FreedomWorks
FreedomWorks is a conservative and libertarian advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. FreedomWorks trains volunteers, assists in campaigns, and encourages them to mobilize, interacting with both fellow citizens and their political representatives. It was widely associated with the Tea Party movement[3][4][5][6] before aligning with Donald Trump.[7] The Koch brothers were once a source of the organization's funding.[6]
History[edit]
FreedomWorks originated from a conservative political group founded by the brothers David H. Koch and Charles Koch, and called Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE). In 2004 CSE split into Americans for Prosperity, led by President Nancy Pfotenhauer, and a remainder group which merged with Empower America and was renamed FreedomWorks, led by President and CEO Matt Kibbe.[8] Dick Armey, Jack Kemp, and C. Boyden Gray served as co-chairmen of the new organization with Bill Bennett focusing on school choice as a Senior Fellow.[9][10] Empower America had been founded in 1993 by Bennett, former Secretary of HUD Kemp, former Ambassador Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, and former Representative Vin Weber.[11] In December 2006, Steve Forbes joined the FreedomWorks board of directors.[12]
The FreedomWorks name was derived from Armey saying: Freedom works. Freedom is good policy and good politics."[13]
On August 14, 2009, after Armey's leadership of FreedomWorks became a problem to his employer, the lobbying and legal firm of DLA Piper, Armey was forced to resign from his job at DLA Piper. In 2010, DLA Piper chairman Francis Burch responded that the firm serves clients "who support enactment of effective health care reform this year and encourages responsible national debate."[14]
On November 30, 2012, Armey resigned as chairman of FreedomWorks. Armey stipulated that FreedomWorks was to immediately remove his name, image, or signature "from all its letters, print media, postings, web sites, videos, testimonials, endorsements, fundraising materials, and social media."[15] Armey claimed that the split was caused by President and CEO Matt Kibbe's use of FreedomWorks' resources to write a book, Hostile Takeover, which he personally profited from and which he asked Armey and the board to later acknowledge was written without significant resources from FreedomWorks; Kibbe alleged that the split was a result of competing visions for the direction of the organization.[16] The Associated Press reported that in September 2012, Armey agreed to resign by November 2012 in exchange for $8 million in consulting fees paid in annual $400,000 installments, funded by board member Richard J. Stephenson.[17][18]
Shortly following the split between FreedomWorks and Dick Armey, FreedomWorks again faced public controversy over its creation of a video featuring a giant panda-costumed intern pretending to perform cunnilingus upon another person wearing a Hillary Clinton mask.[19] Its video was reported to be intended for showing at a conservative conference featuring Glenn Beck.
FreedomWorks is an associate member of the Koch-funded State Policy Network, a U.S. national network of free-market oriented think tanks.[20] In 2009, Mother Jones listed FreedomWorks as a significant climate change denier.[21]
In March of 2023, FreedomWorks had to lay off 40% of its 50 staff, including its executive vice president, Noah Wall.[22]
Funding[edit]
According to John Broder of The New York Times, FreedomWorks has been supported by the oil industry.[30] According to the liberal advocacy group Common Cause, FreedomWorks has also received funding from Verizon and SBC (now AT&T).[60] Other FreedomWorks donors have included Richard J. Stephenson, Philip Morris and foundations controlled by the Scaife family, according to tax filings and other records.[61][62] FreedomWorks also receives funding through the sale of insurance policies through which policyholders automatically become members of FreedomWorks.[63] In 2012, FreedomWorks had revenue of $15 million, with nearly 60% coming from four donors.[64] In 2012, $12 million in donations from William S. Rose (via two of his companies) were scrutinized by some members of the media. Watchdog groups asked for investigations of the donations, alleging that the companies were created merely to hide the identity of contributors.[65][66]