The American Accountability Foundation (AAF), a right-wing nonprofit, hosted a significant training event for congressional staffers from February 15-17, 2023. This event, attended by staffers representing Congress members like Luna, Ken Buck, and Marjorie Taylor-Greene, aimed to equip attendees with essential skills such as drafting requests for information and conducting mock interviews. Concurrently, AAF has gained attention for its controversial "DEI Watch List," which identifies federal employees allegedly advancing radical Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The group, funded by a complex web of financial arrangements involving wealthy family foundations and right-wing entities, remains at the forefront of training Republican staffers in collaboration with the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI).
AAF relies heavily on donations from various sources, including $25,000 via the Goldman Sachs Charitable Fund, $16,750 through the National Christian Charitable Fund, and $22,300 from the Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund. Strategically intertwined with CPI, AAF was the "directly controlling entity" for this related tax-exempt organization in 2021 and 2022. CPI supported AAF with $335,100 in 2021 and $210,000 in 2022, highlighting a robust financial alliance.
The event hosted by AAF was designed to enhance the skills of congressional staffers through comprehensive training modules. These sessions focused on practical aspects such as drafting effective requests for information from agencies and witnesses.
“how to effectively draft requests for information from agencies and witnesses” – AAF
Participants also learned advanced techniques for conducting open-source research into agencies, individuals, and organizations.
“tools and techniques for conducting open source research into agencies, individuals, and organizations” – AAF
Mock interviews were also a critical component of the training, especially tactics to handle reluctant or recalcitrant witnesses.
“conducting mock interviews with reluctant / recalcitrant witnesses” – AAF
AAF's president, Adam Jones, who founded the group after serving as a Capitol Hill staffer for prominent hard-right Republicans including Ron Johnson, Ted Cruz, and Jim DeMint, emphasized the importance of these strategies. He detailed how Congress should approach oversight and accountability.
“strategies for how Congress should approach oversight and accountability” – Tom Jones
AAF's influence extends beyond training sessions. The group has been actively involved in gathering information on Biden nominees by inundating employers with records requests. This method was notably applied to Federal Reserve nominee Lisa Cook's employer, Michigan State University. AAF's tactics have raised concerns among various observers.
Heidi Beirich criticized AAF's use of watchlists which could expose public officials to harassment and mistreatment.
“It’s rather ironic that an organization that is targeting public officials through a watchlist that could open them up to harassment and mistreatment goes to such lengths to protect its own” – Heidi Beirich
Beirich further highlighted the potential dangers associated with such outings.
“Clearly, they understand how dangerous this outing can be” – Heidi Beirich
She expressed skepticism about the backing of such projects by entities like Project 2025 and far-right donors.
“It’s not surprising to find a vile project such as this backed by Project 2025 entities and far-right donors who have it out for public employees” – Heidi Beirich
Funding for AAF is characterized by opacity. The group received $50,000 from The 85 Fund, part of a network of organizations funded by Leonard Leo, a conservative megadonor and Federalist Society mastermind. Furthermore, AAF was one of two organizations granted direct funds in 2023 from the Club for Growth Foundation.
The group's financial backing often involves complex arrangements that obscure the identities of original donors. Quinn's McFetridge noted the flexibility family foundations have in making gifts according to individual preferences.
“As we are a family foundation, different members of the family are able to make gifts as their conscious dictates.” – Quinn's McFetridge
However, McFetridge personally expressed discomfort with AAF's political advocacy approach.
“I can assure you I would find this absolutely intolerable. I strongly disagree with this approach to political advocacy.” – Quinn's McFetridge
Within this intricate financial network, Jerome Trankle serves as AAF's research director. Though his LinkedIn profile lists him in this role, he does not explicitly advertise his affiliation with AAF. This lack of transparency is emblematic of the group's broader operational strategy.
AAF has capitalized on its relationship with CPI to maintain prominence at various events. This collaboration underscores AAF's significant role in shaping Republican legislative strategies through targeted training and resource allocation.