Ballotpedia

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Ballotpedia, officially registered as a 501(c)3 as the Lucy Burns Institute (LBI), is an online encyclopedia which tracks elections and ballot measures at the state level. Ballotpedia absorbed WikiFOIA, which provides information on how to use Freedom of Information laws at the state and local level; and Judgepedia, which provides information on the nation's judges and court systems.

Ballotpedia states that its "original scope was information about what is on voters’ ballots, with emphasis on neutral data, to assist them in their voting decisions. Though we have expanded our coverage, we continue to excel in that original scope."[1]

Even though the organization is a major proponent of transparency in government operations and budgeting, it provides limited information about how the organization itself is funded beyond asking users to trust its editors: "Our judgments about encyclopedic and journalistic content are made independently through our editorial process and not on the basis of donor support or advertising clients," Ballotpedia writes.[2]

For the Center for Media and Democracy's piece "The Lucy Burns Institute (Publishers of Ballotpedia, Judgepedia and WikiFOIA) and Her Right-Wing Bedfellows" click here.

News and Controversies

Ties to the Sam Adams Alliance

The president of LBI, Leslie Graves, is married to Eric O'Keefe, the CEO of the Chicago-based Sam Adams Alliance (SAM). LBI took over Ballotpedia and Judgepedia from SAM in 2009[3] and continues to receive funding from SAM, as of their most recent IRS filing.[4] SAM is a 501(c)3 public charity that says it is devoted to pushing "free-market principles."[5] Of its $3.9 million budget,[6] SAM also provides funding to groups such as the Tea Party Patriots Foundation, the First Freedom Foundation, and the Citizens in Charge Foundation. SAM gets funding from the State Policy Network (SPN) which is partially funded by The Claude R. Lambe Foundation, a project of Charles Koch who co-owns Koch Industries with his brother David.

LBI Staff Connections to Right-Wing Organizations and Koch Network

The LBI staff -- based both in Wisconsin and other parts of the country -- have links to right-wing organizations and individuals, including the Kochs.

Leslie Graves is the president of LBI.[7] In 2006, Graves started Renewal Voter 
Outreach,[8] registering it as a Nebraska Limited Liability Corporation (LLC).[9] The
 company was paid
 $1.4 million[10] to conduct petition drives for two ballot initiatives in Nebraska. One was in favor of a "Humane Care" amendment to the state constitution which would prevent the withholding of food and water from terminally ill patients at the request of their kin, unless there were a written "advance directive," or living will, specifying otherwise. According to The Omaha World-Herald, about one out of every five signatures[11] needed to get the amendment on the ballot, were
 thrown out.[12] The other petition drive was for a ballot measure to put a cap 
on state spending, which also failed. A blogger[13] traced the string of connections between a nonprofit organization, tied to her husband Eric O'Keefe (who previously sat on the board) and his daughter (who served as director),[14] which provided money to a group which then funded two other
 groups which in turn provided funding to Graves' LLC to collect the petitions.

Graves has also been very involved[15] with Rachel's Vineyard, a Catholic organization that offers weekend retreats for women who have had abortions, which is intended to reconcile what the ministry calls "the sin of abortion."[16]

Graves, formerly known as Leslie Key, became the Wisconsin chair of the Libertarian Party in 1979 and served as a regional representative on the Libertarian National Committee until 1983.[17] Before her stint in politics, Leslie served as an editor for the Update newsletter, published by the Libertarian Review Foundation. The publication was criticized in the Libertarian Forum for being "an unofficial organ" disseminating the views of Ed Crane, the founder of the Cato Institute who served as its president until October 2012. A 1981 memo from Crane to Graves and David Koch illustrates the relationship: "David Koch has indicated he will kick in $10,000 to Update next year. If Leslie is very nice to him we might be able to talk him into $5,000 more (right, David?)."[18]

Graves is married to Eric O'Keefe the CEO of the conservative Sam Adams Alliance (SAM). O'Keefe has been featured at events funded by Koch's Americans for Prosperity (AFP) group which is heavily involved in supporting right-wing politicians with independent expenditures and other assistance that stretches the limits of legality. O'Keefe is a right-wing political operative that has deep ties to the Koch brothers. He helped launch the American Majority Tea Party group which trains right-wing candidates to run for office. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Club for Growth Wisconsin, which ran divisive ads in support of Governor Scott Walker's radical overhaul of collective bargaining rights for Wisconsin workers. He has also served on the board of Koch's Institute for Humane Studies, the Center for Competitive Politics, and chairs the Health Care Compact Alliance.[19]

Geoff Pallay, special projects director of Ballotpedia,[20] is a graduate of the Koch Associate Program, a program of the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation.[21] He worked as a policy analyst for the South Carolina Policy Council, during which he was "also learning Market-Based-Management -- a management philosophy created by Charles Koch, CEO of Koch Industries."[22] Pallay has been featured at events such as a policy forum earlier this year at the Cato Institute (along with Eric O'Keefe).[23]

Kelly O'Keefe, Eric O'Keefe's daughter and the Director of Development for LBI,[24] worked as development associate for the Koch-funded Institute for Humane Studies (IHS),[25] which works to identify, develop, and support young libertarians. She was also a Koch associate at the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation. (LBI also employs Graves' daughter, Sara Key, as Operations Officer.)[26]

Christopher Bedford, an associate editor at the right-wing news outlet The Daily Caller, is a former staff writer for LBI and Koch associate for the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation.[27] Eileen McGuire-Mahony, a former Ballotpedia Staff Writer, was also a Koch associate.[28][29] Hannah Mead, listed as a staff writer for Ballotpedia on her LinkedIn page,[30] was also an IHS Koch Summer Fellow.[31]

LBI's board of directors also includes right-wing and Koch ties. LBI's secretary, Jack McHugh, is a senior legislative analyst for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.[32]The Mackinac Center is a right-wing think tank, which has received some funding from the Kochs and is also a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).[33]As previously reported by the Center for Media and Democracy, the Mackinac Center has been using ALEC to push efforts to weaken unions, including dismantling public sector collective bargaining rights.[34]

Erick Erickson, the Chairman of the Board and Managing Editor of Redstate, is a board member of LBI. Redstate is the "leading conservative news blog for right of center online activists."[35] Breitbart TV describes Erickson as a "right wing hero."[36] In years past, Lorri Pickens has served as the secretary/treasurer of LBI.[37]Pickens currently works as the Director of State Operations for David Koch's AFP and previously served as outreach coordinator for SAM.[38]

While LBI states that it is dedicated to transparency, it does not list any Board members nor any information about its funding on its website. The staff profiles that are listed on the website do not mention the Koch connections.

LBI and the Sunshine Review

LBI and SAM have both provided funding to the Sunshine Review, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization "dedicated to state and local government transparency."[39] In 2010, it received over $560,000 from SAM.[40] LBI works in collaboration with the Sunshine Review on the WikiFOIA project and the Sunshine Review's logo is listed prominently on the homepage of LBI.[41] The organization was founded in July 2008 as a project of SAM, but separated from SAM in 2010. According to LBI's 990 forms, the institute has given the Sunshine Review $231,458 from 2008-2010. According to the group's most recently available 990 form, Graves is a chair of Sunshine Review.[42]

The Sunshine Review is listed as a partner organization of the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation for its associate program.[43] LBI has been listed in the past as a Koch partner organization.[44]

The Sunshine Review is an ALEC Private Sector Member. Michael Barnhart, the president of the organization, represents the Sunshine Review on ALEC's Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force. At the ALEC 2010 meeting in San Diego, Barnhart discussed proposed model legislation: "The Transparency and Government Accountability Act."[45] It was adopted by the Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force in August 2010, and approved by the ALEC Board of Directors in September 2010.[46] Similar versions of this bill have been introduced in states such as Virginia, New Mexico, Iowa, and Utah. The bill requires the development of a detailed website listing all revenue and expenditures of the state down to the level of each check. It also includes voting record information, open records information, information on lobbying and state contracts, and ethics information. While the idea seems unobjectionable, the detailed budgeting information has been criticized as a duplicative effort to showcase and make hay of perceived "wasteful spending."[47]

The Sunshine Review also gives states a "Transparency Report Card" grading them at the level of state, county, city, and school district. The organization has evaluated over 6,000 government websites.[48] The Sunshine Review has worked closely with the National Taxpayers Union,[49] another ALEC member dedicated to eliminating taxes and shrinking the size of government. NTU President Duane Parde is former Executive Director of ALEC.[50] The group has been involved in pushing this type of transparency legislation in states across the country, even before it was adopted by ALEC.[51]

The website for the Sunshine Review, which also sponsors WikiFoia, reads: "Sunshine Review is funded largely by grants and a number of private donations. Our organization believes there is a difference between government transparency and personal privacy and for this reason we do not disclose our donors."[52]

Ties to the State Policy Network

LBI is a member of the State Policy Network (SPN), which connects and funds conservative state-based think tanks and receives partial funding from The Claude R. Lambe Foundation. SPN is an ALEC member and "Chairman" level sponsor of its 2011 Annual Meeting, and many of its affiliated think tanks are ALEC members as well.[53] LBI offers free wiki training seminars to SPN members[54] and LBI's President Leslie Graves and LBI have been featured at SPN events.[55]

Ties to the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity

LBI also collaborates with the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, a national journalism organization launched by SAM. The Franklin Center has a presence in over 40 states with state-house news bureaus and journalists hosted by other outlets and think tanks. It provides its coverage free as a wire-like service and boasts that it "already provides 10 percent of all daily reporting from state capitals nationwide." As previously reported by CMD, despite their non-partisan description, many of these websites have received criticism for their right-wing bias.[56] Ballotpedia has hosted a series of webinars on elections with the Franklin Center.[57][58] According to the Franklin Center's 2009 990 report, it gave $43,000 to LBI that year.[59]

Funding

Ballotpedia writes on its website, "Ballotpedia has received and expects to continue to receive donations to support the coverage of particular topics, investigations, and events," but does not disclose which projects receive funding from whom.[60]. Its donors, however, can be found through a search of IRS filings. The identified funders are mostly major funders of right-wing infrastructure, or donor advised funds that mask the identity of individuals such as preferred funding vehicles of the Koch political network DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund.

Here are some of the known major funders of the Lucy Burns Institute/Ballotpedia:

Core Financials

2022[61]:

  • Total Revenue: $9,266,167
  • Total Expenses: $7,825,584
  • Net Assets: $5,383,156

2021[62]:

  • Total Revenue: $6,584,157
  • Total Expenses: $6,133,418
  • Net Assets: $3,960,591

2020[63]:

  • Total Revenue: $8,077,749
  • Total Expenses: $6,305,547
  • Net Assets: $3,516,737

2019[64]:

  • Total Revenue: $5,370,976
  • Total Expenses: $4,725,490
  • Net Assets: $1,738,568

2018[65]:

  • Total Revenue: $4,607,131
  • Total Expenses: $4,952,895
  • Net Assets: $1,091,196

2017[66]:

  • Total Revenue: $5,035,469
  • Total Expenses: $4,687,551
  • Net Assets: $1,441,664

2016[67]:

  • Total Revenue: $4,429,328
  • Total Expenses: $5,010,647
  • Net Assets: $1,094,091

2015[68]:

  • Total Revenue: $4,190,227
  • Total Expenses: $3,889,659
  • Net Assets: $1,677,719

2014[69]:

  • Total Revenue: $3,054,365
  • Total Expenses: $3,003,640
  • Net Assets: $1,380,737

2013[70]:

  • Total Revenue: $2,881,865
  • Total Expenses: $2,279,714
  • Net Assets: $1,332,742

2012[71]:

  • Total Revenue: $1,592,540
  • Total Expenses: $1,235,584
  • Net Assets: $730,591

2011[72]:

  • Total Revenue: $1,188,937
  • Total Expenses: $912,809
  • Net Assets: $378,900

2010[73]:

  • Total Revenue: $702,697
  • Total Expenses: $806,330
  • Net Assets: $102,772

2009[74]:

  • Total Revenue: $487,508
  • Total Expenses: $345,935
  • Net Assets: $206,405

Personnel

Staff

As of March 2022:[75]

Executives

  • Leslie Graves, Founder, President, & CEO
  • Gwen Beattie, Chief Operating Officer
  • Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy

Editorial

  • Geoff Pallay, Editor in Chief (former policy analyst at South Carolina Policy Council)
  • Kelly Coyle, Editorial Quality Associate
  • Sara Horton, Program Coordinator

Ballot Measures Team

  • Josh Altic
  • Victoria Antram
  • Ryan Byrne
  • Nicole Fisher
  • Jackie Mitchell

Elections Team

  • Daniel Anderson
  • Jaclyn Beran
  • Marielle Bricker
  • Kate Carsella
  • Megan Feeney
  • Tyler King
  • Brittony Maag
  • Andrew McNair
  • Samantha Post
  • Paul Rader
  • Myj Saintyl
  • Abbey Smith
  • Caitlin Vanden Boom

Marquee Team

  • Cory Eucalitto
  • Jerrick Adams
  • Dave Beaudoin
  • Juan García de Paredes
  • Doug Kronaizl
  • Amee LaTour
  • David Luchs
  • Roneka Matheny
  • Ellen Morrissey
  • Ethan Rice
  • Janie Valentine
  • Joel Williams
  • Samuel Wonacott

News Team

  • Mandy Gillip
  • Elisabeth Moore
  • Mackenzie Murphy
  • Maddie Sinclair Johnson
  • Mercedes Yanora

Policy

  • Chris Nelson
  • Caitlin Styrsky
  • Molly Byrne
  • Katharine Frey
  • Jimmy McAllister

Communications

  • Kayla Harris
  • Sarah Groat
  • Megan Brown
  • Lauren Nemerovski

External Relations

  • Alison Prange
  • Sara Key
  • Kari Berger
  • Hannah Nelson

Operations

  • Meghann Olshefski
  • Lauren Dixon
  • Kelly Rindfleisch

Tech

  • Matt Latourelle
  • Nathan Bingham
  • Ryan Burch
  • Michael Cella
  • Kirsten Corrao
  • Margaret Kearney
  • Joseph Sanchez

Spring 2022 Interns

  • Ashley Fleming
  • Beth Fryxell
  • Dylan Hall
  • Johannah James
  • Tate Kamish
  • Sophia Marquardt
  • Jesse Velasquez

Former Staff

  • Colin O'Keefe, COO
  • Kristen Vonasek, Director of Communications
  • Amanda Qualls, Director of Human Resources
  • Dani Whitehead, Executive Assistant & Event Planner
  • Kelly O'Keefe, former Director of Development (and Eric O'Keefe's daughter)
  • Christopher Bedford, former staff writer (Senior Editor at The Daily Caller)[76]
  • Erick Erickson, former board member (former Chairman of the Board and Managing Editor of Redstate)

Board of Directors

As of March 2022:[77]

Contact Information

Lucy Burns Institute
8383 Greenway Blvd Suite 600
Middleton, WI 53562
Phone: (608) 255-0688
Email: info@lucyburns.org
Website: https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page

Articles and Resources

IRS Form 990 Filings

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

Related SourceWatch Articles

References

  1. ↑ Ballotpedia, Scope, Ballotpedia, accessed March 28, 2022.
  2. ↑ Ballotpedia, Editorial Independence Policy, Ballotpedia, accessed March 28, 2022.
  3. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, "Lucy Burns Institute is the new sponsor of Ballotpedia and Judgepedia," organizational press release, June 2009.
  4. ↑ IRS, Sam Adams Alliance IRS 990 form, Guide Star, accessed November 2012.
  5. ↑ PR Newswire, "Sam Adams Alliance Launches New Website," Sam Adams Alliance press release, accessed November 2012.
  6. ↑ IRS, Sam Adams Alliance IRS Filing, Guide Star, accessed November 2012.
  7. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, Meet the Staff, organizational website, accessed November 2012.
  8. ↑ Technology Marketing Corporation, "Petition's origins tied to at least nine states", Cross post from the Omaha World-Herald, August 27, 2006.
  9. ↑ Unlimited Terms of Endearment, Part VIII: America At Its Worst, The Daily Kos, August 4, 2006.
  10. ↑ Technology Marketing Corporation, "Petition's origins tied to at least nine states", Cross post from the Omaha World-Herald, August 27, 2006.
  11. ↑ New Nebraska Network, The Downside of "Humane Care" Amendment Not Making the November Ballot, Captures parts of an The Omaha World-Herald article which is no longer accessible, August 4, 2006.
  12. ↑ Jones and Bartlett Publications. "Right or Wrong: Legal and Ethical Issues and Decision-Making", Book Chapter, accessed November 2012.
  13. ↑ Unlimited Terms of Endearment, Part VIII: America At Its Worst, The Daily Kos, August 4, 2006.
  14. ↑ IRS,Americans for Limited Government IRS 990 Form, Guide Star, accessed November 2012.
  15. ↑ Patron Saint Productions, Inc. Rachel's Vineyard Blooms, August 2002.
  16. ↑ Rachel's Vineyard, "Post-Abortion Healing Reconciling an Abortion in the Catholic Church," organizational newsletter, September 1996.
  17. ↑ Libertarian Party of Wisconsin, LPedia, accessed November 2012.
  18. ↑ The Libertarian Forum, "Smear: The Story of Update -- Part I", Monthly newsletter, August 1982.
  19. ↑ "Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s recall: Big money fuels small-government fight," The Washington Post, accessed November 2012.
  20. ↑ Ballotpedia, User:GPallay, user profile page, accessed November 2012.
  21. ↑ LinkedIn, Geoff Pallay, LinkedIn profile, accessed August 2012.
  22. ↑ College of Charleston, Guest Blogger: Geoff Palay, college blog, August 2009.
  23. ↑ Cato Institute, "Citizens v. the Ruling Elite," Policy forum video, April 20, 2012.
  24. ↑ Ballotpedia, Ballotpedia:Kelly O'Keefe, user profile, accessed November 2012.
  25. ↑ Institute for Humane Studies, GENERAL SEMINAR INFORMATION, organizational handout, June 2010.
  26. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, Meet the Staff, organizational website, accessed November 2012.
  27. ↑ LinkedIn, Christopher Bedford, LinkedIn profile, accessed September 2012.
  28. ↑ LinkedIn,Eileen McGuire Mahoney, LinkedIn profile(top half), accessed September 2012.
  29. ↑ LinkedIn, Eileen McGuire-Mahoney, LinkedIn profile, accessed September 2012.
  30. ↑ LinkedIn, Hannah Mead, LinkedIn profile, accessed August 2012.
  31. ↑ State Policy Network, "Today’s Summer Fellow, Tomorrow's Center Director," organizational release, August 2009.
  32. ↑ Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Jack McHugh, staff profile, accessed November 2012.
  33. ↑ Center for Media and Democracy, ALEC Non-Profits, Sourcewatch, accessed November 2012.
  34. ↑ Center for Media and Democracy, "Koch-Funded Mackinac Center Brings Wisconsin Act 10 Provisions to ALEC," May 2012.
  35. ↑ Red State, About, organizational website, accessed November 2012.
  36. ↑ Breitbart, "REDSTATE INTERVIEW WITH RIGHT WING HEROES ERICK ERICKSON AND DANA LOESCH," August 2012.
  37. ↑ IRS, Lucy Burns IRS 990 forms, Guide Star, accessed November 2012.
  38. ↑ LinkedIn, Lorri Pickens, LinkedIn profile, accessed August 2012.
  39. ↑ Sunshine Review, About, organizational website, accessed November 2012.
  40. ↑ IRS, Sam Adams Alliance IRS 990 forms, Guide Star, accessed November 2012.
  41. ↑ Sunshine Review, About, organizational website, accessed November 2012.
  42. ↑ IRS, Sunshine Review IRS 990 forms, Guide Star, accessed November 2012.
  43. ↑ Charles Koch Institute, Partner Organization, organizational website, accessed November 2012.
  44. ↑ Daily Kos, Another ALEC trick at Federal Level EXPOSED, August 2011.
  45. ↑ Common Cause, Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Documents, ALEC documents obtained by Common Cause, July 2010.
  46. ↑ Center for Media and Democracy, The Transparency and Government Accountability Act, ALEC Exposed, accessed November 2012.
  47. ↑ Center for Media and Democracy, "The Lucy Burns Institute (Publishers of Ballotpedia, Judgepedia and WikiFOIA) and Her Right-Wing Bedfellows," November 26, 2012.
  48. ↑ Sunshine Review, Core, organizational website, accessed November 2012.
  49. ↑ Sunshine Review, About, organizational website, accessed November 2012.
  50. ↑ Center for Media and Democracy, National Taxpayers Union, Sourcewatch, accessed November 2012.
  51. ↑ National Taxpayers Union, "An Open Letter to Iowa Legislators: Taxpayers Support Taxpayer Transparency Act/Taxation Disclosure Act (SF 102)," March 2009.
  52. ↑ Sunshine Review, Press Room, organizational website, accessed November 2012.
  53. ↑ Center for Media and Democracy, State Policy Network, Sourcewatch, accessed November 2012.
  54. ↑ State Policy Network, Do You Measure Up? organizational newsletter, March/April 2009.
  55. ↑ State Policy Network, 2007 State Policy Network 15th Annual Meeting Agenda, October 2007.
  56. ↑ Center for Media and Democracy, "Franklin Center: Right-Wing Funds State News Source," October 2011.
  57. ↑ Ballotpedia, "Today: post-election analysis webinar (presentations available)", November 2011.
  58. ↑ Ballotnews, Today: 2012 state executive election webinar featuring Scott Rasmussen, June 2012.
  59. ↑ IRS, Franklin Center IRS 990 forms, Guide Star, accessed November 2012.
  60. ↑ Ballotpedia, Ballotpedia's editorial independence policy, Ballotpedia, accessed March 29, 2022.
  61. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, 2022 990, organizational tax filing, November 14, 2023.
  62. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, 2021 990, organizational tax filing, November 8, 2022.
  63. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, 2020 990, organizational tax filing, November 8, 2021.
  64. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, 2019 990, organizational tax filing, November 10, 2020.
  65. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, 2018 990, organizational tax filing, July 8, 2019.
  66. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, 2017 990, organizational tax filing, September 5, 2018.
  67. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, 2016 990, organizational tax filing, September 11, 2017.
  68. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, 2015 990, organizational tax filing, 2016.
  69. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, 2014 Form 990, organizational tax filing, June 9, 2015.
  70. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, 2013 Form 990, organizational tax filing, July 1, 2014.
  71. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, 2012 Form 990, organizational tax filing, June 26,2013.
  72. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, 2011 Form 990, organizational tax filing, June 28,2012.
  73. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, 2010 Form 990, organizational tax filing, May 13, 2011.
  74. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, 2009 Form 990, organizational tax filing, August 2, 2010.
  75. ↑ Ballotpedia, Our Staff, organizational website, accessed March 29, 2022.
  76. ↑ The Daily Caller, About Us, organizational website, accessed September 5, 2016.
  77. ↑ Lucy Burns Institute, Lucy Burns Institute, organizational website, accessed March 29, 2022.
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