Cleta Mitchell was the go-to election lawyer for Republicans. She served on the Board of Governors for the Republican National Lawyers Association. Arguably she was at the top of her profession. She had built up a legal practice in Washington D.C. over the past 30 years, most recently as a Partner at Foley & Lardner where she was employed for two decades.
Author Archives: Jamie Corey
Jamie Corey is a Senior Researcher with Documented where she tracks the fossil fuel industry’s influence in state and national politics. Jamie previously worked at the Center for Media and Democracy, the United States Senate and the Iowa State House of Representatives. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post and The Guardian. Jamie received her Bachelor’s Degree from Simpson College.
Industry lawyers solicited Republican attorneys general help on K-XL and DAPL pipelines
Months before Joe Biden was sworn in as President, industry lawyers were working behind-the-scenes with Republican attorneys general to gain support for the controversial pipeline projects Keystone XL and the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Materials obtained by Documented provide details on what happened.
Republican Attorneys General Dark Money Group Organized Protest Preceding Capitol Mob Attack
This report has been updated on January 11, 2021 to include a new statement issued to reporters by RAGA and new information about RAGA appearing on MarchtoSaveAmerica.com. The Rule of Law Defense Fund (RLDF), a 501(c)(4) arm of the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), helped organize the protest preceding the deadly attack on the U.S. […]
ALEC Convenes Secret Working Group Focused on Elections, Redistricting
Numerous Republican legislators, election commissioners and right-wing attorneys participated in a secretive “process working group,” organized by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which has focused on election and redistricting issues, according to details obtained by Documented. ALEC does not publicly list the meeting on its formal agenda or mention the working group on its […]
Newly Surfaced Recording Reveals ALEC and GOP Election Attorneys Working with State Legislators to Question Validity of Election
The revelations were presented during a February 2020 Council for National Policy strategy session about elections. American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) CEO Lisa Nelson told a room full of conservative activists that ALEC had been working with three GOP attorneys on “action items that legislators can take to question the validity of an election.” The […]
Coal Giant Murray Energy Had Affiliation with Individuals Connected to Ohio Coal and Nuclear Bailout Legislation Bribery Scheme
A newly surfaced document reveals an affiliation between coal giant Murray Energy and two individuals connected in a $60 million bribery and racketeering scheme. Documented is the first to report Murray Energy’s previous relationship with individuals connected in the case. Jeffrey Longstreth, a longtime political aide to former Ohio State House Speaker Larry Householder, and […]
Front Group Created by Lobbying Firm Worked Alongside Trump Administration to Gain Support for NEPA Rollbacks from Republican Governors
A campaign dubbed “Building a Better America” worked behind-the-scenes, alongside the Trump Administration, to seek out support from Republican Governors for rolling back the 50-year-old National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Building a Better America is a 501(c)(4) entity run by two lobbying firms that share many of its staff, 50-State LLC and GuidePost Strategies, and […]
ALEC Legislator Tells Constituents to “STOP GETTING TESTED” for Coronavirus
Ohio State Representative Nino Vitale said in a Facebook post on Tuesday to “STOP GETTING TESTED.” The Huffington Post first reported on the post. The Huffington Post reported Vitale has previously said he would not wear a mask because they cover the “image and likeness of God” and falsely claimed there are “many studies that exist […]
Corporate-Backed ALEC Creates Secret Internal Project to Work on Redistricting and Election Issues
Updated on June 17th, 2020 to include details of the “process working group” meeting during the 2019 States and Nation Policy Summit. More than a year before the 2020 election, the GOP-dominated and corporate-backed American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) created a secret working group that would address redistricting, ballot measures, and election law. The working […]
ALEC Joins “Save our Country” Coalition Pushing to Lift Pandemic-Related Restrictions
Update: FreedomWorks issued a press release on April 27, 2020 formalizing the coalition. The coalition’s website outlined members of its National Leadership Council, including ALEC CEO Lisa Nelson, Trump Advisor Stephen Moore, and the Council for National Policy Vice President Bill Walton. The website also lists dozens of “steering committee members,” including former head of […]