Difference between revisions of "Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies"

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Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies
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Founded in 1982, the '''Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies''' calls itself a group of conservatives and libertarians dedicated to reforming the current legal order[1]. To that end it has set out to build up a network of attorneys to “exercise leadership in shaping national, state, and local policy”.[2]
 
 
Overview: Founded in 1982, the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies calls itself a group of conservatives and libertarians dedicated to reforming the current legal order[1]. To that end it has set out to build up a network of attorneys to “exercise leadership in shaping national, state, and local policy”.[2]
 
  
 
But its critics, such as People for the American Way, argue that the Society has taken federalism “to an extreme by seeking to block the ability of the federal government to enact and enforce laws protecting the environment, civil rights, workplace health and safety, and other areas”.[3]  
 
But its critics, such as People for the American Way, argue that the Society has taken federalism “to an extreme by seeking to block the ability of the federal government to enact and enforce laws protecting the environment, civil rights, workplace health and safety, and other areas”.[3]  
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*[[Earhart Foundation]]
 
*[[Earhart Foundation]]
 
*[[JM Foundation]]  
 
*[[JM Foundation]]  
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*[[John M. Olin Foundation]]
 +
*[[Charles G. Koch Foundation]]
 +
*[[Claude R. Lambe Foundation]]
 +
*[[Philip M McKenna Foundation]]
 +
*[[Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation]]
 +
*[[Sarah Scaife Foundation]]
 +
*[[Carthage Foundation]]
 +
*[[Donors Trust]]: $3,328,600 in 2014, $2,457,500 in 2013 <ref> Donors Trust, 990 Form, 2014 </ref><ref> Donors Trust, 990 Form, 2013 </ref>
  
John M. Olin Foundation, Inc
 
 
Charles G. Koch
 
 
Claude R. Lambe
 
 
Philip M McKenna
 
 
Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
 
 
Sarah Scaife Foundation
 
 
Carthage Foundation
 
 
 
==Connections to the Bush Administration==
 
==Connections to the Bush Administration==
 
   
 
   
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According to the American Press: “the society has been transformed into an unofficial placement office for the Bush administration. Nowhere are its members more prominent than at Energy.[7]”  
 
According to the American Press: “the society has been transformed into an unofficial placement office for the Bush administration. Nowhere are its members more prominent than at Energy.[7]”  
  
In 2001 the Washington Post reported how: “Three Cabinet secretaries are active supporters of the Federalist Society -- John D. Ashcroft at Justice, Gale A. Norton at Interior and Spencer Abraham at Energy. Federalists also hold top legal positions throughout the administration, including solicitor general and at least three slots in the White House counsel's office.  Only a few months into the Bush presidency, these and other Federalist Society members are making their influence felt in a number of controversial subjects[8].”  
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In 2001 the ''Washington Post'' reported how: “Three Cabinet secretaries are active supporters of the Federalist Society -- [[John D. Ashcroft]] at Justice, [[Gale A. Norton]] at Interior and [[Spencer Abraham]] at Energy. Federalists also hold top legal positions throughout the administration, including solicitor general and at least three slots in the White House counsel's office.  Only a few months into the Bush presidency, these and other Federalist Society members are making their influence felt in a number of controversial subjects[8].”  
  
 
Progressive organisations have watched the growing influence of the Federalist Society with alarm, especially its close ties to the Bush Administration. The Institute for Democracy Studies notes[9]:
 
Progressive organisations have watched the growing influence of the Federalist Society with alarm, especially its close ties to the Bush Administration. The Institute for Democracy Studies notes[9]:
  
“The Federalist Society's leaders include some of the most influential figures on the right, among them former Attorney General Edwin Meese III, former federal judge and Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, and former president of the Christian Coalition Donald Paul Hodel. Another key leader of the organization, former President Bush's White House counsel C. Boyden Gray, was cited by The Washington Post as a "possible attorney general in a George W. Bush administration."  
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“The Federalist Society's leaders include some of the most influential figures on the right, among them former Attorney General [[Edwin Meese III]], former federal judge and Supreme Court nominee [[Robert Bork]], and former president of the [[Christian Coalition]] [[Donald Paul Hodel]]. Another key leader of the organization, former President Bush's White House counsel [[C. Boyden Gray]], was cited by The ''Washington Post'' as a "possible attorney general in a George W. Bush administration."  
  
 
Several sitting Supreme Court justices have spoken under the auspices of the Society, and several leading judges on the federal bench serve in an advisory capacity to the Society's local chapters. Backed by several million dollars from right-wing foundations that have played a leading role in building the conservative movement, they are successfully shaping the direction of the challenge to a democratic jurisprudence.
 
Several sitting Supreme Court justices have spoken under the auspices of the Society, and several leading judges on the federal bench serve in an advisory capacity to the Society's local chapters. Backed by several million dollars from right-wing foundations that have played a leading role in building the conservative movement, they are successfully shaping the direction of the challenge to a democratic jurisprudence.
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People for the American Way adds: Early predictions of moderation proved wrong largely because observers failed to take into account a very important factor: President Bush’s reliance for policy and staffing decisions on members of key right-wing organizations, notably the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies.  
 
People for the American Way adds: Early predictions of moderation proved wrong largely because observers failed to take into account a very important factor: President Bush’s reliance for policy and staffing decisions on members of key right-wing organizations, notably the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies.  
  
The Washington Post noted that: “Bush, in announcing his plans to break a campaign pledge to regulate carbon dioxide, said he based his decision on "important new information" contained in a controversial and disputed Department of Energy report. That report had been requested by one of the founding members of the Federalist Society, David M. McIntosh, a former GOP representative from Indiana who lost a gubernatorial bid last year”[10].  
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The ''Washington Post'' noted that: “Bush, in announcing his plans to break a campaign pledge to regulate carbon dioxide, said he based his decision on "important new information" contained in a controversial and disputed Department of Energy report. That report had been requested by one of the founding members of the Federalist Society, [[David M. McIntosh]], a former GOP representative from Indiana who lost a gubernatorial bid last year”[10].  
  
People for the American Way have noted that “When right-wing leaders attacked the potential nomination of conservative Montana Governor Marc Racicot to be attorney general, it was a leading Federalist Society activist who wrote the memorandum that proved critical in torpedoing Racicot’s hopes. In the end, the post went instead to former Senator John Ashcroft, an extreme conservative and Society member. Today, many Society members are working in the White House counsel’s office, at the top levels of the Department of Justice and in other high administration posts.”.[11]
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People for the American Way have noted that “When right-wing leaders attacked the potential nomination of conservative Montana Governor [[Marc Racicot]] to be attorney general, it was a leading Federalist Society activist who wrote the memorandum that proved critical in torpedoing Racicot’s hopes. In the end, the post went instead to former Senator [[John Ashcroft]], an extreme conservative and Society member. Today, many Society members are working in the White House counsel’s office, at the top levels of the Department of Justice and in other high administration posts.”.[11]
  
 
Six of Bush’s first 11 nominees to the influential federal courts of appeals have been Society members and the following Bush appointments are Society members:[12]
 
Six of Bush’s first 11 nominees to the influential federal courts of appeals have been Society members and the following Bush appointments are Society members:[12]
  
Department of Justice
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=== Department of Justice ===
 
 
John Ashcroft, Attorney General;
 
 
 
Larry Thompson, Deputy Attorney General
 
  
Ted Olson, Solicitor General
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*[[John Ashcroft]] - Attorney General;
 +
*[[Larry Thompson]] - Deputy Attorney General
 +
*[[Ted Olson]] - Solicitor General
 +
*[[Viet Dinh]] Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy
 +
*[[Thomas L. Sansonetti]] - Assistant Attorney General for Environment and Natural Resources
 +
*[[Paul Clement]] - Principal Deputy Solicitor General
 +
*[[R. Ted Cruz]] - Associate Deputy Attorney General
 +
*[[Sarah V. Hart]] - Director, National Institute of Justice
  
Viet Dinh, Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy
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=== Office of White House Counsel ===
  
Thomas L. Sansonetti, Assistant Attorney General for Environment and Natural
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*[[Timothy Flanigan]] - Deputy Counsel
 +
*[[Brett Kavanaugh]] - Associate Counsel
 +
*[[Bradford Berenson]] - Associate Counsel
 +
*[[Noel Francisco]] - Assistant Counsel
  
Resources
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=== Department of Energy ===
  
Paul Clement, Principal Deputy Solicitor General
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*[[Spencer Abraham]] - Secretary
 +
*[[Lee Liberman Otis]] - General Counsel and a co-founder of one of the Society’s oldest law school chapters
  
R. Ted Cruz, Associate Deputy Attorney General
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===Department of the Interior===
  
Sarah V. Hart, Director, National Institute of Justice
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*[[Gale Norton]] - Secretary
  
Office of White House Counsel
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===Department of Agriculture===
  
Timothy Flanigan, Deputy Counsel
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*[[James R. Moseley]] - Deputy Secretary
 +
*[[William H. Lash III]] - Assistant Secretary for Market Access and Compliance
  
Brett Kavanaugh, Associate Counsel
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===Department of Education===
  
Bradford Berenson, Associate Counsel
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*[[Brian Jones]] - General Counsel
 +
*[[Gerald Reynolds]] - Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
  
Noel Francisco, Assistant Counsel
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===Department of Labour===
  
Department of Energy
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*[[Eugene Scalia]] - Solicitor of Labor
  
Spencer Abraham, Secretary
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===Department of Defense===
  
Lee Liberman Otis, General Counsel and a co-founder of one of the Society’s oldest law school chapters
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*[[Joseph E. Schmitz]] - Inspector General
  
Department of the Interior
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===Department of Health and Human Services===
  
Gale Norton, Secretary
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*[[Alex Azar III]] - General Counsel
  
Department of Agriculture
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===State Department===
  
James R. Moseley, Deputy Secretary
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*[[John Bolton|John R. Bolton]] - Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs
  
William H. Lash III, Assistant Secretary for Market Access and Compliance
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===General Services Administration===
  
Department of Education
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*[[Daniel Levinson]] - Inspector General
 
 
Brian Jones, General Counsel
 
 
 
Gerald Reynolds, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
 
 
 
Department of Labor
 
 
 
Eugene Scalia, Solicitor of Labor
 
 
 
Department of Defense
 
 
 
Joseph E. Schmitz, Inspector General
 
 
 
Department of Health and Human Services
 
 
 
Alex Azar III, General Counsel
 
 
 
State Department
 
 
 
John R. Bolton, Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs
 
 
 
General Services Administration
 
 
 
Daniel Levinson, Inspector General
 
  
 
==Principals==
 
==Principals==
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===Board of Directors===
 
===Board of Directors===
  
*Prof. [[Steven G. Calabresi]] - National co-chairman: ultra-conservative who served as a  special assistant to Reagan Attorney General Edwin Meese III and as a speechwriter for Vice President Dan Quayle.”.[13]
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*[[Steven G. Calabresi]] - National co-chairman: ultra-conservative who served as a  special assistant to Reagan Attorney General Edwin Meese III and as a speechwriter for Vice President Dan Quayle.”.[13]
*Hon. [[David M. McIntosh]] - National Co-Chairman: McIntosh was also a special assistant to Meese and special assistant and deputy legal counsel to Quayle. Frequent ally of Newt Gingrich after his 1994 election to the U.S. House of Representatives. His voting record was said to be “extremely conservative, exemplified by his July 28, 1995 vote to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing some sections of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.[14]
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*[[David M. McIntosh]] - National Co-Chairman: McIntosh was also a special assistant to Meese and special assistant and deputy legal counsel to Quayle. Frequent ally of Newt Gingrich after his 1994 election to the U.S. House of Representatives. His voting record was said to be “extremely conservative, exemplified by his July 28, 1995 vote to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing some sections of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.[14]
*Prof. [[Gary Lawson ]] - Director  
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*[[Gary Lawson ]] - Director  
*Mr. [[Eugene B. Meyer]] - Director  
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*[[Eugene B. Meyer]] - Director  
 
+
*[[T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr.]] - Counsellor
Hon. T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr.- Counsellor
+
*[[Brent O. Hatch]] - Treasurer
 
 
Mr. Brent O. Hatch  - Treasurer  
 
 
 
 
  
 
===Board of Visitors===
 
===Board of Visitors===
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Virtually all of the board members are said to be “well-known, right-wing legal and political leaders or otherwise public supporters of radically conservative views.”.[15]
 
Virtually all of the board members are said to be “well-known, right-wing legal and political leaders or otherwise public supporters of radically conservative views.”.[15]
  
Hon. Robert H. Bork Co-Chairman - In 1963, he “wrote a New Republic article opposing passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act in which he took the position that outlawing racial discrimination in public accommodations would infringe business owners’ rights.”.[16] He is a Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.[17]
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*[[Robert H. Bork Co-Chairman]] - In 1963, he “wrote a New Republic article opposing passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act in which he took the position that outlawing racial discrimination in public accommodations would infringe business owners’ rights.”.[16] He is a Fellow at the [[American Enterprise Institute]].[17]
 
+
*[[Orrin Hatch]] - Co-Chairman - the Republican United States Senator from Utah, currently serving his fifth term in office.
Hon. Orrin Hatch Co-Chairman - the Republican United States Senator from Utah, currently serving his fifth term in office.
+
*[[Lillian BeVier]]
 
+
*[[Wm. Bradford Reynolds]] - President Reagan’s controversial assistant attorney general for civil rights[18].  
Professor Lillian BeVier
+
*[[C. Boyden Gray]] - In 1997 The ''New Republic'' magazine said of Gray “So many different money trails lead to, by and through Gray it is bewildering”. According to the Centre for Public Integrity: “There is Gray the lobbyist, Gray the lawyer, Gray the former White House counsel, Gray the chairman of [[Citizens for a Sound Economy]] (CSE), Gray the head of the [[Alliance for Reasonable Regulation]], Gray the co-chair of the [[Air Quality Standards Coalition]], Gray the board member of [[Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies]], Gray the major soft money contributor to the Republican Party, Gray the friend of judges and justices (many of whom owe their jobs to him), to name but a few[19].”[20]
Hon. Wm. Bradford Reynolds - President Reagan’s controversial assistant attorney general for civil rights[18].  
+
*[[Lois Haight Herrington]]
 
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*[[Donald Paul Hodel]] - former [[Christian Coalition]] leader
Hon. C. Boyden Gray - In 1997 The New Republic magazine said of Gray “So many different money trails lead to, by and through Gray it is bewildering”. According to the Centre for Public Integrity: “There is Gray the lobbyist, Gray the lawyer, Gray the former White House counsel, Gray the chairman of Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE), Gray the head of the Alliance for Reasonable Regulation, Gray the co-chair of the Air Quality Standards Coalition, Gray the board member of Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, Gray the major soft money contributor to the Republican Party, Gray the friend of judges and justices (many of whom owe their jobs to him), to name but a few[19].”
+
*[[Frank Keating, II]]
 
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*[[Harvey Koch]]
According to PR Watch, Gray is also the following: Chairman, Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE); Chairman, Alliance for Reasonable Regulation; Chairman, Environmental Resources Trust, Inc. (1996); Co-Chairman, Air Quality Standards Coalition; Co-Chairman, Atlantic Council of the United States; Trustee, The Campaign Finance Institute; Trustee, Friends of Choice in Public Schools; Trustee, George C. Marshall Foundation; Trustee, Reason Foundation; Trustee, Center for the Study of the Presidency; Director, Center for Global Development; Director, Get America Working; Director, Progress and Freedom Foundation (PFF) (2000); Advisor, American Council for Renewable Energy; Advisor, National Conservative Campaign Fund; Advisor, National Legal Center for the Public Interest; Advisor, New Uses Council; Advisor, World Agricultural Forum; Scholar, American Enterprise Institute (1988-89); Sponsor, Committee for the Republic; Steering Committee, Energy Future Coalition; Senior Review Committee Member, Presidential Appointee Initiative (PAI) at the Brookings Institute; Member, Committee for Justice; Member, Energy Coalition Foundation; Participant, Enterprise for the Environment, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).[20]
+
*[[Robert A. Levy]]
 
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*[[Edwin Meese, III]]
Hon. Lois Haight Herrington
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*[[Andrew J. Redleaf]]
Hon. Donald Paul Hodel - former Christian Coalition leader
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*[[Gerald Walpin]]
 
 
Hon. Frank Keating, II
 
Mr. Harvey Koch
 
Mr. Robert A. Levy
 
 
 
Hon. Edwin Meese, III
 
 
 
Mr. Andrew J. Redleaf
 
 
 
Mr. Gerald Walpin
 
 
 
 
  
 
===Business Advisory Council===
 
===Business Advisory Council===
 
   
 
   
 
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*[[C. Boyden Gray]] - Chairman, Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering
Hon. C. Boyden Gray - Chairman, Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering
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*[[John Stewart Bryan, III]] - Chairman, President and C.E.O. [[Media General Cable]]
 
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*[[Joseph Cannon]] - C.E.O. and Chairman of the Board [[Geneva Steel]]
John Stewart Bryan, III - Chairman, President and C.E.O. Media General Cable  
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*[[R. Crosby Kemper, III]] - President, United Missouri Bank,  
 
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*[[John G. Medlin, Jr]] – Chairman of the Board, [[Wachovia Corporation]]
Joseph Cannon - C.E.O. and Chairman of the Board Geneva Steel
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*[[Nicholas John Stathis]] - Vice President, Orpheon, Inc.
 
+
*[[Paul S. Stevens]] - General Counsel, [[Investment Company Institute]]
R. Crosby Kemper, III - President, United Missouri Bank,  
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*[[Robert L. Strickland]] - Chairman, Lowe's Companies, Inc[21].
 
 
John G. Medlin, Jr – Chairman of the Board, Wachovia Corporation  
 
 
 
Nicholas John Stathis - Vice President, Orpheon, Inc.
 
 
 
Paul S. Stevens - General Counsel, Investment Company Institute  
 
 
 
Robert L. Strickland - Chairman, Lowe's Companies, Inc[21].
 
  
 
==NGOwatch==  
 
==NGOwatch==  
  
In June 2003, the American Enterprise Institute and Federalist Society launched ngowatch to track the growing power of NGOs. See AEI. This is not an isolated event. With its drive against the power of federal government, it is hardly surprising that the Society also worries about the power on international institutions, treaties and NGOs. Christopher Horner from the CEI has written an anti-Kyoto pamphlet for the Federalist Society in which he argues that “The Kyoto Protocol, and its predecessor the Rio Treaty, offer an excellent joint example of the distorted modern application of the Treaty Power[22].”
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In June 2003, the [[American Enterprise Institute]] and [[Federalist Society]] launched [[NGOwatch]] to track the growing power of NGOs. This is not an isolated event. With its drive against the power of federal government, it is hardly surprising that the Society also worries about the power on international institutions, treaties and NGOs. [[Christopher Horner]] from the [[CEI]] has written an anti-Kyoto pamphlet for the [[Federalist Society]] in which he argues that “The [[Kyoto Protocol]], and its predecessor the Rio Treaty, offer an excellent joint example of the distorted modern application of the Treaty Power[22].”
  
 
==Climate==
 
==Climate==
  
Speaking at the Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention in November 2003, Under Secretary for Global Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Paul Dobriansky also attacked the “flawed” Kyoto Protocol:
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Speaking at the Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention in November 2003, Under Secretary for Global Affairs, U.S. Department of State, [[Paula Dobriansky]] also attacked the "flawed" Kyoto Protocol:
 
 
“There are many flaws to Kyoto, but one of the more troubling is that parties that have no real obligations under the treaty would be allowed to participate in the
 
  
enforcement mechanism. This is quite unusual for a treaty and clearly has troubling ramifications as a precedent for future agreements, even in other areas.  
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:"There are many flaws to Kyoto, but one of the more troubling is that parties that have no real obligations under the treaty would be allowed to participate in the enforcement mechanism. This is quite unusual for a treaty and clearly has troubling ramifications as a precedent for future agreements, even in other areas. The Protocol would also have taken a severe economic toll on America, and its timelines and emission caps are arbitrary, not based on science”[23]
  
The Protocol would also have taken a severe economic toll on America, and its timelines and emission caps are arbitrary, not based on science”[23]
+
==Lobbying firms==
 +
*[[Weber Shandwick]]<ref> [http://www.appc.org.uk/members/register/register-profile/?company=Weber%20Shandwick Register 1st September 2014 - 30th November 2014] ''APPC'', accessed 29 January 2015 </ref>
  
 
==Contact==
 
==Contact==
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==References==
 
==References==
 +
<references/>
 +
# http://www.fed-soc.org/ourbackground.htm
 +
# R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p26
 +
# R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p17
 +
# http://www.fed-soc.org/Press/FAQs.htm
 +
# http://www.mediatransparency.org/search_results/info_on_any_recipient.php?112
 +
# R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p23
 +
# J. Barnett (2001) “Federalist Society Ideology Fuels Energy Department”, Newhouse News Service, 19 April,
 +
# T. B. Edsall (2001) “Federalist Society Becomes a Force in Washington - Conservative Group's Members Take Key Roles in Bush White House and Help Shape Policy and Judicial Appointments”, Washington Post, 18 April. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A30099-2001Apr17?language=printer
 +
# Institute for Democracy Studies (2001) The Federalist Society And The Challenge To A Democratic Jurisprudence,  New York; January
 +
# T. B. Edsall (2001) “Federalist Society Becomes a Force in Washington - Conservative Group's Members Take Key Roles in Bush White House and Help Shape Policy and Judicial Appointments”, Washington Post, 18 April; http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A30099-2001Apr17?language=printer
 +
# R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p1
 +
# R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p15, 30-31
 +
# R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p4
 +
# R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p4-5
 +
# R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p4
 +
# R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p9
 +
# http://www.aei.org/scholars/scholarID.6,filter./scholar.asp
 +
# R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p5
 +
# http://www.mediatransparency.org/people/c_boyden_gray.htm
 +
# http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=C._Boyden_Gray
 +
# http://www.fed-soc.org/businessadvisorycouncil.htm
 +
# C. C. Horner & T. Dunman (2002) Modern Developments in the Treaty Process: Recent Developments Regarding Advice and Consent, Withdrawal, and the Growing Role of  Nongovernmental Organizations  in International Agreements With Particular Examination of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, p51
 +
# P. Dobriansky (2003) Address to the 2003 National Lawyers Convention, 15 November
  
*[1] http://www.fed-soc.org/ourbackground.htm
+
[[Category:GM]]
*[2] R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p26
 
*[3] R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p17
 
*[4] http://www.fed-soc.org/Press/FAQs.htm
 
*[5] http://www.mediatransparency.org/search_results/info_on_any_recipient.php?112
 
*[6] R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p23
 
*[7] J. Barnett (2001) “Federalist Society Ideology Fuels Energy Department”, Newhouse News Service, 19 April,
 
*[8] T. B. Edsall (2001) “Federalist Society Becomes a Force in Washington - Conservative Group's Members Take Key Roles in Bush White House and Help Shape Policy and Judicial Appointments”, Washington Post, 18 April. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A30099-2001Apr17?language=printer
 
*[9] Institute for Democracy Studies (2001) The Federalist Society And The Challenge To A Democratic Jurisprudence,  New York; January
 
*[10] T. B. Edsall (2001) “Federalist Society Becomes a Force in Washington - Conservative Group's Members Take Key Roles in Bush White House and Help Shape Policy and Judicial Appointments”, Washington Post, 18 April; http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A30099-2001Apr17?language=printer
 
*[11] R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p1
 
*[12] R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p15, 30-31
 
*[13] R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p4
 
*[14] R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p4-5
 
*[15] R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p4
 
*[16] R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p9
 
*[17] http://www.aei.org/scholars/scholarID.6,filter./scholar.asp
 
*[18] R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p5
 
*[19] http://www.mediatransparency.org/people/c_boyden_gray.htm
 
*[20] http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=C._Boyden_Gray
 
*[21] http://www.fed-soc.org/businessadvisorycouncil.htm
 
*[22] C. C. Horner & T. Dunman (2002) Modern Developments in the Treaty Process: Recent Developments Regarding Advice and Consent, Withdrawal, and the Growing Role of  Nongovernmental Organizations  in International Agreements With Particular Examination of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, p51
 
*[23] P. Dobriansky (2003) Address to the 2003 National Lawyers Convention, 15 November
 

Latest revision as of 10:04, 14 October 2016

Founded in 1982, the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies calls itself a group of conservatives and libertarians dedicated to reforming the current legal order[1]. To that end it has set out to build up a network of attorneys to “exercise leadership in shaping national, state, and local policy”.[2]

But its critics, such as People for the American Way, argue that the Society has taken federalism “to an extreme by seeking to block the ability of the federal government to enact and enforce laws protecting the environment, civil rights, workplace health and safety, and other areas”.[3]

Funding

According to the Federalist Society “90% of the funding comes from individuals and foundations; the other 10% comes from corporations[4].

Between 1985 and 2002, the Federalist Society received $8,918,000 in 122 grants from the following conservative organisations[5]:

Connections to the Bush Administration

The Society has long connections to the Republican Administration. Its members “influenced judicial nomination decisions in the Reagan and the elder Bush’s administrations.”[6]

According to the American Press: “the society has been transformed into an unofficial placement office for the Bush administration. Nowhere are its members more prominent than at Energy.[7]”

In 2001 the Washington Post reported how: “Three Cabinet secretaries are active supporters of the Federalist Society -- John D. Ashcroft at Justice, Gale A. Norton at Interior and Spencer Abraham at Energy. Federalists also hold top legal positions throughout the administration, including solicitor general and at least three slots in the White House counsel's office. Only a few months into the Bush presidency, these and other Federalist Society members are making their influence felt in a number of controversial subjects[8].”

Progressive organisations have watched the growing influence of the Federalist Society with alarm, especially its close ties to the Bush Administration. The Institute for Democracy Studies notes[9]:

“The Federalist Society's leaders include some of the most influential figures on the right, among them former Attorney General Edwin Meese III, former federal judge and Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, and former president of the Christian Coalition Donald Paul Hodel. Another key leader of the organization, former President Bush's White House counsel C. Boyden Gray, was cited by The Washington Post as a "possible attorney general in a George W. Bush administration."

Several sitting Supreme Court justices have spoken under the auspices of the Society, and several leading judges on the federal bench serve in an advisory capacity to the Society's local chapters. Backed by several million dollars from right-wing foundations that have played a leading role in building the conservative movement, they are successfully shaping the direction of the challenge to a democratic jurisprudence.

People for the American Way adds: Early predictions of moderation proved wrong largely because observers failed to take into account a very important factor: President Bush’s reliance for policy and staffing decisions on members of key right-wing organizations, notably the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies.

The Washington Post noted that: “Bush, in announcing his plans to break a campaign pledge to regulate carbon dioxide, said he based his decision on "important new information" contained in a controversial and disputed Department of Energy report. That report had been requested by one of the founding members of the Federalist Society, David M. McIntosh, a former GOP representative from Indiana who lost a gubernatorial bid last year”[10].

People for the American Way have noted that “When right-wing leaders attacked the potential nomination of conservative Montana Governor Marc Racicot to be attorney general, it was a leading Federalist Society activist who wrote the memorandum that proved critical in torpedoing Racicot’s hopes. In the end, the post went instead to former Senator John Ashcroft, an extreme conservative and Society member. Today, many Society members are working in the White House counsel’s office, at the top levels of the Department of Justice and in other high administration posts.”.[11]

Six of Bush’s first 11 nominees to the influential federal courts of appeals have been Society members and the following Bush appointments are Society members:[12]

Department of Justice

Office of White House Counsel

Department of Energy

Department of the Interior

Department of Agriculture

Department of Education

Department of Labour

Department of Defense

Department of Health and Human Services

State Department

  • John R. Bolton - Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs

General Services Administration

Principals

Board of Directors

  • Steven G. Calabresi - National co-chairman: ultra-conservative who served as a special assistant to Reagan Attorney General Edwin Meese III and as a speechwriter for Vice President Dan Quayle.”.[13]
  • David M. McIntosh - National Co-Chairman: McIntosh was also a special assistant to Meese and special assistant and deputy legal counsel to Quayle. Frequent ally of Newt Gingrich after his 1994 election to the U.S. House of Representatives. His voting record was said to be “extremely conservative, exemplified by his July 28, 1995 vote to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing some sections of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.[14]
  • Gary Lawson - Director
  • Eugene B. Meyer - Director
  • T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. - Counsellor
  • Brent O. Hatch - Treasurer

Board of Visitors

(formerly Board of Trustees)

Virtually all of the board members are said to be “well-known, right-wing legal and political leaders or otherwise public supporters of radically conservative views.”.[15]

Business Advisory Council

NGOwatch

In June 2003, the American Enterprise Institute and Federalist Society launched NGOwatch to track the growing power of NGOs. This is not an isolated event. With its drive against the power of federal government, it is hardly surprising that the Society also worries about the power on international institutions, treaties and NGOs. Christopher Horner from the CEI has written an anti-Kyoto pamphlet for the Federalist Society in which he argues that “The Kyoto Protocol, and its predecessor the Rio Treaty, offer an excellent joint example of the distorted modern application of the Treaty Power[22].”

Climate

Speaking at the Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention in November 2003, Under Secretary for Global Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Paula Dobriansky also attacked the "flawed" Kyoto Protocol:

"There are many flaws to Kyoto, but one of the more troubling is that parties that have no real obligations under the treaty would be allowed to participate in the enforcement mechanism. This is quite unusual for a treaty and clearly has troubling ramifications as a precedent for future agreements, even in other areas. The Protocol would also have taken a severe economic toll on America, and its timelines and emission caps are arbitrary, not based on science”[23]

Lobbying firms

Contact

  • Address: 1015 18th Street, NW, Suite 425, Washington, D.C. 20036

References

  1. Donors Trust, 990 Form, 2014
  2. Donors Trust, 990 Form, 2013
  3. Register 1st September 2014 - 30th November 2014 APPC, accessed 29 January 2015
  1. http://www.fed-soc.org/ourbackground.htm
  2. R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p26
  3. R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p17
  4. http://www.fed-soc.org/Press/FAQs.htm
  5. http://www.mediatransparency.org/search_results/info_on_any_recipient.php?112
  6. R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p23
  7. J. Barnett (2001) “Federalist Society Ideology Fuels Energy Department”, Newhouse News Service, 19 April,
  8. T. B. Edsall (2001) “Federalist Society Becomes a Force in Washington - Conservative Group's Members Take Key Roles in Bush White House and Help Shape Policy and Judicial Appointments”, Washington Post, 18 April. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A30099-2001Apr17?language=printer
  9. Institute for Democracy Studies (2001) The Federalist Society And The Challenge To A Democratic Jurisprudence, New York; January
  10. T. B. Edsall (2001) “Federalist Society Becomes a Force in Washington - Conservative Group's Members Take Key Roles in Bush White House and Help Shape Policy and Judicial Appointments”, Washington Post, 18 April; http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A30099-2001Apr17?language=printer
  11. R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p1
  12. R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p15, 30-31
  13. R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p4
  14. R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p4-5
  15. R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p4
  16. R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p9
  17. http://www.aei.org/scholars/scholarID.6,filter./scholar.asp
  18. R. G. Neas (2001) The Federalist Society From Obscurity to Power - The Right-Wing Lawyers Who Are Shaping The Bush Administration’s Decisions On Legal Policies and Judicial Nominations, People for the American Way, p5
  19. http://www.mediatransparency.org/people/c_boyden_gray.htm
  20. http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=C._Boyden_Gray
  21. http://www.fed-soc.org/businessadvisorycouncil.htm
  22. C. C. Horner & T. Dunman (2002) Modern Developments in the Treaty Process: Recent Developments Regarding Advice and Consent, Withdrawal, and the Growing Role of Nongovernmental Organizations in International Agreements With Particular Examination of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, p51
  23. P. Dobriansky (2003) Address to the 2003 National Lawyers Convention, 15 November