Council for National Policy

The Council for National Policy (CNP) is a right-wing 501(c)(3) nonprofit group that has been described as "a little-known club of a few hundred of the most powerful conservatives in the country" and "a hyper-secretive Christian Right powerhouse that helps set the movement’s agenda". Anne Nelson's book about CNP, Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right, describes how the organization connects "the manpower and media of the Christian right with the finances of Western plutocrats and the strategy of right-wing Republican political operatives.”

"The CNP describes itself as a counterweight against liberal domination of the American agenda," reported ABC News.

CNP's membership is comprised of leaders in the family values, national defense and decency movements woven by members of the Dead Billionaires Club like the Adolph Coors Foundation, the Koch brothers, Richard DeVos, Richard Scaife and other billionaires and foundations who have invested heavily in developing a complex web of far-Right groups, think-tanks and politicians over the last forty years to return the United States to its pre Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 19th century capitalist roots.

Barry W. Lynn, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told the New York Times about the CNP meeting ahead of the 2004 Republican National Convention, "The real crux of this is that these are the genuine leaders of the Republican Party, but they certainly aren't going to be visible on television next week."

"Utah Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Holland said that the Council for National Policy meeting gives [the public] 'a rare opportunity to see - or more accurately not see - what Republicans are all about. And that is how policy is influenced in this country by what amounts to a secret society of far-right-wing conservatives and religious extremists.'"

Mission

CNP describes itself as, "A united conservative movement to assure policy leadership and governance that restores religious and economic freedom, a strong national defense, and Judeo-Christian values under the Constitution."

Council for National Policy

The Council for National Policy (CNP) is a secretive, Christian Right organization of funders and activists founded in 1981 by activist Morton Blackwell, commentator Paul Weyrich, direct-mail pioneer Richard Viguerie, right-wing activist Phyllis Schlafly and Left Behind author Tim LaHaye. Anne Nelson's book about CNP, Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right, describes how the organization connects "the manpower and media of the Christian right with the finances of Western plutocrats and the strategy of right-wing Republican political operatives.” CNP membership as of September 2020 is available here.

News and Controversies

CNP Received $210,000 From Political Committees FEC Records Show

"Since 2004, political committees have disbursed $210,000 to the Council for National Policy," FEC records reviewed by Forbes detail.

"The most-recent pay out came from the PAC that arose out of the congressional campaign of former Secretary of Health and Human Service Tom Price. It donated $5,000 to the CNP in February," Forbes reported.

CMD Reveals Funders and Agenda of CNP's 40th Anniversary Celebration

In May 2021, CNP celebrated its 40th Anniversary at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida with a Black Tie Gala following its spring meeting.

At the meeting, CNP awarded its “Lantern of Liberty” award to Republican lawyer Cleta Mitchell, a Big Lie fueler and Trump legal advisor who lost her job following news that she participated in a January call in which Trump asked Georgia election officials to “find” votes to overturn the results and make him the winner of the state’s electoral votes.

Edwin Feulner, founder and former president of The Heritage Foundation, delivered the keynote address that the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) obtained and published.

The full agenda of CNP 40th Anniversary Meeting is available here.

The Council for National Policy 40th Anniversary Funders are:

• Linda Bean, heiress to the L.L. Bean company
• Bob Burckle, president, Eastern European Mission
• Don Campion, founder and president, Banyan Air Service
• Peggy Dau, Iran Alive Ministries
• Diana Denman, president, The Reagan Legacy Forum
• Vivian Noble DuBose, president and CEO, Noble Properties Inc.
• Richard Hayes, partner, Hayes, Berry, White & Vanzant, LLP
• Allen Herbert, chairman, American-Chinese Fellowship of Houston
• George Hiller, president and CEO, George M. Hiller Companies, LLC
• J.C. Huizenga, chairman, Huizenga Group
• Alveda King, director of civil rights for Unborn Priests for Life
• Gary Krings, financial advisor, Ameriprise Advisors
• Joy Lamb, president and founder of Lamb’s Books
• Joan Holt Lindsey, founder and president, Lindsey Communications
• Barry Meguiar, president, Meguiar’s Car Wax
• William Morgan, president John Bouchard & Sons
• Steve Moxley, senior VP of Fifth Third Bank
• Richard Norman, founder, The Richard Norman Company
• Jack Park, Jack Park Law
• Ralph Rebandt, senior pastor, Oakland Hills Community Church
• John Slavic, founder and president Slavic401K
• John Stemberger, president and general counsel, Florida Family Policy Council
• Marcia Taylor, chairman and CEO, Bennett International Group
• Ray Thompson, founder, Semitool
• Gevie White, president and owner, GVSW, Inc.
• JC White, developer, builder, and real estate investor, Almont Homes and Ashton Management

Ties to Hate

As documented by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in 2016 and 2021, many CNP members hold white supremacist, anti-gay, anti-Muslim, and other racist, prejudiced, and extremist beliefs. Many former and current CNP members also have ties to hate groups.

Former CNP Board of Governors member Michael Peroutka also served on the board of League of the South, a neo-Confederate, white supremacist hate group.

Former CNP Board of Governors member Joseph Farah runs the online news platform WorldNetDaily, which has heavily promoted The Pink Swastika, a book which argues that Adolph Hitler and other members of Nazi leadership were gay, and that homosexuality was a major cause of Nazi atrocities.

CNP Board of Governors member Mathew Staver, who is also the board chairman and founder of hate group Liberty Counsel, which "has worked for the re-criminalization of gay sex, described the Boy Scouts as a 'playground for pedophiles', and likened LGBT activists to terrorists."

CNP member Brigitte Gabriel has called Muslims a threat to the civilized world and claimed a practicing Muslim 'cannot be a loyal citizen of the United States.'" She is the the founder of ACT for America, "an anti-Muslim hate group that operates a network of chapters across the U.S. that disparage Islam and promote Islamophobic legislation at the state and national level."

As described by the SPLC, Gabriel and other CNP members "enjoyed unprecedented access to the White House under Trump, meeting with his staff on numerous occasions. The Trump administration implemented policies long promoted by the anti-Muslim network, such as the Muslim ban and a low cap on refugees."

CNP member Tony Perkins, who is also president of the anti-LGBTQ hate group Family Research Council, has falsely claimed that pedophilia is "a homosexual problem” and that gay people “recruit” children. In 2001, he spoke for the white supremacist hate group Council of Conservative Citizens. Perkins has also said "Islam is not a religion... it is a comprehensive system which is incompatible with the Constitution."

Perkins served as president of CNP in 2012 and from 2015-2019 and as vice president in 2013-2014. Like Gabriel, he "enjoyed extensive access to the Trump administration."

Former AG Bill Barr Criticizes "Secular-Progressive" Public School Climate at Council for National Policy Annual Meeting

William Barr Receives ADF’s Edwin Meese III Award, Alliance Defending Freedom

On May 20, 2021, during CNP's Annual Meeting, former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr received the Alliance Defending Freedom's annual Edwin Meese III Award for Originalism and Religious Liberty.

In his acceptance speech, Barr criticized the "increasingly militant and extreme secular-progressive climate of our state-run education system", which he called the "greatest threat to religious liberty in America today." He described how some schools teach children they can express whichever gender identity (or lack thereof) they wish, without anyone else having a say. A lesson such as this, he said, "does not just contradict particular religious teachings on gender and the authority of parents; it is a broadside attack on the very idea of natural law, which is integral to the moral doctrines of a number of religious denominations."

Barr also criticized Critical Race Theory (CRT), which he called "nothing more than the materialist philosophy of Marxism substituting racial antagonism for class antagonism." CRT, according to Barr "is fundamentally incompatible with Christianity" and "antithetical to the Christian view."

Barr argued that "secular-progressivism" should be seen as a religion and be given the same Constitutional protections and prohibitions as other faith traditions. He asked, "how is it Constitutional to have a state-run school system fervently devoted to teaching little else? And how on earth can these same institutions be allowed to use the state to punish traditional religious doctrines as hate speech?"

Barr concluded his speech arguing in favor of vouchers, saying they "would also promote all kinds of diversity in our schools— diversity of viewpoints, backgrounds, and ways of thinking... a universal voucher system would solve some of our most intractable and contentious social problems."

Current and Former CNP Members Organize Protests Alleging Voter Fraud in 2020 Election

Current and former members of the Council for National Policy organized and promoted so-called "Stop the Steal" protests in order to build a movement to question the legitimacy of the 2020 Election, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) reported. The #StoptheSteal site was created by Ali Alexander aka Ali Akbar, a Pro-Trump influencer on Twitter with over 140,000 followers and a former CNP member. On Twitter, Alexander identified "patriots" he is working with to "save the election," many of whom are members.

For example, Amy Kremer, chair of Women for America First and co-founder of Women for Trump, led protests in Georgia and Michigan. Women for Trump’s co-founder Caroline Wetherington is a member of the CNP. Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, is listed as an organizer of the Arizona protests, and is a CNP member. Ed Martin, president of the Phyllis Schlafly Eagles, listed by Alexander as a partner, is also a member of the CNP.

FreedomWorks, led by president Adam Brandon, who also serves on the advisory council for Turning Point USA and the CNP Action Board of Directors, also organized “Protect the Vote” protests in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Oklahoma.

Tea Party Patriots Action also announced that it was “working with FreedomWorks, Turning Points, Heritage, and countless social media influencers” to promote and hold “Protect the Vote” rallies in Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. TPPA’s honorary chairman Jenny Beth Martin serves on the CNP Executive Committee and a number of those working at the Heritage Foundation are also CNP members.

15 CNP Members Attend Amy Coney Barrett's White House Rose Garden Ceremony

At least 15 CNP members attended a Rose Garden ceremony at the White House where Amy Coney Barrett accepted Trump's nomination to the Supreme Court, the Associated Press reported. "Among the other Council for National Policy members on hand for the Sept. 26 Rose Garden ceremony was Penny Nance, the head of Concerned Women for America, which ran a monthlong Women for Amy bus tour that hit events in 12 states aimed at boosting support for Trump’s nominee. Also in the Rose Garden crowd was Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion group helping mobilize voters for Trump. Dannenfelser is listed in the 'Gold Circle Member' in the Council directory," Biesecker and Slodysko wrote.

“CNP has been strategizing to dominate the Supreme Court for decades,” said Anne Nelson, a Columbia University researcher who wrote a book on the group. “They have worked through the Federalist Society, the Heritage Foundation, and the National Rifle Association, all run by members of the CNP."

Vice President Mike Pence Thanks CNP for "Consistently Amplifying the Agenda of President Trump

Mike Pence wrote a letter to CNP's President Bill Walton on March 30, 2020 thanking him for supporting Trump and his administration. The letter wrote, "In these difficult days for our Nation and our world, faced with the unprecedented challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, I just wanted to thank you and the Council for National Policy for your support and for consistently amplifying the agenda of President Trump and our Administration."

Blumenthal's Grayzone Exposed CNP's 2018 Membership List

In August 2020, Max Blumenthal published Council for National Policy's full 2018 member list in The Grayzone, commenting "The CNP’s personnel comprise a blend of conservative movement leaders, industry moneymen, foreign policy hardliners, and culture war activists enforcing right-wing unity at the base of a Republican Party that has cohered around the doctrine of ultra-nationalist Trumpism."

Trump's Connections to CNP

President Trump Delivers Remarks at the 2020 Council for National Policy Meeting , The White House

President Donald Trump spoke for about one hour at CNP's 2020 annual meeting. CNP's 2014 membership directory listed Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway, both of whom served as Trump's counselors, as members of the organization.

Mike Pence Membership and Evangelical Turnout Strategy Using Scare Tactics

Center for National Policy's campaigns use scare tactics on issues like abortion and LGBTQ rights to politically engage conservative Christians. A 2019 piece by Shadow Network author Anne Nelson described Vice President Mike Pence's membership in CNP as well as the group's strategy to identify and turnout "some 17 million politically unengaged evangelicals, many concentrated in swing states" by telling them falsehoods such as "Democrats will 'execute babies on the day of their birth'" and that "schoolchildren face a mortal danger of sexual assault by transgender people using public restrooms."

CNP Secret Meeting to Discuss Strategy After Kavanaugh's Supreme Court Confirmation

CNP members met for a three-day retreat during Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation process. As described by The Intercept, "The agenda for the event featured a veritable who’s who of Christian conservatives, including Ginni Thomas, the spouse of Justice Clarence Thomas; U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley; former Sen. Jim DeMint, the former president of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank; pollster Frank Luntz; and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio..." Other attendees included T. Cullen Davis, Herman Cain, Bob McEwen, representatives from Family Research Council, and presenters from Faith and Freedom Coalition.

SPLC Exposed CNP's 2014 Member List and Group's Mix of Mainstream and Extremist Conservatives

In 2016, Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) obtained a copy of CNP's 2014 membership directory. SPLC described the group's membership, saying: "The 2014 CNP members are paragons of the conservative establishment. There are business titans, Christian college presidents, owners and editors of right-wing media outlets, GOP mega-donors, government staffers and leading members of conservative think tanks. There are officials of organizations like the National Rifle Association and the Federalist Society. There are politicians and political appointees, anti-abortion activists and also some who are less known publicly as conservatives, like Linda L. Bean, who owns L.L. Bean Inc., an outdoorsy clothing company.

But what is most remarkable about the directory is that it reveals how the CNP has become a key meeting place where ostensibly mainstream conservatives interact with individuals who are, by any reasonable definition, genuinely extremist."

Rigid Secrecy Rules Regarding Guests and Communication with the Media

CNP maintains strict secrecy rules for its members, who "are told not to discuss the group, reveal the topics discussed in the closed-door meetings, or even say whether or not they are members of the organization." A 2014 memorandum listed CNP's full set of rules:

• Special guests may attend only with advance unanimous approval of the Executive Committee.
• The solicitation of funds on a one-to-one basis is prohibited at meetings.
• Council meetings are closed to the media and the general public. The media should not know when or where we meet or who takes part in our programs, before or after a meeting.
• Speakers' remarks at Council meetings are off the record and not for circulation later, except with special permission.
• Members and guests are requested to keep in their personal possession their registration packets and other materials distributed at the meeting.
• Our membership list is strictly confidential and should not be shared outside the Council.
• Fundraising from the list is also prohibited.

History and Founding

As reported by ABC News, "CNP was conceived in 1981 by at least five fathers, including the Rev. Tim LaHaye, an evangelical preacher who was then the head of the Moral Majority. (LaHaye is the co-author of the popular Left Behind series that predicts and subsequently depicts the Apocalypse). Nelson Baker Hunt, billionaire son of billionaire oilman H.L. Hunt (connected to both the John Birch Society and to Ronald Reagan's political network), businessman and one-time murder suspect T. Cullen Davis, and wealthy John Bircher William Cies provided the seed money." The report also notes how "Christian activist Paul Weyrich took responsibility for bringing together the best minds of conservatism, and his imprint on the group's mission is unmistakable: It provided a forum for religiously engaged conservative Christians to influence the geography of American political power."

A 2020 New Republic book review of Anne Nelson's Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right retells the story of CNP's founding: "In 1981, Weyrich, Viguerie, LaHaye, Republican functionary Morton Blackwell, anti-feminist lawyer Phyllis Schlafly, oil scion Nelson Bunker Hunt, beer magnate Joseph Coors, and some 50 other conservatives began meeting every Wednesday morning in Viguerie’s handsome Virginia home. It was there that they founded the Council for National Policy. The CNP was deliberately modeled after the Council on Foreign Relations, a prestigious nonprofit think tank with thousands of prominent members and deep connections to America’s foreign policy elite. Similarly, the CNP focused early on international affairs, presenting Oliver North with a special award “for national defense” and inviting far-right Salvadoran death squad leader Roberto D’Aubuisson to give a talk. It also sought tax-exempt status, citing the group’s similarity to the CFR. And though membership in the CNP was likewise highly exclusive and by invitation only, Nelson wryly notes that its 1982 executive committee included Richard Shoff, 'former state secretary of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan.'"

CNP Action, Inc.

According to CNP's website, "CNP Action, Inc. is the 501(c)(4) sister organization of the Council for National Policy. Founded in 1987, CNP Action, Inc. serves as an advocate for conservative principles such as limited government, free economic enterprise, traditional values and a strong national defense. It promotes issues or specific pieces of legislation through regular Action Sessions and publications." Beginning in April 2020, this organization began involved with strategies to reopen U.S. states despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

CNP Action Organized "Pro-Trump" Doctors To Legitimate Reopening Efforts

Associated Press reported on a May 2020 conference call between CNP Action and a senior staffer for Trump's reelection campaign, originally obtained by Center for Media and Democracy. In the leaked meeting, these operatives discussed "recruiting 'extremely pro-Trump' doctors to go on television to prescribe reviving the U.S. economy as quickly as possible" despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. When asked about these efforts by AP, Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh asserted he took no issue with contradicting the government's infectious disease experts. Murtaugh explained, "Our job at the campaign is to reflect President Trump’s point of view... We are his campaign. There is no difference between us and him."

CNP Action Helped Coordinate COVID-19 Lockdown Protests

In April 2020, CNP Action "hosted weekly conference calls to coordinate coronavirus response tactics", working together with organizations including FreedomWorks, Open the States, ReOpen PA, The Save Our Country Task Force, and Tea Party Patriots. The stated goal of Tea Party Patriots was to "share the stories of people who have been affected by the lockdowns, to show that we must be concerned with both sides of this crisis."

CNP also shared information through email about attending in-person events, including an Eagle Forum-organized car protest at the Alabama Capitol Building and a lockdown protest at the Pennsylvania state capitol.

Ties to the Bradley Foundation

Through 2018 Council for National Policy received $485,000 from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. As of September 2020, Bradley president and CEO Richard Graber was a CNP Board of Governors member.

Bradley Files

In 2017, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), publishers of SourceWatch, launched a series of articles on the Milwaukee-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, exposing the inner-workings of one of America's largest right-wing foundations. 56,000 previously undisclosed documents laid bare the Bradley Foundation's highly politicized agenda. CMD detailed Bradley's efforts to map and measure right wing infrastructure nationwide, including by dismantling and defunding unions to impact state elections; bankrolling discredited spin doctor Richard Berman and his many front groups; and more. Find the series here at ExposedbyCMD.org.

Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council

As of 2020, Lisa Nelson, the CEO of ALEC, was a CNP member.

About ALEC

ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our ExposedbyCMD.org site.

Membership

Gold Circle Members

As of February 2022:

• Arthur Ally
• Tony Amaradio
• Philip F. Anschutz
• Michael Baller
• Gary L. Bauer
• Lee A. Bearman
• Linda L. Bean
• John Bedrosian, board chairman, Center for Urban Renewal and Education
• Dale E. Bellis
• Kim C. Bengard
• Pastor Steve E. Berger
• Peter Bohlinger
• Richard P. Bott
• Brent Bozell, founder and president of the Media Research Center
• Elsa Prince Broekhuizen, board member Acton Institute, former board member, Family Research Council, Focus on the Family
• Spencer N. Brown
• Bob Burckle
• Ken Campbell
• Carlos Campo, president Ashland University
• Jeffrey Coors
• Anne Cori, chairman, Eagle Forum
• Craig Dance
• Marjorie Dannenfelser
• Cullen Davis
• Todd Dexter
• David A. Durell
• Melissa Emery
• Paavo Ensio
• Michael P. Farris, CEO and general counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom
• Seymour H. Fein
• Tom Fitton, president, Judicial Watch
• Lynn Friess
• Brant Frost IV, president First Liberty Building & Loan
• Frank J. Gaffney, Jr., founder and president of Center for Security Policy
• Jon Gibson
• Kent Glesener
• Rob Gluskin
• Joe Gregory
• Millie Hallow, managing director, National Rifle Association
• Ken Harrison
• H. Preston Hawkins
• Kristan Hawkins, president, Student for Life of America
• Ryan Helfenbein, executive director of the Standing for Freedom Center and the vice president of communications and public engagement at Liberty University
• Charles W. Herbster
• Heather Higgins, chairman, Independent Women’s Forum
• Roland S. Hinz
• Robert Hilarides
• Valerie Foster Hoffman
• Kielle Horton, president of The Lindsey Foundation
• Ralph Hudgens
• J.C. Huizenga
• Bishop E.W. Jackson, Sr., founder STAND Foundation
• Jerry Johnson
• Bob Knapp
• Joy Lamb
• Tim LeFever
• Charlie Lewis
• Joan Holt Lindsey
• Nick H. Logan
• Christopher Long
• Jenny Beth Martin
• Rod D. Martin
• Gary Marx,
• Lynette Mathis
• Colby M. May, Esq.
• Thomas McAuley
• David McIntosh
• Mark Meckler, president and CEO, Citizens for Self-Governance, Convention of States Action, CSG Action
• Cory Mills
• William P. Mills
• Lee Roy Mitchell
• William D. Morgan
• Penny Y. Nance
• Richard Norman
• Star Parker (CURE)
• Herman Pirchner, Jr.
• Reince Priebus
• Ann Quest
• John E. Reese, III
• Clive Roberson
• Richard Rounsavelle
• Charles R. Saulsbury
• John H. Scribante
• Kelly Shackelford, president and CEO, First Liberty Institute
• Terry A. Siemens
• John Slavic
• Bradley A. Smith, founder and board chairman, Institute for Free Speech; board chairman, Buckeye Institute; recipient, 2010 Bradley Prize
• Robert T. Smith
• Christine Soule
• Glenn P. Story
• Mark S. Stuhlreyer
• Marcia G. Taylor
• Ray Thompson
• George Uribe
• Patrick Vollmer
• William L. Walton
• Rebecca Weber
• JC White
• Jerry C. Wilson
• Richard Wright
• Debbie Wuthnow
• Brent Yates
• Brandon Zehm

Former Gold Circle Members

• William Ames
• Adam Brandon, president, FreedomWorks; advisory council, Turning Point USA
• Christopher Bachelder
• Floyd G. Brown
• Jim Clymer
• LaRue Coleman
• J.P. De Gance
• Fostor Friess (deceased)
• Debbie Georgatos
• George Gersema
• John Graves
• Donna Rice Hughes
• Jeff Hunt (different from GCI Executive Jeff Hunt)
• Darrel Johnson
• Daniel J. LaValley
• Jaci Leitgeb
• Ann Martin Meyer
• Barry Meguiar
• Will Mills
• Jim O’Hickey
• Roxanne Phillips
• David F. Pittman, Jr.
• Gerard Smith
• Donald Stoner
• Frank Wright

Board of Governors Members

As of September 2020:

• J. Christian Adams, president Public Interest Legal Foundation
• John F. Ankerberg
• Erik D. Axene
• William G. Batchelder, III
• Morton C. Blackwell
• Mark Bloom
• Martha Boneta
• Richard P. Bott
• David Bozell
• John C. Bradburne
• J. Craig Brown
• Colin Burkhalter
• IIeana Cataldo
• Mark Christian
• James N. Clymer
• Chad Connelly
• Charles J. Cooper
• H. Scott Cooper
• Jerome R. Corsi
• Justin Danhof, Esq.
• Tom D. DeLay
• Timothy E. Donner
• Vivian Noble DuBose
• Karen S. England
• Stuart W. Epperson
• Kathleen B. Flynn
• Steve Forbes
• Stephen Freifeld
• Sandra S. Froman
• Debora A. Georgatos
• Joshua P. Glacken
• Gina Gleason
• Richard Graber, president, and CEO, Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
• Rebecca Hegelin
• Margaret H. Hartshom
• Richard D. Hayes
• Donald P. Hodel
• David A. Hodson
• Eaton Hopkins
• Jeffrey G. Hunt
• Judy Ikard
• Kay Cole James
• Joe Knott
• Arlene Krings
• Leonard A. Leo, chairman, CRC Advisors
• Randy Long
• Robert H. Maclellan
• Haley E. Martin
• Bradley J. Mattes
• Daniel McCarthy
• Brandon McCrary
• Cleta Mitchell
• Stephen Moore
• Malcolm S. Morris
• Jay Mount
• David Nammo
• Mario Navarro da Costa
• C. Preston Noell
• Randall S. Page
• Linda Paine
• William W. Pascoe
• Mitzi Perdue
• Bradford L. Phillips
• Aaron S. Poynton
• Pastor Ralph A. Rebandt II
• Ralph E. Reed, Jr., former executive director, Christian Coalition
• Timothy J. Riddle
• David A. Ridenour
• Lori Roman
• R. Phillip Samecki
• Rick W. Scarborough
• Ronald L. Seeley
• Carrie Campbell Severino, president of the Judicial Crisis Network
• John Shu
• Mathew Staver, board chairman and founder, Liberty Counsel
• Donald W. Sweeting
• E.C. Sykes
• Michael W. Thompson, Jr.
• Brandon R. Vallorani
• Rod Vandenbos
• Scott Walker, former Governor of Wisconsin
• Caroline Wetherington
• Stephen T. Whelan
• Christopher S. Wilson
• Donald L. Woodsmall
• Frank Wright
• Steven Yager

Former Governors

• Kevin Brown
• Check Cooper
• Peggy Dau
• Todd Dexter
• Colin Hanna, commissioner and founder, Let Freedom Ring
• Donna Hearne
• Keet Lewis
• Tom Newell, government affairs director, Foundation for Government Accountability
• Everett Piper
• Herman Pirchner, president, American Foreign Policy Council

Members

As of September 2020:

• J. Christian Adams, president and general counsel, Public Interest Legal Foundation
• Nick Adams, Foundation for Liberty and American Greatness
• Steven Aden, chief legal officer and general counsel, American United for Life
• Shawn Akers, online provost, Liberty University
• Mark Alexander, publisher, PatriotPost.US
• Anthony W. Allen, president, Hannibal-LaGrange University
• Arthur D. Ally, founder and president, Timothy Plan
• Robert Alt, president and CEO, Buckeye Institute
• Tony Amaradio, MBA
• Bailey A. Amaral, Director of Operations, The Windrose Project
• Peter M. Amundson, president, Minuteman Transport
• Erin Anderson
• Troy Andrews, CEO, Paradigm Midstream
• Adam Andrzejewski, CEO and founder, openthebooks.com
• John F. Ankerberg, founder and president, The John Ankerberg Show
• Michelle Ankerberg, vice president, The John Ankerberg Show
• Gary M. Annunziata, Desert Gastroenterology Consultants
• Philip F. Anschutz, chairman and CEO, the Anschutz Corporation
• Larry P. Arnn, president, Hillsdale College
• Debbie Ausburn
• Erik D. Axene
• Charles Bacarisse, vice president of major gifts, Houston Baptist University
• Christopher Bachelder,
• Lawson Bader, president, DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund
• Michael Baller
• Ellen L. Barrosse
• William G. Batchelder, III, Distinguished Fellow, Buckeye Institute
• Gary L. Gauer, president, American Values
• Lee A. Beaman, chairman and CEO, Beaman Automotive Group
• Linda L. Bean, owner and CEO, Linda Bean's Perfect Maine
• Larry T. Beasley, CEO, The Washington Times
• Tyler Becker
• John C. Bedrosian
• Dale E. Bellis, founder and president emeritus, Liberty HealthShare
• Kim C. Bengard, co-founder, It Takes a Family Foundation
• Pastor Steve E. Berger
• Craig Bergman
• Wendell Bird, senior partner, Bird, Loechl, McCants & Holliday
• Ken Blackwell, policy board and advisors, American Constitutional Rights Union
• Morton Blackwell, founder and president, Leadership Institute
• Paul Blair, senior pastor, Fairview Baptist Church
• Mark Bloom,
• Peter Bohlinger
• Wayne Bond, partner, Taylor English Duma LLP
• Martha Boneta, executive vice president, Vote America First
• James Bopp, Jr., attorney, The Bopp Law Firm
• Michael Boren
• Leigh Bortins
• Richard P. Bott, II, chairman and CEO, Bott Radio Network
• Richard P. Bott, Sr., founder, Bott Radio Network
• Rachel A. Bovard, senior director of policy, Conservative Partnership Institute
• William G. Boykin, executive vice president, Family Research Council
• David Bozell
• L. Brent Bozell, III, founder and president, Media Research Center
• John C. Bradburne
• Adam Brandon, president, FreedomWorks
• Louis W. Bremer, managing director, Cerberus Capital Management
• Elsa Prince Broekhuizen, chairman, EDP Management Company
• Floyd G. Brown
• J. Craig Brown II, president and CEO, Christian Healthcare Ministries
• Spencer N. Brown, Sr.
• Olivia Brown
• Patrick Brown
• Scott D. Brown, senior vice president, Morgan Stanley
• Benjamin W. Bull
• Bob Burckle
• Steve Buri, president, Discovery Institute
• Colin Burkhalter, partner, HSP Direct
• Texas State Rep. Brisco Cain (R-128)
• Ken W. Campbell
• Don Campion, founder and president, Banyan Air Service
• Lea Carawan, steering team, Project Blitz; executive director, Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation
• Benjamin R. Case, CEO and senior counsel, Focused on Fundraising
• IIeana Cataldo
• Jeremy Cerone
• Alejandro A. Chafuen, managing director, Acton Institute
• Matthew Chancey
• Joel Chernoff, general secretary and CEO, Messianic Jewish Alliance of America
• Victoria D. Chism
• Mark Christian, founder and president, Truth and Freedom Foundation
• Dolly Clement, executive director, Robert W. Plaster Foundation
• James N. Clymer, managing partner, Clymer Musser & Sarno
• LaRue Coleman, CEO, JOBS/AMST
• Chad Connelly, founder and president, Faith Wins
• Charles J. Cooper, founding member and chairman, Cooper & Kirk
• H. Scott Cooper
• Jeffrey H. Coors
• Charlie Copeland, president and CEO, Intercollegiate Studies Institute
• Anne S. Cori, chairman, Eagle Forum
• Ed Corrigan
• Jerome R. Corsi, founder and CEO, CorsiNation.com
• Alexander Cortes
• Clara Crane
• William Creedon
• Ken Cripp
• Andrew J. Cuff
• Jim Czirr
• Brad Dacus, founder and president, Pacific Justice Institute
• Craig R. Dance
• Justin Danhof, general council, National Center for Public Policy Research
• Chris Daniel, partner, Triton Consulting
• Marjorie Dannenfelser, president, Susan B. Anthony List
• Peggy Dau
• Cullen Davis
• J.P. De Gance, founder and president, Communio
• Tom D. DeLay
• Jim DeMint, chairman, Conservative Partnership Institute; former president, Heritage Foundation
• Diana D. Denman, president, The Reagan Legacy Forum
• Andrew Dexter, executive vice president, Todd Dexter & Associates
• Todd Dexter, president and CEO, Todd Dexter & Associates
• James C. Dobson, founder and president, Dr. James Dobson Family Institute
• Timothy E. Donner
• Vivian Noble DuBose, president and CEO, Noble Properties
• Becky Norton Dunlop, Ronald Reagan distinguished fellow, Heritage Foundation
• David A. Durell
• Alan P. Dye, partner, Webster, Chamberlain & Bean
• Tim G. Echols, Public Service Commissioner, State of Georgia
• Dr. Kirk Elliott, CEO, Elliott Global
• Karen S. England, executive director, Capitol Resource Institute and Nevada Family Alliance
• Trent England, executive director, Save Our States
• Andy English
• Paavo Ensio
• Stu Epperson, Jr.
• Stuart W. Epperson, chairman of the board, Salem Media Group
• Michael P. Farris, president and CEO, Alliance Defending Freedom
• William J. Federer, president, Amerisearch
• Seymour H. Fein, managing partner, CNF Pharma
• Edwin J. Feulner, founder, The Heritage Foundation
• Jay Fields, general partner, Rosewood Capital Management
• Thomas J. Fitton, president, Judicial Watch
• Mark Fitzgibbons, president of corporate affairs, American Target Advertising
• Kathleen B. Flynn, CEO, Bell Enterprises
• Steve Forbes, chairman and editor-in-chief, Forbes Media
• Catherine Glenn Foster, president and CEO, Americans United for Life
• Kevin Freeman
• Stephen Freifeld, otolaryngologist and surgeon, Overlook Hospital
• Foster Friess, president, Friess Family Foundation
• Sandra S. Froman
• Brigitte Gabriel, founder and chairman, ACT for America
• Frank J. Gaffney, Jr., founder and executive chairman, Center for Security Policy
• Grace Garrett
• Martin W. Garrick, owner, Admiral Property Company
• Debora A. Georgatos
• Jon K. Gibson, president, Jon Gibson Company
• Joshua P. Glacken
• Gina Gleason, executive director, Real Impact
• Kent J. Glesener, president, Paradigm Construction and Engineering
• Thomas Glessner, founder, president, and general counsel, National Institute of Family and Life Advocates
• Rob Gluskin, managing partner, Gluskin Investment Partners
• Tom Goeglein, vice president, Focus on the Family
• Richard Graber, president and CEO, Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
• John Graves, CEO, Vision America
• Karladine Graves
• Joseph R. Gregory, owner, Gregory Management Company
• Ellen Grigsby, director of institutional partnerships, Open Doors USA
• David M. Haas
• Rebecca Hagelin
• Millie B. Hallow, managing director, National Rifle Association
• Colin A. Hanna, president, Let Freedom Ring
• James Hansberger, co-founder, Legal Immigrants for America
• Nancy H. Hansen, founder, chairwoman, and CEO, Capstone Legacy Foundation
• Ken Harrison, CEO, WaterStone
• Margaret H. Hartshorn, chairman of the board, Heartbeat International
• Seamus Hasson, founder and president emeritus, Becket Fund
• Preston Hawkins, president, Herbert Hawkins Company
• Kristan J. Hawkins, president, Students for Life of America
• Richard D. Hayes, partner, Hayes, Berry, White & Vanzant
• Richard Headrick, CEO, The Headrick Companies
• Allen Hébert
• Charles W. Herbster, owner, Herbster Angus Farms
• U.S. Rep. Jody Hice (GA-10)
• Heather Higgins, president, Randolph Foundation; CEO, Independent Women's Voice
• Robert Hilarides
• Florida State Rep. Walter B. Hill (R-01)
• George Hiller, president and CEO, George M. Hiller Companies
• Roland S. Hinz, president and publisher, Hi-Torque Publishing Company
• Donald P. Hodel
• David A. Hodson
• Jake M. Hoffman, president and CEO, Rally Forge
• Valerie Foster Hoffman
• Eaton Hopkins, founder and president, Liberty Surgical
• Kielle C. Horton, president, The Lindsey Foundation
• Timothy Jay Houseal, attorney and partner, Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor
• Ralph T. Hudgens
• Donna Rice Hughes, CEO and president, Enough is Enough
• J.C. Huizenga, chairman, Huizenga Group
• Jeffrey G. Hunt, director, Centennial Institute
• Kyle Huwa
• Judy Ikard
• Bishop E.W. Jackson, founder, STAND Foundation
• Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr.
• Jack C. Jackson
• Kay Coles James, president, The Heritage Foundation
• Douglas Jeffrey, vice president for external affairs, Hillsdale College
• Terence P. Jeffrey, editor-in-chief, CNSNews.com
• Marc C. Johansen, vice president, The Boeing Company
• Darrel W. Johnson, president and founder, Attic Corporation
• Jerry A. Johnson,
• Jason S. Jones
• Adam Josefczyk, co-founder and president, Forge Leadership Network
• Gabriel S. Joseph III
• Father Eamon Kelly, vice charge, Pontifical Institute Notre Dame
• Russell Kilpatrick
• Alveda C. King
• Wade Kirby
• Charlie Kirk, founder and president, Turning Point USA
• Joe T. Knott, III, managing partner, Knott & Boyle
• William R. Koenig
• Travis Korson
• Texas State Rep. Matthew H. Krause (R-93)
• Jayne Kresac, vice president, Injured Workers Pharmacy
• Arlene Krings
• Kelly Kullberg
• Michelle Kullerg
• Beverly LaHaye
• Joy Lamb
• Todd Landrum
• Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president and CEO, National Rifle Association
• Daniel J. LaValley
• Pastor Bill Ledbetter, Fairview Baptist Church
• Richard G. Lee, president, There's Hope America
• Willes K. Lee, president, National Federation of Republican Assemblies; second vice president National Rifle Association
• Tim J. LeFever
• Jaci Leitgeb
• John Lenczowski, founder and president, Institute of World Politics
• Leonard Leo, chairman, CRC Advisors
• Charlie Lewis, founder and CEO, The Kingdom Group
• J. Keet Lewis, III, co-founder and managing partner, Lewis Group International
• Phillip L. Liberatore, founder and president, IRS Problem Solvers
• Joan Holt Lindsey, founder and president, Lindsey Communications
• Earl Little, board member, Blue Learning Partners
• Marc T. Little
• Rei Llazani
• Nick H. Logan, founder and CEO, Cornerstone Payment Systems
• Christopher Long
• Randy M. Long, founder, Long Business Advisors
• U.S. Rep. Barry D. Loudermilk (R-GA)
• Matthew Mackowiak, founder and president, Potomac Strategy Group
• Robert H. Maclellan, president, R.L. and K.H. Maclellan Foundation
• Tim Macy, co-founder and chairman of the board, Gun Owners of America
• Nadine Maenza, founding executive director, Patriot Voices
• Wm. Scott Magill, board chairman, Veterans in Defense of Liberty Action Committee
• Richard Manning
• Archer K. Martin
• Ed Martin, Phyllis Schlafly Center
• Haley E. Martin, The Martin Foundation
• James L. Martin, founder and chairman, 60 Plus Association
• Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder and CEO, Tea Party Patriots
• Rod D. Martin, founder and CEO, The Martin Organization
• Gary Marx, president, Madison Strategies
• Bradley J. Mattes, president, Life Issues Institute
• Colby M. May, senior counsel & director, American Center for Law & Justice
• Daniel McCarthy, co-founder and CEO, Makeup Eraser
• Richard T. McCormack
• Brandon McCrary
• Tony McDonald, general counsel, Empower Texans
• David McIntosh, president, Club for Growth
• Carolyn Meadows, president, National Rifle Association
• Mark Meckler, president Convention of States Foundation and Convention of States Action
• Edwin Meese III
• Barry J. Meguiar, president, Meguiar's
• Ann Martin Meyer
• Eugene B. Meyer, president, The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies
• Mayes Middleton, president, Middleton Oil Company
• James C. Miller III, senior advisor, King & Spalding
• William P. Mills, III
• James V. Mischel, Jr., president and CEO, Electric Mirror
• Cleta Mitchell, partner, Foley & Lardner
• Lee Roy Mitchell
• Joseph Mohler
• E. Ray Moore, founder and president Exodus Mandate Project
• Stephen Moore
• Janet Morana, executive director, Priests for Life
• William D. Morgan, president, John Bouchard & Sons
• Malcolm S. Morris
• Jay Mount, president, MDS Communications
• Stephen D. Moxley, senior vice president, Fifth Third Bank
• Len Munsil, president, Arizona Christian University
• Samuel J. Muscarella
• Jeff Myers, president, Summit Ministries
• David Nammo, executive director and CEO, Christian Legal Society
• Penny Y. Nance, president and CEO, Concerned Women for America
• Mario Navarro da Costa, director, Washington Bureau of Tradition, Family, Property
• Lisa Nelson, CEO, American Legislative Exchange Council
• Stephen C. Nelson
• Troy Newman, president, Operation Rescue
• C. Preston Noell, III, president, Tradition, Family, and Property
• Richard F. Norman, founder, Richard Norman Company
• Grover Norquist, president, Americans for Tax Reform
• R. Marc Nuttle, chairman and CEO, Nuttle Holdings
• James J. O'Hickey
• Daniel Oliver, chairman, Education & Research Institute
• Sara Olson, chief advancement officer, Concerned Women for America
• Brendan O'Morchoe
• Reverend William Owens, founder and president, Coalition of African American Pastors
• Randall S. Page, chief of staff, Bob Jones University
• Linda Paine, president and co-founder, Election Integrity Project California
• John J. Park
• Star Parker, founder and president, Center for Urban Renewal and Education
• William W. Pascoe, partner, Antietam Communications
• Neil S. Patel, co-founder and publisher, The Daily Caller
• Kathleen Patten, president and CEO, American Target Advertising
• Paige Patterson
• Frank Pavone, national director, Priests for Life
• Jamie R. Pennington
• Mitzi Perdue
• Tony Perkins, president, Family Research Council
• Pete N. Peterson, dean and senior fellow, Pepperdine University School of Public Policy
• Augusta Petrone
• Bradford L. Phillips, founder and president, Persecution Project Foundation
• Roxanne R. Phillips
• Tom Phillips, vice president, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
• Herman Pirchner, Jr., founding president, American Foreign Policy Council
• David F. Pittman Jr.
• Jim Powers
• Aaron S. Poynton, founder and CEO, Omnipoynt Solutions
• Reince Priebus, president and chief strategist, Michael Best & Friedrich
• Andrew C. Pulido, president, Humco
• Penny Pullen, president, Life Advocacy Resource Project
• Ann L. Quest
• Gerald Radtke, president, Hilda E. Bretzlaff Foundation
• Arkansas State Sen. Jason Rapert (R-35)
• Pastor Ralph A. Rebandt II, senior pastor, Oakland Hills Community Church
• Ralph Reed, Jr., chairman and CEO, Century Strategies
• Dran Reese, founder and president, The Salt & Light Council
• John E. Reese, III, founder, Dental Access Carolina
• Jeff D. Reeter, managing partner, Northwestern Mutual-Houston
• Heather Rice-Minus
• Timothy J. Riddle, managing partner and CEO, Chartwell Investment Partners
• David A. Ridenour, president, The National Center for Public Policy Research
• Khadine Ritter
• Ronald E. Robinson, president, Young America's Foundation
• Lori Roman, president, American Civil Rights Union
• Lila Rose
• Richard K. Rounsavelle
• R. Philip Sarnecki, managing partner, Northwestern Mutual
• Charles R. Saulsbury
• Rick Scarborough, president, Recover America Now
• Daniel Schneider, executive director, American Conservative Union
• William G. Schneider, owner and president, Mister Ice of Indianapolis
• Clifton P. Schroeder, attorney
• Nancy Schulze
• John H. Scribante
• Richard G. Scurry
• Alan E. Sears, founder, Alliance Defending Freedom; executive director, Kingdom Alliance Builders
• Ronald L. Seeley
• Vincente L. Segu, CEO, Incluyendo Mexico Foundation
• Carrie Campbell Severino, president, Judicial Crisis Network
• Kelly J. Shackelford, president and CEO, First Liberty Institute
• Saurabh Sharma
• Tracie Sharp, president, State Policy Network
• John Shu
• Stephen Siao, chief of staff, U.S. Congressman Mark Green (TN-07)
• Neil Siefring
• Terry A. Siemens
• John K. Singlaub,
• Father Robert Sirico, co-founder and president, Acton Institute
• Mark Skousen, editor, Forecasts & Strategies
• John J. Slavic, founder and president, Slavic401Kk
• Bradley A. Smith, professor of law, Capital University Law School
• Gerard Smith, president, Global Risk Management Solutions
• Mark A. Smith, president, Columbia International University
• Robert T. Smith, CEO, Earthwise Ventures
• Christine Soule
• David Spady, president, River Public Affairs Group
• Grant Everett Starrett
• Mathew D. Staver, founder and chairman, Liberty Counsel
• John Stemberger, president and general counsel, Florida Family Policy Council
• Steve Stockman
• Donald Stoner
• Glenn P. Story
• Roy Stringfellow, founder, Advanced Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Mark S. Stuhlreyer
• Carol Swain
• Donald W. Sweeting, president, Colorado Christian University
• E.C. Sykes
• Randy J. Tate, founder and sole principal, Tate Strategies
• Marcia G. Taylor, chairman and CEO, Bennett International Group
• Timothy Teepell, partner, OnMessage
• Paul S. Teller, deputy assistant to the President and Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Vice President
• Joshua C. Thifault, strategy director, Turning Point USA
• Jo Thoburn, president and CEO, Fairfax Christian School
• Vrginia "Ginni" Thomas, president, Liberty Consulting; wife of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
• Michael W. Thompson, Jr., senior vice president, CRC Advisors
• Ray F. Thompson
• Pastor Timothy Throckmorton, midwest director of ministries, Family Research Council
• Mihai D. Toma
• David V. Trulio, senior advisor and chief of staff, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy at the Office of the Secretary of Defense
• Jane Tucker-Radley
• Lewis K. Uhler, founder and president, National Tax Limitation Committee
• Allen D. Unruh
• George Uribe
• Brandon R. Vallorani, founder and CEO, Vallorani Estates
• Rod Vandenbos, founder and CEO, fuzzbox premium cocktails
• Ashley E. Vaughan
• Mike Vaught, vice president of athletics, Grand Canyon University
• Stephen J. Verleye
• Richard Viguerie, chairman, American Target Advertising
• Kristen Waggoner, general counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom
• Bridgett G. Wagner, vice president of policy promotion, The Heritage Foundation
• Scott Walker, president-elect, Young America's Foundation
• Jamie Waller, founder, CadaNino, Guatemala
• Scott Walter, president, Capital Research Center
• William L. Walton
• Clarence Mason Weaver
• Jeff Webb
• Caroline Wetherington, founder and president, Women for Trump Florida
• Joyce Weyrich
• Brandon H. Wheeler
• Stephen T. Whelan, partner, Blank Rome
• Gevie S. White
• JC White
• Somers White, president, Marketing, Persuasion, Public Speaking & CEO Coaching
• Joseph M. Wiegand, vice provost, Liberty University
• Tim Wildmon, president, American Family Association
• Christopher S. Wilson, CEO, WPA Intelligence
• Jerry C. Wilson
• Michael P. Wolfe
• Donald L. Woodsmall
• Frank Wright, president and CEO, D. James Kennedy Ministries
• Richard H. Wright
• Debbie Wuthnow, president, iVoterGuide
• Steven Yager, vice president, InterNet Services Corporation
• Brent Yates, president, Mid-Ohio Pipeline
• Charmaine Yoest, vice president, The Heritage Foundation

Edward Rutledge Fellowship Members

As of October 2018:

• Briscoe Cain, attended 2019 ALEC Annual Meeting)
• Andrew Dexter
• Matt Krause, tied to ALEC
• Caroline Lewis

William F Buckley Jr. Council Members

As of October 2018:

• Olivia Brown
• Patrick Brown
• Jeremy Cerone
• Alex Cortes
• Adam Josefczyk
• Michelle Kullberg
• Brendan O’Morchoe

Notable Members Known from Other Sources

• Kellyanne Conway
• Mike Pence
• Robert Mercer
• Steve Bannon
• Wayne LaPierre

Former Members

• Paul Weber, president and CEO, Family Policy Alliance
• Mark Weimer
• Jon Utley
• Warren Smith
• Patti Stockman
• Derek McCoy (CURE)
• Paul Liberman
• Willes Lee, board member, American Conservative Union and National Rifle Association
• Bradley R. Bright, president and CEO, Bright Media Foundation
• Al Angell
• Joe Baker
• Jack Abramhoff
• Howard Ahmanson, Jr.
• Thomas R. Anderson
• Dr. John F. Ankerberg
• Hon. Richard K. Armey
• Thomas K. Armstrong
• Sen. William L. Armstrong
• John M. Ashbrook
• Edward G. Atsinger III
• Carole Baker
• Theodore Baehr
• William B. Ball
• David Balsiger
• Hon. Gary Bauer
• John Beckett
• Ray Berryman
• Morton Blackwell
• Thomas A. Bolan
• Pat Boone
• Richard Bott
• Dr. James Bowers
• Lynn Francis Bouchey
• Dave Breese
• Dr. William Rohl Bright
• Floyd Brown
• Sam Brunelli
• Larry Burkett
• John Commuta
• Robert Cone
• Peter Cook
• Holland (Holly) Coors
• Jeffrey Coors
• Joseph Coors
• Mary C. Crowley
• Beverly Danielson
• Sen. William Dannemeyer
• Karen Davis
• Cullen Davis
• Arnaud deBorchgrave
• Tom DeLay
• Richard DeVos
• Dick Dingham
• Dr. James Dobson, founder, Focus on the Family
• John T. (Terry) Dolan
• Arthur M. Dula
• Ann Drexel
• Pierre du Pont
• John East
• Thomas F. Ellis
• Stuart Epperson
• Lauch Faircloth
• Rev. Dr. Jerry Falwell (deceased)
• Joseph F. Farah
• Dr. Edwin J. Feulner, Jr
• Father Charles Fiore
• Foster Friess
• Willard Garvey
• Peter B. Gemma
• George F. Gilder
• Dr. Duane Gish
• Ronald P. Godwin
• Alan Gottlieb
• Robbie Gowdey
• J. Peter Grace
• Lt. General Daniel O. Graham
• Robert Grant
• Anthony Harrigan
• Preston Hawkins
• Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert
• Jesse Helms
• Thomas Hess
• Rev. E.V. Hill
• Jimmy Hill
• Joe Hilyard
• Roland Hinz
• Hon. Donald P. Hodel, former president, Christian Coalition
• Rev. Melvin Hodges
• Robert Holding
• George Holland
• John Holt
• Donald R. Howard, Ph.D.
• Dr. John A. Howard
• Max Hugel
• Herbert William Hunt
• Mary Reilly Hunt
• Nelson Bunker Hunt
• Reed Irvine
• Hon. Ernest J. Istook, Jr.
• Lorena Jaeb
• Kay Cole James
• Gary Jarmin
• Charles W. Jarvis
• Louis (Woody) Jenkins
• Terry J. Jeffers
• Dr. Mildred Faye Jefferson
• Bob Jones III
• James F. Justiss
• Rep. Jack Kemp (R-NY)
• Dr. D. James Kennedy
• Alan Keyes
• Dora Kingsley
• Brig. General Albion W. Knight
• Dr. Robert H. Krieble
• Beverly LaHaye
• Tim LaHaye
• Reed Larson
• Dr. Ernest Lefever
• John Lenczowski
• Earl Little
• John Lofton
• Trent Lott
• Ed Lozick
• Marlin Maddoux
• Marion Magruder
• Peter Marshall, Jr.
• Connaught Marshner
• James Mather
• Pat Matrisciana
• Donald S. McAlvany
• Ed McAteer
• Norm McClelland
• James McClure
• Jim McCotter
• Larry P. McDonald
• Edwin Meese III
• Major F. Andy Messing, Jr.
• Chuck Missler
• Barbara Monteith
• Dr. Stanley Monteith
• Rev. Sun Myung Moon
• Dr. Raymond Moore
• Sam Moore
• Dr. Henry Morris
• Don Nickles
• David A. Noebel
• Grover Norquist, president, Americans for Tax Reform
• Dr. Gary North
• Lt. Col. Oliver North
• Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska, 2008 Vice Presidential candidate
• Dr. Paige Patterson
• Robert J. Perry
• Howard Phillips
• William M. Polk
• Lawrence D. Pratt
• Judge Paul Pressler
• Jim Price
• Ed Prince
• Dr. Charles E. Rice
• H.L. "Bill" Richardson
• Rich Riddle 
• Pat Robertson, founder, Christian Coalition
• James Robinson
• Kathleen Teague Rothschild
• Howard J. Ruff
• Rev. Rousas J. Rushdoony, founder of Chalcedon Foundation (deceased)
• William Rusher
• Phyllis Schlafly, founder, Eagle Forum (deceased)
• Lynda Scribante
• Ron Seeley
• Jay Sekulow
• Hans Sennholz
• Beurt SerVaas
• Frank Shakespeare
• Lou Sheldon
• Richard Shoff
• John K. Singlaub
• Dr. W. Cleon Skousen
• Mark Skousen
• Baker Armstrong Smith
• Dr. Lowell Smith
• Jim R. Smith
• Gerry Snyder
• LaNeil Spivy
• Scott Stanley, Jr. 
• Hon. Steve Stockman
• Robert Waring Stoddard
• John A. Stormer
• Gordon Sumner
• Gaylord K. Swim
• John H. Sununu
• Dr. Lewis Tambs
• Hon. Helen Marie Taylor
• John Taylor, board chairman and president, Virginia Institute for Public Policy
• Stacy Taylor
• Dr. Edward Teller
• Tommy Thompson
• Herbert Titus
• Sherman E. Unkefer
• Mike Valerio
• Guy Vander Jagt
• Richard Viguerie
• Christine de Vollmer

Known CNP Guest Speakers

• Alberto Gonzales (2001)
• Ben Carson (2015)
• Bill Barr (2021)
• Chris Cannon (2007)
• Clarence Thomas (2001)
• Dick Cheney (2007, as vice president)
• Donald Trump (2015, 2020, as president)
• Doug Holmes, chairman, Parents for Choice in Education (2007)
• Gary Herbert (2007)
• George W. Bush (1999)
• Jim Gilmore (2015)
• Joe Cannon (2007)
• John McCain (2008)
• Kevin McCarthy (2018)
• Lindsey Graham (2015)
• Lyall Swim, director of operations, Sutherland Institute (2007)
• Mitt Romney (2007)
• Rand Paul (2015)
• Rick Santorum (2015)
• Timothy Goeglein (2001)

Meetings

2022

CNP met February 24-26 at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, California. A copy of the meeting program obtained and published by the Center for Media and Democracy is available here.

2021

May

CNP met May 19-21 at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida. A copy of the agenda obtained and published by the Center for Media and Democracy is available here.

September

CNP met September 23-25 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

2020

August

CNP met August 19-21 at the Ritz-Carlton in Arlington, Virginia. A copy of the agenda is available here.

CNP published four speeches from the event on its website, including:

• Donald Trump
• Gov. Kristi Noem (SD-R)
• Kirk Cameron
• Matt Whitaker, former acting U.S. Attorney General

February

CNP published one discussion and two speeches from its February event on its website, including:

• A discussion with Steven Moore and Bill Walton
• Mark Skousen, Professor at The George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics at Chapman University
• Kelly Shackelford, president and CEO of the First Liberty Institute

Funding

Council for National Policy is not required to disclose its donors, but some of its funding sources are known through the IRS filings of other organizations. CNP's known funders include:

• American Endowment Foundation: $30,000 (2016-2017)
• American Values: $12,500 (2012)
• Bessemer Giving Fund: $15,000 (2017)
• Castle Rock Foundation (now Adolph Coors Foundation): $45,000 (1995-2000)
• Claude R. Lambe Foundation $75,000 (2011-2012)
• Cornerstone Foundation: $10,000 for American Association of Christian School’s CNP Membership fees (2010, 2012-2014)
• Delmarva Education Association: $16,500 (2011)
• Edgar and Elsa Prince Foundation: $160,000 (2015-2019)
• Empower, Inc.: $5,000 (2011)
• Family Research Council: $5,000 (2013)
• Floyd Foundation: $15,000 (2013, 2016-2018)
• George E. Coleman Jr. Foundation: 10,500 (2017-2018)
• George Edward Durell Foundation: $30,000 (2017-2018)
• Guilford Foundation: $5,000 (2015)
• Heritage Foundation: $22,500 (2016)
• Holman Foundation: $50,000 (2014-2018)
• In His Steps Foundation: $45,000 (2015-2017)
• It Takes a Family Foundation: $30,000 (2015, 2017)
• John William Pope Foundation: $522,500 (1994-2000)
• Judicial Watch: $145,500 (2013-2020)
• League of American Voters: $30,000 (2011)
• Let Freedom Ring: $42,700 (2012, 2014-2015)
• Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation: $485,000 (2009-2013, 2016-2018)
• Margaret C. B. and S. Spencer N. Brown Foundation: $27,350 (2015-2018)
• Marguerite A. Scribante Foundation: $45,000 (2012-2014)
• Masters Table: $50,000 (2011, 2013)
• Mercer Family Foundation: $75,000 (2013-2014)
• National Philanthropic Trust: $15,000 (2018)
• National Christian Charitable Foundation: $146,360 (2012-2017)
• Sarah Scaife Foundation: $27,000 (2018)
• Schwab Charitable Fund: $10,000 (2016-2017)
• Western Center for Journalism: $16,000 (2018)

Joseph Coors has contributed start-up funding for several conservative organizations, including CNP, since 1973.

Core Financials

2022

• Total Revenue: $3,537,747
• Total Expenses: $3,347,664
• Net Assets: $2,776,111

2021

• Total Revenue: $3,587,318
• Total Expenses: $3,384,139
• Net Assets: $3,010,858

2020

• Total Revenue: $3,018,919
• Total Expenses: $2,787,676
• Net Assets: $2,559,361

2019

• Total Revenue: $3,310,081
• Total Expenses: $3,098,641
• Net Assets: $1,892,900

2018

• Total Revenue: $3,240,418
• Total Expenses: $1,976,693
• Net Assets: $1,448,144

2017

• Total Revenue: $2,783,371
• Total Expenses: $2,680,790
• Net Assets: $1,461,089

2016

• Total Revenue: $2,736,708
• Total Expenses: $2,541,363
• Net Assets: $1,247,145

2015

• Total Revenue: $2,480,947
• Total Expenses: $2,405,931
• Net Assets: $1,155,495

2014

• Total Revenue: $2,256,793
• Total Expenses: $1,971,123
• Net Assets: $972,343

Personnel

As of December 2022:

Staff

• Bob McEwen, Executive Director
• Nancy Austin, Constituent Services
• Geneva Cole, Director of Membership
• Ethan G. Davis, Staff Assistant
• Amy D. Greene, Director of Programs
• Mary Margaret Hathway, Director of Conferences
• Diana L. Honsey, Director of Constituent Services
• Randy J. Keefe, Director of Special Projects, CNP; Managing Director, CNP Action
• Jennifer Rutledge, Director of Finance and Administration
• Alex R. Tokie, Special Assistant to the Executive Director
• Timothy J. Ward, Security Specialist

Former Staffers

• Sherri D. Francescon, Managing Director at CNP Action
• Thomas Olson, staff assistant

CNP Executive Committee

• Thomas Fitton, President
• J. Kenneth Blackwell, Vice President
• Jenny Beth Martin, Secretary
• Jerry A. Johnson, Treasurer
• Arthur Ally
• Millie Hallow
• William G. Boykin, LTG(R) US Army
• Colby May
• Joan Holt Lindsey
• Michael P. Farris
• Penny Y. Nance
• Chad Connelly
• T. Kenneth Cribb, JR.
• John Scribante, executive committee finance chairman
• Nancy Schulze
• Alan Sears
• Becky Norton Dunlop
• Stuart W. Epperson
• Donald P. Hodel
• Edwin Meese III
• James C. Miller III
• Tony Perkins
• Richard Viguerie

Former Members

• Jim DeMint
• William Mills
• Roxanne Phillips
• William Walton, President
• Kelly J. Shackelford, Esq., Vice President
• Morton C. Blackwell, Treasurer
• L. Brent Bozell III
• Tim Lefever
• Barry Meguiar
• J. Keet Lewis III
• Anthony Perkins, president
• Rebecca Hagelin, secretary
• Sandra Froman, treasurer
• Bob McEwen, executive director
• Jennifer Rutledge, director of finance and administration
• Amy Greene, director of programs

CNP Action Board of Directors

• J. Kenneth Blackwell, Chairman
• Michael W. Thompson, Jr., Secretary and Treasurer
• Bob McEwen, President
• Rachel A. Bovard
• Thomas Fitton
• Gary A. Marx
• Virginia Thomas

Former Directors

• Kelly J. Shackelford, chairman
• Adam Brandon
• William L. Walton

Contact Information

Employee Identification Number (EIN): 72-0921017

The Council for National Policy
444 N Capitol Street NW Suite 830
Washington, DC 20001
Website: CNFP.org
Journal website: Policy Counsel
Phone: (202) 207-0165
Email: cnp@cfnp.org

Articles and Resources

IRS Form 990s

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

Files

Education Reform Report

Council for National Policy Files from the Reagan Library

Related SourceWatch

• Acton Institute
• Adolph Coors Foundation
• Alliance Defending Freedom
• American Conservative Union
• American Constitutional Rights Union
• American Foreign Policy Council
• American Legislative Exchange Council
• American Values
• Americans for Tax Reform
• Associated Press
• Becky Norton Dunlop
• Bradley A. Smith
• Bradley R. Bright
• Bright Media Foundation
• Buckeye Institute
• Capital Research Center
• Center for Media and Democracy
• Center for Security Policy
• Christian Coalition
• Claremont Institute
• Clarence Thomas
• Claude R. Lambe Foundation
• Cleta Mitchell
• Colin Hanna
• Council on Foreign Relations
• Dick Cheney
• Donald Trump
• DonorsTrust
• Eagle Forum
• Edgar and Elsa Prince Foundation
• Edwin Meese III
• Elsa Prince Broekhuizen
• Family Research Council
• Federalist Society
• Floyd G. Brown
• Focus on the Family
• Foster Friess
• Foundation for Government Accountability
• Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.
• Frank Luntz
• Frank Wright
• FreedomWorks
• George W. Bush
• The Grayzone
• Grover Norquist
• Gun Owners of America
• Heather Higgins
• Heritage Foundation
• Hunt Oil Company
• Independent Women’s Forum
• Institute for Free Speech
• Institute of World Politics
• James Bopp, Jr.
• Jane Mayer
• Jerry Falwell
• John Birch Society
• John Lenczowski
• John William Pope Foundation
• Joseph Coors
• Judicial Watch
• Kathleen Teague Rothschild
• L. Brent Bozell III
• Leadership Institute
• League of American Voters
• Left Behind
• Let Freedom Ring
• Liberty Counsel
• Liberty University
• Lisa Nelson
• Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
• Marjorie Dannenfelser
• Mathew Staver
• Max Blumenthal
• Michael P. Farris
• Mike Pence
• Mitt Romney
• Moral Majority
• National Rifle Association
• New Republic
• Nikki Haley
• Pat Robertson
• Paul Weyrich
• Phyllis Schlafly
• Project Blitz
• Ralph E. Reed, Jr.
• Richard DeVos
• Robert Mercer
• Sarah Palin
• Sarah Scaife Foundation
• Southern Poverty Law Center
• Steve Bannon
• Sutherland Institute
• Tea Party Patriots
• Tim LaHaye
• Turning Point USA
• Virginia Institute for Public Policy
• Virginia Thomas
• Wayne LaPierre
• William G. Boykin

Books

• Anne Nelson, Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right, October 29, 2019.

Articles

• Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, Why Does ‘Democrat’ Sheriff Villanueva Have So Many Far-Right Supporters?, Knock LA, June 28, 2022.
• Emma Brown, Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court justice, pressed Ariz. lawmakers to help reverse Trump’s loss, emails show, The Washington Post, May 20, 2022.
• David Armiak, Christian Right to Redeploy Astroturf Strategy Used in Virginia to Win Midterms, ExposedbyCMD, April 14, 2022.
• David Armiak, Don't Say Roe, ExposedbyCMD, March 24, 2022.
• David Armiak, Revealed: New Leaders of Council for National Policy Set Extremist Agenda, ExposedbyCMD, March 11, 2022.
• David Armiak, Revealed: Council for National Policy 40th Anniversary Funders, ExposedbyCMD, November 2, 2021.
• Robert O'Harrow, God, Trump and the Closed-Door World of a Major Conservative Group, The Washington Post Magazine, October 25, 2021.
• Jason Wilson, How a secretive conservative group influenced ‘populist’ Trump’s tax cuts, The Guardian, October 25, 2021.
• David Armiak, ALEC Claims Credit for Voter Suppression and Anti-Critical Race Theory Laws at Secret Meeting, ExposedbyCMD, September 7, 2021.
• David Armiak, ALEC Lied About Its Work on Election Suppression Bills, ExposedbyCMD, September 1, 2021.
• Anne Nelson, The Shadow Network (Council for National Policy) Is Not Going Away, Bill Moyers, March 24, 2021.
• Anne Nelson, How the CNP, a Republican Powerhouse, Helped Spawn Trumpism, Disrupted the Transfer of Power, and Stoked the Assault on the Capitol, Washington Spectator, February 22, 2021.
• David Armiak, Christian Right Council for National Policy Tied to Violent Insurrection at U.S. Capitol, ExposedbyCMD, January 8, 2021.
• Alex Kotch, Conservative Activist Leaders Call For an End to Democracy, ExposedbyCMD, December 11, 2020.
• David Armiak, Operatives tied to Council for National Policy Organizing Protests Alleging Voter Fraud, ExposedbyCMD, November 6, 2020.
• David Armiak, Secretive Council for National Policy Closely Tied to Trump, ExposedbyCMD, October 27, 2020.
• Jamie Corey, "Newly Surfaced Recording Reveals ALEC and GOP Election Attorneys Working with State Legislators to Question Validity of Election", Documented, October 26, 2020.
• Robert O'Harrow, Videos show closed-door sessions of leading conservative activists: ‘Be not afraid of the accusations that you’re a voter suppressor’, Washington Post, October 14, 2020.
• Anne Nelson, "Anatomy of Deceit: Team Trump Deploys Doctors with Dubious Qualifications to Push Fake Cure for Covid-19", Washington Spectator, September 20, 2020.
• Max Blumenthal, "This is the Full Membership List of the Christian Right's Secretive and Powerful Council for National Policy", Grayzone, August 30, 2020.
• Alex Kotch, Coalition of Pro-Trump Doctors Will Defend the President’s COVID-19 Blunders, ExposedbyCMD, May 19, 2020.
• Lee Fang and Nick Surgey, "Conservative Operatives Float Plan to Place Retired Military, Police Officers as GOP Poll Watchers on Election Day", The Intercept and Documented, April 12, 2020.
• Anne Nelson, "This powerful group groomed Mike Pence for the White House. Impeachment could complicate their plans", Salon, October 25, 2019.
• Lee Fang and Nick Surgey, "Ginni Thomas Plans New Conservative Supergroup to “Protect President Trump”", The Intercept and Documented, June 4, 2019.
• Lee Fang and Nick Surgey, "Conservative Expert Privately Warned GOP Donors That a Voting Rights Bill Would Help Democrats", The Intercept and Documented, February 27, 2019.
• Lee Fang and Nick Surgey, "Provocateur James O'Keefe Has More Ambush Videos On Key Senate Races, He Tells Secretive GOP Donor Confab", The Intercept and Documented, October 18, 2018.
• Lee Fang, "At Secretive Retreat, Evangelicals Celebrate Brett Kavanaugh's Confirmation", Intercept, October 7, 2018.
• Heidi Beirich and Mark Potok, "The Council for National Policy: Behind the Curtain", Southern Poverty Law Center's Hatewatch, May 17, 2016.
• David D. Kirkpatrick, "Club of the Most Powerful Gathers in Strictest Privacy", New York Times, August 28, 2004