Exclusive: An organization affiliated with top conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo spent $216 million on campaigns in one year, according to tax returns obtained by Fox News Digital.
The nonprofit organization “Marble Freedom Trust,” of which Leo is chairman, has come under scrutiny from the media and Democratic politicians such as Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse because of Leo’s involvement in conservative judicial fields. is subject to.
The group provided significant funding to three other organizations during the 2022 fiscal year.
A spokesperson for the Marble Freedom Trust told Fox News Digital that “liberals control dark money in politics, with more than $1 billion a year coming from the foreign-owned Arabella Advisors Network.” he said. “In the face of such lopsided spending, the Marble Freedom Trust is in a tough spot.” It is working to level the playing field so conservatives can shatter the liberal advantage. ”
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Leonard Leo speaks at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast on April 23, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
According to the Marble Freedom Trust: Latest tax formsLEO’s group spent $216.8 million from May 2022 to May 2023, an increase of $34.1 million from the previous year, when it distributed $182 million in donations.
New tax documents show the nonprofit donated the bulk of this cash, $153.7 million, to the Schwab Charitable Trust. The Schwab Charitable Fund is a fund recommended by donors for organizations and individuals to make other charitable gifts.
The New York Times previously reported that the Schwab Charitable Foundation donated $141.5 million to the 85 Fund, another organization linked to LEO, ahead of the deadline set out in its latest tax return.
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The Marble Freedom Trust gave $55.5 million during its most recent fiscal year to the Concord Fund, formerly known as the Judicial Crisis Network and also tied to LEO.
The final gift, $7.6 million, went to the Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund, another fund recommended by donors.
When organizations and individuals donate money to groups like the Schwab Charitable Fund or the Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund, it’s virtually impossible to track where that money ends up.
Democratic Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (left) and Dick Durbin (right) have targeted Mr. Leo and other judicial activists. (Getty Images)
Leo has been targeted by Democratic lawmakers for his involvement in right-wing judicial issues as part of an investigation into the Supreme Court justices.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and White House sent a letter to Mr. Leo and the billionaire activist requesting information about trips and events the Supreme Court justice has participated in over the years.
In October, senators sent a letter to Leo, Harlan Crowe, and Robin Arkley urging them to comply with their earlier July requests for details about trips involving Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. I asked for it.
But Mr. Leo denied their requests in a letter sent by his lawyers to Durbin, a copy of which was previously obtained by Fox News Digital.
“We provide clear and detailed reasons why the commission’s investigation is political retaliation in violation of the First Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause of the Due Process Clause,” Leo’s attorney David Rivkin said in the letter. presented.”
“However, the October 5th letter largely ignores these points, and the Commission has only escalated its retaliatory efforts against Mr. Leo since its last letter.”
Supreme Court Justice Associate Justice Clarence Thomas speaks at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC on October 21, 2021 (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Leo has been a member of the Federalist Society for decades, which advised former President Trump through the nominations of Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. It has long been criticized by progressive activists for its involvement in government and lobbying activities.
Leo is also a target of Democratic Attorney General Brian Schwalb in Washington, D.C., who launched an investigation into Leo’s network last summer.
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Mr. Schwalb’s office faced criticism for targeting Mr. Leo while ignoring a similar liberal black-finance network overseen by consulting firm Arabella Advisors.
In response to the criticism, Mr. Schwalb’s office also launched an investigation into the network controlled by Arabella Advisors.
