American Constitutional Rights Union
The American Constitutional Rights Union (ACRU), formerly the American Civil Rights Union, was founded by Robert B. Carleson, who served as Ronald Reagan's Chief Deputy Director of the California State Department of Public Works starting in in 1968. According to his biography[1], on the site, he founded the organization to serve as a "'constructive alternative' to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). His goal was to provide a vehicle to protect the civil rights of all Americans - rights that continue to be undermined by the left-wing and anti-family agenda of organizations like the ACLU."
ACRU's President is Lori Roman.
Contents
News and Controversies
Address Overlap with 60-Plus Association
From information on tax forms and current web site contact information, the ACRU may have shared the same address as the 60-Plus Association, a front group for the pharmaceutical industry. Records show the two occupied the same address.[2][3]
Mission
The ACRU states that its mission as "dedicated to protecting the civil rights of all Americans by publicly advancing a constitutional understanding of our essential rights and freedoms. ACRU monitors and counters organizations that threaten our constitutional rights and promotes election integrity, compliance with federal election laws, government transparency and constitutional government."[4]
Issues
The group outlines its issues on its website as:[4]
- Election Integrity
- First Amendment
- Second Amendment
- Economic Liberty
- Federalism
- Redistricting
- Right of Recall
Ties to the Council for National Policy
ACRU's president Lori Roman; policy board members J. Kenneth Blackwell and Hans von Spakovsky; and Board directors Edwin Meese III and Morton C. Blackwell are all members of the Council for National Policy.
| 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. |
Ties to the Bradley Foundation
ACRU has received $385,000 in contributions from the Bradley Foundation.
| 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. |
Funding
The American Constitutional Rights Union is not required to disclose its funders. Its major foundation funders, however, can be found through a search of the IRS filings. Here are the know major funders of ACRU:
- Aqua Foundation: $1,000 (2016)
- Bailey Family Foundation: $2,100 (2014-2017)
- Betty K. Wolfe Foundation: $50,000 (2013)
- Bradley Foundation: $385,000 (2002-2018)
- Eric Javits Family Foundation: $4,750 (2010-2017)
- Esperanza Foundation: $1,000 (2017)
- Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund: $25,187 (2016-2017)
- Floyd Foundation: $1,000 (2014)
- Jacobs Family Foundation: $2,150 (2012-2017)
- Jim Hicks Family Foundation: $22,000 (2014-2017)
- John P and Katherine G Evans Foundation: $1,000 (2014-2017)
- Kirchner Family Foundation: $1,500 (2017-2018)
- National Christian Charitable Foundation: $1,550 (2014-2018)
- Oxford Area Foundation: $1,000 (2013)
- Roger and Susan Stone Family Foundation: $2,000 (2017-2018)
- Ron and Susan Krump Foundation: $7,000 (2011-2015)
- Rothschild Art Foundation: $1,000 (2011)
- Sarah Scaife Foundation: $150,000 (2016-2018)
- Scott Family Foundation: $2,000 (2013)
- Thomas A and Joan M Holmes Foundation: $1,000 (2016)
- William H and Ella W McMahan Foundation: $8,000 (2017-2018)
- Wilson Family Foundation: $3,000 (2013)
Core Financials
2020[5]
- Total Revenue: $810,590
- Total Expenses: $820,321
- Net Assets: $977,019
2019[6]
- Total Revenue: $811,946
- Total Expenses: $965,788
- Net Assets: $939,175
2018[7]
- Total Revenue: $1,279,467
- Total Expenses: $1,437,765
- Net Assets: $1,065,258
2017[8]
- Total Revenue: $3,119,465
- Total Expenses: $3,542,825
- Net Assets: $1,250,047
2016[9]
- Total Revenue: $4,192,713
- Total Expenses: $3,900,863
- Net Assets: $1,656,938
2015[10]
- Total Revenue: $4,761,663
- Total Expenses: $4,591,647
- Net Assets: $1,355,299
2014[11]
- Total Revenue: $2,396,366
- Total Expenses: $2,290,894
- Net Assets: $1,198,765
Personnel
Staff
As of March 2022:[12]
- Allen West, Executive Director
- Jack Park, General Counsel
- Kristina S. Heuser, Legal Counsel
- Jonathan Dobbs, Project Director, Committee to Support and Defend
- Rom Mchale, Director of Public Policy and Digital Media
- Tracey Miller, Vice President
- Juliana Mcmahan, Database Manager
- Elena Pratt, Member Relations Coordinator
Policy Board
As of March 2022:[13]
- Edwin Meese III
- J. Kenneth Blackwell
- Curtin Winsor, Jr.
- Hans von Spakovsky
Former Policy Board Members
- Walter E. Williams
- Charles J. Cooper
- J. Christian Adams
Board of Directors
As of March 2022:[14]
- Susan A. Carleson, Chairwoman
- Edwin Meese III
- Morton C. Blackwell
- Orit Sklar Kwasman
- Senator Val Stevens
- Lori Roman, President of ACRU
Former Directors
- David A. Leedom
- Wendy Borcherdt
Contact Information
American Constitutional Rights Union
405 5th Avenue South
Suite 7C
Naples, FL 34102
Phone: 703 807-0242
Toll free: 877 730-ACRU (2278)
Webpage: http://www.theacru.org/
Email: info@theacru.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_ACRU
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theACRU
Articles and Resources
IRS Form 990 Filings
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
Articles
- David Armiak, Revealed: The Biggest Voter Suppressor You’ve Never Heard Of, ExposedbyCMD, March 28, 2022.
Related SourceWatch resources
References
- ↑ About our founder, TheACRU.org, accessed July 20, 2007.
- ↑ American Civil Rights Union Issue: Second Amendment, accessed September 13, 2010
- ↑ 60 Plus Association/Guidestar [60_Plus_Assoc-2009_990_form.pdf 60 Plus Association 2009 Form 990], accessed September 13, 2010
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedabout - ↑ ACRU, 2020 Form 990, organizational tax filing, November 12, 2021.
- ↑ ACRU, 2019 Form 990, organizational tax filing, September 29, 2020.
- ↑ ACRU, 2018 Form 990, organizational tax filing, September 17, 2019.
- ↑ ACRU, 2017 Form 990, organizational tax filing, July 17, 2017.
- ↑ ACRU, 2016 Form 990, organizational tax filing.
- ↑ ACRU, 2015 Form 990, organizational tax filing.
- ↑ ACRU, 2014 Form 990, organizational tax filing, June 23, 2015.
- ↑ ACRU, Staff and Advisors, ACRU, March 2022.
- ↑ ACRU, Policy Board, ACRU, March 2022.
- ↑ ACRU, Board of Directors, ACRU, March 2022.
