Judicial Fairness Initiative
The Judicial Fairness Initiative (JFI) is a project of the Virginia-based Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) that focuses on raising money and campaigning for conservative judges running in state court elections.
"Since its formation, the Judicial Fairness Initiative has raised and spent more than $29 million in states across the country, including Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and more," JFI touts on its website. [1]
Contents
News and Controversies
Supporting Dan Kelly in Wisconsin Supreme Court Election
After spending nearly $1 million in Daniel Kelly's 2020 election, JFI decided to back Kelly again in the 2022 Wisconsin Supreme Court election. RSLC "is spending big to aid Kelly’s effort to return to the Wisconsin Supreme Court as part of its political agenda to elect judges in order to protect extreme right-wing partisanship through GOP-drawn legislative maps that thwart fair representation and lock-in the MAGA Republican’s anti- freedom program to make it harder to vote, ban abortion access, and interfere with the public’s interest in fair elections and a fair economy which depend on curbing undue corporate and billionaire influence," True North Research reported. [2]
Dark Money Injection from the Leonard Leo Network
In October 2022, Sludge reported that The Concord Fund made a pair of donations to the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) totaling $1.85 million. "The donations came as the RSLC began ramping up its ad spending in state court races that will be crucial for determining access to abortion care, ruling on gerrymandering cases, and other issues." [3]
Five Figure Ad Campaign in 2021 Wisconsin Court of Appeals District II Election
In the run-up to the 2021 Wisconsin Court of Appeals District II election, JFI announced that it would be spending $50,000 in ad spots to support Judge Shelley Grogan in her election. JFI is quoted as saying, "While JFI has engaged in voter education during Wisconsin Supreme Court races in the past, this project marks the first time JFI has been involved in a Court of Appeals contest in Wisconsin."[4]
RSLC Spends Big to Keep State Houses Red
In the aftermath of the 2016 state elections, the Center for Media and Democracy reported that the Republican State Leadership Committee had raised nearly $17.95 million, with nearly all of the donations coming from corporations. With the raised revenue RSLC's "contributions are funneled to state PACs that run vicious attack ads. By channeling their money through the RSLC, corporate interests are able to distance themselves from the ugliest aspects of electioneering, while providing the financial means to make it possible."
In addition to the massive funding state GOP offices received in attack ads, RSLC also contributed $2,695,223 to the Judicial Fairness Initiative. [5]
RSLC Founds JFI to Target Judicial Branch
In April 2014, after focusing on state legislatures and governor's races, the RSLC announced it would be creating the Judicial Fairness Initiative. "The grant program will spend millions to 'focus on educating voters to better understand the ideology of candidates up for judicial branch elections,' said the committee’s president, Matt Walter."[6]
Ties to Koch Brothers
Judicial Fairness Initiative's parent's cooperation, The Republican State Leadership Committee, has been a key target for Koch Industries donations. According to IRS filings, Koch Industries has been a top donator to the committee since 2012.[7]
| Koch Wiki |
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Charles Koch is the right-wing billionaire owner of Koch Industries. As one of the richest people in the world, he is a key funder of the right-wing infrastructure, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the State Policy Network (SPN). In SourceWatch, key articles on Charles Koch and his late brother David include: Koch Brothers, Americans for Prosperity, Stand Together Chamber of Commerce, Stand Together, Koch Family Foundations, Koch Universities, and I360. |
Funding
Serving as the action arm of the Republican State Leadership Committee, Judicial Fairness Initiative's funding comes directly from RSLC, but "we know that RSLC’s largest donor in recent years is the Leonard Leo-tied group known for helping him capture the U.S. Supreme Court, resulting in last year’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade." [2]
Personnel
- Andrew Wynne, Vice President
Contact Information
Judicial Fairness Initiative
1201 F St NW, STE 675
Washington, DC 20004
Website: https://www.rslc.gop/what-we-do/state-courts
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ JFI About, [1], Judicial Fairness Initiative, Accessed June 7 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lisa Graves and Evan Vorpahl,Leonard Leo-Tied Republican State Leadership Committee Aids Kelly, True North Research, March 28 2023
- ↑ David Moore,Leonard Leo’s ‘Dark Money’ Group Donates Millions to Back Republican State Campaigns, Sludge, October 31 2022
- ↑ JFI Media,RSLC’s Judicial Fairness Initiative Launches Five Figure Ad Campaign In Support Of Shelley Grogan In Wisconsin Court of Appeals Election, Judicial Fairness Initiative, March 22 2021
- ↑ Calvin Sloan,Republican State Leadership Committee Spends Big to Keep State Houses in the Red, Exposed by CMD, November 8 2016
- ↑ Erik Eckholm,Outside Spending Enters Arena of Judicial Races, The New York Times, May 5th 2014
- ↑ Center for Responsive Politics,"Republican State Leadership Cmte", contributors profile, Open Secrets database. Accessed June 8, 2023.
