| Formation | 2011; 14 years ago (2011) |
|---|---|
| Type | 501(c)3 organization |
| 20-2466871 | |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
Region served | United States |
Key people | Leonard Leo |
| Affiliations | Concord Fund CRC Advisors |
Formerly called | Judicial Education Project |
The 85 Fund, also known as theHonest Elections Project, and formerly known as theJudicial Education Project,[1][2] is a501(c)(3) organization based in Washington D.C. It is among a network ofconservative organizations associated withLeonard Leo, a longtime prominent figure in theFederalist Society, that are funded mostly byanonymous donors. The 85 Fund had revenue of over $65 million in 2020 and, with theConcord Fund, acts as a funding hub for other organizations in the Leo network.[3][4]
As the Honest Elections Project, it participated in lawsuits during the2020 United States presidential election and ran advertisements againstmail-in voting.[5][6][1][7] It is a proponent of theindependent state legislature theory that posits state legislatures have sole authority to establish and enforce state election laws and rules.[8][9] Leo has said that the fund-raising prowess ofArabella Advisors, a liberal consulting firm, was an inspiration for the 85 Fund to serve a similar function on the right.[2]
The secretary of The 85 Fund is Carrie Severino, who is the president of theConcord Fund.[10] Both funds are closely connected toLeonard Leo, the chairman ofCRC Advisors and former vice president of theFederalist Society.[2][11][5][10][12] The group's 2017 tax return listed a payment of $675,000 to theBH Group, an employer of Leo.[1][13] Neil Corkery formerly served as president of the group.[14]
Between 2012 and 2017, the group raised $46 million.[15] In 2018, more than 99% of the group's funding came from a single $7.8 million donation fromDonors Trust, a donor-advised fund.[1][16] In 2020, The 85 Fund received $20 million in donations from Donors Trust.[10]
Leo is a powerful figure in fund-raising and expertise for the American conservative movement.[2] He has said that the 85 Fund was inspired by the fund-raising ofArabella Advisors, a liberal consulting firm that advises donors.[2]
Politico reported in August 2023 thatAttorney General for the District of ColumbiaBrian Schwalb was investigating Leo and his network of nonprofit groups. Schwalb's office did not confirm or deny the existence of a probe.[17]
The group donated $300,000 to theIndependent Women's Forum, a conservative nonprofit organization.[13]
In 2011 and 2012, Leonard Leo arranged for Liberty Consulting, a firm owned byGinni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court justiceClarence Thomas, to be paid $80,000 byKellyanne Conway and her firm The Polling Company, billed to the Judicial Education Project. Leo directed Conway not to mention Ginni Thomas in the paperwork. Leo toldThe Washington Post, "As an advisor to JEP I have long been supportive of its opinion research relating to limited government, and The Polling Company, along with Ginni Thomas's help, has been an invaluable resource for gauging public attitudes." He also said "Knowing how disrespectful, malicious and gossipy people can be, I have always tried to protect the privacy of Justice Thomas and Ginni."[18]
In 2020, The 85 Fund provided $750,000 in funding to theMercatus Center, a think tank affiliated withGeorge Mason University.[10]
In 2020, The 85 Fund donated $1 million to the Accountability and Civics Trust Project, formerly run byMatthew Whitaker.[10][19] The Accountability and Civics Trust Project filed a complaint to the Office of Special Council to investigateJennifer Granholm, the then currentUnited States Secretary of Energy.[10]
In 2020, The 85 Fund donated $2 million to theGovernment Accountability Institute, a group founded by former White House strategistSteve Bannon and investigatorPeter Schweizer and chaired byRebekah Mercer.[10]
In September 2024, Leo wrote to recipients of 85 Fund grants to say that he was conducting a "comprehensive review" to determine whether recipients are being assertive enough to "operationalize or weaponize the conservative vision" to "crush liberal dominance at the choke points of influence and power in our society."[20]
In April 2020, the Honest Elections Project (HEP) announced it was launching a week-long $250,000 digital and television ad campaign on Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN againstmail-in voting.[1][7]
Lawyers contracted by HEP sent letters to the secretaries of state inColorado,Florida, andMichigan to lobby for purges of voter rolls in these states.[1]The Guardian reported that these letters used "misleading data to accuse jurisdictions of having bloated voter rolls" and threatened legal action.[1] HEP filed legal briefs in favor of voting restrictions inNevada,Virginia,Texas, andMinnesota.[1][21]
In 2020, The 85 Fund provided $70,000 in funding to HEP.[10]
In September 2020, HEP was involved in legal action concerning whether mail-in ballots that were postmarked before the election but arrived up to 14 days after it should be counted;[6] the suit was successful.[5][22]
HEP concluded that there was no widespread fraud in the2020 United States presidential election and did not participate in any litigation to try to challenge or overturn the election results.[5] HEP issued a statement criticizing the2021 United States Capitol attack that occurred on January 6, saying: "The violent insurrection at the Capitol was a heinous attack against democracy, the rule of law, and the election system HEP was created to defend."[5]
In May 2021, HEP lobbied against H.R. 1, also known as theFor the People Act.[23] As of 2021, the executive director of HEP was Jason Snead.[24]
HEP is a proponent of theindependent state legislature theory that posits state legislatures have sole authority to establish and enforce state election laws and rules, without judicial or executive review. It has argued the doctrine inamicus briefs to theUnited States Supreme Court, which in June 2022 decided to hear a case brought by North Carolina Republicans during its next session beginning in October 2022. Critics of the doctrine said it might allow state legislatures controlled by one party, commonly made possible throughgerrymandering, to decide the outcome of federal elections against the will of the majority of voters.[8][9]
HEP has been described as analias of the Judicial Education Project[5][1] and the 85 Fund.[1][9][3]
HEP has led advocacy efforts againstranked choice voting.[25][26]
HEP is a member of the advisory board ofProject 2025,[27] a collection ofconservative andright-wing policy proposals fromthe Heritage Foundation to reshape theUnited States federal government and consolidateexecutive power should theRepublican nominee win the2024 presidential election.[28]
