The 85 Fund (Formerly Judicial Education Project)
Background
The 85 Fund, formerly known as the Judicial Education Project (JEP)Jonathan Swan and Alayna treene. 1“Leonard Leo to shape new conservative network,” Axios, January 7, 2020. Archived March 25, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/vioWQ is a United States-based nonprofit organization. It is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) “sister ‘charity” to the Judicial Crisis Network (JCN), or Concord Fund, which is incorporated as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization.
Under U.S. tax rules, donations to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization are tax-deductible, and donations to a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization are not.
Together, the 85 Fund and the Judicial Crisis Network/Concord Fund have spent millions of dollars advocating for the appointment of conservative judges to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse summarized the groups’ name changes in an August 2021 speech: “Judicial Education Project changed its name, and it became the 85 Fund. The Concord Fund then registered its old name, Judicial Crisis Network, as what is called a fictitious name, a kind of corporate alias under Virginia law, and continued to operate as the Judicial Crisis Network.”2“THE SCHEME SPEECH 6: JUDICIAL CRISIS NETWORK,” Sheldon Whitehouse, August 5, 2021. Archived March 25, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/dYk8F
Publicly available federal tax forms show that both organizations are tied to the Corkery family.3Anna Massoglia. “An influential ‘dark money’ group turns off the lights for the last time,” OpenSecrets.org, May 23, 2019. Archived January 16, 2020. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/wip/fD6KT
Neil Corkery was an early director of the Judicial Education Project, and treasurer of the group until 2014. Neil’s wife Anne Corkery founded and initially headed the now-defunct Wellspring Committee in 2005.4Stephanie Mencimer. “These Right-Wing Groups Are Gearing Up for an Onslaught on Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee,” Mother Jones, March 19, 2016. Archived January 16, 2020. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/wip/JKOhn
The Wellspring Committee was the primary funder behind JCN, and also a large contributor to the Judicial Education Project. Wellspring fed over $54 million dollars into JCN between 2010 and 2017, before dissolving in 2018.5Stephanie Mencimer. “These Right-Wing Groups Are Gearing Up for an Onslaught on Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee,” Mother Jones, March 19, 2016. Archived January 16, 2020. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/wip/JKOhn
In 2020, JEP’s total revenue was $65,777,856, and its net income after expenses was $6,024,774. according to the group’s federal tax filing.6“Judicial Education Project,” ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Archived October 5, 2022. Archive URL: http://archive.today/DR3Pn
Stance on Climate Change
The Judicial Education Project has provided funding to groups such as the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, a conservative media organization that has promoted viewpoints questioning the scientific consensus on the link between burning fossil fuels and climate change. JEP has also funded the American Conservative Union, which has advocated legislation that would prevent the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.
JEP has also supported the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF).7Carrie L. Lukas. “Inconvenient Facts About Inconvenient Youth,” Independent Women’s Forum, May 11, 2010. Archived May 26, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/NHLIx In a 2010 post on the IWF’s website, IWF president Carrie Lukas disparaged a youth climate action project: 8Carrie L. Lukas. “Inconvenient Facts About Inconvenient Youth,” Independent Women’s Forum, May 11, 2010. Archived May 26, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/NHLIx
“Most parents whose child has signed up for Al Gore’s new initiative, Inconvenient Youth, are likely pleased that junior has taken an interest in an important policy issue. Far better to ruminate about ways to improve the environment than to waste time playing video games or watching Jersey Shore reruns on MTV.
“Yet parents might want to pay a bit of extra attention to their child’s new hobby: blogging about environmentalism may be harmless, but your child deserves to know that a lot of what they are being told about climate change has no more basis in reality than The Hills.” (Emphasis added.) 9Carrie L. Lukas. “Inconvenient Facts About Inconvenient Youth,” Independent Women’s Forum, May 11, 2010. Archived May 26, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/NHLIx
Funding
The following is based on data collected by the Conservative Transparency project, combined with original research by DeSmog.10“Judicial Education Project,” Conservative Transparency. Accessed January 16, 2020.
See the attached spreadsheet for additional details on Judicial Education Project funding by year (.xlsx).
Funders of the Judicial Education Project
Most of the Judicial Education Project’s funding has come through sources that obscure funding sources such as DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund, two groups that have been described as the “Dark-Money ATM” of the conservative movement.11Andy Kroll. “Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement,” Mother Jones, February 5, 2013. Archived January 21, 2020. Archive.ph URL:https://archive.ph/wip/cNiyF
The JEP has also received funding from the Wellspring Committee, the primary funder of the Judicial Crisis Network. Wellspring reportedly serves as a ”conduit” for funding conservative groups.12Viveca Novak, Robert Maguire and Peter Overby. “Wellspring’s Flow: Dark Money Outfit Helped Fuel Groups on Political Front Lines,” OpenSecrets.org, November 5, 2013.
| Organization | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Grand Total |
| DonorsTrust | $50,000 | $645,000 | $1,470,000 | $7,277,000 | $7,684,000 | $9,880,000 | $8,790,000 | $6,964,550 | $42,760,550 | |
| Donors Capital Fund | $300,000 | $530,000 | $950,000 | $730,000 | $2,000,000 | $350,000 | $4,860,000 | |||
| National Philanthropic Trust | $100,000 | $310,000 | $200,000 | $475,000 | $800,000 | $1,885,000 | ||||
| Wellspring Committee | $50,000 | $136,000 | $186,000 | |||||||
| Considine Family Foundation | $20,000 | $10,000 | $30,000 | |||||||
| Encounter for Culture and Education | $30,000 | $30,000 | ||||||||
| The TWS Foundation | $25,000 | $25,000 | ||||||||
| Hickory Foundation | $20,000 | $20,000 | ||||||||
| Center for Independent Thought | $10,000 | $10,000 | ||||||||
| The Rodney Fund | $2,000 | $2,000 | ||||||||
| Grand Total | $50,000 | $486,000 | $1,175,000 | $2,520,000 | $8,317,000 | $9,991,000 | $10,715,000 | $8,790,000 | $7,764,550 | $49,808,550 |
Judicial Education Project as Donor
| Organization | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Grand Total |
| Center for the Rule of Law | $325,000 | $650,000 | $355,000 | $760,000 | $2,090,000 | |||
| George Mason University Foundation | $350,000 | $800,000 | $800,000 | $1,950,000 | ||||
| RJ Johnson Legal Defense Fund | $690,000 | $795,000 | $445,000 | $1,930,000 | ||||
| Speech First | $250,000 | $750,000 | $1,000,000 | |||||
| Citizens for Self Governance | $950,000 | $950,000 | ||||||
| Private Citizen | $502,036 | $400,000 | $902,036 | |||||
| NRA Freedom Action Foundation | $750,000 | $750,000 | ||||||
| Judicial Evaluation Institute | $150,000 | $150,000 | $300,000 | |||||
| Independent Women’s Forum | $300,000 | $300,000 | ||||||
| Orrin Hatch Foundation | $250,000 | $250,000 | ||||||
| Center for Security Policy | $128,000 | $25,000 | $153,000 | |||||
| Pershing Center | $145,000 | $145,000 | ||||||
| Concerned Women for America | $125,000 | $125,000 | ||||||
| Ethics and Public Policy Center | $5,000 | $100,000 | $105,000 | |||||
| Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity | $100,000 | $100,000 | ||||||
| Missouri Forward Foundation | $100,000 | $100,000 | ||||||
| Susan B Anthony List Education Fund | $100,000 | $100,000 | ||||||
| Frontier Lab | $75,000 | $75,000 | ||||||
| Education & Research Institute | $75,000 | $75,000 | ||||||
| Legacy Foundation | $50,000 | $20,000 | $70,000 | |||||
| Catholic Association Foundation | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||||||
| Unconstrained Analytics | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||||||
| American Conservative Union Foundation | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||||||
| Equal Voting Rights Institute | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||||||
| NFIB Small Business Legal Center | $32,000 | $32,000 | ||||||
| Center for Individual Rights | $25,000 | $25,000 | ||||||
| Lucy Burnes Institute | $25,000 | $25,000 | ||||||
| Chabad Housing Corporation | $20,000 | $20,000 | ||||||
| George Mason University | $15,000 | $15,000 | ||||||
| Grand Total | $260,000 | $425,000 | $1,560,000 | $1,230,000 | $2,865,000 | $3,097,036 | $2,350,000 | $11,787,036 |
Third-Party Contractors
The Judicial Education Project has hired the following companies for consulting, legal, public relations, or management services:
| Contractor | 2012 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Grand Total |
| Baker Hostetler | $3,301,988 | $2,915,004 | $6,216,992 | ||||
| Creative Response Concepts | $734,000 | $1,187,500 | $720,778 | $978,000 | $3,620,278 | ||
| Graves Garrett | $850,000 | $2,252,642 | $3,102,642 | ||||
| BH Group LLC | $1,352,340 | $675,000 | $2,027,340 | ||||
| Cooper & Kirk, PLLC | $1,439,711 | $500,000 | $1,939,711 | ||||
| Center for Rule of Law | $995,000 | $915,000 | $1,910,000 | ||||
| Jones Day | $249,499 | $913,449 | $1,162,948 | ||||
| Bancroft PLLC | $444,291 | $373,911 | $818,202 | ||||
| Kirkland & Ellis LLP | $771,178 | $771,178 | |||||
| Sidley Austin LLP | $660,000 | $660,000 | |||||
| Consovoy McCarthy | $525,000 | $525,000 | |||||
| Holzma Vogel | $441,223 | $441,223 | |||||
| Stein Mitchell | $365,695 | $365,695 | |||||
| Steptoe Johnson | $360,847 | $360,847 | |||||
| Gibson Dunn | $358,854 | $358,854 | |||||
| Carrie Severino | $291,481 | $291,481 | |||||
| Grand Total | $291,481 | $5,203,557 | $7,259,386 | $3,891,817 | $4,499,296 | $3,426,854 | $24,572,391 |
IRS Form 990
Key Documents
Key People
The JEP has listed the following people on its federal Form 990 tax forms:
| Name | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Description |
| Carrie Severino | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Director/President | |
| Daniel Casey | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Director/President | |
| Gary Marx | Y | Director | ||||||
| Neil Corkery | Y | Y | Y | Director, Treasurer |
Actions
2014 – 2016
According to tax records, the Judicial Education Project gave $1,930,000 to the R.J. Johnson Legal Defense Fund. R.J. Johnson was the longtime political advisor to former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, and also the spokesman for the Wisconsin Club for Growth.
Leaked documents released by The Guardian in 201613“Because Scott Walker Asked,” The Guardian, September 14, 2016. Archived May 13, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/wip/ATEdx outlined how Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign, in what prosecutors alleged was a “criminal scheme,” used the Wisconsin Club for Growth as a funding conduit to sidestep campaign finance laws.14James Hohmann. “Walker allegedly in ‘criminal scheme’,” Politico, June 19, 2014. Archived March 13, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/wip/1gUze
February 12, 2014
The Judicial Education Project filed an amicus brief 15“JOHN M. DRAKE, ET AL., Petitioners, v. EDWARD A. JEREJIAN, ET AL., Respondents” (PDF), retrieved from Judicial Crisis Network. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. in the Supreme Court case Drake v. Jerejian, “an important case about the constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” Carrie Severino wrote in the National Review.16Carrie Severino. “Judicial Education Project Files Amicus Brief Urging Supreme Court Review of Drake v. Jerejian,” National Review, February 13, 2014. Archived March 12, 2020. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.vn/4ArPZ
February 6, 2014
Alongside the Center for Individual Rights and Cooper & Kirk, PLLC, the Judicial Education Project filed an amicus brief in Halbig v. Sebelius, a case seeking to stop the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. JEP submitted the brief on behalf of Republican Senators John Cornyn, Ted Cruz, Orrin Hatch, Mike Lee, Rob Portman, Marco Rubio, as well as Representatives Dave Camp and Darrell Issa. Several other conservative groups also filed amicus briefs in the case, including the Cato Institute, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Consumers’ Research, the Galen Institute, and the Pacific Research Institute.17Carrie Campbell Severino. “Judicial Education Project Files Amicus Brief in Halbig v. Sebelius,” National Review, February 7, 2014. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/wip/nEJyY
October 3, 2014
The Judicial Education Project, represented by Carrie Severino, filed an amicus brief in Halbig v. Sebelius, a case arguing against an IRS rule applied under the Affordable Care Act. The Center for Individual Rights, represented by Michael E. Rosman, also filed an amicus brief in the case. 18“IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT JACQUELINE HALBIG, et al., Appellants, v. KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, SECRETARY OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES, et al., Appellees” (PDF), October 3, 2014. USCA Case #14-5018.
January 28, 2014
The Judicial Education Project filed an amicus brief in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. 19Carrie Campbell Severino. “JEP Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief in Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood,” National Review, January 28, 2014. Archived March 12, 2020. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.vn/wip/uj811 The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in the case was the first time that it recognized a for-profit company’s claim of religious belief. The decision exempts privately held for-profit corporations from the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate – the requirement to cover the full cost of contraceptives for female employees – if the corporation’s owners assert a religious objection to providing this coverage.20Jaime Fuller. “Here’s what you need to know about the Hobby Lobby case,” The Washington Post, March 24, 2014. Archived March 12, 2020. Archive.ph URL:https://archive.vn/wip/2iLwV
“This is a very significant case for the United States,” Carrie Severino wrote in the National Review. “At stake are conscience rights, not only for these plaintiffs, but for all people of faith whose religious beliefs govern the way they do business or earn a living. Our brief argues that the reasons given by the government for forcing these objectors to provide free contraceptives to employees are insufficiently important to require overriding the objectors’ conscience rights.”21Carrie Campbell Severino. “JEP Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief in Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood,” National Review, January 28, 2014. Archived March 12, 2020. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.vn/wip/uj811
Related Organizations
- Judicial Crisis Network — a “sister” organization to the JEP incorporated as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation.
- Wellspring Committee
Contact & Address
According to the Judicial Education Project’s 2018 IRS Form 990, the group’s address is:
Suite 268, 3220 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
(561) 563-3547
Social Media
- @JCNSeverino on Twitter
- @judicialnetwork on Twitter – The twitter account of the Judicial Crisis Network. Judicial Education Project does not appear to have its own twitter account.
Other Resources
Resources
- 1“Leonard Leo to shape new conservative network,” Axios, January 7, 2020. Archived March 25, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/vioWQ
- 2“THE SCHEME SPEECH 6: JUDICIAL CRISIS NETWORK,” Sheldon Whitehouse, August 5, 2021. Archived March 25, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/dYk8F
- 3Anna Massoglia. “An influential ‘dark money’ group turns off the lights for the last time,” OpenSecrets.org, May 23, 2019. Archived January 16, 2020. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/wip/fD6KT
- 4Stephanie Mencimer. “These Right-Wing Groups Are Gearing Up for an Onslaught on Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee,” Mother Jones, March 19, 2016. Archived January 16, 2020. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/wip/JKOhn
- 5Stephanie Mencimer. “These Right-Wing Groups Are Gearing Up for an Onslaught on Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee,” Mother Jones, March 19, 2016. Archived January 16, 2020. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/wip/JKOhn
- 6“Judicial Education Project,” ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Archived October 5, 2022. Archive URL: http://archive.today/DR3Pn
- 7Carrie L. Lukas. “Inconvenient Facts About Inconvenient Youth,” Independent Women’s Forum, May 11, 2010. Archived May 26, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/NHLIx
- 8Carrie L. Lukas. “Inconvenient Facts About Inconvenient Youth,” Independent Women’s Forum, May 11, 2010. Archived May 26, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/NHLIx
- 9Carrie L. Lukas. “Inconvenient Facts About Inconvenient Youth,” Independent Women’s Forum, May 11, 2010. Archived May 26, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/NHLIx
- 10“Judicial Education Project,” Conservative Transparency. Accessed January 16, 2020.
- 11Andy Kroll. “Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement,” Mother Jones, February 5, 2013. Archived January 21, 2020. Archive.ph URL:https://archive.ph/wip/cNiyF
- 12Viveca Novak, Robert Maguire and Peter Overby. “Wellspring’s Flow: Dark Money Outfit Helped Fuel Groups on Political Front Lines,” OpenSecrets.org, November 5, 2013.
- 13“Because Scott Walker Asked,” The Guardian, September 14, 2016. Archived May 13, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/wip/ATEdx
- 14James Hohmann. “Walker allegedly in ‘criminal scheme’,” Politico, June 19, 2014. Archived March 13, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/wip/1gUze
- 15“JOHN M. DRAKE, ET AL., Petitioners, v. EDWARD A. JEREJIAN, ET AL., Respondents” (PDF), retrieved from Judicial Crisis Network. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 16Carrie Severino. “Judicial Education Project Files Amicus Brief Urging Supreme Court Review of Drake v. Jerejian,” National Review, February 13, 2014. Archived March 12, 2020. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.vn/4ArPZ
- 17Carrie Campbell Severino. “Judicial Education Project Files Amicus Brief in Halbig v. Sebelius,” National Review, February 7, 2014. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/wip/nEJyY
- 18
- 19Carrie Campbell Severino. “JEP Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief in Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood,” National Review, January 28, 2014. Archived March 12, 2020. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.vn/wip/uj811
- 20Jaime Fuller. “Here’s what you need to know about the Hobby Lobby case,” The Washington Post, March 24, 2014. Archived March 12, 2020. Archive.ph URL:https://archive.vn/wip/2iLwV
- 21Carrie Campbell Severino. “JEP Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief in Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood,” National Review, January 28, 2014. Archived March 12, 2020. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.vn/wip/uj811
