SOURCE: Wikipedia, captured 2020-09-29
This page last modified: 2020-10-05 15:20:23 -0700 (PST)
Liberty Central is a non-profit conservative political advocacy group founded in 2009 by Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, the wife of U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. Virginia Thomas is the President and CEO of Liberty Central.
Liberty Central's declared purpose is stated on its website as "America's Public Square. We Listen. We Inspire. We Activate ... to secure the blessings of liberty." The Liberty Central was promoted at the 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference [American Conservative Union] as "an online community for those seeking to "preserve freedom and reaffirm the core founding principles." Ed Morrissey, a prominent conservative blogger who runs HotAir.com, said the Liberty Central site would provide education in history and the Constitution for Tea Party activists.
Liberty Central was founded with seed money of $550,000 coming from two donors whose names were undisclosed. In a February 2011 article, Politico reported that the initial $500,000 contribution came from Dallas real estate investor and conservative philanthropist Harlan Crow.
Liberty Central activities have included hosting a live web cast on October 20, 2010, in conjunction with the Family Research Council to protest the January 2011 expiration of tax cuts that were passed in 2001 and 2003.
According to United Press International, the Liberty Central group has been highly critical of U.S. President Barack Obama.
A potential conflict-of-interest concern exists between Virginia "Ginni" Thomas and Liberty Central, regarding Virginia Thomas' marriage to U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. The potential conflict of interest concerns the situation in which someone who contributes to Liberty Central may have a case before the Supreme Court. However, there is no law limiting what Ginni Thomas' husband -- . According to some legal experts Supreme Court Justices are not required to recuse themselves from cases where they may have a conflict of interest.
On October 21, 2010, Virginia Thomas was specifically criticized for taking a position, via Liberty Central, on an issue that was likely to come before the Supreme Court -- whether the 2010 health care legislation was unconstitutional. A memo signed by Virginia Thomas -- posted on the Liberty Central website -- that called for the repeal of the health care legislation was removed following the criticism. A Liberty Central spokesperson explained that Thomas had not personally reviewed the memo and that it been mistakenly approved by a staff member, and had been circulated by another group, the Conservative Action Project.
SOURCE: SourceWatch.org, captured 2020-09-29 | note "red flags" re: SourceWatch.org
This page last modified: 2020-10-05 15:20:23 -0700 (PST)
The Patrick Henry Center for Individual Liberty was founded by Gary Aldrich in 1997 and was funded largely through the Scaife Foundations. The Patrick Henry Center described its mission as "fostering, promoting, and advocating the restoration of Liberty as the primary object of American society." The Patrick Henry Center urged whistleblowers to come forward so that corruption in government could be identified and fought.
The Patrick Henry Center merged with Liberty Central in 2010, and had its tax-exempt status revoked by the IRS in February 2014 for "repeated statements supporting or opposing various candidates by expressing its opinion of the respective candidate’s character and qualifications." It is illegal for charities to engage in political action under the tax code.
Virginia "Ginni" Lamp Thomas is an American attorney and lobbyist who founded the conservative advocacy group Liberty Central. Virginia Thomas, who previously worked at The Heritage Foundation -- a neoliberal, anti-feminist, conspiracy theorist -- is a well-connected political lobbyist.
From 1985 to 1989, Virginia Thomas was employed as an attorney and labor relations specialist at the United States Chamber of Commerce, attending congressional hearings where she lobbied on behalf of the interests of the business community. Virginia Thomas' advocacy included arguing against the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which requires larger employers to provide temporary unpaid leave to employees to care for a new child or during a serious personal or family illness.
In 1991, Virginia Thomas returned to government service in the Legislative Affairs Office of the United States Department of Labor, where she argued against comparable-worth legislation that would have mandated equal pay for women and men in jobs deemed to be comparable.
In late 2009, Thomas started the nonprofit lobbying group Liberty Central, to organize conservative activists, issue score cards for Congress members, and be involved in elections. The group is aimed at opposing what Virginia Thomas has called the leftist "tyranny" of President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats and "protecting the core founding principles" of the nation.
In February 2011, Politico reported that Thomas was the head of a new company, Liberty Consulting, which filed incorporation papers in mid-November 2010. The company's website states that clients can use Thomas's "experience and connections" to help "with "governmental affairs efforts" and political donation strategies. The Washington Post described Liberty Consulting as "a one-woman shop" where Thomas advised political donors how to direct funds in the post-Citizens United landscape.
In July 2013, Thomas was identified as a key member of Groundswell, a coalition of right-wing activists and journalists attempting to make political change behind the scenes through lobbying of high-level contacts.
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