{"id":1465,"date":"2026-07-08T05:00:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T00:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=1465"},"modified":"2026-07-08T05:00:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T00:00:51","slug":"a-small-conservative-group-rises-in-influence-under-trump-2-0","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=1465","title":{"rendered":"A small conservative group rises in influence under Trump 2.0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>A Trump administration effort to dial up scrutiny on philanthropies and other nonprofit organizations is creating a breakout moment for one of Washington\u2019s many watchdog groups and think tanks.<\/p>\n<p>While President Donald Trump has directed his ire at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/09\/20\/trump-bondi-truth-social-00574380\" target=\"_blank\">state attorneys general<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/03\/19\/trump-major-law-firm-sanctions-questions-00236446\" target=\"_blank\">law firms<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2025\/11\/20\/congress\/trump-democratic-lawmakers-sedition-00661504\" target=\"_blank\">elected officials<\/a>, a steady number of tax-exempt groups are also landing in legal trouble for alleged partisanship. The campaign has been a boon for the Capital Research Center, whose nondescript name fits neatly into the city\u2019s cottage industry of policy analysis and opposition deep-dives.<\/p>\n<p>But the conservative watchdog stands out for its particular specialty: studying nonprofits, particularly those it suspects of having connections with Democratic donors and advocacy networks. That alignment has positioned CRC to be a go-to source for information on nonprofits Republicans hope to investigate, a unique role even its competitors acknowledge.<\/p>\n<p>Some of CRC\u2019s critics say its work is biased and superficial, and many of its targets, like the Southern Poverty Law Center, are well-worn bogeymen for the right. Yet its lengthy dossiers about <a href=\"https:\/\/waysandmeans.house.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/10.6.25-Letter-to-IRS.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">pro-Palestinian groups<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/judiciary.house.gov\/sites\/evo-subsites\/republicans-judiciary.house.gov\/files\/evo-media-document\/2026-04-28-jdj-dei-to-sher-edling-sher-re-eli.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">climate advocacy organizations<\/a> have recently been cited in the footnotes of at least half a dozen congressional committee documents and a letter the Justice Department used in going after Democratic megadonor George Soros.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re the intel operation for the conservative movement as a whole,\u201d CRC President Scott Walter, a former George W. Bush adviser, said in an interview. \u201cThis is not a sexy collusion story. We are simply educating them, and they decide what to do with our public research.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>CRC, which was founded in 1984 and has just over 30 staffers, is far less influential than conservative titans like the Heritage Foundation or even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/03\/23\/trump-think-tanks-conservative-realignment-00839718\" target=\"_blank\">newer players<\/a> like the America First Policy Institute that are jockeying to sway Trump administration policy. But its recent popularity shows how much of a free-for-all the world of Washington influence has become under an administration that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2026\/mar\/10\/assistant-ag-harmeet-dhillon-scours-social-media-tips-act-justice\/\" target=\"_blank\">widely surveys<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/investigations\/trump-20-maga-aligned-influencers-media-emerge-new-mainstream-2025-11-08\/\" target=\"_blank\">the conservative media<\/a> ecosystem <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2026\/mar\/10\/assistant-ag-harmeet-dhillon-scours-social-media-tips-act-justice\/\" target=\"_blank\">for investigation targets<\/a>, especially if a group has a niche that aligns with White House priorities.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.politico.com\/36\/dc\/50828d10416c936c3d361b80bed6\/https-delivery-gettyimages.com\/downloads\/2241059246\" alt=\"Administration officials including Vice President JD Vance have promised to target left-leaning groups.\" data-portal-copyright=\"Getty Images\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"0\" data-license-id=\"\" data-licensor-name=\"Getty Images\" data-title=\"Administration officials including Vice President JD Vance have promised to target left-leaning groups.\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Walter has increasingly become a sought-after witness for House Republicans, testifying before four congressional committees in the past year \u2014 and Senate Democrats <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finance.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/letter_to_bessent_and_shapley_repoliticizationofirs.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">asked the IRS<\/a> in October to divulge whether it has used CRC\u2019s research to identify \u201ctargets\u201d for possible investigations. Some groups that do similar work aren\u2019t surprised CRC is gaining traction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think their stuff is trusted\u201d among the right, said Peter Flaherty, chair and CEO of conservative advocacy group National Legal and Policy Center<b>, <\/b>which focuses on government and corporate ethics. \u201cPeople look to them when it comes down to the granular information about particular left-wing groups.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Walter has been briefing Trump administration officials on the group\u2019s research about specific nonprofits with suspected ties to the Democratic Party for months, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/19\/us\/politics\/trump-republicans-attack-democrats-actblue.html\" target=\"_blank\">The New York Times first reported<\/a>. He told POLITICO he\u2019s met with senior officials from the White House and federal agencies as recently as last month and said he has distributed materials on ActBlue and the Southern Poverty Law Center \u2014 two groups that have attracted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/04\/21\/southern-poverty-law-center-justice-department-investigation-00885376?shem=rimspwouoe,\" target=\"_blank\">renewed attention from Republicans<\/a>.<b>&nbsp;<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Conservatives have long expressed interest in targeting left-leaning groups and donors, but vows to investigate prominent organizations and individuals took on new fervor after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last summer. A range of administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance<b>, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/09\/15\/vance-white-house-promise-to-crack-down-on-radical-left-lunatics-00564766\" target=\"_blank\">promised to \u201cgo after\u201d groups<\/a> like Open Society Foundations and the Ford Foundation that they accused, without evidence, of helping foment violence.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson for the Ford Foundation did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n<p>A week after Kirk\u2019s killing, CRC staffer Ryan Mauro <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QzElHV9nv_Y&amp;t=76s\" target=\"_blank\">said the group\u2019s research<\/a> into Open Society, the nonprofit funded by Soros\u2019 family, was designed to \u201cequip the Trump administration with what they need in order to take action.\u201d Days after his comments, a senior Justice Department official reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/09\/25\/us\/politics\/justice-trump-george-soros-foundation.html\" target=\"_blank\">directed a group of federal prosecutors<\/a> to investigate Soros, linking to CRC\u2019s report in their letter.<\/p>\n<p>Walter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/10\/10\/us\/politics\/george-soros-justice-dept.html\" target=\"_blank\">later admitted<\/a> the report did not prove Soros or his nonprofit network had committed any crimes, as suggested by the DOJ.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe claims in the Capital Research Center report are false and politically motivated attacks meant to enable the Trump Administration to target those it disagrees with and silence constitutionally protected free speech,\u201d Open Society said in a statement. \u201cWhen the government abuses its power to take away rights from some, it puts everyone\u2019s rights at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The statement added that Open Society unequivocally condemns \u201call forms of violence\u201d and requires its grantees \u201cto agree to comply with the law in order to receive funding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment. The White House said in a statement that \u201cthe administration regularly meets with a variety of organizations on important topics\u201d but did not answer questions about whether CRC had met or shared materials with specific administration officials.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.politico.com\/7b\/ef\/93d9af2544daa0a7911f01749ba0\/https-delivery-gettyimages.com\/downloads\/693700118\" alt=\"The Capital Research Center&apos;s work was cited in a letter the Justice Department used in going after Democratic megadonor George Soros.\" data-portal-copyright=\"Sean Gallup\/Getty Images\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"0\" data-license-id=\"\" data-licensor-name=\"Getty Images\" data-title=\"The Capital Research Center&apos;s work was cited in a letter the Justice Department used in going after Democratic megadonor George Soros.\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Walter insists his input is solicited, saying administration officials regularly text and email him asking for briefings and information about CRC\u2019s research. One former Trump official granted anonymity to discuss private dynamics told POLITICO that CRC is \u201cone of the first places you would turn if you wanted outside help\u201d digging into nonprofits.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I talk to Hill committees, I always ask if they know InfluenceWatch,\u201d Walter said, referencing his group\u2019s online database. \u201cOne Senate committee staffer laughed and said, \u2018Scott, when I open my browser, a tab with InfluenceWatch opens.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The site, which boasts that it provides \u201cinformation on more than 15,500 public policy influencers on demand,\u201d features Wikipedia-style dossiers on prominent political donors and nonprofit groups, detailing their controversies and political connections.<\/p>\n<p>One group of mutual interest is ActBlue, the fundraising platform for Democratic candidates. Three Republican House committee chairs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2026\/04\/14\/congress\/act-blue-house-gop-investigation-00871659\" target=\"_blank\">issued subpoenas<\/a> to the organization in April, while House Administration Committee Republicans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2026\/06\/10\/congress\/house-democrats-winred-actblue-00956916\" target=\"_blank\">grilled its CEO<\/a>, Regina Wallace-Jones, last week about how the platform vets for foreign donations.<\/p>\n<p>Spokespeople for House Administration and Oversight committees did not respond to requests for comment. The House Judiciary Committee didn\u2019t comment on whether CRC played a role in its probes of nonprofits, including ActBlue, which have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2026\/06\/10\/congress\/house-democrats-winred-actblue-00956916\" target=\"_blank\">Democrats threatening to investigate<\/a> its GOP counterpart, WinRed. ActBlue declined to comment on the record.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRepublicans in Congress keep relying on this organization for \u2018expert\u2019 advice and testimony, but CRC\u2019s record of spreading lies in service of the Trump Justice Department\u2019s retribution campaign should disqualify them from being treated as anything more than a partisan disinformation shop,\u201d said Kyle Herrig, senior adviser at the Congressional Integrity Project, one of many watchdog groups that\u2019s landed on CRC\u2019s InfluenceWatch.<\/p>\n<p>Another longtime target of CRC\u2019s is voter registration groups it accuses of abusing their tax-exempt status. The administration has taken note.<\/p>\n<p>Just days after Walter suggested to POLITICO that those groups were likely to attract scrutiny for presenting themselves as nonpartisan organizations, one in Ohio said their offices were raided by the FBI as part of an active fraud-related investigation.<\/p>\n<p>The Ohio Organizing Collaborative \u2014 which called the raid a \u201ca full-out assault\u201d on civil rights groups \u2014 has attracted scrutiny for its ties to the Voter Registration Project, a nonprofit group focused on mobilizing under-represented voters. OOC has denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<p>A group of Republican lawmakers from Michigan specifically cited CRC\u2019s research into groups like VRP in <a href=\"https:\/\/capitalresearch.org\/app\/uploads\/Smit_USAGBondiLetter.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">a March letter<\/a> to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi asking the DOJ to investigate VRP and similar groups for potential tax fraud.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI, OOC and VRP did not respond to requests for comment about the raid.<\/p>\n<p>Like many of the nonprofits it criticizes, CRC doesn\u2019t disclose its donors. But publicly available documents show the group has received money through DonorsTrust and the Bradley Foundation, two funds that help clients direct charitable giving to conservative causes. Walter said he\u2019s consistently opposed mandatory donor disclosure, arguing it would chill free speech by opening donors to harassment.<\/p>\n<p>DonorsTrust spokesperson Lawson Bader told POLITICO in a statement that \u201cDonorsTrust accountholders have recommended grants to Capital Research Center for many years, and they will likely continue to make grants into the foreseeable future.\u201d A spokesperson for the Bradley Foundation did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p>CRC drew scrutiny in 2023 when The Washington Post reported that the group allegedly<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/investigations\/2023\/03\/28\/ginni-thomas-crowdsourcers-anonymous-donations\/\" target=\"_blank\">channeled nearly $600,000<\/a> in anonymous donations to a group controlled by Ginni Thomas \u2014 the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Walter insists the arrangement was above board, noting that CRC chose to disclose the donations. Thomas\u2019 attorney told The Post at the time that there was \u201cno plausible conflict of interest issue with respect to Justice Thomas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s clear that the role CRC has been playing is as a sort of information-gathering arm to supply the administration with rationales to go after certain groups,\u201d said Michael Clauw of the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability, another nonprofit targeted by CRC. \u201cAnd many times it\u2019s been revealed that those stated rationales don\u2019t really hold any water and don\u2019t stand up to scrutiny.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>CRC scored another major win in April when the IRS announced plans to revise its 990 form, the primary reporting mechanism for tax-exempt organizations. The IRS has not yet specified what the changes will entail, but it said in an initial announcement the changes were intended to \u201cprovide clearer reporting\u201d on nonprofits\u2019 fiscal sponsorship arrangements and government funding. It\u2019s something the group has championed for years, including <a href=\"https:\/\/capitalresearch.org\/article\/thinking-about-fiscal-sponsorship-part-4\/\" target=\"_blank\">in an article<\/a> published by CRC staffer Robert Stilson shortly after Trump returned to office last year. The Treasury Department said at the time the forthcoming changes are \u201cintended to detect misconduct and hold wrongdoers accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bob Carlstrom, executive director of the conservative Prosperity for Us Foundation, said he doesn\u2019t view CRC as the main driver of the GOP\u2019s efforts to go after certain nonprofits. But he\u2019s not surprised Republican officials seek out Walter\u2019s counsel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you deal with people that you know and that you respect, you reach out to them,\u201d Carlstrom said.<\/p>\n<p>He said while some other groups pursue similar work, CRC is \u201cthe most intense\u201d with regard to scrutinizing nonprofits.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re very much appreciated by the conservative [movement],\u201d Carlstrom said.<\/p>\n<p><i>Alex Gangitano contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Trump administration effort to dial up scrutiny on philanthropies and other nonprofit organizations is creating a breakout moment for one of Washington\u2019s many watchdog groups and think tanks. While President Donald Trump has directed his ire at state attorneys general, law firms and elected officials, a steady number of tax-exempt groups are also landing&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.politico.com\/36\/dc\/50828d10416c936c3d361b80bed6\/https-delivery-gettyimages.com\/downloads\/2241059246","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1465\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}