Institute for Liberty

This article is part of the Center for Media & Democracy's spotlight on front groups and corporate spin.

The Institute For Liberty (IFL) is a Washington D.C. think tank that opposes health care reform and promotes keeping a free-market approach to maintaining the health care system in the U.S. Its Web site home page bears photos of Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and other conservative leaders and says the organization aims to "[ensure] that America's health care system isn't destroyed by those who want to see it taken over by the state." IFL's overall goal is to "be the preeminent organization pushing back against the expansion of the state, putting a stop to policies" that the organizations perceives "will undermine that which has made this nation great." The IFL also opposes "open Internet" rules, describing them as the "left’s latest marketing language" for 'Net Neutrality." ^[1]^[2]

The IFL was identified backer of The 912 Project 912dc.org March on Washington (Silver Sponsor),[1] and Tea Party Express [2] bus tour.

ILF refuses to identify its funders. In a January 7, 2010 article in the Washington Post, the group was cited as an example of an organization trying to influence the health reform debate, whose funding has grown exponentially, but that refuses to disclose where its money comes from. The article says,

The Institute for Liberty, for example, was a one-man conservative interest group with a Virginia post office box and less than $25,000 in revenue in 2008. Now, the organization has a Web site, a downtown Washington office and a $1 million advocacy campaign opposing President Obama's health-care plans. Andrew Langer, the group's president, said the organization receives no funding from health-care firms but declined to provide details. "This year has been really serendipitous for us," he said. "But we don't talk about specific donors."^[3]

Links to other conservative organizations

Cross checking the phone number of IFL leads to several associations: Competitive Enterprise Institute, National Taxpayers Union, and Institute For Liberty Co-Sponsor NoClimateTax.com Pledge. (www.americansforprosperity.org)[3], [4]

IFL cooperated in harvesting cell phone numbers from April 15th Tea Party attendees: As part of the effort to build a national network of activists fighting against the taxing, spending and borrowing coming out of Washington and -- in many cases -- our state capitals, Let Freedom Ring and the Institute For Liberty have partnered to collect the mobile telephone numbers of as many people who attend the April 15 Tea Parties as possible.[5]

Latest 2007 IRS-Form-990[6] shows Jason Wright was president, paid $79,000, IFL spent $36,839 to run the Internet Freedom Coalition. Jason Wright has moved on to operate www.opinioneditorials.com [7] AKA Frontiers of Freedom. Slightly more than 50% of total expenses in 2007 was Wright's salary. Internet Freedom Coalition [8] website shows 32 front organization members, a who's who of the rightwing.

Personnel