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America First Policies
FoundedJanuary 27, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-01-27)
81-5137380
Legal status501(c)(4)
Revenue (2019)
$30,895,344[1]
Expenses (2019)$14,235,607[1]
Employees18[1] (in 2019)
Websitewww.americafirstpolicies.org

America First Policies is an organization created following the inauguration of Donald Trump in 2017 to promote the America First policy agenda of his administration.[2][3] It was founded by Trump campaign people including Nick Ayers, Rick Gates, and Brad Parscale.

History

America First Policies was founded by several people, including Nick Ayers, a Republican consultant who is regarded as Mike Pence's top political adviser;[4] Rick Gates; and Brad Parscale.[5]

In 2017, Brian O. Walsh was hired to oversee the group's day-to-day operations after the group experienced high staff turnover.[6][7]

Trump presidential campaign donor Rebekah Mercer disagreed with Parscale about the direction of America First Policies. According to investigative journalist Vicky Ward, Mercer wanted America First Policies' data engine to be Cambridge Analytica, which would have effectively given her organizational control and potentially influence over the Republican Party. According to Ward, if Mercer had control over the organization's database and the money, Mercer could have theoretically led the organization to sway the president's supporters against the president.[8] Parscale aggressively sought to establish himself as leader of the group and commented in an early meeting that although he meant "no disrespect" to the Mercer family, the focus of America First Policies ought to be on Donald Trump and his political movement, rather than on the Mercers.[9][10]

In June 2017, Republican Senator Dean Heller was targeted by the America First Policy Institute with an advertising campaign over his opposition to the Obamacare repeal bill. Heller was considered to be vulnerable in the 2018 election, which he ultimately lost to Democratic challenger Jacky Rosen.[11]

In May 2018, a CNN review of his Twitter account found that John Loudon, a former Missouri State Senator who briefly served as a policy advisor for America First Policies,[12] had used inflammatory and derogatory language against women, Muslims, and Democrats.[13]

In June 2018, Juan Pablo Andrade, a policy advisor for America First Policies and America First Action PAC, was fired from both groups after a video surfaced of him praising Nazis.[14]

After its founding, America First Policies sought but failed to receive seed funding from American heiress and Republican donor Rebekah Mercer.[15]

In May 2018, MapLight reported that CVS Health, Dow Chemical, and the Southern Company had donated a combined $1.6 million to America First Policies.[16][17] After MapLight's report was published, CVS Health and Dow Chemical announced that they would not contribute more money to America First Policies, citing racist comments by the organization's staff.[17] In March 2018, Carl Higbie had become the director of advocacy for America First Policies. He resigned from his position in June 2018 after CVS Health and Dow Chemical announced they would no longer contribute to the group in part due to Higbie's past comments.[18][19]

America First Action Super PAC

America First Action
FoundedApril 12, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-04-12)
TypeSuper PAC
82-1167449
Legal status527 organization
Linda McMahon
Brian O. Walsh
Websitewww.a1apac.org

In the 2016 and 2018 elections, four Trump-related Super PACs received donations from 38 people who gave over $500,000 each. To consolidate these efforts, America First Action was created for 2020. It is the only Trump-related group permitted to collect unlimited donations in 2020. However, as of August 2020, only six of the previous 38 top donors contributed to America First.[20]

The legally separate America First Action (as opposed to "Policies") Super PAC serves a similar function of promoting Trump's policies under the "America First" theme, but due to its legal status may expressly advocate for the election or defeat of particular candidates (rather than only advocating for policies), and must disclose its donors. Some staff members work for both organizations, such as the chair, president, and communications director, and the two organizations share space and equipment.[1]

In the 2018 midterm election cycle, the Super PAC spent $29 million.[21] As of the end of March 2020, it had reported spending $9 million during the 2020 election cycle.[22]

In 2019, $910,000 of America First Action's spending went to a company owned by Parscale and his wife.[23][24]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". American First Policies Inc. Internal Revenue Service. December 31, 2019.
  2. ^ Zarroli, Jim (January 31, 2017). "Trump Political Advisers Now Raising Money For His 'America First' Agenda". NPR. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  3. ^ Bykowicz, Julie (January 30, 2017). "Trump advisers start 'America First Policies' nonprofit". Associated Press News. Associated Press. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  4. ^ Thrush, Glenn; Martin, Jonathan (June 27, 2017). "On Senate Health Bill, Trump Falters in the Closer's Role". The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  5. ^ Nowlin, Sanford. "After Ushering the Trump Circus Into The White House, Brad Parscale Is Turning His Megaphone on San Antonio".
  6. ^ Isenstadt, Alex; Goldmacher, Shane (April 18, 2017). "Pro-Trump outside group taps veteran GOP strategist for day-to-day operations". POLITICO. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  7. ^ Balcerzak, Ashley (18 February 2019). "Inside Donald Trump's army of super PACs and MAGA nonprofits". Public Radio International. The Center for Public Integrity. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  8. ^ Ward, Vicky (March 17, 2017). "The Blow-It-All-Up Billionaires". HuffPost. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  9. ^ Goldmacher, Shane (19 December 2016). "Trump advisers spar over new political arm". Politico. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  10. ^ Goldmacher, Shane (13 March 2017). "Trump's political group plagued by power struggle". Politico. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  11. ^ Nussbaum, Matthew; Isenstadt, Alex (June 23, 2017). "Pro-Trump group to target GOP Sen. Heller over health care bill". Politico. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  12. ^ Gardner, Amy; Crites, Alice (July 22, 2019). "Secret donors and Trump allies: Inside the operation to push noncitizen voting laws in Florida and other states". Washington Post. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  13. ^ McDermott, Nathan; Kaczynski, Andrew; Massie, Chris (May 21, 2018). "Policy adviser for Trump-linked group called Obama 'Islamchurian candidate,' joked about 'crack whore Dem voter'". CNN. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  14. ^ Kaczynski, Andrew (14 June 2018). "Adviser under fire for pro-Nazi comments 'let go' from pro-Trump groups". CNN. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  15. ^ "Is Katrina Pierson Actually Doing Anything? | Washingtonian (DC)". Washingtonian. 2017-03-07. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  16. ^ "Southern Co., CVS, Dow Chemical Funding Trump Dark Money Group Tied to Racist, Anti-Semitic Views". maplight.org. Retrieved 2018-06-02.
  17. ^ a b Andrew Kaczynski; Chris Massie; Nathan McDermott. "CVS Health and Dow Chemical will no longer donate to pro-Trump advocacy group". CNN. Retrieved 2018-06-02.
  18. ^ Kaczynski, Andrew; Massie, Christopher (8 June 2018). "Carl Higbie, who left Trump administration over racist comments, resigns from Trump-aligned group". CNN. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  19. ^ Cummings, William (May 1, 2018). "Ex-Trump official Carl Higbie defends racist remarks that led to his resignation". USA TODAY. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  20. ^ Thrush, Glenn; Ruiz, Rebecca R.; Yourish, Karen (2020-08-16). "Trump's Policies Are a Boon to the Super Rich. So Where Are All the Seven-Figure Checks?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
  21. ^ "Organizations Disclosing Donations to America First Action, 2018 | OpenSecrets". www.opensecrets.org. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  22. ^ "Organizations Disclosing Donations to America First Action, 2020 | OpenSecrets". www.opensecrets.org. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  23. ^ Ward, Vicky (30 August 2019). "Pro-Trump super PAC paid thousands to firm owned by Trump's campaign manager | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  24. ^ "Trump PAC paid $$$$ to firm owned by campaign manager's wife". The Mercury News. 2019-08-30. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
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