Wellspring Committee
Background
The Wellspring Committee was a “dark money” nonprofit group that channeled funding from anonymous donors to conservative political organizations.1Viveca Novak, Robert Maguire and Peter Overby. “Wellspring’s Flow: Dark Money Outfit Helped Fuel Groups on Political Front Lines,” OpenSecrets.org, November 5, 2013. The group ceased operations in December 2018.2“An influential ‘dark money’ group turns off the lights for the last time,” OpenSecrets, May 23, 2019. Archived January 16, 2020. Archive.ph URL:https://archive.ph/fD6KT
Wellspring was incorporated as a 501(c)(4) organization, which according to U.S. Internal Revenue Service rules “must be operated exclusively to promote social welfare.” in order to maintain its tax-exempt status.
The Wellspring Committee was created by the Koch brothers, the billionaire co-owners of Koch Industries. Wellspring has been described as one of the Kochs’ first attempts at using a nonprofit entity to funnel money to other political organizations while obscuring the source, according to Ken Vogel’s book Big Money and as reported at Mother Jones.3Stephanie 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/JKOhn
For several years, the Wellspring Committee supplied over 90% of the budget of the Judicial Crisis Network, a group deeply involved in getting conservative judges onto the U.S. Supreme Court.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/JKOhn
“The group is a conduit,” law professor Donald Tobin of Ohio State University told OpenSecrets. “The web of transactions […] makes you question whether [Wellspring] is really engaged in a social welfare purpose or not.”5Viveca Novak, Robert Maguire and Peter Overby. “Wellspring’s Flow: Dark Money Outfit Helped Fuel Groups on Political Front Lines,” OpenSecrets.org, November 5, 2013.
Building a Conservative Supreme Court
Wellspring was an integral part of a multimillion-dollar conservative political campaign to reshape the Supreme Court. In addition to funding the Judicial Crisis Network, Wellspring contributed millions of dollars to the Judicial Education Project, JCN’s sister 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, among other groups.6“An influential ‘dark money’ group turns off the lights for the last time,” OpenSecrets, May 23, 2019. Archived January 16, 2020. Archive.ph URL:https://archive.ph/fD6KT
The MapLight Foundation reported that in 2016, the Wellspring Foundation received $28,475,000 from a single donor. It went on to give $23,454,997 to JCN.7Andrew Perez and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins. “Tax Returns Identify Dark Money Organization As Source of GOP Supreme Court Attacks,” Maplight, November 21, 2017. Archived September 19, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/oTGlJ
Wellspring was also a major funder of the Federalist Society. Together with JCN, Wellspring helped to provide nearly 80% of the funding for the “Rule of Law Project,” a nonprofit that listed then-Federalist Society executive vice president Leonard Leo as a director in its tax filings.8Andrew Perez and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins. “Tax Returns Identify Dark Money Organization As Source of GOP Supreme Court Attacks,” Maplight, November 21, 2017. Archived September 19, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/oTGlJ
Leo was key in creating JCN. A former associate of Leo’s described JCN as “Leonard Leo’s PR organization – nothing more and nothing less.”9“The Secrets of Leonard Leo, the Man Behind Trump’s Supreme Court Pick,” The Daily Beast, July 9, 2018. Archived September 19, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/lsCHr
The Wellspring Committee was a central part of a network of nonprofits run by Ann Corkery and her husband Neil Corkery. The network was dedicated to exerting conservative influence over judicial nominations in the U.S., as well as other public policy. According to tax filings, Ann Corkery served as Wellspring’s president until 2015, when her husband took over.10Viveca Novac, Robert Maguire, and Peter Overby. “Wellspring’s Flow: Dark Money Outfit Helped Fuel Groups on Political Front Lines,” OpenSecrets, November 5, 2013. Archived January 20, 2020. Archive.ph URL:https://archive.ph/wip/UGDLt
Neil Corkery is also associated with another group, The Annual Fund, which received all of its startup funding from Wellspring. The Annual Fund gives money to a wide variety of other conservative groups. Neil Corkery has also been listed as the treasurer of the Judicial Crisis Network.11“Tax returns reveal one six-figure donor accounts for entirety of ‘dark money’ funding Whitaker’s nonprofit,” OpenSecrets.org, November 21, 2018. Archived June 8, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/iKekJ
Stance on Climate Change
The Wellspring Committee has funded a number of groups known to cast doubt on climate change science or work actively to oppose climate change mitigation policies. These include the American Energy Alliance, Americans for Prosperity, and the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, among others. According to Wellspring’s 2018 IRS Form 990 filing, it gave $500,000 to People United for Privacy, a project of the State Policy Network.
Funding
The following funding information is based on data archived by the Conservative Transparency Project, combined with original research by DeSmog of publicly available IRS Form 990 tax filings.12“Wellspring Committee,” Conservative Transparency. Accessed January 2020.
See the attached spreadsheet for additional information on Wellspring Committee funding by year (.xlsx).
Wellspring Committee as Donor
| Recipient | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Grand Total |
| Judicial Crisis Network | $350,000 | $170,000 | $1,515,000 | $1,435,000 | $6,655,000 | $5,775,000 | $23,454,997 | $14,814,998 | $54,169,995 | |||
| The Catholic Association | $440,000 | $60,000 | $650,000 | $365,000 | $755,000 | $400,000 | $345,000 | $3,015,000 | ||||
| Americans for Job Security | $2,605,824 | $346,098 | $2,951,922 | |||||||||
| Annual Fund | $2,450,000 | $48,000 | $49,000 | $49,000 | $45,000 | $48,000 | $50,000 | $2,739,000 | ||||
| Illinois Policy Action | $2,500,000 | $2,500,000 | ||||||||||
| American Future Fund | $367,457 | $125,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,492,457 | ||||||||
| Americans for Prosperity | $1,651,811 | $1,651,811 | ||||||||||
| Right Change | $900,000 | $231,459 | $1,131,459 | |||||||||
| American Majority | $1,020,125 | $1,020,125 | ||||||||||
| Susan B. Anthony List | $753,278 | $250,000 | $1,003,278 | |||||||||
| Missourians for Better Courts | $30,000 | $850,000 | $50,000 | $930,000 | ||||||||
| 45 Committee | $750,000 | $750,000 | ||||||||||
| Common Sense VA PAC | $719,193 | $719,193 | ||||||||||
| Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies | $200,000 | $235,000 | $75,000 | $100,000 | $610,000 | |||||||
| American Energy Alliance | $509,000 | $95,000 | $604,000 | |||||||||
| National Right to Life Committee | $542,000 | $542,000 | ||||||||||
| Illinois Manufacturers’ Association | $500,000 | $500,000 | ||||||||||
| Wisconsin Club For Growth | $400,000 | $400,000 | ||||||||||
| Citizens for the Republic | $360,000 | $360,000 | ||||||||||
| American Dream Initiative | $350,000 | $350,000 | ||||||||||
| FGA Action | $350,000 | $350,000 | ||||||||||
| Louisiana Conservative Action Network | $312,000 | $312,000 | ||||||||||
| American Action Network | $305,500 | $305,500 | ||||||||||
| Winning for Women | $250,000 | $250,000 | ||||||||||
| Faith & Freedom Coalition | $250,000 | $250,000 | ||||||||||
| First Amendment Alliance Educational Fund | $250,000 | $250,000 | ||||||||||
| American Conservative Union | $240,000 | $240,000 | ||||||||||
| Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce | $200,000 | $200,000 | ||||||||||
| Data Trust | $200,000 | $200,000 | ||||||||||
| Freedom Vote | $200,000 | $200,000 | ||||||||||
| Judicial Education Project | $50,000 | $136,000 | $186,000 | |||||||||
| Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity | $160,000 | $160,000 | ||||||||||
| Citizenship Fund | $150,000 | $150,000 | ||||||||||
| Missouri Retailers Association | $105,000 | $35,000 | $140,000 | |||||||||
| American Justice Partnership | $125,000 | $125,000 | ||||||||||
| Michigan Chamber of Commerce | $125,000 | $125,000 | ||||||||||
| Veterans Against the Deal | $120,000 | $120,000 | ||||||||||
| Know Campaign | $111,317 | $111,317 | ||||||||||
| State Government Leadership Foundation | $100,000 | $100,000 | ||||||||||
| Alabama Civil Justice Reform Committee | $100,000 | $100,000 | ||||||||||
| Emergency Committee for Israel | $100,000 | $100,000 | ||||||||||
| AR2, Inc. | $100,000 | $100,000 | ||||||||||
| Bradley Impact Fund | $100,000 | $100,000 | ||||||||||
| Renew Colorado | $90,000 | $90,000 | ||||||||||
| Alabama Voters Against Lawsuit Abuse | $85,000 | $85,000 | ||||||||||
| United in Purpose Education | $75,000 | $75,000 | ||||||||||
| Stop Lawsuit Abuse | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||||||||||
| Engage America | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||||||||||
| Washington Free Beacon | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||||||||||
| Common Sense Issues Coalition | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||||||||||
| Engage Nevada | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||||||||||
| Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||||||||||
| Lincoln Labs Action | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||||||||||
| American Opportunity Alliance | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||||||||||
| Greenwich Fund | $49,900 | $49,900 | ||||||||||
| Rule of Law Project | $30,000 | $10,000 | $40,000 | |||||||||
| The Adam Smith Foundation | $40,000 | $40,000 | ||||||||||
| Citizens for Traditional Values | $30,000 | $30,000 | ||||||||||
| Kansas Club for Growth | $25,000 | $25,000 | ||||||||||
| Adam Smith Foundation | $25,000 | $25,000 | ||||||||||
| North Carolina Chamber of Commerce | $25,000 | $25,000 | ||||||||||
| Let Freedom Ring | $25,000 | $25,000 | ||||||||||
| Arizona Public Integrity Alliance | $15,000 | $15,000 | ||||||||||
| Judicial Reform Coalition | $12,500 | $12,500 | ||||||||||
| Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch | $10,000 | $10,000 | ||||||||||
| Louisiana Citizens for Action Now | $10,000 | $10,000 | ||||||||||
| United and Strong Strong America | $10,000 | $10,000 | ||||||||||
| Baylor University | $5,000 | $5,000 | ||||||||||
| Wedgwood Circle Institute | $5,000 | $5,000 | ||||||||||
| Grand Total | $7,291,370 | $188,817 | $8,426,723 | $997,459 | $2,195,000 | $2,487,193 | $8,289,000 | $7,834,000 | $29,124,997 | $15,612,998 | $1,144,900 | $83,592,457 |
Wellspring Committee as Recipient
According to tax filings, in 2009 Wellspring received a $150,000 donation from the American Democracy Alliance.
Independent Contractors Hired by Wellspring
| Contractor Name & Service | 2008 | 2010 | 2011 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Grand Total |
| 1060 Group | ||||||||
| – Project management | $210,219 | $210,219 | ||||||
| 3dbob Productions | ||||||||
| – Video production | $681,750 | $681,750 | ||||||
| Advantage | ||||||||
| – Voter Research | $210,662 | $210,662 | ||||||
| BH Group LLC | ||||||||
| – Consulting | $919,900 | $919,900 | ||||||
| – Public Relations | $750,000 | $750,000 | ||||||
| Clover | ||||||||
| – Project management | $231,666 | $231,666 | ||||||
| Creative Response Concepts | ||||||||
| – Public Relations | $600,000 | $165,000 | $765,000 | |||||
| Lincoln Strategy | ||||||||
| – Voter registration | $225,000 | $225,000 | ||||||
| Magellan | ||||||||
| – Data analysis and mapping | $565,730 | $807,587 | $1,373,317 | |||||
| Opportunity Solutions Corporation | ||||||||
| – Public Relations | $500,000 | $500,000 | ||||||
| Targetpoint Consulting | ||||||||
| – Voter Research | $789,444 | $789,444 | ||||||
| Tarrance | ||||||||
| – Voter Research | $326,948 | $326,948 | ||||||
| W3BG | ||||||||
| – Web consulting | $576,999 | $576,999 | ||||||
| Grand Total | $1,537,273 | $2,281,145 | $807,587 | $500,000 | $1,350,000 | $919,900 | $165,000 | $7,560,905 |
IRS Form 990 Filings
Key People
| Name | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Description |
| Neil Corkery | Y | Y | Y | President | ||||||||
| Ann Corkery | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | President | |||
| Kathleen Corkery | Y | Y | Y | Director | ||||||||
| Michael Casey | Y | Y | Y | Secretary, Treasurer | ||||||||
| John Klink | Y | Y | Y | Y | Director | |||||||
| Steve Wagner | Y | Y | Y | Y | Director, Secretary, Treasurer |
Other People
- Leonard Leo — Was reportedly “directly involved” in raising much of the anonymous money that was contributed to Wellspring.13Anna Massoglia. “New clues link $1 million Trump inauguration mystery money to secretive ‘dark money’ network,” OpenSecrets , November 28, 2018. Archived January 17, 2020. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/wip/3D31B
Actions
December 2018
The Wellspring Committee reportedly ceased operations in December 2018.14“An influential ‘dark money’ group turns off the lights for the last time,” OpenSecrets, May 23, 2019. Archived January 16, 2020. Archive.ph URL:https://archive.ph/fD6KT
2016
In 2017, MapLight reported that the Wellspring Committee spent $17 million towards replacing the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia with another Republican. Following Scalia’s death in 2016, Wellspring donated $23 million to the Judicial Crisis Network. JCN in turn spent $7 million on ads encouraging Republican senators not to hold confirmation hearings for Judge Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama’s nominee to replace Scalia. After Donald Trump became president in 2017, JCN then spent an additional $10 million supporting the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch, Trump’s pick for the open seat. 15Andrew Perez and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins. “Tax Returns Identify Dark Money Organization As Source of GOP Supreme Court Attacks,” Maplight, November 21, 2017. Archived September 19, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/oTGlJ
Tax documents revealed that in 2016, Wellspring received $28.5 million of its $32 million in donations from a single donor.16Andrew Perez and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins. “Tax Returns Identify Dark Money Organization As Source of GOP Supreme Court Attacks,” MapLight, November 21, 2017. Archived September 19, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/oTGlJ
JCN also funneled Wellspring money to the Republican Governors Association and the Republican Attorneys General Association, as well as organizations supporting conservative justices for courts in Wisconsin and North Carolina.17Andrew Perez and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins. “Tax Returns Identify Dark Money Organization As Source of GOP Supreme Court Attacks,” Maplight, November 21, 2017. Archived September 19, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/oTGlJ
Wellspring gave $2 million directly to the American Future Fund, which spent a total of $12 million supporting Florida Republican Marco Rubio, in his 2016 presidential bid and Senate re-election campaign.18Andrew Perez and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins. “Tax Returns Identify Dark Money Organization As Source of GOP Supreme Court Attacks,” Maplight, November 21, 2017. Archived September 19, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/oTGlJ
Related Organizations
Contact & Address
According to the Wellspring Committee’s 2018 tax filing, its address was:
Suite 131 – 3220 N Street NW
Washington, DC
20007
(561) 563-3547
The above address appears to match that of a branch of The UPS Store.19“Georgetown,” The UPS Store. Archived January 20, 2020. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/kvYUE
Social Media
- The Wellspring Committee had no presence on social media.
Other Resources
- “Wellspring Committee,” Sourcewatch
Resources
- 1Viveca Novak, Robert Maguire and Peter Overby. “Wellspring’s Flow: Dark Money Outfit Helped Fuel Groups on Political Front Lines,” OpenSecrets.org, November 5, 2013.
- 2“An influential ‘dark money’ group turns off the lights for the last time,” OpenSecrets, May 23, 2019. Archived January 16, 2020. Archive.ph URL:https://archive.ph/fD6KT
- 3Stephanie 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/JKOhn
- 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/JKOhn
- 5Viveca Novak, Robert Maguire and Peter Overby. “Wellspring’s Flow: Dark Money Outfit Helped Fuel Groups on Political Front Lines,” OpenSecrets.org, November 5, 2013.
- 6“An influential ‘dark money’ group turns off the lights for the last time,” OpenSecrets, May 23, 2019. Archived January 16, 2020. Archive.ph URL:https://archive.ph/fD6KT
- 7Andrew Perez and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins. “Tax Returns Identify Dark Money Organization As Source of GOP Supreme Court Attacks,” Maplight, November 21, 2017. Archived September 19, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/oTGlJ
- 8Andrew Perez and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins. “Tax Returns Identify Dark Money Organization As Source of GOP Supreme Court Attacks,” Maplight, November 21, 2017. Archived September 19, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/oTGlJ
- 9“The Secrets of Leonard Leo, the Man Behind Trump’s Supreme Court Pick,” The Daily Beast, July 9, 2018. Archived September 19, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/lsCHr
- 10Viveca Novac, Robert Maguire, and Peter Overby. “Wellspring’s Flow: Dark Money Outfit Helped Fuel Groups on Political Front Lines,” OpenSecrets, November 5, 2013. Archived January 20, 2020. Archive.ph URL:https://archive.ph/wip/UGDLt
- 11“Tax returns reveal one six-figure donor accounts for entirety of ‘dark money’ funding Whitaker’s nonprofit,” OpenSecrets.org, November 21, 2018. Archived June 8, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/iKekJ
- 12“Wellspring Committee,” Conservative Transparency. Accessed January 2020.
- 13Anna Massoglia. “New clues link $1 million Trump inauguration mystery money to secretive ‘dark money’ network,” OpenSecrets , November 28, 2018. Archived January 17, 2020. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/wip/3D31B
- 14“An influential ‘dark money’ group turns off the lights for the last time,” OpenSecrets, May 23, 2019. Archived January 16, 2020. Archive.ph URL:https://archive.ph/fD6KT
- 15Andrew Perez and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins. “Tax Returns Identify Dark Money Organization As Source of GOP Supreme Court Attacks,” Maplight, November 21, 2017. Archived September 19, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/oTGlJ
- 16Andrew Perez and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins. “Tax Returns Identify Dark Money Organization As Source of GOP Supreme Court Attacks,” MapLight, November 21, 2017. Archived September 19, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/oTGlJ
- 17Andrew Perez and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins. “Tax Returns Identify Dark Money Organization As Source of GOP Supreme Court Attacks,” Maplight, November 21, 2017. Archived September 19, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/oTGlJ
- 18Andrew Perez and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins. “Tax Returns Identify Dark Money Organization As Source of GOP Supreme Court Attacks,” Maplight, November 21, 2017. Archived September 19, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/oTGlJ
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