(This post is from our new blog: Unofficial Sources.)
Concerned Women for America, an organization that hosted an anti-gay marriage rally outside the Supreme Court this morning, has received the great majority of its funding in recent years from Freedom Partners, the “secret bank” of Charles and David Koch.
Between November 2, 2011 and October 31, 2012, ahead of the presidential election, Freedom Partners gave over $8.1 million to the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, the organization’s 501(c)(4) arm. During approximately the same period, CWALAC brought in $8.7 million in total revenue. (In 2013 CWALAC continued to receive funding from Freedom Partners, though significantly less. Records after 2013 are not yet available.)
CWA’s mission is to “promote Biblical values among all citizens.” The protest today was held as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that could extend same-sex marriage rights nationwide.
“God-designed marriage is a symbol of Christ and the Church,” said CWA president Penny Nance, according to an attendee of the event. Last year, CWA’s Alison Howard led a protest and warned, “It is far past the time that we reject the lie that homosexuality and redefining marriage has no consequences.”
The Koch brothers have been celebrated by some in the media as staunch “libertarians” who support gay rights. But the Koch’s verbal commitment to gay rights appears rather weak given their continued backing of leading anti-gay groups.
Photo: JP Duffy / Twitter
IT’S EVEN WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT.
What we’re seeing right now from Donald Trump is a full-on authoritarian takeover of the U.S. government.
This is not hyperbole.
Court orders are being ignored. MAGA loyalists have been put in charge of the military and federal law enforcement agencies. The Department of Government Efficiency has stripped Congress of its power of the purse. News outlets that challenge Trump have been banished or put under investigation.
Yet far too many are still covering Trump’s assault on democracy like politics as usual, with flattering headlines describing Trump as “unconventional,” “testing the boundaries,” and “aggressively flexing power.”
The Intercept has long covered authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world. We understand the challenge we face in Trump and the vital importance of press freedom in defending democracy.
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IT’S BEEN A DEVASTATING year for journalism — the worst in modern U.S. history.
We have a president with utter contempt for truth aggressively using the government’s full powers to dismantle the free press. Corporate news outlets have cowered, becoming accessories in Trump’s project to create a post-truth America. Right-wing billionaires have pounced, buying up media organizations and rebuilding the information environment to their liking.
In this most perilous moment for democracy, The Intercept is fighting back. But to do so effectively, we need to grow.
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I’M BEN MUESSIG, The Intercept’s editor-in-chief. It’s been a devastating year for journalism — the worst in modern U.S. history.
We have a president with utter contempt for truth aggressively using the government’s full powers to dismantle the free press. Corporate news outlets have cowered, becoming accessories in Trump’s project to create a post-truth America. Right-wing billionaires have pounced, buying up media organizations and rebuilding the information environment to their liking.
In this most perilous moment for democracy, The Intercept is fighting back. But to do so effectively, we need to grow.
That’s where you come in. Will you help us expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026?
We’re independent of corporate interests. Will you help us?
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