Demonstrators are the best in the United States after a majority draft written by Judge Samuel Alito by preparing a majority of courts to overturn the groundbreaking Roe v. Wade abortion decision in Washington later this year. Hold the signature during an out-of-court protest. May 3, 2022.
Evelyn Hoxtine | Reuters
Leonardo Leo, a judicial adviser to Donald Trump, stood in front of a group of more than 12 Republican and libertarian-minded donors at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs in July 2018.billionaire Charles KochAllies were gathering there, especially to discuss the president at the time. Playing cards Candidates for the Supreme Court, including newly elected people Brett Cabana..
That summer’s meeting at the Koch-sponsored retreat came when Trump’s orbiters chose three conservative High Court judges: Neil Gorsuch, Kavanau, and later Amy Coney Barrett. Demonstrate how to keep the wealthiest business leaders in the country up to date with the groundbreaking Roe v. Wade abortion deciding fate.Financiers who donated at least $ 100,000 to political organizations Before I was invited to a twice-yearly meeting of Koch’s top donors. A Koch Network spokesman told CNBC that their organization was not addressing the issue of abortion.
“Courage is very important to this president and more important than any other president I have ever dealt with on these issues,” Leo said at the time, explaining the attributes Trump wants from judges. Told the donor. He wanted to remain anonymous to share personal information. “He understands that anyone chosen had to experience some crucibles, some fire trials in their lives, so he is absolutely solid. I know it will be. “
The Leakage of the Supreme Court’s draft opinion A majority of the 6-3 conservative courts consolidated during Trump’s White House term have shown that the constitutional right to abortion could quickly be overturned. If issued this summer, such a ruling would also mean victory for the anti-abortion group, which the court had long wanted to overthrow Roe. These organizations receive significant financial backing from a small number of wealthy and influential business leaders.
A decision to overturn the precedent of nearly 50 years Caused turmoil among abortion rights advocates When Democratic funding boom.. On the other side of the debate, Michael Warsaw, CEO of Catholic broadcaster Eternal Ward Television Network, told CNBC that the leaked draft was “encouraging” but “it’s too early to say it’s a victory.” Stated. The court will give the final opinion.
network, Oppose abortion, Have a connection with the business community. When it was released in the 1980s, The network was funded It is due to people such as the late Harry G. John, the heir to Miller Brewing’s property, and New Orleans real estate developer Joseph Canizaro. In 2019, TV Network donated $ 10,000 to Susan B. Anthony List. Susan B. Anthony List is a group that lobby and publicly oppose abortion, according to 990 submissions that year.
Canizaro did not return a call or email asking for comment. According to Warsaw, the donation supported Susan B. Anthony List’s annual event. Michelle Johnson, a spokeswoman for the Catholic Network, later added a donation to support the group’s annual supper in Washington, DC that year. Susan B. Anthony List spokesman did not return a request for comment.
Since Trump took office, more than 30 Federal Election Commission documents have shown that a small group of executives, their nonprofits, and related external groups have lobbied against the right to abortion. Formed millions of lesser-known financing activities to support the group. And non-profit tax returns. The web of business leaders and their affiliates has raised more than $ 40 million and has provided significant funding to groups such as Susan B. Anthony List and its affiliates.
Corporate America Almost silent About the court’s decision after it was published. Still, some business leaders have been pushing the anti-abortion movement in recent years.
Records show that donors to anti-abortion groups include a non-profit organization run by oil and gas executive George Strike Jr., a conservative Mercer family, and shell A foundation of a company run by the leaders of oil and gas giants.
Since the 2020 election cycle, individual donors have provided significant funding to groups opposed to the right to abortion, according to FEC filings. Many of those organizations may be active in the medium term this year as the Democratic Party is trying to maintain a majority in Congress, opposed to President Joe Biden in the election.
Women Speak Out PAC is a super PAC that says, “We are amplifying the voice of women who oppose abortion radicals in Congress.” The Susan B. Anthony List website lists the PAC and another Susan B. Anthony Candidate Fund as the “SBA List Family.” Super PAC can be raised at an unlimited amount of money for the desired candidate.
Republican megadonor Richard Uihlein, who founded the ship maneuvering company Uline Inc., donated $ 4 million to the group during the 2020 election cycle... Another PAC, titled Restoration PAC, which received millions of dollars from Uihlein during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles, donated more than $ 400,000 to Women SpeakOut PAC at the end of last year. Ellen Barrosse, Former CEO of Synchrogenix, a healthcare technical writing service currently owned by a pharmaceutical company SertaraDonated $ 1 million to PAC in January.
John Busser, an executive at investment firm Neuberger Berman, donated $ 25,000 to the organization in the same month.
Throughout this week, the Neuberger Berman website has listed Buser as Managing Director and Executive Vice President of its investment advisory division, NB Alternatives. By Friday, his biopage was inactive after CNBC contacted the company about Buser’s donation.
Alexandre Samuelson, a spokesman for Neuberger Berman, told CNBC that the buzzer had retired last year. “Neuberger Berman is a nonpartisan global company that has not contributed to any political campaign,” Samuelson said in an email.
I couldn’t answer the question emailed to Berman through a company spokesperson. Representatives of Uihlein and Certara did not return a request for comment. Restore PAC and Barrosse did not return a request for comment.
Susan B. Anthony List Sees Increased Financing
One of the most prominent anti-abortion groups is Susan B. Anthony List, created in the 1990s after the formation of Emily’s List, a political action committee that supports candidates advocating for the right to abortion.
Susan B. Anthony Liszt’s nonprofit has not publicly disclosed donors, and the relevant political action committee has raised more than $ 40 million during Trump’s four-year tenure against abortion. The record shows. The Group’s 501 (c) (4) latest publication 990 disclosure is from 2019 and states: Pain; pass legislation prohibiting taxpayers from funding abortions, especially through Obamacare. “
According to a press release explaining the meeting, Group President Marjorie Dunnenfelser met Trump while in the White House.She Tweet In response to the Supreme Court’s leak, “Once a draft opinion is passed, as a result, we, the people, can decide on the issue of abortion through elected civil servants in the state and parliament.”
501 (c) (4), which is legally permitted to lobby and politically engage, represents the Group’s best funding year for the decade 2018 and 2019, during which time $ 20 million. Records show that they have procured the above.
The group spent $ 290,000 lobbying Congress in the first quarter of this year. This is the largest amount of money we have ever invested in interacting with members of parliament. The group has lobbyed for issues such as confirming Biden’s Supreme Court election and soon becoming judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, disclosures indicate. The organization opposed her nomination.
The group also has a 501 (c) (3) organization called the Susan B. Anthony Education Fund. You cannot lobby, but you can share the group’s message about abortion. We have raised over $ 6 million since 2018.
Other non-profit disclosure forms include the Leo Alliance Judicial Crisis Network, funded by Charles Koch and its ally, the Mercer Family Foundation, to Susan B. Anthony List and Education Fund donors since 2016. Freedom Partner Chamber of Commerce shows that it is operated and funded by longtime mega donors Robert and Rebekah Mercer, the Strake Foundation, a nonprofit organization led by Texas businessman and philanthropist George Strake Jr., and a large group. Donations through the Shell Oil Company Foundation, led by a leader of a large oil company.
Curtis Smith, a spokesman for Shell, told CNBC that more than $ 2,000 donated by the company’s foundation to the Susan B. Anthony Education Fund came from one of its employees.
“The Shell Foundation forwards employee payroll deductions and matching requests to the IRS and 501c organizations in good condition,” Smith said in an email. “The Shell Foundation encourages employees to donate and does not endorse any organization. Donations are a personal decision that is not directed by the company. In this case, the employees did not request a match. “
A Koch Network spokesman told CNBC that the $ 500,000 donation to Susan B. Anthony List was related to a previous commitment by Freedom Partners.
“We have never addressed the issue of abortion and have never addressed it,” said a spokesman for the Koch Network. “The 2017 grant is a previous commitment by Freedom Partners to support the SBA’s grassroots efforts to gain voting rights among those concerned about government spending, rather than issuing advocacy. Was the last payment for. “
A spokesperson for the Mercers and Judicial Crisis Network did not return a request for comment. I was not able to ask Strake Jr. for comment.
Carrie Severino, a longtime ally of Leo and leader of the Judicial Crisis Network, tweeted in support of the decision.
“The draft opinion reported is thoughtful, academic and thorough. It is done by a majority of Roe and Casey, looking at the Constitution itself to determine if it includes the right to abortion. I will do the job that refused to do that, “Severino said. Said..
