance to finally hold Washington accountable to the rule of law," the annual report claims.

Funding

America First Legal is not required to disclose its funders. Major funders for the America First Legal Foundation, however, were found through a search of IRS filings. Here are the known funders:

• American Endowment Foundation: $8,500 (2022)
• Appreciation of Earth and Animal Foundation: $10,000 (2021-2022)
• Bell Charitable Foundation: $40,000 (2020-2021)
• Bradley Impact Fund: $27,443,096 (2021-2022)
• Conservative Partnership Institute: $1,334,105 (2021)
• Convention of States Foundation: $20,000 (2021-2022)
• DonorsTrust: $154,250 (2021-2022)
• Do Right Foundation: $4,000 (2021)
• Dunn Foundation: $100,000 (2022)
• Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund: $5,038,350 (2021)
• Freedom in the World: $50,000 (2022)
• Ging Foundation: $2,500 (2021)
• Goddard Family Foundation: $5,000 (2022)
• Goldman Sachs Charitable Gift Fund: $25,000 (2021)
• Jack Taylor Family Foundation: $40,000 (2021-2022)
• Jackson Howard Foundation: $125,000 (2021-2022)
• Jewish Communal Fund: $5,036 (2021)
• Lawrence and Sandra Post Family Foundation: $5,000 (2021)
• Leandro P. Rizzuto: $75,000 (2021-2022)
• Levin Family Charitable: $5,000 (2021)
• McCarthy Family Charitable Foundation: $2,000 (2021-2022)
• Michnal Foundation: $1,000 (2020)
• Natysin Family Foundation: $2,000 (2021)
• Strauss Foundation: $1,000 (2022)
• Taubman Foundation for the Arts: $75,000 (2021-2022)
• Usher Family Charitable Foundation: $1,000 (2022)
• Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program: $12,500 (2021)
• Warden Foundation: $2,500 (2022)
• Whitmire Family Charitable Foundation: $4,000 (2021)
• Woodward Foundation: $1,000 (2022)

Core Financials

2022

• Total Revenue: $44,399,187
• Total Expenses: $35,179,698
• Net Assets: $13,457,508

Grants Distributed

• American Accountability Foundation: $25,000
• Ethics and Public Policy Center: $45,285
• Rule of Law Defense Fund: $75,000

2021

• Total Revenue: $6,388,442
• Total Expenses: $2,150,423
• Net Assets: $4,238,019

Grants Distributed

• Ethics and Public Policy Center: $25,000
• Texas Public Policy Foundation: $177,500

Personnel

Staff

AFL doesn't list its staff on its website. A google search on April 12, 2022 turned up the following:

• Maigan Anderson, Case Coordinator
• Nicholas Barry, Attorney
• Adrienne Price, Chief Development Officer
• Ian Prior, Senior Advisor
• Reed D. Rubinstein, Senior Counselor and Director of Oversight and Investigations
• Tyler Sanderson, Counsel

Board of Directors

As of April 2022:

• Stephen Miller
• Mark Meadows
• Matthew Whitaker
• Russ Vought
• Gene Hamilton
• Ed Corrigan
• Wesley Denton

Contact Information

America First Legal
611 Pennsylvania Ave SE #231
Washington, DC 20003
Phone: 414-319-7053
Twitter: https://twitter.com/america1stlegal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/americafirstlegal

Articles and Resources

IRS Form 990 Filings

2022 990

2021 990

Tax-Exempt Application

1023 Filing