Changes

'''The Franklin News Network''' (formerly known as Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity) is the publisher of thecentersquare.com (formerly known as Watchdog.org).<ref name=rebrand>Scott Zimmerman [https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2019/05/30/franklins-right-wing-watchdog-org-rebrands-as-the-center-square/ Franklin’s Right-Wing Watchdog.org Rebrands as The Center Square] Center for Media and Democracy, May 30, 2019</ref> The Franklin News Network (FNN) is a national 501(c)(3) journalism organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, established in 2009.<ref>Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, [http://franklincenterhq.org/about/ About], organizational website, accessed August 19, 2011.</ref> FNN now states its mission as holding "government accountable through objective, balanced, citizen-focused public journalism with a taxpayer sensibility. Our work allows all readers to understand the impact and importance of governmental issues in their own backyard." It stresses a promise to "highlight the presence and absence of fiscal responsibility," and "reveals the truth about mismanagement and overreach" in state governments. Further, FNN states that "the reporting we support changes the world for the better, exposing damaging public policies, leading to investigations, and prompting regulatory reforms and legislative changes."<ref>Franklin News Network [https://franklinnews.org/about/ about] organizational site, accessed May 30, 2019</ref> A Center for Media and Democracy survey of their articles hinted that the "regulatory reforms and legislative changes" align with conservative goals.<ref name=rebrand/> FNN's predecessor, The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, claimed its mission is to be "dedicated to the principles of transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility, and highlight their absence in state and local governments," and to "shine the bright light of transparency into government's darkest corners, and expose the facts about government mismanagement and overreach."<ref>Franklin Center For Government & Public Integrity, [http://franklincenterhq.org/about/ About], organizational website, accessed June 23, 2017.</ref> The Franklin Center funded state reporters in more than 40 states in August 2011,<ref>Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, [http://www.franklincenterhq.org/2376/think-tank-journalism-the-future-of-investigative-reporting/ Think tank Journalism: The Future of Investigative Journalism], organizational website, accessed August 19, 2011, since modified by the organization.</ref> and in 34 states in May 2013.<ref name="2013_list">Franklin Center, [https://www.sourcewatch.org/images/e/e5/Franklin_Center_May_2013.pdf Watchdog.org], organizational document, May 2013, obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy June 2013.</ref> As of May 2019, Watchdog.org has state bureaus in thirteen states, according to its website. Despite their non-partisan description, many of these websites have received criticism for their conservative bias.<ref>Rebekah Metzler, [http://www.pressherald.com/news/watchdog-website-puts-a-new-spin-on-politics_2010-10-02.html 'Watchdog' website puts a new spin on politics'], ''The Portland Press Herald'', accessed August 19, 2011.</ref><ref>Allison Kilkenny, [http://www.truth-out.org/koch-spider-web/1312231636 The Koch Spider Web], ''Truthout'', August 4, 2011.</ref> At a time when there are fewer and fewer statehouse reporters -- as of the ''American Journalism Review'''s most recent count in 2009, there were 355 in the entire country, down from 524 in 2003,<ref>[http://ajr.org/article.asp?id=4722 AJR's 2009 Count of Statehouse Reporters], ''American Journalism Review'', April/May 2009, accessed November 2013.</ref> bluntly called a "statehouse exodus" by the same journal<ref>Jennifer Dorroh, [http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=4721 Statehouse Exodus], ''American Journalism Review'', April/May 2009, accessed November 2013.</ref> -- former ''Reuters'' chief White House correspondent Gene Gibbons described the rush of groups like the Franklin Center to fill the gap as follows: "an army of Internet start-ups, some practicing traditional journalism in a new medium, others delivering political propaganda dressed up as journalism -- are crawling all over the picnic. . . . At the forefront is the one‐year-old Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity . . ."<ref name="GibbonsKennedy">Gene Gibbons, [http://shorensteincenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/d59_gibbons.pdf Ants at the Picnic: A Status Report on News Coverage of State Government], Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy Discussion Paper Series, #D‐59, June 2010.</ref> __TOC__ ==News and Controversies== ===Rebranding to "The Center Square"=== The Center Square website launched in mid-May 2019 purporting to be “a non-profit, non-partisan, non-political, no-nonsense organization.” Watchdog.org, Franklin's news website began redirecting to "thecentersquare.com" in May of 2019. [[Chris Krug]] was announced as the publisher of the site and president of the Franklin News Network, which according to a Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) investigation is a "new mask" in an "effort to replace local journalism with right-wing reporting."<ref name=rebrand/> Articles published in the first few weeks since The Center Square name change "give no indication that it will operate any differently from its previous iterations." A CMD survey of recent stories included "a write up of a fellow SPN group’s report critiquing “unfunded retirement obligations,” a summary of FreedomWorks’ — a group described as one of the “big-money funders and free-market advocacy organizations” — recent actions, and transcription of Wisconsin Republican talking points."<ref name=rebrand/> ===Franklin Center Under New Leadership==={|align=right|{{#widget:Iframe|url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3710855-Franklin-Center-for-Government-amp-Public.html}}|}Wisconsin Watchdog reporter James Wigderson tweeted on April 14, 2017, “The Franklin Center is shutting down,” but a few days later, it appeared that Franklin was rebooting.<ref name="damb"/> In a press release on April 17, Franklin announced that Chris Krug, former editor and manager of the Illinois News Network, would be the new President.<ref>Mary Ellen Beatty, [http://franklincenterhq.org/15282/chris-krug-lead-franklin-center-watchdog-org/ Chris Krug to lead Franklin Center and Watchdog.org], ''Franklin Center'', April 26, 2017.</ref> The Illinois News Network is a project of the Bradley-funded [[Illinois Policy Institute]], a [[State Policy Network]] “think tank.” According to the ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'', "[[John Tillman]], the CEO of the [[Illinois Policy Institute]], has been named the new chairman."<ref name=mjs/> ===Bradley Foundation Kept Wisconsin Watchdog Afloat as Franklin Center Struggled Financially=== A 2017 Center for Media and Democracy investigation of [[Bradley Foundation]] internal documents revealed that "in recent years the Franklin Center has foundered. The number of state offices dwindled to five in 2016 and employees fled the sinking ship when a single, mystery funder withdrew support."<ref name="damb">David Armiak and Mary Bottari, [https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2017/05/25/bradley-foundation-floated-wisconsin-watchdog-franklin-center-floundered/ Bradley Foundation Floated Wisconsin Watchdog While Franklin Center Floundered], ''ExposedbyCMD'', May 25, 2017.</ref> It is a "text book case of imprudent funding," wrote Bradley staff. "Unable to resist the offer of $10M annually from one source, the organization grew beyond its capacity to manage itself, and became too dependent on one funder, making it able to shrug off criticism from elsewhere (including Bradley). Last year, when that funder shifted priorities and the fecklessness of the administration became evident, the organization began to collapse" (Grant Proposal Record, August 16, 2016).<ref name="damb"/> When Bradley staff were unsure if Franklin CEO Nicolle Niely was "up to the job," they still funded Wisconsin Watchdog because it was "so effective and such a valuable partner in the state’s conservative infrastructure."<ref name="damb"/>{{clear}}{{Bradley}} ===Franklin Center Called Out for Blocking Action on Climate Change=== In July of 2016, nineteen U.S. Senators delivered a series of speeches denouncing climate change denial from 32 organizations with links to fossil-fuel interests, including the Franklin Center.<ref name="sw">Sheldon Whitehouse, "[https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/senators-call-out-web-of-denial-blocking-action-on-climate-change Senators Call Out Web of Denial Blocking Action On Climate Change]," ''Office of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse'', July 15, 2016.</ref> Sen. Whitehouse (RI-D), who led the effort to expose "the web of denial" said in his remarks on the floor that the purpose was to,:"shine a little light on the web of climate denial and spotlight the bad actors in the web, who are polluting our American discourse with phony climate denial. This web of denial, formed over decades, has been built and provisioned by the deep-pocketed [[Koch brothers]], by [[ExxonMobil]], by [[Peabody coal]], and by other fossil fuel interests. It is a grim shadow over our democracy in that it includes an electioneering effort that spends hundreds of millions of dollars in a single election cycle and threatens any Republican who steps up to address the global threat of climate change. . . . [I]t is long past time we shed some light on the perpetrators of this web of denial and expose their filthy grip on our political process. It is a disgrace, and our grandchildren will look back at this as a dirty time in America’s political history because of their work.”<ref name="sw"/> ===Conflict of Interest in Wisconsin "John Doe" Campaign Finance Investigation=== In 2013, Franklin Center's "[[Wisconsin Reporter]]" website published over a dozen articles aggressively attacking Wisconsin's "John Doe" probe into possible campaign finance violations during Wisconsin's 2011 and 2012 recall elections, and broke stories about the investigation. The Center for Media and Democracy (publishers of Sourcewatch.org) uncovered in December 2013 that the news outlet may have a conflict of interest, as "Franklin Center has close ties to individuals and groups that may be caught up in the John Doe." Franklin Center/Wisconsin Reporter called its series on the John Doe "Wisconsin's Secret War," and cited "unnamed sources to reveal that Wisconsin Club for Growth, Americans for Prosperity, and Republican Governors Association had received subpoenas, and describing details about "after-hours visits to homes and offices" and prosecutors' "demands for phone, email and other records." <ref name="WCFG Franklin">Brendan Fischer, [https://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/12/12344/why-franklin-center-wisconsin-reporter-attacking-john-doe Why Are the Franklin Center's "Wisconsin Reporter" and "Watchdog.org" Attacking the John Doe?], PRwatch.org, Dec. 19, 2013. </ref> Franklin Center/Wisconsin Reporter described the John Doe investigation as "an abuse of prosecutorial powers" with "the apparent goal of bringing down Gov. Scott Walker." However, the news outlet had what journalism professors called "a conflict of interest that minimally ought to be disclosed, whenever stories are written."  CMD reported: "The only name associated with the investigation, Eric O'Keefe, helped launch the Franklin Center's operations in 2009, and his Sam Adams Alliance group provided the majority of its startup budget; O'Keefe has spoken publicly about being subpoenaed in his capacity as director of Wisconsin Club for Growth. Franklin Center's Director of Special Projects [[John Connors]], and the Executive Assistant to the President Claire Milbrandt, also have close ties to a group reportedly involved in the John Doe probe. Its former Director of Operations and General Counsel, James Skyles, worked with another group active in the Wisconsin recalls." <ref name="WCFG Franklin"></ref> ===Silence on Pay-to-Play Allegations Highlights Conflicts of Interest=== [[John Menard]], owner of the Menard's chain of hardware stores, gave $1.5 million in previously unknown contributions to Wisconsin Club for Growth during the [[Scott_Walker#2012_Recall_Election|2012 Wisconsin recall election]], according to reporting by investigative journalist Michael Isikoff published March 23, 2015. Isikoff wrote that the contributions "seem to have paid off for the businessman and his company." Over the following two years, Menard's received $1.8 million in tax credits from the [[Scott_Walker#Wisconsin_Economic_Development_Corporation_Scandals|Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation]], which Walker chairs, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources "sharply scaled back enforcement actions" under Walker.<ref>Michael Isikoff, "[https://www.yahoo.com/politics/wisconsin-gov-scott-walker-photo-charlie-114429739886.html Secret $1.5 million donation from Wisconsin billionaire uncovered in Scott Walker dark-money probe]," ''Yahoo Politics'', March 23, 2015.</ref> The story made national headlines, including coverage by ''The New York Times'', MSNBC, and ''U.S. News & World Report'' the day following its publication.<ref name="media matters menards">Daniel Angster, "[http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/03/26/the-pay-to-play-allegation-walkers-watchdog-isn/203055 The Pay-To-Play Allegation Walker's Watchdog Isn't Defending]," ''Media Matters'', March 26, 2015.</ref> [[Wisconsin Reporter]], which had previously defended O'Keefe and Wisconsin Club for Growth against allegations of improper coordination with Walker and his campaign, made no mention of the pay-to-play allegations in the days following Isikoff's story despite the national news coverage, according to ''Media Matters''. "Their silence on the story highlights the conflicts of interest that surround the outlet's reporting on Walker and the 'John Doe' investigations," ''Media Matters'' wrote.<ref name="media matters menards"/> ===Accusations of Inaccuracy & 'Manufactured News'=== In August 2010, the [[West Virginia Watchdog]] blog quoted an unnamed source claiming that Democratic Governor Joe Manchin's office had been subpoenaed as part of a federal grand jury investigation. The story said that the subpoenas asked for contracts and records for businesses that have done work at the governor’s mansion. "The target may be Manchin himself, according to a source who asked to remain anonymous," the original story said. The governor’s office responded saying that “Neither subpoena was directed to Governor Manchin or the Governor’s Office.... No individual in the Governor’s Office was served with a subpoena…. The State has not been informed that Governor Manchin or any other state employee is under investigation.” The West Virginia Watchdog updated its site with these statements then reported that their "source was ultimately wrong about the purpose of the subpoenas."<ref>[http://westvirginia.watchdog.org/1969/gov-joe-manchins-dept-of-administration-division-of-highways-subpoenaed-in-federal-probe/ Gov. Joe Manchin’s Dept. of Administration, Division of Highways Subpoenaed in Federal Probe], ''West Virginia Watchdog'', August 7, 2010.</ref> In February, the Wisconsin Reporter sponsored a questionable poll asserting that 71% of Wisconsin residents thought the state's Governor Scott Walker's budget proposal to cut the collective bargaining rights of most of the state's public sector workers was "fair." Several local and national news outlets cited the poll without investigation, including MSNBC. The result seemed completely out of whack with other polling leading some to question the source. The same month, We Ask America, largely owned by the Illinois Manufacturing Association, a leading business organization in the region, polled 2,400 Wisconsin residents and found that 52 percent opposed Walker's bill. The Franklin Center's poll was conducted by Pulse Opinion Research. <ref>Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, [http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=6d195a77b46a877ab2b3a62b1&id=aae9b36e46&e= Poll Shows 71% of Wisconsinites Think Walker’s Budget Changes are “Fair]," organizational press release, February 24, 2011.</ref> In 2009, the ''[[New Mexico Watchdog]]'' reported that based on data from Recovery.gov millions of dollars were spent in non-existent congressional districts in the state. The story picked up steam among reporters, even turned into a Colbert Report segment called "Know your Made-up District." The Franklin Center released a national report that said $6.4 billion in stimulus money had been spent in hundreds of “phantom” congressional districts. There was truth to the New Mexico Watchdog report, but it turned out, as reported by the Associated Press, that the culprit was an error-ridden government database. The funds were actually distributed to the right recipients but errors such as zip codes entered incorrectly accounted for the "phantom districts" rather than, as the report suggested, had been unaccounted for or misused.<ref name="GibbonsKennedy"/> Even with this new information on the shortfalls of the Recovery.gov site, the Franklin Center failed to set the record straight. In its 2010 Annual report, the center boasted it found that the "stimulus sent funds in the form of grants, loans and government contracts to support more than 200 projects in imaginary ZIP codes covering 38 states." It did not mention the errors in the database, but let the record stand as a story of government waste.<ref>Bill McMorris, [http://watchdog.org/1530/6-4-billion-stimulus-goes-to-phantom-districts/ $6.4 Billion Stimulus Goes to Phantom Districts], ''New Mexico Watchdog'', November 17, 2009.</ref><ref>Matt Apuzzo, [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705345576/Stimulus-accuracy-comes-under-fire.html Stimulus accuracy comes under fire], ''Associated Press'', November 19, 2009.</ref> ===Additional Criticism from Media Watchdog Organizations=== The journalistic integrity of these sites has been called into question by media watchdog groups. Laura McGann, assistant editor at the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University, wrote that the Franklin Center is backing news organizations who engage in distorted reporting across the country. "As often as not, their reporting is thin and missing important context, which occasionally leads to gross distortions," wrote McGann, who pointed to several instances where the Watchdog websites wrote stories that turned out to be misleading or untrue.<ref>Rebekah Metzler, [http://www.pressherald.com/news/watchdog-website-puts-a-new-spin-on-politics_2010-10-02.html 'Watchdog' website puts a new spin on politics'], ''Portland Press Herald'', October 2, 2010.</ref> The Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism on a sliding scale of highly ideological, somewhat ideological and non-ideological, ranked the “Watchdog.org” franchise "highly ideological."<ref>Pew Center Project for Excellence in Journalism, [http://features.journalism.org/non-profit-news/#undefined Watchdog.org], ''Assessing a New Landscape in Journalism'', organizational report, July 18, 2011.</ref> ==Franklin Center "at the Forefront of an Effort to Blur the Distinction Between Statehouse Reporting and Political Advocacy"== "For the most part, the people in charge of these would-be watchdog operations are political hacks out to subvert journalism in their quest to grab and keep power using whatever means they have to do so. . . . At the forefront of an effort to blur the distinction between statehouse reporting and political advocacy is the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity," Gibbons wrote in the ''Nieman Reports'' publication of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. He interviewed Franklin Center Executive Director Jason Stverak in March 2010, and Stverak said Franklin sites should be held to the same standard as any news publication -- judged "based upon the content that they produce." But, Gibbons writes, "four months later the Franklin Center cosponsored and played an active role in a two-day conference organized by the [[Americans for Prosperity Foundation]]. The Right Online Agenda conference included such breakout sessions as 'Intro to Online Activism' and 'Killing the Death Tax” and featured speakers such as conservative U.S. Representative [[Michele Bachmann]] of Minnesota and Tea Party activist [[Sharron Angle]], a Republican who was then running against [[Harry Reid]] in the election for U.S. Senate in Nevada. No Democratic legislators were included in the program. The finale of the Las Vegas conference was a November is Coming Rally."<ref name="GibbonsNieman">Gene Gibbons, [http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/102509/Statehouse-Beat-Woes-Portend-Bad-News-for-Good-Government.aspx Statehouse Beat Woes Portend Bad News for Good Government], ''Nieman Report'', Winter 2010.</ref> Conservative columnist [[H. Daniel Glover]] specifically credited the Franklin Center with helping the conservative cause, according to a June 2010 in-depth report by Gibbons written for the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government's Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy. "Once conservatives realize they can conduct great investigations that expose the  flaws of intrusive government and the special interests that corrupt it, you will see more of them embracing that kind of journalism,” Glover said. “Mainstream publications like the ''Washington Examiner'' and organizations like the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, which helps support and fund budding watchdogs, are showing them the way.”<ref>Tony Rogers, [http://journalism.about.com/od/trends/a/gloverinterview.htm Conservatives See Need for More Investigative Reporting], ''About.com'', undated, accessed November 2013.</ref><ref name="GibbonsKennedy"/> Gibbons' 2010 report continues:<ref name="GibbonsKennedy"/> :"Reporters for news sites in Ohio, Illinois and Idaho funded by the Franklin Center or its affiliates have been denied press credentials by accrediting bodies because of the lack of transparency about donors and links to advocacy groups. Veteran journalist John Dougherty, who was briefly on contract to a Nevada group with links to the Franklin Center, said he quit because it became clear to him the journalism was not non‐partisan.  :"'They were clearly looking for gotcha stories to embarrass Democrats in any way they could. That's not what I do,' he said. 'I'm an equal opportunity basher -- I've  written stories that have damaged Democrats as well as Republicans and Independents. I'm apolitical. If it's a story, it's a story; if it's not, it's not,' Dougherty said. (Several weeks after I interviewed him, Dougherty announced he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination to run for the U.S. Senate from Arizona)." ==Ties to the Koch Brothers== The Franklin Center has ties to the Koch brothers. The organization has received funding from [[DonorsTrust]] and [[Donors Capital Fund]]. Franklin also received funding from the [[Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation]]. (See below.){{Template:KochConnection}} ==Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council== The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity was a "Vice-Chairman" level sponsor of 2011 [[American Legislative Exchange Council]] (ALEC) Annual Conference, which in 2010, equated to $25,000. The Franklin Center was one of about 60 companies and institutions represented in the conference exhibition hall.<ref>American Legislative Exchange Council, 2011 Conference Sponsors, conference brochure on file with CMD, August 11, 2011.</ref> Franklin Center board member<ref>Franklin Center, [http://franklincenterhq.org/invest/board-of-directors/ Board of Directors], organizational website, accessed July 2013.</ref> and North Dakota Republican Representative [[Blair Thoreson]] chairs ALEC's [[Communications and Technology Task Force]]<ref>American Legislative Exchange Council, [http://www.alec.org/task-forces/telecommunications-and-information-technology/ Communications and Technology Task Force], organizational website, accessed July 2013.</ref> and penned an op-ed supporting ALEC in the face of criticism over its role in pushing "[https://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Castle_Doctrine Stand Your Ground]" and "[https://www.alecexposed.org/w/images/d/d9/7G16-VOTER_ID_ACT_Exposed.pdf Voter ID]" legislation in April 2012.<ref>Blair Thoreson, [http://franklincenterhq.org/5152/commentary-progressive-war-on-alec/ Commentary: Progressive War on ALEC], franklincenterhq.org organizational website article, April 18, 2012.</ref> Thoreson was not the only Franklin Center personnel member to publicly defend ALEC. As ''Media Matters'' reported, Franklin President [[Jason Stverak]] and Vice President of Journalism Steven Greenhut joined in as well.<ref>Matt Gertz, [http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/07/12/flashback-franklin-centers-full-throated-defens/187096 FLASHBACK: Franklin Center's Full-Throated Defense Of ALEC], ''Media Matters'', July 12, 2012.</ref><ref>Jason Stverak, [http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/04/27/ALEC-and-Misleading-Journalism-A-Case-Study ALEC AND MISLEADING JOURNALISM: A CASE STUDY], ''Breitbart.com'', April 26, 2012.</ref><ref>Steven Greenhut, [http://franklincenterhq.org/5192/attacks-on-alec-hypocritical-and-unfair/ COMMENTARY: Attacks on ALEC hypocritical and unfair], franklincenterhq.org organizational website article, April 19, 2012.</ref> All three commentaries were posted in the days immediately after an ALEC staffer begged for help from Breitbart bloggers and the rest of the right-wing blogosphere at a [[Heritage Foundation]] "Bloggers Briefing" April 17, 2012.<ref>Rebekah Wilce, [https://www.prwatch.org/news/2012/04/11458/alec-sends-out-sos-breitbart-bloggers ALEC Sends Out an SOS to Breitbart Bloggers], ''PRWatch.org'', April 18, 2012.</ref> {{about_ALEC}} ==Ties to Other Right-Wing & GOP Organizations== The Franklin Center was launched by the Chicago-based [[Sam Adams Alliance]] (SAM) in 2009,<ref>Sam Adams Alliance, [http://www.samadamsalliance.org/media/5148/sam_adams_alliance_media_kit.pdf Sam Adams Alliance Media Kit], organizational PDF, accessed August 19, 2011.</ref><ref>Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, [http://features.journalism.org/non-profit-news/watchdogs/ Watchdog,org], organizational media report, accessed June 2013.</ref> a 501(c)(3) devoted to pushing free-market ideals. In a 2010 interview, Franklin Center Executive Director Jason Stverak told Gene Gibbons that "the Sam Adams Alliance gave his organization a start‐up grant83 but otherwise was not willing to specify where the Franklin Center gets its funds."<ref name="GibbonsKennedy"/>  The Franklin Center’s previous president, [[Jason Stverak]], is the former Regional Field Director for SAM, served as North Dakota Executive Director for the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee and former Executive Director of the North Dakota Republican Party.<ref>Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, [http://www.franklincenterhq.org/about/staff/ Staff], organizational website, accessed August 19, 2011.</ref> The Franklin Center also has strong ties to a right-wing web of so-called "think tanks" pushing the [[American Legislative Exchange Council]] (ALEC)'s corporate-backed agenda in every statehouse in the country, the [[State Policy Network]] (SPN). According to an in-depth 2010 report by Gene Gibbons, "The State Policy Network–Sam Adams Alliance–Franklin Center troika is at least loosely associated with more than a dozen other conservative groups funding news websites in various states. These include the [[John Locke Foundation]], which funds the monthly North Carolina newspaper [[Carolina Journal]] and a companion website, www.carolinajournal.com; the [[Public Policy Foundation of West Virginia]], which funds the news website [[West Virginia Watchdog]]; the [[Commonwealth Foundation]], which supports the [[Pennsylvania Independent]] (www.paindependent.com); and the [[Mackinac Center for Public Policy]], which funds [[Michigan Capitol Confidential]] (www.michigancapitolconfidential.com)."<ref name="GibbonsKennedy"/> '''See [[SPN Agenda#6) Media Messaging and Support|SPN Ties to the Franklin Center]] for more.''' In addition, the Center's Director of Donor Relations [[Matt Hauck]] is a former Associate at the [[Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation]]. <ref>Matt Hauck, [http://www.linkedin.com/pub/matt-hauck/1/545/b11 Matt Hauck], ''LinkedIn'' profile, accessed October 5, 2011.</ref> The Center's Chief of Staff Gwen Beattie is the former Director of Development and Operations at [[America's Future Foundation]], an organization committed to "identify and develop the next generation of conservative and libertarian leaders."<ref>Gwen Beattie, [http://www.linkedin.com/pub/gwen-beattie/6/659/608 Gwen Beattie], '' LinkedIn'' profile, accessed October 5, 2011.</ref> The Center's 2009 IRS 990 form lists Rudie Martinson as director and secretary, who formerly worked as the assistant state director for North Dakota's chapter of Koch's [[Americans for Prosperity]].<ref>Americans for Prosperity, [http://americansforprosperity.org/americans-prosperity-foundation-announces-free-market-essay-contest-north-dakota-high-school-student AFP Announces Free Market Essay Contest], organizational blog, accessed October 5, 2011.</ref> ===Ties to Coalition for American Values=== The [[Coalition for American Values]] (CAV) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit whose only major activities have been spending $400,080 on ads supporting Wisconsin Governor [[Scott Walker]] in the final weeks of the 2012 recall elections. While the CAV did not disclose its funders at the time, tax filings later revealed that almost all of its funding in 2012 came from the Koch-tied [[Center to Protect Patient Rights]], run by Koch operative [[Sean Noble]].<ref name="koch network funded">Brendan Fischer, "[https://www.prwatch.org/news/2014/01/12354/exclusive-koch-network-funded-ads-telling-voters-recall-not-wisconsin-way Exclusive: Ads Telling Voters 'Recall Is Not the Wisconsin Way' Funded by Out-of-State Koch Network]," Center for Media and Democracy's ''PRWatch.org'', January 8, 2014.</ref> CAV's lawyer, James D. Skyles, was previously General Counsel and Director of Operations at the [[Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity]].<ref>Andy Kroll, "[http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/06/wisconsin-recall-coalition-american-values-scott-walker Could this Pro-Walker Dark-Money Group Torpedo Recall Turnout?]," ''Mother Jones'', June 5, 2012.</ref>  The CAV's federal PAC has also paid money to a consulting firm run by John Connors, a leader of operations at the Franklin Center, and president of the group "[[Citizens for a Strong America]]," which was also active in the Wisconsin recall elections and kept its donors hidden, while operating out of a UPS drop box.<ref name="koch network funded"/><ref name="graves csa">Lisa Graves, "[https://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/04/10534/group-called-citizens-strong-america-operates-out-ups-mail-drop-runs-expensive-ad Group Called "Citizens for a Strong America" Operates out of a UPS Mail Drop but Runs Expensive Ads in Supreme Court Race?]," Center for Media and Democracy, PRWatch, April 2, 2011. Accessed July 29, 2014.</ref> Additionally, as the Center for Media and Democracy reported,<ref>Brendan Fischer, [https://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/12/12344/why-franklin-center-wisconsin-reporter-attacking-john-doe Why Are the Franklin Center's "Wisconsin Reporter" and "Watchdog.org" Attacking the John Doe?], ''PRWatch.org'', December 19, 2013.</ref> "[t]he 'treasurer' listed on Coalition for American Values' FEC filings and the contact on its filings with Wisconsin's election board is Brent Downs. In 2008, when Connors chaired the Marquette College Republicans, Downs was his treasurer. Both were both students at Marquette University at the same time, and Downs, like Connors, also chaired the Students for Prosperity chapter of [[David Koch]]'s [[Americans for Prosperity]] at Marquette University." Connors' Citizens for a Strong America was entirely funded by Wisconsin Club for Growth and has been under investigation in the [[Scott Walker#Second John Doe Investigation, February 2012-Present|"John Doe" campaign finance investigation]]. The Franklin Center was founded in part by Koch operative [[Eric O'Keefe]], head of the [[Wisconsin Club for Growth]]. ==Funding "Fellows" at "Statehouses Across the Nation"== In 2009, the Franklin Center announced its "Benjamin Franklin Fellows" program beginning January 1, 2010 and lasting 21 weeks, for "enterprising journalists seeking the hands-on experience of a statehouse beat," advertising that "Franklin Fellows will work in a variety of statehouses across the nation with seasoned correspondents to produce daily news as well investigative pieces" and that "[f]ellows also will have unique networking opportunities with a nationwide collection of state capital bureaus."<ref>Bill McMorris, Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, [http://franklincenterhq.org/604/benjamin-franklin-fellows/ Benjamin Franklin Fellows], organizational publication, October 2, 2009.</ref> ==Franklin Center-Funded and Affiliated Sites== ===The Center Square State Sites=== As of late-may 2019:<ref>The Center Square [https://www.thecentersquare.com/ states] website, accessed May 31, 2019</ref><br>*Colorado*Florida*Illinois*Louisiana*Michigan*Minnesota*Mississippi*Nevada*New Hampshire*Ohio*Pennsylvania*Virginia*Wisconsin ==="Watchdog Bureaus"=== As of early-May 2019:<ref>Watchdog.org, [http://watchdog.org/ Watchdog.org], ''Watchdog.org'', 2019.</ref><br>*Colorado*Florida*Illinois*Louisiana*Michigan*Minnesota*Mississippi*Nevada*New Hampshire*Ohio*Pennsylvania*Virginia*Wisconsin '''Former Bureaus'''*Alabama Watchdog*Arizona*California Watchdog*[[Hawaii Reporter]], Hawaii, hawaiireporter.com*Idaho Watchdog*[[Iowa Watchdog]]*[[Kansas Watchdog]]*[[Missouri Watchdog]]*[[Montana Watchdog]]*[[Nebraska Watchdog]]*[[New Jersey Watchdog]]*New Mexico Watchdog*North Dakota Watchdog*[[Oklahoma Watchdog]]*Oregon Watchdog*[[Tennessee Watchdog]]*[[Texas Watchdog]]*Vermont*Washington Watchdog ==="Watchdog Partners"=== As of May 2013 (In 2019, Watchdog does not list its partners):<ref name="2013_list"/> *[[Goldwater Institute]], Arizona, [http://goldwaterinstitute.org/ goldwaterinstitute.org]*[[Advance Arkansas Institute]], Arkansas, [http://www.thearkansasproject.com thearkansasproject.com]*[[Pacific Research Institute]], California, [http://www.calwatchdog.com calwatchdog.com]*[[Independence Institute]], Colorado, [http://investigates.i2i.org investigates.i2i.org]*[[Yankee Institute for Public Policy]], Connecticut, [http://www.raisinghale.com raisinghale.com]*[[James Madison Institute]], Florida, [http://www.capitolvanguard.org capitolvanguard.org]*[[Idaho Freedom Foundation]], Idaho, [http://www.idahoreporter.com idahoreporter.com]*[[Illinois Policy Institute]], Illinois, [http://www.reederreport.com reederreport.com]*[[Maine Heritage Policy Center]], Maine, [http://www.themainewire.com themainewire.com]*[[Maryland Reporter]], Maryland, [http://www.marylandreporter.com marylandreporter.com]*[[Missouri News Horizon]], Missouri, [http://www.missouri-news.org missouri-news.org]*[[Mackinac Center for Public Policy]], Michigan, [http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com michigancapitolconfidential.com]*[[John Locke Foundation]], North Carolina, [http://www.carolinajournal.com carolinajournal.com]*[[John W. Pope Civitas Foundation]], North Carolina, [http://www.nccivitas.org nccivitas.org]*[[Say Anything Blog]], North Dakota, [http://www.sayanythingblog.com sayanythingblog.com]*[[Capital Beat OK]], Oklahoma, [http://www.capitolbeatok.com capitolbeatok.com]*[[Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity]], Rhode Island, [http://www.oceanstatecurrent.com oceanstatecurrent.com]*[[South Carolina Policy Council]], South Carolina, [http://www.thenerve.org thenerve.org]*[[TN Report]], Tennessee, [http://www.tnreport.com tnreport.com]*[[Freedom Foundation]], Washington, [http://www.theolympiareport.com theolympiareport.com]*[[Public Policy Foundation of West Virginia]], West Virginia, [http://westvirginia.watchdog.org westvirginia.watchdog.org] ===Former Statehouse "News Bureaus"=== *[[Pacific Research Institute]], California, [http://www.calwatchdog.com calwatchdog.com]*[[Independence Institute]], Colarado, [http://www.coloradonewsagency.com comoradonewsagency.com]*[[Idaho Freedom Foundation]], Idaho, [http://www.idahoreporter.com idahoreporter.com]*[[Pelican Institute]], Louisiana, [http://www.thepelicanpost.org thepelicanpost.org]*[[Maryland Reporter]], Maryland, [http:///www.marylandreporter.com marylandreporter.com]*[[Michigan Center for Public Policy]], Michigan, [http:///www.michigancapitolconfidential.com michigancapitolconfidential.com]*[[Freedom Foundation of Minnesota]], Minnesota, [http://www.mnstatenews.com mnstatenews.com]*[[Missouri News Horizon]], Missouri, [http://missouri-news.org/ minewshorizon.org]*[[Montana Policy Institute]], Montana, [http://montana.watchdog.org/ Montana.watchdog.org]*[[Nevada News Bureau]], Nevada, [http://www.nevadanewsbureau.com/ nevadanewsbeaurea.com]*[[Rio Grande Foundation]], New Mexico, [http:///www.capitolreportnewmexico.com capitolreportnewmexico.com]*[[John Locke Foundation]], North Carolina, [http://www.caroliajournal.com carolinajournal.com]*[[John William Pope Civitas Institute]], North Carolina, [http://www.nccivitas.org nccivitas.org]*[[Say Anything Blog]], North Dakota, [http://sayanythingblog.com/ SayAnythingBlog.com]*[[Capitol Beat OK]], Oklahoma, [http://www.capitolbeatok.com capitolbeatok.com]*[[Cascade Policy Institute]], Oregon, [http://www.oregoncapitolnews.com oregoncapitolnews.com]*[[South Carolina Policy Council]], South Carolina, [http://thenerve.org thenerve.org]*[[Cowboy State Free Press]], Wyoming, [http://www.cowboystatefreepress.net cowboystatefreepress.net] ===Formerly Listed as Hosting "Investigative Reporters"=== *[[Alabama Policy Institute]], Alabama, [http://www.alabamarighttoknow.org alabamarighttoknow.org]*[[Alaska Policy Forum]], Alaska, [http://alaska.watchdog.org/ Alaska.watchdog.org]*[[Georgia Public Policy Foundation]], Georgia, [http://www.forum.georgiapolicy.org forum.georgiapolicy.org]*[[Hawaii Reporter]], Hawaii, [http://www.hawaiireporter.com hawaiireporter.com]*[[Iowa Politics|Iowa Watchdog]], Iowa, [http://iowa.watchdog.org Iowa.Watchdog.org]*[[Kansas Watchdog]], Kansas, [http://kansas.watchdog.org/ Kansas.watchdog.org]*[[Pelican Institute]], Louisiana, [http://www.thepelicanpost.org thepelicanpost.org]*[[Maine Watchdog]], Maine, [http://maine.watchdog.org/ maine.watchdog.org]*[[Maryland Public Policy Institute]], Maryland, [http://www.mdpolicy.com mdpolicy.com]*[[Pioneer Institute]], Massachusetts, [http://www.pioneerinstitute.org pioneerinstitute.org]*[[MacIver Institute]], Wisconsin, [http://www.maciverinstitute.com/ MacIverInstitute.com]*[[Mackinac Center for Public Policy]], Michigan, [http://www.mackinac.org mackinac.org]*[[Freedom Foundation of Minnesota]], Minnesota, [http://www.freedomfoundationofminnesota.com freedomfoundationofminnesota.com]*[[Missouri Watchdog]], Missouri, [http://missouri.watchdog.org/ Missouri.watchdog.org]*[[Montana Policy Institute]], Montana, [http://montana.watchdog.org Montana.watchdog.org]*[[Nebraska Watchdog]], Nebraska, [http://nebraska.watchdog.org Nebraska.watchdog.org]*[[Nevada Policy Research Institute]], Nevada, [http://www.npri.org npri.org]*[[Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy]], New Hampshire, [http://newhampshire.watchdog.org newhampshire.watchdog.org]*[[New Jersey Watchdog]], New Jersey, [http://newjersey.watchdog.org newjersey.watchdog.org]*[[Rio Grande Foundation]], New Mexico, [http://newmexico.watchdog.org newmexico.watchdog.org]*[[Plains Daily]], North Dakota, [http://www.plainsdaily.com plainsdaily.com]*[[Ohio Watchdog]], Ohio, [http://ohio.watchdog.org ohio.watchdog.org]*[[Oklahoma Watchdog]], Oklahoma, [http://oklahoma.watchdog.org Oklahoma.watchdog.org]*[[Cascade Policy Institute]], Orgeon, [http://www.oregoncapitolnews.com oregoncapitolnews.com]*[[Pennsylvania Independent]], Pennsylvania, [http://www.paindependent.com paindependent.com]*[[Tennessee Center for Policy Research]], Tennessee, [http://tennessee.watchdog.org Tennessee.watchdog.org]*[[Texas Public Policy Foundation]], Texas, [http://www.texasbudgetsource.com texasbudgersource.com]*[[Texas Watchdog]], Texas, [http://texaswatchdog.org texaswatchdog.org]*[[Sutherland Institute]], Utah, [http://www.sutherlandinstitute.org sutherlandinstitute.org]*[[Old Dominion Watchdog]], Virginia, [http://olddominionwatchdog.org olddominionwatchdog.org]*[[MacIver Institute]], Wisconsin, [http://www.maciverinstitute.com maciverinstitute.com]*[[Wisconsin Reporter]], Wisconsin, [http://www.wisconsinreporter.org wisconsinreporter.org]*[[Wyoming Liberty Group]], Wyoming, [http://www.wyomingreporter.org wyomingreporter.org] ===Franklin Center in Wisconsin=== One of the Franklin Center's sites, the [[Wisconsin Reporter]], was launched in January, and it's articles have been featured in weekly newspapers across the state. In February, the outlet supported a poll that claimed 71% of Wisconsin residents thought Governor [[Scott Walker]]'s budget proposal to cut the collective bargaining rights of most of the state's public sector workers was 'fair.'<ref>Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity. [http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=6d195a77b46a877ab2b3a62b1&id=aae9b36e46&e= BREAKING: Poll Shows 71% of Wiscosnites Think Walker's Budget Changes are "Fair]," organizational press release, February 24, 2011.</ref> The suspiciously high percentage caused some to question the source of the poll.<ref>[http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/group_pushing_the_group_behind_the_conservative_poll_of_walkers_budget_plan_wisconsin_poll_has_gop_ba.php The Conservative Group Behind The Poll of Walker's Budget Plan], ''Talking Points Memo'', accessed August 19, 2011.</ref> But a lot of local and national news outlets cited the poll without investigation, including MSNBC.<ref>Talking Points Memo TV, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMlyFVp3Kxg&feature=player_embedded MSNBC Pushes Right-Wing Wisconsin Poll], ''YouTube'', accessed August 19, 2011.</ref> Data from the poll of 500 likely voters was managed by Pulse Opinion Research, owned by Scott Rasmussen, a trustee of the [[Property and Environment Research Center]], which has ties to the [[Koch Brothers]] and [[Exxon Mobil]].<ref>American Bridge 21st Century Foundation, [http://bridgeproject.com/?organization&id=274486 Recipient: Property and Environment Research Center], ''Bridge Project'' profile, accessed June 2013.</ref> The Rasmussen Poll also released a poll that "showed 48% of American voters supported Walker, while just 38% supported the unions,” said Evan McMorris-Santoro writing for ''TPMuckracking''. “That poll was criticized for asking leading questions that seemed to point respondents toward opposing the unions.”<ref> Evan McMorris-Santoro, [http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/mysterious-conservative-poll-of-walkers-budget-plan-hits-wisconsin.php Mysterious Conservative Poll of Walker’s Budget Plan Hits Wisconsin], ''Talking Points Memo'', February 24, 2011.</ref> *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsfAs_kxD7I#action=share Wisconsin Watchdog Spin on the WI John Doe - "Wisconsin's Secret War"], Wisconsin Watchdog, September 19, 2016. ==Recipients of Franklin Center Funding== According to an in-depth report on the Franklin Center and related "news" websites by Gene Gibbons, "Len Lazarick, editor of the REDIRECT [[Maryland Reporter]] (www.marylandreporter.com) told a public radio interviewer he received $100,000 in start‐up funding from the Franklin Center. 'That interview got me in a little hot water with them,' he told me. 'They would just prefer that everything be as anonymous as possible. They really don't want us to talk about our business models very much.'"<ref name="GibbonsKennedy"/> The Franklin Center is required by law to disclose the groups to which it gives money, Since 2009, the Franklin Center funded the following groups: '''2014'''<ref name="2014_990"/>* Hard Boiled Film LLC: $556,550* [[Talent Market]]: $6,000 '''2013'''<ref name="2013_990"/>* Oregon Capital: $250,000 '''2012'''<ref name="2012_990"/>* American Phoenix Foundation: $25,000* [[Cause of Action]]: $250,000* [[Foundation for Ethics in Public Service]]: $30,000* Frontier Lab: $235,000* [[Government Accountability Institute]]: $2,000,000* [[Independence Institute]]: $6,750* [[James Madison Institute]]: $75,000* [[Nevada News Bureau]]: $162,851* Small Business Hawaii Foundation: $21,000* [[Texas Watchdog]]: $322,500* TN Report.com News Service: $50,000* [[True the Vote]]-Houston: $50,000 '''2011'''<ref name="2011_990"/>* [[Cause of Action]] and Freedom Through Justice Foundation (Cause of Action's former name): $994,000* [[Citizen Outreach Foundation]]: $25,000* [[Cowboy State Free Press]]: $6,000* [[Foundation for Ethics in Public Service]]: $7,500* [[Nevada News Bureau]]: $77,500* [[Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity]]: $7,500* Small Business Hawaii Foundation: $5,500 '''2010'''<ref name="2010_990"/> * [[American Majority]]: $25,000* [[Cowboy State Free Press]]: $76,600* Foundation for Ethics in Public Service: $85,000* [[Maryland Reporter]]: $25,000* [[Nevada News Bureau]]: $17,000* [[Pelican Institute]]: $36,000* [[Tennessee Center for Policy Research]]: $25,000 '''2009'''<ref name="2009_990"/>* Cowboy Free Press: $74,000* [[Idaho Freedom Foundation]]: $60,000* [[Lucy Burns Institute]] (publisher of Ballotpedia.org): $43,413* [[Maryland Reporter]]: $68,000* Missouri News Network: $200,000* Pershing Center: $45,000* Small Business Hawaii Foundation: $45,000* TN Watch: $150,000 ==Funding==Franklin Center Director of Communications Michael Moroney told the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) that the source of the Franklin Center's funding "is 100 percent anonymous."<ref name="Abowd">Paul Abowd, Center for Public Integrity, [http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/02/14/12181/donors-use-charity-push-free-market-policies-states Donors use charity to push free-market policies in states], organizational report, February 14, 2013.</ref> Its major foundation funders, however, can be found through a search of the IRS filings. Here are some of the known funders of the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity:*[[Charles G. Koch Foundation]]: [https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Koch_Family_Foundations $96,107] (2012-2015)*[[DonorsTrust]] and [[Donors Capital Fund]]: [https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/DonorsTrust_and_Donors_Capital_Fund_Grant_Recipients $29,177,389] (2010-2014)*[[Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation]]: [https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Contributions_of_the_Bradley_Foundation $795,500] (2010-2015)*[[Searle Freedom Trust]]: [https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Searle_Freedom_Trust $387,500] (2010-2013)*[[State Policy Network]]: [https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Contributions_of_the_State_Policy_Network $100,000] (2010) The Franklin Center has accepted donations from Altria, the parent company of the makers of Marlboro, Virginia Slims, and other tobacco brands, in 2013 and 2014.<ref name=data>Jessica Glenza, Sharon Kelly and Juweek Adolphe [https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2019/jan/23/free-market-thinktanks-tobacco-control-polices-database#0/?american-conservative-union-foundation Free-market groups and the tobacco industry - full database] ''the Guardian'' accessed Jan 23 2019</ref> ===Franklin's "Commercial Fundraiser," ClearWord Communications=== Gibbons wrote in June 2010, "The Franklin Center is headquartered in Bismarck, ND, but its mailing address is a law office in Stafford, Texas, and its fundraising agent is a Bristow, VA firm that also raises funds for the Republican Party and the [[Heritage Foundation]]."<ref name="GibbonsKennedy"/> That agent is [[ClearWord Communications Group, Inc.]],<ref>Washington State Office of the Secretary of State, [http://www.sos.wa.gov/charities/search_detail.aspx?charity_id=28070 Charitable Solicitations Program Charity Profile Report: Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity], state governmental agency website, accessed November 19, 2013.</ref> a "donor strategies firm" or "commercial fundraiser" that also raises funds for:<ref>Washington State Office of the Secretary of State, [http://www.sos.wa.gov/charities/search_detail_cfr.aspx?cfr_id=23483 Commercial Fundraiser Profile Report: ClearWord Communications Group, Inc.], state governmental agency website, accessed November 19, 2013.</ref> * [[American Council on Science and Health]], Inc.* [[American Legislative Exchange Council]] (ALEC)* [[American Majority]], Inc.* [[Bill of Rights Institute]]* [[Claremont Institute]] For The Study Of Statesmanship & Political Philosophy* [[Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow]]* [[Competitive Enterprise Institute]]* EndPoverty.org* [[FreedomWorks]], Inc.* [[Illinois Policy Institute]] (a [[SPN Members|State Policy Network (SPN) member]])* [[Institute for Energy Research]]* James Partnership* Lincoln Institute for Research and Education* [[Mackinac Center]] (another [[SPN Members|SPN member]])* [[Morton Blackwell]]'s [[Leadership Institute]]* [[Pacific Legal Foundation]]* [[Sam Adams Alliance]], Inc.* [[State Policy Network]] (SPN) ==Core Financials=='''<big>2017</big>'''<ref name="2017_990">Franklin Center, [https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5983321-Franklin-Center-2017-990.html 2017 Form 990], organizational annual IRS filing, November 15, 2018.</ref> * Total Revenue: $1,377,091* Total Expenses: $1,668,152* Net Assets: $484,806 '''<big>2016</big>'''<ref name="2016_990">Franklin Center, [https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5983317-Franklin-Center-2016-990.html 2016 Form 990], organizational annual IRS filing, November 15, 2017</ref> * Total Revenue: $3,190,004* Total Expenses: $4,189,004* Net Assets: $783,385 '''<big>2015</big>'''<ref name="2015_990">Franklin Center, [https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5983316-FranklinCenter-2015-990.html 2015 Form 990], organizational annual IRS filing, August 3, 2016.</ref> * Total Revenue: $8,816,029* Total Expenses: $7,057,535* Net Assets: $1,782,385 '''<big>2014</big>'''<ref name="2014_990">Franklin Center, [https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5983315-Franklin-Center-2014-990.html 2014 Form 990], organizational annual IRS filing, September 18, 2015.</ref> * Total Revenue: $10,049,984* Total Expenses: $9,847,101* Net Assets: $23,891 '''<big>2013</big>'''<ref name="2013_990">Franklin Center, [http://pdfs.citizenaudit.org/2014_12_EO/26-4066298_990_201312.pdf 2013 Form 990], organizational annual IRS filing, November 17, 2014.</ref> * Total Revenue: $8,118,913* Total Expenses: $8,678,265* Net Assets: -$178,992 '''<big>2012</big>'''<ref name="2012_990">Franklin Center, [http://pdfs.citizenaudit.org/2013_12_EO/26-4066298_990_201212.pdf 2012 Form 990], organizational annual IRS filing, November 8, 2013.</ref> * Total Revenue: $11,625,189* Total Expenses: $11,773,324* Net Assets: $380,360 '''<big>2011</big>'''<ref name="2011_990">Franklin Center, [https://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2011/264/066/2011-264066298-08cf2db3-9.pdf 2011 Form 990], organizational annual IRS filing, November 12, 2012.</ref> * Total Revenue: $6,614,542* Total Expenses: $6,672,066* Net Assets: $473,964 '''<big>2010</big><ref name="2010_990">Franklin Center, [https://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2010/264/066/2010-264066298-07c0c161-9.pdf 2010 Form 990], organizational annual IRS filing, October 25, 2011.</ref> * Total Revenue: $3,775,771* Total Expenses: $3,942,844* Net Assets: $531,248 '''<big>2009</big>'''<ref name="2009_990">Franklin Center, [https://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2009/264/066/2009-264066298-068fdb77-9.pdf 2009 Form 990], organizational annual IRS filing, October 20, 2011.</ref> * Total Revenue: $2,378,965* Total Expenses: $1,689,442* Net Assets: $690,913 ==Personnel=====Staff===As of late May 2019: '''The Center Square'''<ref>The Center Square' https://www.thecentersquare.com/site/about/staff.html Staff], ''Watchdog.org'', May 31, 2019.</ref>*Chris Krug, Publisher*Dan McCaleb, Editor*Derek Draplin, Great Plains Regional Editor (also an editor at [[The Daily Caller]]<ref>Franklin News.org [https://franklinnews.org/person/derek-draplin/ Derek Draplin] Organizational profile, accessed May 31, 2019</ref>)*Dave Lemery, East Regional Editor*Brett Rowland, Midwest Regional Editor*Tyler Arnold, General Assignment Reporter*Greg Bishop, General Assignment Reporter*David Jacobs, General Assignment Reporter*Cole Lauterbach, General Assignment Reporter*Benjamin Yount, General Assignment Reporter As of early May 2019: '''Watchdog.org'''<ref>Watchdog.org, [https://www.watchdog.org/site/about/staff.html Staff], ''Watchdog.org'', May 2019.</ref>*Chris Krug, Publisher*Dan McCaleb, Editor*Derek Draplin, Colorado News Editor*Dave Lemery, Pennsylvania & Ohio News Editor*Brett Rowland, Illinois News Editor*Tyler Arnold, Staff Writer*Greg Bishop, Staff Writer*David Jacobs, Staff Writer*Cole Lauterbach, Staff Writer '''Former Staff'''*[[John Tillman]], Chairman*Will Swaim, Senior Advisor and Contributing Editor*John Bicknell, Executive Editor of Watchdog *Bruce Parker, Managing Editor of Watchdog*Johnny Kampis, National Watchdog Reporter*Ashe Schow, Higher Education – Reporter *Kathy Hoekstra, Watchdog Regulations – Reporter *Matt Kittle, Wisconsin Watchdog – Bureau Chief and Reporter *James Wigderson, Wisconsin Watchdog – Reporter *William Patrick, Florida Watchdog – Reporter *Erin Clark, Florida Watchdog – Reporter *Steve Wilson, Mississippi Watchdog – Reporter *Christian Britschgi, Arizona Watchdog – Reporter *Lou Varricchio, Vermont Watchdog – Bureau Chief and Reporter *Emma Lamberton, Vermont Watchdog – Reporter *Michael Bielawski, Vermont Watchdog – Reporter*Becky Wessels, Director of Operations*Kathleen Hampton, National Director of Donor Relations*John Courts, Development Operations and Research Manager*Laurel Patrick, Director of Communications and Media Outreach*Kevin Glass, Director of Outreach and Policy*Josh Kaib, Marketing and Communications Manager*Joseph Camardo, Social Media and Graphic Design Manager*Kristen Hawley, Digital Marketing Manager*Mary Ellen Beatty, Chief of Staff*Carter DeWitt, Vice President of Development*Steve Mullins, Chief Financial Officer*Nicole Neily, President*Erik Telford, President*Paul Olivett, Vice President of Investor Relations*Paul Alfonse, Outreach Coordinator*Breyana Franklin, Public Affairs Manager *Victor Nava, Staff Writer*Shana Davidson, Direct Marketing Manager*Matthew Hauck, Director of Development*Christina Pajak, Manager of Investor Relations*Megan Ritter, Grants Manager and Development Writer*Scott Kocen, Technology Adviser *Andrew Collins, Digital Media Manager*Jackie Moreau, Managing Editor, Watchdog Arena*John Trump, Content Editor*Arthur Kane, [[Colorado Watchdog]] and [[Oklahoma Watchdog]] – Reporter*Moriah Costa, Education Reporter*Rob Nikolewski, Energy Reporter*Ben Yount, [[Illinois Watchdog]] – Bureau Chief*Paul Brennan, [[Iowa Watchdog]] - Reporter*Tom Steward, [[Freedom Foundation of Minnesota|Watchdog.org Minnesota]] Bureau – Reporter*Evan Grossman, National Reporter*Yaël Ossowski, National Reporter*Mary C. Tillotson, National Reporter*Tori Richards, National Reporter*Deena Winter, [[Nebraska Watchdog]] – Reporter*Mark Lagerkvist, [[New Jersey Watchdog]] – Reporter*Brigette Russell, [[New Mexico Watchdog]] – Reporter*Jason Hart, [[Ohio Watchdog]] – Reporter*Eric Boehm, Pennsylvania Independent – Managing Editor *Chris Butler, [[Tennessee Watchdog]] – Reporter *Kathryn Watson, [[Virginia Watchdog]] – Investigative Reporter *[[Gwen Beattie]] (Executive Vice President)*Steven Greenhut (Vice President of Journalism)*Raaki Garcia ([[Colorado Watchdog]] Reporter)*Sheena Dooley ([[Iowa Watchdog]] Reporter)*Kevin Mooney (National Reporter)*Mark Lisheron ([[Texas Watchdog]] Reporter)*Lee Ann O’Neil ([[Texas Watchdog]] Reporter & Watchdog.org Content Editor)*Lynette Wilhelm (Operations Assistant)*Frank Keegan (National Watchdog Editor)*Scott Reeder (National Statehouse Editor)*James Skyles (General Counsel and Director of Operations)*Meghan Tisinger (Director of Communications)*Mary Massingale (writing coach and content editor)*Elizabeth Hillgrove (staff writer and special projects)*Jonathan Miltimore (national reporter, fiscal issues)*Bill McMorris (staff writer)*Drew Thomason (Reporter, Illinois Statehouse News)*Stephan Burklin (editor, Maine Watchdog)*Brian R. Hook (editor, Missouri Watchdog)*Joe Jordan (editor, Nebraska Watchdog)*Andrew Griffin (reporter, Oklahoma Watchdog)*Paige Winfield Cunningham (editor, Old Dominion Watchdog)*Amanda Iacone (Bureau Chief, Virginia Statehouse News)*Stephen Groves (reporter, Virginia Statehouse News)*Kevin Lee (Statehouse reporter, Wisconsin Reporter)*Jon Cassidy, Texas Watchdog – Reporter*Kenric Ward, Texas Watchdog – Reporter ===Board of Directors=== As of November 2018:<ref name="2017_990"/>*John J. Miller*John Fowler*Ed McFadden*Mary Beth Weiss*Kristina Rasmussen*[[Erik Telford]]*Chris Krug*[[John Tillman]], Chairman and Treasurer '''Former Directors'''*Jason Stverak, Chairman and President*Rudie Martinson, Director and Secretary*Doug Loen, Director<ref>Guidestar, [http://www.guidestar.org/ReportOrganization.aspx?ein=26-4066298 FRANKLIN CENTER FOR GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC INTEGRITY: People], non-profit organization profile, accessed February 2013.</ref>*[[Blair Thoreson]], Director (R-ND 44, [[North Dakota ALEC Politicians|American Legislative Exchange Council member]] from North Dakota, current member of [[ALEC Board of Directors]], former [[ALEC State Chairs|ALEC State Chair]], [[ALEC Award Winners|ALEC Award Winner]] 2009) ===Advisory Board=== As of September 2013 (No advisory board posted as of May 2019):<ref>Franklin Center, [http://franklincenterhq.org/invest/advisory-committee/ Advisory Committee], organizational website, accessed September 2013.</ref> * [[Tucker Carlson]], Editor-in-Chief, ''[[The Daily Caller]]''* Jack Fowler, Publisher, ''[[National Review]]''* Ashley Landess, President, [[South Carolina Policy Council]]* [[Joseph Lehman]], President, [[Mackinac Center for Public Policy]]* [[Mark Tapscott]], Executive Editor, ''The [[Washington Examiner]]'' ==Contact Information==Current Address:<ref>FNN [https://franklinnews.org/donate/ donate] organizational website, accessed May 31, 2019</ref>Franklin News Foundation<br>200 West Madison Street, Suite 2100<br>Chicago, Illinois 60606<br>Phone: 847-497-5230<br> Former Contact Information:Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity'<br>190 S. LaSalle St., Ste. 1500<br>Chicago, IL 60603<br>Phone: 847-497-5230<br>Website: http://franklincenterhq.org<br>Email: info@FranklinCenterHQ.org<br>Twitter:https://twitter.com/franklincenter<br>Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FranklinCenterHQ<br> ==Articles and Resources=====IRS Form 990 Filings===<div style="column-count:2;-moz-column-count:2;-webkit-column-count:2"> '''2017'''{|align=left|{{#widget:Iframe|url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5983321-Franklin-Center-2017-990.html}}|}{{Clear}}'''2016'''{|align=left|{{#widget:Iframe|url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5983317-Franklin-Center-2016-990.html}}|}{{Clear}}'''2015'''{|align=left|{{#widget:Iframe|url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5983316-FranklinCenter-2015-990.html}}|}{{Clear}}'''2014'''{|align=left|{{#widget:Iframe|url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5983315-Franklin-Center-2014-990.html}}|}</div>===Related SourceWatch Articles=== *[[American Legislative Exchange Council]]*[[Charles Koch]]*[[David H. Koch]]*[[DonorsTrust]]*[[Donors Capital Fund]]*[[Koch]]*[[Koch Family Foundations]]*[[Property and Environment Research Center]]*[[Rodney Fund]]*[[Sam Adams Alliance]]*[[State Policy Network]] ===External Resources=== *[http://www.franklincenterhq.org/about/for-media/ Franklin Center "For The Media"]*American Bridge 21st Century Foundation, [http://bridgeproject.com/?organization&id=275891 Recipient: Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity], funding profile. ===References===<references/> [[Category:ALEC Non-Profits]][[Category:Think tanks]][[Category:Lobbying]][[Category:Politics (U.S.)]][[Category: ALEC Exposed]]