Headlines:

• EXCLUSIVE: America First Policy Institute Quietly Doubled Its Revenue to $51M in 2024

• AFPI, Trump’s “Cabinet in Waiting,” Doubled Its Revenue While Preparing the Ground for a Second Trump Term

• Think Tank Dubbed Trump’s “Cabinet in Waiting” Raked in Tens of Millions Last Year

Lede:

• America First Policy Institute nearly doubled its revenue up to $51M in 2024, according to newly filed tax records obtained by Source Code. The documents reveal a staggering investment in the group founded and staffed by alumni of Donald Trump’s first administration – in a critical election year.

The details:

• Covering the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, the tax form reflects a nearly doubling of funds, from $27,319,085 in revenue in 2023 up to $51,061,493 in 2024.

• AFPI’s revenue has risen each year since its creation after Trump’s first term. It reported just over $14M in revenue its first year filing with the IRS, $23.6M in the second, and just over $27M in the third, the most recent year. The increase reported in 2024 is by far the most significant.

• AFPI’s reported contractors disclosed in the filing reflect other Trump world connections. AFPI paid $425,953 in 2024 for social media management to Big Vision Advisors, a firm whose other clients include Paula White-Cain, an AFPI alumna now serving as a senior advisor to the White House Faith Office.

Why it matters:

• Trump world and AFPI are joined at the hip. AFPI claims nearly 80 of its employees have joined the new Trump administration so far.

• AFPI was founded by Trump loyalists from his first administration in 2020, including Brooke Rollins, Larry Kudlow and Linda McMahon. Prior to the start of Trump’s second term, AFPI was often called the “cabinet in waiting,” due to its lengthy roster of Trump alumni. This included nine former cabinet-level officials and 50 former administration officials or other White House senior staffers, according to its 2024 impact report.

• Trump has drawn heavily from AFPI for his second-term cabinet. Rollins, who served as AFPI’s president and CEO, and McMahon, who served as its board chair, now serve as Secretaries of Agriculture and Education. In total, there are at least eight AFPI alumni in cabinet-level positions, according a review by ABC News. These include Attorney General Pam Bondi, CIA Director John Ratcliff, and FBI Director Kash Patel.

• 2024 was a critical election year in which AFPI and its sister group America First Works were busy preparing for and enabling Trump’s return to the White House. AFPI’s newly released tax filing reveals the level of financial firepower that went into it, and suggests how just how important of a player high-powered donors considered the group.

• The year was all about “winning,” according to a joint impact report by AFPI and AFW. They “supported a historic win for President Trump” by driving “record early turnout and returns in critical battleground states.” And they recruited nearly 400 past administration officials to craft a transition project for the “next America First Administration.”

• AFPI declined to disclose the identity of its donors, but tax forms filed by other nonprofits provide clues. The dark money behemoth DonorsTrust gave $4.4M, according to documents obtained by NOTUS, totaling over 27 times more than it gave AFPI the year before. The nonprofit associated with the secretive Christian nationalist group Ziklag, in which Wallnau plays an important role, gave $1.18M. It was the organization’s first ever donation to AFPI, and one of its largest that year, tax records show. That money may have supported AFPI’s “Project 19,” later expanded to “Project 47,” which focused voter mobilization in specific counties in specific swing states. As part of the project, Wallnau and AFPI partnered on a series of tent-revival-cum-political rallies that aimed to turn out the vote.

Key quotes:

If you are a reporter and would like AFPI’s 2024 990 form, email us at press@source-code.org or find us on Signal: SourceCode.23

Headlines:

• "Make The Union Itself Toxic": Recording Reveals Think Tank's Years-Long Plot to Erode Public Support for Teachers Union

• Leaked Presentation Reveals Years-Long Smear Campaign Against Chicago Teachers Union to Divide Democratic Voters

• "Make The Union Itself Toxic": Right-Wing Operatives Target Blue Cities to Kill Progressive Policies

Lede:

• A marketing firm tied to the Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) has spent years waging a campaign to sabotage the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), seeking to fracture Democratic unity and derail progressive policies, according to a recording of a private video presentation obtained by Source Code. “You have to make the entity itself toxic,” a strategist said during the May presentation, “so that everything they touch is toxic.” The recording outlined plans to replicate the tactic nationwide by exploiting wedge issues to splinter Democratic strongholds.

The details:

• Speaking privately to members of a network called Alder, representatives from the Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) and the public affairs firm Iron Light described how they drove down Chicago residents' support of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) from 70 to 28 percent through targeted digital, text, and media campaigns.

• As part of their strategy, Iron Light identified hundreds of thousands of Chicago Democrats with children in public schools and targeted them over several years with ads attacking CTU and Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former CTU organizer.

• According to IPI, their attacks on the CTU and Johnson helped pave the way for its 2024 victories, including the defeat of CTU-endorsed school board candidates and the rejection of a CTU-backed ballot measure to fund homeless services.

• Iron Light and IPI also claim credit for defeating Mayor Johnson's proposal to close the city's budget gap by increasing property taxes. On the Alder network presentation, Iron Light co-founder and IPI vice president Austin Berg said the group mobilized its audience in response to the plan. "Over 4,000 community members contacted their aldermen to say, 'vote no'," Berg said. "That was with zero paid spend." He pointed to the outcome -- a unanimous 50-0 City Council vote against the proposal -- as evidence of the campaign's success.

Why it matters:

• The Illinois Policy Institute (IPI), a right-wing think tank affiliated with the State Policy Network, has long attacked the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU). The newly obtained recording reveals that its efforts were part of a larger plan to chip away at the city's Democratic voter base and undermine support for progressive policies.

• Founded in 2002, the IPI has led a long-running campaign targeting public-sector unions. Its efforts culminated in a pivotal role in the 2018 Supreme Court case Janus v. AFSCME, in which the Court struck down mandatory agency fees for non-union public employees. IPI's litigation partner, the Liberty Justice Center, co-represented Mark Janus alongside the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. The ruling delivered a major blow to organized labor, significantly reshaping the landscape for unionized workers across the country. A few months after the ruling, Janus took a job at IPI.

• Throughout the years, conservative mega-donors have given to IPI, including Donors Trust, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the Ed Uihlein Family Foundation, Dunn’s Foundation for the Advancement of Right Thinking, and the Charles Koch Institute.

• Iron Light is already working to replicate its Chicago playbook in other Democratic-led cities, using wedge issues to fracture liberal coalitions and shift political dynamics at the state level. On the same private call, Iron Light CEO Ryan Green said the firm has been working on district attorney races in Seattle, where law enforcement messaging has been "a huge lever for us to pull." Green also said the firm is preparing to shape public debate around data centers in southern states, like Memphis, where local community members and environmental groups have raised concerns about the projects. "I think you're going to see interesting shift around energy in that conversation," he said. According to Green, the goal isn't merely to shift blue cities more red, but rather, spark change that can affect the rest of the state.

• IPI and Iron Light have maintained a close working relationship for years. Austin Berg, one of the co-founders of Iron Light and the vice president of marketing for IPI, spoke openly about their coordinated efforts during the recent Alder call. IRS filings show IPI paid Iron Light a total of over $1.8 million for marketing services in 2022 and 2023. Though it is not entirely uncommon for nonprofits to hire companies controlled by their employees for contracting work, Berg has personally profited from campaigns targeting CTU, which he accuses of corruption and financial misconduct.

Key quotes:

• "One, you have to make the union itself toxic. Otherwise, it's whack-a-mole. And I think that the big lesson from what Austin walked through is that we cut the head off at the source, right? So with Madigan, take the head off. Same thing with Chicago Teachers Union; you have to make the entity itself toxic so that everything they touch is toxic."

• "Next, we had our first school board elections ever in the city of Chicago this last November, and research from Terry Mo, the guy I talked about earlier, shows that if a teachers union supports a candidate in a school board election, they win 70% of their races on average. Again, we were able to use Johnson and the CTU in communications around those races, CTU lost 70% of the contested school board races. There were nine contested seats and they only won three. So, they lost 66-70% of these those contested races. That has huge downstream effects."

• "It was ultimately our targets were going to be Chicago Democrats with children, so people who had children in the public schools. And there were also, amazingly -- and we'd be happy to do this analysis in your city any big city that you're near, or even small city -- but there was 400,000 aligned voters. These are people who would be, you know, pro low-tax environment, pro-public safety, pro-school choice, who have voted in a presidential election before, but have never voted in a municipal election in Chicago. So, it's just this completely untapped voter block that should be be able to be activated."

• "There was a proposal from the CTU for a $300 million property tax hike in the city of Chicago at the end of last year. We activated our audience against that issue. Over 4,000 community members contacted their aldermen to say vote no. That was with zero paid spend. The results, the first ever 50-0 vote in the history of the city of Chicago. This was all 50 aldermen in our city voting no against the property tax hike pushed by the biggest political spender in the city, which is pretty remarkable."

• "And starting with the cities, it's a lower lift to start there. And it's closer to people's homes and they feel it a lot more. So if you can do some work to turn the tides in those cities then it can affect the rest of the state."

• "I mean, our primary focus as an agency right now is selling into these blue cities and focusing on these blue cities. You're starting to see a shift in our industry of the DC firms coming to the states. They're recognizing there's not much you can get done in Washington and they're understanding the importance of the states, and we're even going more local. So the blue cities focus for us is where we're going to have a lot of growth going forward... That's what I think you're going to see, you're going to see a lot more activity in the state level, which is good for us, which is good for business."

If you are a reporter and would like the full presentation, email us at press@source-code.org or find us on Signal: SourceCode.23

Headlines:

• Ex-Congressman Alex Mooney’s Secret Capitol Hill Role Revealed in Presentation with Lobbyist

• Behind Closed Doors: How Former Lawmakers Quietly Games the System

• From Congress to Private Interests: Mooney’s Behind-the-Scenes Capitol Hill Access Exposed

Lede:

• In February 2025, former Congressman Alex Mooney (R-WV) delivered a presentation to the Christian Employers Alliance (CEA) on behalf of a prominent DC lobbying firm, according to a recording revealed by Source Code and Popular Information. In a statement to Popular Information, the firm asserted that both it and Congressman Mooney acted appropriately. However, the presentation shows Mooney sharing details from recent Capitol Hill discussions on active legislation, including the budget, underscoring how former lawmakers can wield informal influence behind the scenes.

The details:

• In February 2025, former Congressman Alex Mooney delivered a presentation to the Christian Employers Alliance on behalf of Capitol South, LLC, a Washington, D.C. lobbying firm. CEA President Margaret Iuculano noted that Mooney would soon be "lobbyists representing Christian Employers Alliance on the Hill as we finalize our legislative agenda." Mooney did not push back on the characterization during the presentation.

• Congressman Mooney gave the presentation from Capitol Hill, where he detailed recent conversations with lawmakers about the budget and tax policy.

• Congressman Mooney has not been publicly linked to Capitol South, LLC. In a recent op-ed in the Daily Caller, Congressman Mooney was described as a Senior Advisor at Competitive Markets Action (CMA), an organization run by the president of Capitol South, LLC.

• In a statement to Popular Information, Irby confirmed Mooney was "a consultant to our firm on issues related strictly to Agriculture and the Farm Bill."

• Just one year ago, in February 2024, Mooney was awarded Legislator of the Year by CMA. On the presentation, Capitol South founder, Marty Irby, praised Mooney, noting the Congressman had a "perfect score on our issues."

• Iuculano expressed enthusiasm for the partnership with Congressman Mooney, exclaiming, “We're gonna have a powerful team on the Hill to represent our business concerns.”

Why it matters:

• Federal law prohibits former members of Congress from engaging in lobbying activities targeting lawmakers, Senators, or their staff for a one-year period following their departure from office -- a restriction commonly referred to as a "cooling-off period." Violators could face up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $50,000. While Irby denies Mooney engaged in direct lobbying, Mooney's presentation to the Christian Employers Alliance sheds light on how former lawmakers leverage their connections.

• Marty Irby, founder of Capitol South, LLC, joined Mooney on the CEA presentation. Irby also serves as the president of Competitive Markets Action (CMA), Inc., a 501(c)(4) organization focused on agricultural policy and farming legislation. Irby detailed his past work with Congressman Mooney, noting, “Congressman Mooney was actually our legislator of the year, which is kind of how we got to be friends.”

• As reported by Popular Information, hiring former members of Congress as consultants has become a highly profitable strategy for lobbying firms. Additionally, the majority of voters believe the ban on lobbying should be raised from one year to five years, according to recent polling.

• Mooney has faced repeated ethical questions throughout his career. In 2021, the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) released an investigation into Mooney, alleging he used campaign funds for a lavish Caribbean vacation. While the investigation was eventually closed, the House panel concluded that the campaign had failed to fully adhere to ethical standards.

Key quotes:

• Margaret Iuculano: And he [Mooney] has joined Marty Irby, who is the president of Capitol South. It's a lobbying house in DC on the hill. They're also are soon to be lobbyists representing Christian Employers Alliance on the Hill as we finalize our legislative agenda, which we are hoping to have done in the next two weeks. And so we're gonna have a powerful team on the Hill to represent our business concerns. And I just have to say Marty, because he won't say it about himself. I've known him a long time, but there are thousands and thousands of registered lobbyists on the Hill in DC. And he has been rated one of the top 10 lobbyists for six or seven years. on and off or straight. I can't remember. I can't keep up with it, but of our values. And I can just say, working with him on the Hill, he's got incredible representation, relationships really is what I should say, on both sides. And he's just really, really good at what he does. And so this is our first opportunity to be able to introduce you both as they will be representing us in the near future on the Hill.

• Alex Mooney: Awesome, man. Thanks, Marty. I couldn't agree more. The term lobbyist is not a bad word. Good guys have lobbyists. The National Rifle Association, NRA, has a lobbyist to defend our Second Amendment rights. There are lobbyists for manufacturers who just make products we need. You know, there are lobbyists that lobby for causes we believe in.

• Marty Irby: And I have to say, of all the members of Congress I've worked with, there's just handful that have what I would call a perfect score on our issues. Congressman Mooney was actually our legislator of the year, which is kind of how we got to be friends a couple of years ago last year.

• Margaret Iuculano: Thank you, Congressman. I know we're out of time, and I definitely want to be respectful of yours and Marty's time. I know you guys are on the Hill and very busy today. And so we thank you.

• Alex Mooney: Of course, I just left on January 3rd. Prior to that, I did spend 12 years in the State Senate. And, you know, I guess my role has been elected official first elected 26 years ago to the State Senate. The lobbyists inform us. You know, I sit there in committee and I have meetings in my office and the lobbyists come in. They're experts on the issue topic that I have to vote on. And I really valued a, you know, a half an hour meeting with a lobbyist. and the association, like your association, to come in and say, hey, this is our view on it, that was very informative and very valuable.

• Margaret Iuculano: And just for the CEA members on the call today, this is why we've engaged with Marty's lobbying firm to help us come up with a really solid legislative agenda at the Hill level, as well as in the state level so we can take Congressman Mooney's advice and get some of this stuff codified and follow the proper process, right? And so... That's why we're really excited to have you both on the call today and introduce you to the members because utilizing Marty's talents on the Hill and helping us get this all coordinated is gonna be a win-win for all of us.

• Alex Mooney: There are other Republican members of Congress. I've talked to one just last week, a good friend of mine, I won't say the name, and they were critical of the cuts. They said, it's cutting too much and too fast. So the holdup is over the cuts, and they can work out the differences on the tax policies.

• Margaret Iuculano: So. Engage with us. Feel free to reach out to Jason and I and join our government relations committee if this is of interest of you to be able to work with Marty and Congressman Moody as we hit the hill and try to fix some of this. So I appreciate you both. Thank you so much for coming on.

If you are a reporter and would like the full presentation, email us at press@source-code.org or find us on Signal: SourceCode.23

Headlines:

• Exclusive: Koch "Road Map" Reveals Americans for Prosperity's Plan to Influence Congress

• Secret Memo Exposes Koch Network’s Congressional Scriptwriting Service

• Bill-ionaires Club: Inside the Koch Network's Plan to Script Members of Congress

Lede:

Source Code obtained a private "road map" memo from Americans for Prosperity (AFP), prepared for incoming members of the 2025 Congress. The document reveals the Koch-backed group's aggressive strategy to shape Congress by supporting allied lawmakers and fostering "mutually beneficial" partnerships on Capitol Hill. AFP frames itself as an outsourced congressional office, providing legislators with pre-written bills and scripting talking points and hearing questions. Notably, the memo explicitly targets "combatting the rise of national conservatism," signaling potential ideological clashes ahead with MAGA-aligned Republicans.

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The details:

• According to the memo, AFP promises lawmakers a “personalized approach” with “customizable product options.” This support includes drafting legislation, writing talking points, preparing questions for "key committee hearings," and coordinating coalition letters and testimony.

• The Koch-funded group intends to mobilize its powerful grassroots network and significant financial resources, partnering with conservative, industry, and corporate allies to back its friends in Congress, promising new members: "You may be new to Congress, but you’ll have seasoned partners and an extensive network coming together behind your ideas."

Why this matters:

According to New Yorker journalist Jane Mayer in her seminal book about the Kochs, "Dark Money," Americans for Prosperity operates at the center of a sprawling political influence network created by billionaire Charles Koch and his late brother David. Mayer describes AFP as a pivotal organization through which the Koch brothers have channeled significant financial resources to support libertarian and pro-business agendas.

Although AFP seeks greater influence on Capitol Hill in 2025, tension between Trump and the Koch network runs deep. In 2018, Trump openly ridiculed the Koch brothers as "globalists" who were "a total joke in real Republican circles," adding, "I never sought their support because I don’t need their money or bad ideas." That hostility intensified in 2024, when Koch-affiliated groups poured more than $30 million into Nikki Haley's primary campaign against Trump. The Hill reported in February that AFP staff are “essentially blacklisted” from working in his administration.

Despite this friction, AFP aggressively targeted President Biden’s economic policies during the 2024 presidential election. In March 2024, AFP launched an “eight-figure Bidenomics ad campaign,” spotlighting Biden’s tax and fiscal policy agenda and attacking supportive members of Congress. This project involved digital advertising, mail outreach, direct door-knocking, phone calls, and strategically staged grassroots events at gas stations and grocery stores to attract media coverage.

The memo describes AFP's strategic campaign to redefine "Bidenomics," successfully transforming the Biden administration’s positive branding into a shorthand for economic turmoil.

AFP has now launched a $20 million 2025 project, called “Protect Prosperity,” campaigning for an extension of the tax cuts in President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) that are set to expire at the end of the year. The tax cuts have been described by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities as being “skewed to the wealthy and corporations.”

Key Quotes:

• “The secret to our success on Capitol Hill is the personalized approach we offer to every policy champion with whom we work. These capabilities will help you offer positive solutions, build successful coalitions, garner press attention, generate grassroots momentum in your home state, and secure significant legislative achievements."

• “Working with our conservative, industry, and corporate partners, AFP has established itself as both a builder of winning policy coalitions and a trusted partner in contributing to the success of others. More specifically, AFP’s approach to coalitions is two-pronged: a 'meta' approach, which seeks to tackle broader and longer-term strategies (e.g., combatting the rise of national conservatism, administrative state landscape shifts), and a 'tactical' approach that activates partners for high-value, short-term policy battles. AFP’s coalitions capability is ready to stand alongside you and advocate the principled policies and legislation you put forth. You may be new to Congress, but you’ll have seasoned partners and an extensive network coming together behind your ideas."

• “Building a free and open society where everyone can succeed requires leaders who are willing to stand against bad public policy while proposing and supporting solutions that create more opportunity for all. AFP believes in political accountability. We will go to your constituents and share your score with them because we believe that politicians should do what they promise to do."

• “With nearly a million visits to our Bidenomics.com website, 294 million views of our Bidenomics videos on Youtube, over 600 events across the country, and 79,000 activations of the grassroots, AFP’s multifaceted approach flipped Bidenomics, a term coined by the administration, into a byword for failed economic policies."

If you are a reporter and want the full memo, email us at press@source-code.org or find us on Signal: SourceCode.23

Headlines:

• Exclusive: Border Czar Tom Homan Calls Sending Immigrants to Guantanamo Bay “Most Exciting Day of My Life”

• Trump’s Border Czar Vowed to Respect Courts—Months Before Publicly Dismissing Judges

• In Private Speech, Border Czar Tom Homan Tells Conservatives: Dissent “Cannot Stop Us”

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Lede:

President Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan celebrated watching undocumented immigrants loaded onto a military plane bound for Guantanamo Bay as “the most exciting day of my life,” according to a transcript reviewed by Source Code. Speaking privately to the conservative Council for National Policy (CNP) in February 2025, Homan defended judicial authority, declaring, “You can’t demand due process and ignore the final decisions of the court.” Months later, he publicly contradicted himself, openly dismissing a judge’s order halting deportations.

The details:

• Speaking at the Ritz-Carlton in McLean, Virginia, Homan aggressively dismissed pushback on the administration's hardline immigration policies. “We’re going to show them that they cannot bully us, they cannot intimidate us, they cannot stop us from doing what we’re doing,” said Homan.

• Homan discussed plans to drastically increase ICE manpower and intensify workplace raids targeting sanctuary cities. “We’re going to every sanctuary city, and we’re going to double the manpower. We’re going to increase work site enforcement.”

• Homan underscored Attorney General Pam Bondi’s efforts to crack down on sanctuary cities. “At the same time, we got sanctuary cities pushing back against us, but thank God, Pam Bondi’s now in position. She will take the sanctuary cities on for me. That’s going to be a great help.” He was also quick to praise Kash Patel as being “ready to kick some ass” on sanctuary cities.

• Contrary to recent claims, Homan told CNP to trust the legal process, saying undocumented immigrants would be removed “at the end of due process.” He added, “You can’t demand due process and ignore the final decisions of the court. Then, due process means nothing. We will give them their day in court, but at the end, you get an order to be removed, you have got to go.”

• The Council for National Policy is a secretive powerhouse of conservative activists, donors, and political operatives founded in 1981 to shape right-wing policies behind closed doors. High-profile members, including former Vice President Mike Pence and Ginni Thomas, regularly meet privately to influence America’s political direction.

Why this matters:

The Supreme Court recently upheld the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to fast-track deportations — a strategy strongly supported by Homan. The ruling allows the Trump administration to seek to promptly deport undocumented immigrants as terrorists or gang members, although it requires that such immigrants have the chance for their removal to be reviewed by a federal court in the place they are detained.

Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News last week that the Justice Department is well-positioned to win upcoming habeas challenges, calling the process “a much faster” and “smoother, simpler hearing” that would lead to swift deportations.

The decision comes amid escalating protests and legal challenges to Trump-era enforcement policies. Homan drew criticism after dismissing one judge’s ruling halting deportations, stating, “I don’t care what the judges think,” though Homan promised the Trump Administration would not defy the judge's orders.

Pressed on due process, Homan responded, “Due process? What was Laken Riley’s due process?” — invoking the murdered nursing student to defend bypassing legal protections for alleged gang members. Legal experts warn that unchecked executive power over immigration could spark a constitutional crisis.

Key quotes:

• "You’ve got Pete Hegseth, shoulder to shoulder with me, and the DoD down there is meaningful. The most exciting day of my life was when I saw a DoD airplane filling up with illegal aliens to send them to Guantanamo Bay. That was an exciting morning."

• "At the same time, we got sanctuary cities pushing back against us, but thank God, Pam Bondi’s now in position. She will take the sanctuary cities on for me. That’s going to be a great help. We got Kash Patel ready to kick some ass. You’ve got one hell of a team out there in the wild. I’m happy to be with them. Sanctuary cities are sanctuary for criminals."

• "We’re going to every sanctuary city, and we’re going to double the manpower. We’re going to increase work site enforcement. We’re going to show them that they cannot bully us, they cannot intimidate us, they cannot stop us from doing what we’re doing."

• "We have to remove them, because if we don’t, what the hell are we doing? Just shut down immigration court, it doesn’t mean anything anymore. Take the border, throw out the border, there’s no consequences. You can’t demand due process and ignore the final decisions of the court. Then, due process means nothing. We will give them their day in court, but at the end, you get an order to be removed, you have got to go."

• "We’re going to have the biggest deportation operation. It’s going to take time because of sanctuary cities, but we’re not going away. We will keep coming."

If you are a reporter and want to get in touch with us about this transcript, email us at press@source-code.org or find us on Signal: SourceCode.23

Headlines:

• The Billionaire-Backed Campaign to Break Teacher Unions Nationwide

• Revealed: Anti-Union Group’s Secret Blueprint to Undermine Labor With Trump and Musk

• Freedom Foundation Teams up With Trump, Musk in Aggressive Anti-Union Campaign

• Leaked Memo: Union-Busting Group Boasts to Donors of Lucrative Returns on Investment

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Lede:

A confidential donor memo obtained by Source Code details a "very aggressive plan" by the Freedom Foundation to advance its anti-union agenda in collaboration with the Trump administration and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The group's strategy for 2025, outlined in the memo, includes promoting a raft of state and federal legislative actions, launching a pro-capitalist, anti-union teacher group, and targeting conservative school boards to undermine unions, even in traditionally blue states. The group claims it drove 40,000 public sector workers from their unions in 2024, costing them over $38 million. Freedom Foundation CEO Aaron Withe told donors, "I view our supporters as investors" entitled to "a handsome return on their investment."

Why this matters:

A recent New York Times report highlighted growing efforts on the right to dismantle key institutions supporting power on the left, including public sector unions — a push led by groups like the Freedom Foundation.

As the Trump administration led by DOGE has moved to gut the Department of Education, teachers unions have led protests and lawsuits challenging massive layoffs, deep budget cuts, and alleged breaches of student data privacy.

Since the Supreme Court's landmark Janus v. AFSCME decision in 2018 — prohibiting unions from collecting fees from non-members — the Freedom Foundation has aggressively ramped up its attacks on unions. Officials from the group have openly declared their intent to "defund the political left" and explicitly framed their goal as an effort to "defund and defeat public-sector unions." They have employed aggressive outreach, targeted litigation, and legislative campaigns aimed at financially crippling education and other public sector unions nationwide.

The confidential memo obtained by Source Code outlines plans for intensified collaboration with the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) across 14 states, characterizing this initiative as "the final nail in the coffin for unions." The FGA itself is significantly financed by groups tied to Leonard Leo, the influential conservative operative who engineered the rightward shift of the Supreme Court and who openly advocates a mission to "crush liberal dominance."

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Key quotes:

• “…with a new incoming presidential administration, we are well-positioned to pick up where we left in 2020 and push a pro-worker agenda at the federal level. This will include working with the newly formed Department of Government Efficiencies (DOGE), the Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Personnel Management, the Internal Revenue Service as well as congress. We have identified and will execute on 11 opportunities to reform unions at the federal level."

• "We seek to free another 47,000 public employees through our outreach campaign while keeping our cost per opt-out to below $125 per person."

• "We will significantly expand our legislative agenda by targeting 14 states in 2025 with legislation that is pro-worker and will end taxpayer support for organized labor. We are partnering with our friends at the Foundation for Government Accountability in some of these states."

• "Based on the success of our Teacher Freedom Summits, we will be launching the Teacher Freedom Alliance in 2025. We are growing from once-a-year meeting to a more traditional network that will rival the teachers unions' monopoly.”

• “To do this, we will provide superior benefits to those of the teachers' unions, including liability coverage, professional development credits and an alternative curriculum that is pro-America and pro-capitalism."

If you are a reporter and want the full memo, email us at press@source-code.org or find us on Signal: SourceCode.23

Headlines:

• Exclusive: Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate Brad Schimel Blasted "Tech Billionaires" for Buying Elections. Now Elon Musk Is Bankrolling His Campaign.

• “Not on My Watch”: Schimel Warned of Outsider Cash in 2024 - he's now backed by Elon Musk

• Schimel’s Hypocrisy on Display: Newly Uncovered Video Exposes Double Standard on Billionaire Outside Funding in Elections

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Lede:

Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel denounced outside influence in judicial elections at a private donor event last year, calling it “embarrassing” that “tech billionaires from California plunked millions, tens of millions of dollars into this race.” Schimel also made a bold pledge: “No money from California or New York or anywhere else is going to buy Wisconsin.” A recording of Schimel’s remarks at the event was obtained by Source Code. Today, Schimel is benefiting from millions in outside spending — much of it from groups backed by Elon Musk.

Key quote:

Brad Schimel: “Last April, the Supreme Court race in Wisconsin was the most expensive race in American history, not just Wisconsin. That's embarrassing, by the way. Yeah, it's embarrassing because what happened is tech billionaires from California plunked millions, tens of millions of dollars into this race. And by the way, the Democratic Party transferred nearly $10 million to the one who won last April directly. And that money came from outside Wisconsin. The vast majority of her money came from outside the state of Wisconsin. So apparently you can buy the Supreme Court in Wisconsin. Not on my watch. I'm in this race now. In April of 25, you're not buying this race. I'm going to earn this race. I'll outwork anybody who gets into it. No money from California or New York or anywhere else is going to buy Wisconsin. We're going to win this back.”

Speaking at the North Shore Republicans Lincoln Day Dinner, January 23, 2024.

Why this matters:

• The Wisconsin Supreme Court race is shaping up to be the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history, with outside money playing an outsized role. Groups backed by Elon Musk, including America PAC and Building America’s Future, have poured at least $16.3 million into boosting Brad Schimel’s campaign, including $4.8 million on TV ads attacking his Democratic opponent, Susan Crawford. Musk sent an additional $3 million to the state Republican Party, bringing his total spending in the race to at least $19.3 million. Building America’s Future has also been running deceptive Facebook ads through a front group it created, called Progress 2028. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the group is paying for “fake digital ads and text messages that are supposedly promoting liberal Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford by tying her to unpopular or controversial political positions or groups."

• Musk’s interests in the outcome of the election are no secret. Tesla is suing the state of Wisconsin over restrictions blocking it from opening dealerships, a case that could ultimately land before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. With the court’s 4-3 liberal majority on the line, the election could also shape the future of abortion access, redistricting and other election laws, and labor rights.

• Schimel has dismissed concerns about Musk’s involvement by saying, “There is no outside influence.” He added, “I’m grateful for our supporters, but they’re getting nothing except me following the law.” Schimel struck a notably different tone nearly a year ago when he promised supporters, "No money from California or New York or anywhere else is going to buy Wisconsin. We're going to win this back.”

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