The Nomination of Saule Omarova

In September 2021, President Biden announced Saule Omarova as the Comptroller of the Currency nominee for the Department of Treasury. Omarova was officially announced as the nominee on November 2^nd and withdrew her nomination on December 7^th—a mere 35 days after her official nomination.

Saule Omarova Is A Law Professor At Cornell, And Specializes In Regulation Of Financial Institutions. “Saule Omarova specializes in regulation of financial institutions, banking law, international finance, and corporate finance. Before joining Cornell Law School in 2014, she was the George R. Ward Associate Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina School of Law.” [Cornell Law School, Accessed 5/17/22]

• Omarova Worked At A Corporate Law Firm And In George W. Bush’ Treasury Department. “Omarova’s résumé is hardly anti-capitalist: she worked at the corporate law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell and served in George W. Bush’s Treasury Department.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

• Omarova Identifies As Asian. “[Omarova] withdrew last week after members of the U.S. Senate attacked her writings and beliefs. […] She publicly suggested soon afterward that the criticism played on her race. She identifies as Asian.” [NPR, 12/13/21]

Omarova Grew Up In Kazakhstan And Went To Moscow State University For Undergrad. “I went to high school in a small, tiny Kazak provincial town on the outskirts of the Soviet Empire and I’m originally from Kazakhstan. I went to Moscow State University for my undergrad.” [NBC News, 5/9/20]

• Omarova Became A Naturalized Citizen In 2005. “Born in Kazakhstan, in what was then the Soviet Union, Omarova received an undergraduate degree from Moscow State University, but she became a naturalized American citizen in 2005.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

President Biden Announces Key Nominations for Financial Regulation and Investor Protection. “Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve in key roles: Saule Omarova, Nominee for Comptroller of the Currency, Department of Treasury.” [White House, 9/23/21]

• The Senate Received Saule Omarova’s Nomination On November 2nd, 2021. “[Congress.gov, Accessed 5/17/22]

Initial Coverage Of Omarova’s Announcement Focused On Recent Comments On Cryptocurrency, Following The Zeitgeist Of Late 2021 As Crypto Prices Peaked

The New York Times: New Candidate For Top Bank Regulator Sees Risks In Crypto And Fintechs. “The White House is vetting Saule Omarova, a Cornell professor, for the role of comptroller of the currency. Her work has highlighted the risks of cryptocurrency for banks.” [The New York Times, 8/5/21]

Bloomberg: Biden To Tap Crypto, Big-bank Critic To Run Wall Street Watchdog. “President Joe Biden plans to nominate a law professor who has criticized cryptocurrencies and advocated for the government to have a much bigger role in banking to run a top Wall Street regulator.” [Bloomberg, 9/22/21]

The New York Times: Biden’s Pick for Bank Regulator Worries Banks Are Getting Too Powerful. “Saule Omarova, a Cornell law professor, has advocated a more equal share of power and success between taxpayers and big banks.” [The New York Times, 9/23/21]

Bloomberg: Biden Sets Up Senate Battle By Picking Bank Critic To Run OCC. “President Joe Biden has tapped a vocal critic of big banks and cryptocurrencies to run the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, likely triggering a contentious Senate confirmation fight over the leadership of a key Wall Street regulator.” [Bloomberg, 9/23/21]

Politico: ‘Radical’ Biden Nominee Faces Backlash From Banks. “President Joe Biden’s decision to nominate Cornell law professor Saule Omarova to regulate the nation’s banks is triggering intense anxiety among the lenders and their Washington lobbyists and threatens to set off a bruising battle in Congress.” [Politico, 9/24/21]

NY Post: Biden’s Soviet-Raised Pick For Treasury Post Sought End To Banking ‘As We Know It.’ “President Biden’s controversial pick to be the Treasury Department’s comptroller of the currency is a USSR-born and educated professor who has praised the former Soviet Union’s lack of a gender pay gap while recently advocating for ending banking “as we know it” by moving Americans’ finances from private banks to the Federal Reserve.” [New York Post, 9/30/21]

NY Post: IT’S RED ALERT! WH Pick’s Pro-Soviet, ‘Leftist Ideas.’ “President Biden’s pick for comptroller of the currency is a Soviet-born professor who has praised the USSR’s lack of a gender pay gap and advocated for ending banking “as we know it” by moving Americans’ finances from private banks to the Federal Reserve.” [New York Post, via Nexis, 10/1/21]

The Washington Times: Communist Predators Near And Far; Americans Had Better Wake Up To The Communist-Style Repression That Is Becoming More Common. “Mr. Biden has nominated Saule Omarova, a graduate of Moscow State University. No, it’s not Moscow, Idaho. This is the real deal. She graduated from the communist college in 1989, a recipient of the Lenin Personal Academic Scholarship. That would be Vladimir Lenin, founder of the first communist nation and a ruthless, mass-murdering dictator.” [The Washington Times, via Nexis, 10/1/21]

The Washington Examiner: Biden Banking Pick Denies Communist Sympathies, Says Critics Vilifying Her Because Of Kazakh Heritage. “President Joe Biden’s pick for a top banking regulatory position said that she was an “anti-communist” while attending school in the Soviet Union and that critics accusing her of radicalism are lashing out against her because of her heritage and gender. “There is definitely a different standard applied to someone like me,” Omarova told the Financial Times. “I am an easy target: an immigrant, a woman, a minority,” she added. “I don’t look like your typical comptroller of the currency. I have a different history. I am easy to demonize and vilify.”” [The Washington Examiner, 10/14/21]

• A Spokeswomen For Senate Banking Republicans Fired Back At Omarova. “Amanda Gonzalez Thompson, the spokeswoman for Senate Banking Committee Republicans, fired back at Omarova in a statement Thursday afternoon. She said Omarova’s characterization of GOP condemnation was “a classic response from the extreme left” and that because Omarova can’t defend her “bad ideas,” she has resorted to accusing her critics of being “racist misogynists.”” [The Washington Examiner, 10/14/21]

The American Accountability Foundation Sought To Tie Omarova To Communism, Calling Her A “Committed Communist” And Repeatedly Pushed The False Narratives

The AAF Called Omarova A “Karl Marx Fanboy.” 

[Twitter, 10/13/21]

…But The Citation AAF Links To Begins With Omarova Denouncing The “Official Soviet Ideology” EXPLICITLY Because Of Karl Marx

[Internet Archive, Accessed 6/23/22]

The AAF Continued To Push The False Claim That Omarova Was A “Committed Communist.”

[Twitter, 11/8/21]

[Twitter, 11/8/21]

A.A.F. Scoured Saule Omarova’s Twitter Looking For McCarthyistic Lines Of Attack. “The group discovered that Omarova, after she’d read an article in The Economist about potatoes, had tweeted fondly about a time she helped farmers harvest potatoes outside Moscow. The A.A.F. proclaimed that the Biden Administration had “nominated a woman who waxes nostalgic for the good ole days of poverty, hunger, and forced labor in communist Russia.” Conservative outlets pounced on similar tweets about her past.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

An Unidentified Opposition Researcher Went To Moscow To Find An Undergraduate Paper By Saule Omarova And Circulated An Elementary School Photo Of Omarova To Tie Her To Communism

Opponents Attempted To Obtain An Undergraduate Paper And Circulated Elementary-School Photographs Of Omarova To Tie Her To Communism. “Omarova told me that someone went to Moscow to “try to dig up” an undergraduate paper that she’d written on Karl Marx. Opponents also circulated an elementary-school photograph of her wearing the obligatory red kerchief of the Young Pioneers. “They used it to say ‘Look at her, she’s such a devout Communist!’ They were going through my whole life, looking for anything they could smear or frighten me with.”” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

• These Claims Appeared In A Daily Mail UK Article, Which “Obtained Pictures Of Omarova From Her Time In The Soviet Education System.” “Omarova did not respond to requests for comment. DailyMail.com has obtained pictures of Omarova from her time in the Soviet education system. An exclusive new photograph shows her as a proud ‘Young Pioneer’ – the Communist youth mass movement – at her Soviet school number 21 in Uralsk, now Oral, in Kazakhstan. It was taken in the year 1979-1980, and she wears the red scarf of a movement dedicated to Vladimir Lenin.” [Daily Mail, 10/21/21]
• The Daily Mail UK Is One Confirmed Group Which Asked Moscow State University About Omarova’s Dissertation. “And DailyMail.com has been told that there is no longer a copy in the institution’s archives. ‘It was destroyed long ago,’ said a university official. ‘We do not have a copy.’ Moscow State University only keeps such works for five years, said the official.” [Daily Mail, 10/21/21]

The Daily Mail Obtained Numerous “Exclusive” Pictures Of Omarova’s Youth.

[Daily Mail, 10/21/21]

The AAF Said Omarova Was A “Guest” In The United States At The Time Of Her Shoplifting Charge. 

[Twitter, 11/17/21]

A.A.F. Falsified A Comment Omarova Made And Falsely Accused Her Of Being Apart Of A Marxist Facebook Group. “The A.A.F. also accused her of belonging to a Marxist group on Facebook that she was unaware of and had never participated in, and misleadingly edited a comment she’d made about the need to insure economic security for laid-off fossil-fuel workers so that it sounded like an attack on those workers and the industry. “They were saying that I wanted to kill oil-and-gas workers,” she told me. “That’s exactly the opposite of what I was saying.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

The American Accountability Foundation Also Pursued Non-Ideological Mudslinging Attempts Against Omarova, Including Misrepresenting

A.A.F. Misrepresented Saule Omarova’s Salary. “Omarova disclosed reams of personal information to the Senate, including her compensation as a law professor. Jones then e-mailed her colleagues at Cornell about what he portrayed as her annual salary—but the figure he cited represented nearly two years of pay.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

A.A.F. Trumpeted A Dismissed Shoplifting Charge Against Omarova. “While the hearings were ongoing, the A.A.F. trumpeted a dismissed shoplifting charge against Omarova—omitting the fact that she’d disclosed it herself. She told me that the incident, which came about from a misunderstanding with a security guard, had occurred not long after she had emigrated from Russia—and had led her to become a lawyer.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

The American Accountability Foundation Leaked A Video Of Omarova Criticizing The Coal, Oil, And Gas Industries A Month Before Her Nomination Was Withdrawn – Multiple Conservative Media Outlets And Elected Officials Picked Up On This Attack

AAF Leaked A Video Of Biden Nominee Saule Omarova Calling For Coal, Oil, And Gas Industries To Go Bankrupt A Month Before Her Nomination Was Withdrawn. “By Thursday, they had been viewed more than 1.5 million times on Twitter after being shared by the American Accountability Foundation (AAF). Proving it wasn’t “a slip of the tongue,” the AAF posted a second clip in which Omarova said that “the way we basically get rid of those carbon financiers is we starve them of their sources of capital.” [NY Post, 11/11/21]

The AAF Tweeted The Video Clip Out And Garnered Much Higher Engagement Than Usual. 

[Twitter, 11/9/21]

The AAF Boasted Its Research Being Picked Up By Senators During Omarova’s Hearings. 

[Twitter, 11/18/21]

[Twitter, 12/9/21]

The Daily Caller: Biden’s ‘Marxist’ Treasury Nominee Saule Omarova Wants To Bankrupt, ‘Starve’ Fossil Fuel Industry To Tackle Climate Change. ““Here what I’m thinking about is primarily the coal and oil and gas industry. A lot of the smaller players in that industry are going to probably go bankrupt in short order, at least we want them to go bankrupt if we want to tackle climate change,” Saule Omarova – who the Senate is considering to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency – remarked in a clip uncovered Tuesday by the American Accountability Foundation (AAF), a conservative research group.” [The Daily Caller, Via Nexis, 11/10/21]

The Washington Times: Biden Nominee For Top Treasury Post Under Fire For Extreme Views On Energy, Wall Street. “President Biden’s decision to nominate Saule Omarova for a top Treasury job has rattled several Senate Democrats because she previously said she wants the coal, oil and the gas industry to “go bankrupt.”” [Targeted News Service, Via Nexis, 11/16/21]

Competitive Enterprise Institute: Senators Should Reject Comptroller Of Currency Nominee Saule Omarova. “Saule Omarova’s statements calling for nationalization of deposit banking, wishing for bankruptcy of small energy companies, and sympathizing with the social policy of her native Soviet Union render her unfit to serve in the vital position of Comptroller of the Currency.” [Competitive Enterprise Institute, 11/18/21]

Rubio Mentioned Omarova Wanting To Bankrupt Energy Companies. “Saule Omarova supports abolishing private bank accounts, using govt to bankrupt energy companies & creating a Soviet style “National Investment Authority,” tweeted Rubio, whose parents fled Cuba before the Fidel Castro seized control of the country in 1959.” [The Hill, 11/19/21]

Texas Gov. Abbott Opposed Omarova’s Nomination And Referenced Her Bankruptcy Comments. “This letter is in response to past comments by Omarova expressing hostility towards American energy producers, including wanting businesses in the oil and gas industry “to go bankrupt.”” [Targeted News Service, Via Nexis, 11/17/21]

Ky. State Treasurer Also Mentioned Omarova’s Bankrupting Comments. “She calls for bankrupting coal companies to combat climate change, forcing thousands out of employment.” [Y’all Politics, Via Nexis, 11/15/21]

Republican Staffers Cited American Accountability Foundation Research In The Pre-Hearing Process

The AAF Took A Satirical Clip Of Omarova Out Of Context. “She’d been featured, along with other professors, in an obscure 2019 documentary based on “Assholes: A Theory,” a whimsical treatise by Aaron James, a philosophy professor at the University of California, Irvine. The A.A.F., without acknowledging the film’s satirical tone, promoted a snippet of Omarova calling the financial-services industry “the quintessential asshole industry.”” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

…And Promoted It On Twitter. 

[Twitter, 10/19/21]

…Which Republican Staffers Then Cited In The Pre-Hearing Nomination Process. “A compilation of clips from the documentary had been taken off YouTube owing to copyright violations; during the pre-hearing process for Omarova’s nomination, Republican staffers insinuated that she’d personally concealed the footage. “I don’t know what kind of relationship those senators had with A.A.F.,” she told me. “But clearly they knew of that clip.”” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

The Daily Mail Also Parroted A.A.F.’s Out Of Context Clip Of Omarova In A Satirical Movie. 

[Daily Mail, 10/21/21]

Competitive Enterprise Institute: Senators Should Reject Comptroller Of Currency Nominee Saule Omarova. “Saule Omarova’s statements calling for nationalization of deposit banking, wishing for bankruptcy of small energy companies, and sympathizing with the social policy of her native Soviet Union render her unfit to serve in the vital position of Comptroller of the Currency.” [Competitive Enterprise Institute, 11/18/21]

Foundation for Economic Education: Meet the Biden Nominee Who’s Sympathetic to Soviet-Era Socialism—and Wants the Fed to Pretty Much Take Over Private Banking. “Omarova’s clear sympathy for parts of the failed, repressive Soviet regime, support for a de facto nationalization of private banking, and dangerous desire to expand the federal role in planning our economy are utterly disqualifying for such an important regulatory role.” [Foundation for Economic Education, Via Nexis, 10/26/21]

Americans for Limited Government: Senate Should Reject Saule Omarova For Comptroller Of The Currency. “Americans for Limited Government President Richard Manning issued the following statement in reaction to the Senate confirmation hearing for Saule Omarova, President Joe Biden’s nominee for the office of the Comptroller of the Currency: “President Joe Biden’s nominee for the office of Comptroller of the Currency, Saule Omarova, is perhaps the worse choice out of hundreds of bad nominations. You see, Ms. Omarova is a genuine Moscow University (not in Idaho), Lenin Scholar who emigrated to the United States in 1991 who is on video saying, ‘There will be no more private bank deposit accounts and all of the deposit accounts will be held directly at the Fed.’” [State News Service, Via Nexis, 11/15/21]

Young Americans for Liberty Calls Upon Key Ally To Condemn Controversial Biden Treasury Nominee. In an article bylined by Young Americans for Liberty in a local New Hampshire paper, YAF claimed credit for leading the charge against Saule Omarova’s nomination to the OCC: “In the wake of President Biden’s nomination of Saule Omarova as Comptroller of the Currency, leaders across the liberty movement are going on the offensive against yet another one of Biden’s nominees. Young Americans for Liberty (YAL)—the nation’s most active youth libertarian organization—is leading the charge.” [Granite Grok, 11/17/21]

Omarova Did Receive Support From Progressive Organizations, But Such Support Was Limited In Scope And Intensity

National Community Reinvestment Coalition: NCRC Calls On Congress To Confirm Professor Saule Omarova As Next Comptroller Of The Currency. “The National Community Reinvestment Coalition expresses its strong support for the nomination of Professor Saule Omarova to serve as the next Comptroller of the Currency. “Professor Omarova believes that financial institutions should be held accountable to serve the needs of the public, and she has a steadfast commitment to protecting our economy from reckless risk-taking,” said Jesse Van Tol, President and CEO of NCRC. “She will be a strong advocate for the public interest.”” [Contify Investment News, Via Nexis, 11/12/21]

Sierra Club: Sierra Club Statement On Saule Omarova Hearing For Comptroller Of The Currency. “The OCC has a key role to play in safeguarding our economy from climate chaos and putting guardrails on Wall Street’s risky fossil fuel investments. Dr. Omarova will bring a critical understanding to OCC of the government’s role in ensuring the stability of our financial system in the face of growing climate risk and investing in a more sustainable and equitable economy.” [Sierra Club, 11/18/21]

Open Markets Institute: Professor Saule Omarova Is The Sharp, Uncompromising Leader The OCC Needs To Curb Dangerous Concentrations Of Power In The Financial System. “None of the bad faith, despicable attacks on Professor Omarova can overshadow her brilliant and comprehensive work. While many in Washington applaud as members of the digital asset marketplace laud their ability to ‘revolutionize’ finance or disrupt the banking system, Professor Omarova’s law review article examining digital assets has been distorted into scaremongering over out-of-context quotes about ending banking as we know it.” [Open Markets Institute, 11/18/21]

Rep. Donalds’ Statement On Biden’s Communist Comptroller Nominee Saule Omarova. “Today, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) issued the following statement slamming Biden’s communist Comptroller nominee Saule Omarova and calling on the United States Senate to oppose her nomination. “Saule Omarova is a communist plain and simple and should have her nomination for Comptroller pulled immediately. Her track record and documented disdain for capitalism are grounds for disqualification for any position in the United States government.” [States News Service, Via Nexis, 11/17/21]

Rep. Luetkemeyer Op-ed: Biden And His Radical Regulators Want Government To Control Our Financial System. “The following op-ed by Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03), Ranking Member on the House Small Business Committee and Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions Subcommittee appeared on FoxBusiness.com this morning. “‘Say what you want about old USSR, there was no gender pay gap there. Market doesn’t always ‘know best.'” “Those are the words of Cornell University Law professor Saule Omarova, which she tweeted on March 31, 2019. According to her public statements, Omarova is from Kazakhstan, which was a part of the Soviet Union until the communist state’s failure and dissolution.” [States News Service, Via Nexis, 11/2/21]

Rep. French Hill OpEd In The Hill: Fighting Biden’s Dangerous Reshaping Of The Federal Reserve. “Professor Omarova’s dangerous views on banking and the role of the Federal Reserve in society make her unqualified for this critical agency appointment to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and are a troubling leading indicator of what may be acceptable in a Federal Reserve nominee.” [The Hill, 11/15/21]

Texas Gov. Abbott Urges President Biden To Withdraw Nomination Of Omarova To U.S. Comptroller Of The Currency. “Governor Greg Abbott today sent a letter urging President Joe Biden to immediately withdraw his nomination of Saule Omarova to Comptroller of the Currency. This letter is in response to past comments by Omarova expressing hostility towards American energy producers, including wanting businesses in the oil and gas industry “to go bankrupt.”” [Targeted News Service, Via Nexis, 11/17/21]

Georgia AG: Carr Urges Congressional Leaders To Reject Biden’s Nominee For Comptroller Of The Currency. “Attorney General Chris Carr today wrote to Congressional leaders to voice his strong opposition to President Biden’s nomination of Professor Saule Omarova to serve as the next Comptroller of the Currency. The letter was sent in response to Professor Omarova’s prior comments in which she expressed her clear objection to most, if not all, aspects of the existing banking and financial system, including the current structure of national banks, community banks and fintech businesses.” [Georgia AG Office, 11/19/21]

Mississippi Treasurer McRae Joins 16 Other States In Opposing President Biden’s Comptroller Of The Currency Nominee. “In a letter co-signed by 21 state financial officers representing 17 states, the group says Omarova’s ‘radical views’ have caused great concern.” [Y’all Politics, Via Nexis, 11/15/21]

Ky. State Treasurer Ball Urges Biden to Immediately Revoke Comptroller Nomination of Saule Omarova. “Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball is calling for President Biden to immediately revoke his nomination of Saule Omarova as U.S. Comptroller of the Currency. “The mere suggestion of radical extremist Saule Omarova’s nomination to be U.S. Comptroller should concern all Americans. Omarova openly admits she is driven by Marxist-based ideas, like advocating for the end of private banking “as we know it.” She calls for bankrupting coal companies to combat climate change, forcing thousands out of employment.” [Y’all Politics, Via Nexis, 11/15/21]

AP News: GOP Paints Biden’s Choice For Bank Regulator As Radical. “President Joe Biden’s choice to become one of the top banking regulators endured a contentious nomination hearing Thursday, with Republican senators warning she would nationalize the U.S. banking system and Democrats saying she’s eminently qualified and would be tough overseer of Wall Street.” [AP News, 11/18/21]

Reuters: U.S. Regulator Nominee Omarova Denies Allegation Of Communism In Heated Senate Hearing. “U.S. bank regulator nominee Saule Omarova denied allegations of communist sympathies during a contentious Senate hearing on Thursday as her appointment looked increasingly in doubt amid skepticism from key moderate Democrats. Omarova, U.S. President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, calmly defended her upbringing and academic work, saying her childhood in Kazakhstan, then part of the Soviet Union, had imbued her with a deep appreciation for America’s capitalist system.” [Reuters, 11/18/21]

Yahoo: Senators Spar With Biden Nominee Omarova, And Each Other, At Testy Hearing: ‘I Don’t Know Whether To Call You Professor Or Comrade’. “The Biden administration’s pick for a top bank regulator role faced fire on Capitol Hill on Thursday, spending a good chunk of her nomination clarifying her views to a slew of hostile GOP senators — and at least a pair of Democrats — which left her confirmation prospects unclear at best.” [Yahoo, 11/18/21]

The Daily Caller: ‘A Tricky Question’: Top Biden Nominee Saule Omarova Struggles To Answer Question On Whether High Gas Prices Are Bad For Americans. “Saule Omarova, President Joe Biden’s pick for a top Treasury Department position, struggled to answer whether she thinks higher gasoline prices are bad for the U.S. during a Banking Committee hearing Thursday. “Senator, that’s a tricky question,” Omarova, who was nominated for the Treasury’s high-ranking comptroller of the currency post, said in response to Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty’s question.” [The Daily Caller, 11/18/21]

Senator Toomey Repeatedly Took To The Senate Floor In October To Oppose The Upcoming Nomination Of Saule Omarova, Blazing A Path For The Coordinated Attacks In The Following Weeks

Toomey on Senate Floor: I’ve Never Seen a More ‘Radical’ Regulatory Nominee Than Saule Omarova. “Ms. Omarova has been celebrated on the far left for promoting ideas she herself has described as ‘radical.’ That’s a point we can agree on. These are very, very radical ideas. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more radical choice for any regulatory spot in our federal government. I know that is a very sweeping statement to make. I think I can stand by it.” [Senate Banking Committee, 10/6/21]

• Brown Blasts Ranking Member Toomey For Red Scare Attacks On Saule Omarova.” Before today, I thought, red scare McCarthyism was rightly relegated to the dustbin of history. Any American citizen who fled communist repression – whether it be FDIC Chair Jelena McWilliams or OCC nominee Saule Omarova– should be lauded for their courage and conviction. I believe that my colleagues – from both sides of the aisle – will reject such character assassinations.” [Senator Brown Newsroom, 10/6/21]

Toomey Criticizes Omarova’s Plan to Have Federal Government Set Price Controls.  “U.S. Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate today to raise concerns over the plan of Saule Omarova—President Biden’s pick for the Comptroller of the Currency—to have the federal government set price controls for large sectors of the U.S. economy, including food, gas, wages, and home prices.” [Senate Banking Committee, 10/20/21]

The First Calls To See Omarova’s Undergraduate Thesis Came From Senator Toomey In Early October

Toomey On Professor Omarova’s Refusal To Turn Over Thesis On Marxism: What Is She Hiding?  “On October 5, 2021, Senator Toomey sent a letter asking Ms. Omarova to provide the Committee with a copy of the thesis no later than October 13, 2021, to allow the Committee adequate time to translate and thoroughly review it. To this day, Ms. Omarova has neither provided a copy of her thesis to the Committee nor provided any explanation for her failure to do so.” [Senate Banking Committee, 11/3/21]

Sen. Toomey Calls On Omarova To Turn Over Her Moscow State Thesis on Marxism. “After President Biden announced his intent to nominate Ms. Omarova, Committee staff reached out to both the nominee and the OCC requesting a copy of the thesis. Neither Ms. Omarova nor the OCC agreed to share a copy with the Committee in a timely fashion. Nominees within the Committee’s jurisdiction are required to submit all published writings, articles, and papers.” [Targeted News Service, Via Nexis, 10/7/21]

The Daily Caller: Biden’s Pick For Top Banking Regulator Refuses To Hand Over Thesis On Marxism. “Saule Omarova, President Joe Biden’s nominee to head the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), is refusing to hand over to the Senate Banking Committee her university thesis on Marxism written during her time in the Soviet Union.” [The Daily Caller, 10/14/21]

Senator Kennedy Went On A Particularly Egregious Rant, Saying “I Don’t Know Whether To Call You ‘Professor’ Or ‘Comrade’”

The Daily Beast: John Kennedy Went From A Democrat To The GOP’s Discount Joe McCarthy. “Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy has behaved in ways as abhorrent as many of his colleagues but mostly failed to make it into primetime, overshadowed by the likes of Ted Cruz waging jihad on Big Bird and calling on Texas to secede from the union and Lindsey Graham repeatedly climbing into Donald Trump’s lap and golf cart to beg forgiveness.” [The Daily Beast, 11/23/21]

• Kennedy’s Statements Were Enough To Cause Thom Tillis To Distance Himself From Kennedy. “Kennedy’s so good at what he does, to call him out would be like tripping up gramps on his way to change the TV station. But he took it too far with Omarova, to the point where fellow Republican Sen. Thom Tillis disassociated himself from Kennedy with the Louisiana senator looking on.” [The Daily Beast, 11/23/21]

Salon: “Red Scare Tactics”: GOP Senator Called Out For Questioning Whether Biden Pick Is A Commie. “”I don’t know whether to call you professor or comrade,” Kennedy told Saule Omarova, a former Bush-era Treasury Department official who is now a law professor at Cornell, during a Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing. “Senator, I’m not a Communist,” Omarova replied. “I do not subscribe to that ideology. I could not choose where I was born.”” [Salon, 11/19/21]

Senator Kennedy Questions Biden Nominee On Membership In Communist Organization. “Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today questioned President Biden’s nominee for Comptroller of the Currency Saule Omarova on her membership in a communist organization and her radical views about regulating the economy and banking system.” [Senator Kennedy Newsroom, 11/18/21]

GOP Senator Suggests Soviet Upbringing Of Biden’s Pick For Top Bank Regulator Indicates Communist Loyalty. ““I don’t know whether to call you ‘professor’ or ‘comrade,’” Sen. John Neely Kennedy (La.) told Saule Omarova, Biden’s nominee to serve as Comptroller of the Currency. She says her family suffered under Communism.” [The Washington Post, 11/18/21]

Sen. Kennedy Defends Controversial Grilling of Biden Nominee, Attacks Senate Critic: Sen. Brown ‘Went Crackbrained’ And ‘I Told Him to Shut Up’. “Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) doubled down Friday on his line of questioning attacking Saule Omarova, President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.” [Mediaite, 11/19/21]

Senators Rubio, Moran, And Scott Also Strongly Opposed Omarova’s Nomination—With Rubio Explicitly Calling Omarova A “Communist”

The Hill: Rubio Calls Biden Bank Watchdog Pick A ‘Communist’. “In a Friday tweet, Rubio accused Saule Omarova, who Biden nominated to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and who has been a U.S. citizen since 2005, of being a communist. “Saule Omarova supports abolishing private bank accounts, using govt to bankrupt energy companies & creating a Soviet style “National Investment Authority,” tweeted Rubio, whose parents fled Cuba before the Fidel Castro seized control of the country in 1959.” [The Hill, 11/19/21]

Senator Moran: Sen. Moran Speaks In Opposition To President Biden’s Nominee For Comptroller Of The Currency. ““Although Dr. Omarova claims to support community banks, her plan would relegate them to mere franchises of the larger Federal Reserve, and her comments have alarmed many community bankers,” said Sen. Moran. “They have grave concerns about her policies that would, as she said, ‘end banking as we know it.’ We must continuously work to improve our financial sector for everyone, but forcing consumers to bank with the government would do so much more harm than good. Kansans want less government in their lives, not more.” [Senator Moran Newsroom, 11/18/21]

Senator Tim Scott Called Allegations Of Personal Attacks Against Omarova “Hogwash.” Senator Tim Scott: “One Thing I Can Say And Be Very Proud Of On This Committee From These Republicans: Not A Single Person Has Talked About Anything Other Than Your Stated Positions As It Relates To This Nomination. So Any Suggestions Otherwise Is Simply ‘Hogwash.’” [Forbes Breaking News, Via Youtube, 11/18/21]

• Omarova Said “Substantive Questions Never Really Came Up” In Hearings. “Unfortunately, the substantive questions never really came up. Instead, the substance of my scholarship has been completely distorted. And it’s been so politicized in such a simplified way that all my preparation for a kind of debating the complex technical questions of bank regulation turned out not to be necessary.” [NPR, 12/13/21]

US News: Biden’s Nominee For Bank Regulator Faces Hostile Opposition. “A fierce battle is being waged in Washington over President Biden’s choice to lead a typically low-profile agency that oversees the banking industry. Saule Omarova, 55, was nominated in September to be the nation’s next comptroller of the currency. […] Some Republicans and their allies in conservative media have gone further, using her birth in the former Soviet Union to suggest she favors a government takeover of the banking industry.” [US News, 11/17/21]

October 2021: The Independent Community Bankers Of America And The American Bankers Association Took An Unusual Step Of Opposing Omarova’s OCC Nomination…

The New York Times: Bank Groups Unite Against Biden’s Pick for Key Regulatory Post. “Trade groups that normally compete with one another are in lock step over President Biden’s choice to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.” [The New York Times, 10/5/21]

Independent Community Bankers Of America: ICBA And The Nations Banks Have Concerns About Omarova. ““ICBA and the nation’s community banks have concerns about Cornell University law professor Saule Omarova’s policy proposals to dramatically reshape the nation’s banking system.” [ICBA, 9/23/21]

• American Banker: ICBA Takes Unusual Step Of Opposing OCC Nominee. “A top trade association representing community banks urged U.S. lawmakers to oppose the nomination of Saule Omarova for comptroller of the currency, an unusual rebuke coming just hours before the Senate hears the law professor’s testimony. In a letter sent by the Independent Community Bankers of America and addressed to the leadership of the Senate Banking Committee, the group called Omarova’s scholarship and policy positions “alarming.”” [American Banker, 11/17/21]

• The Washington Examiner: Community Bankers Announce Opposition To ‘alarming’ Embattled Biden Banking Nominee. “The Independent Community Bankers of America has taken the rare move of publicly opposing President Joe Biden’s nominee for comptroller of the currency ahead of her much-anticipated hearing. The ICBA, which represents thousands of community banks across the country, announced its disapproval of Cornell Law professor Saule Omarova on Wednesday, a day before she is set to testify before the Senate Banking Committee.” [The Washington Examiner, 11/17/21]

… Soon After, Senator Tester Said He Had “Concerns” About Omarova And Senators Sinema And Manchin Were Reported To Have Had “Reservations” About Her Nomination

Tester Has “Concerns” About Comptroller Nominee; Other Democrats Reportedly Critical. “Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) “has voiced misgivings” about the President selection of Saule Omarova “for a top job overseeing the nation’s banks, creating a new potential obstacle in a bruising confirmation fight that has separately been marked by charges of racism and xenophobia against some Republicans.”” [The Frontrunner, Via Nexis, 10/20/21]

• Fox Business: Key Banking Committee Democrat Tester Has ‘Real Concerns’ About Biden Treasury Nominee Omarova. “Sen. Jon Tester said he has “real concerns” about the policy stances of President Biden’s comptroller of the currency pick, Saule Omarova, signaling that her nomination is in significant danger of being blocked.” [Fox Business, 11/9/21]

Axios Reported That Sinema And Manchin Also Had Reservations About Omarova. “Among those who are concerned: Democratic Sens. Jon Tester of Montana, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virgina. That list may grow in the coming days. While Tester has publicly expressed his “concern,” the potential opposition of additional Democrats would make the math to confirm her nearly impossible. Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, told Axios “Republicans will overwhelmingly oppose this self-described radical.”” [Axios, 11/7/21]

• The Daily Caller: Treasury Nominee Blasted Manchin For Not Being ‘On The Democratic Side’. “President Joe Biden’s nominee for the comptroller of the currency blasted Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin in early 2020, saying he “is supposed to be on the Democratic side” as she discussed Congress’ hesitancy to increase government spending.” [The Daily Caller, Via Nexis, 11/9/21]

Within A Week Of Omarova’s Hearing Five Democratic Senators Opposed Confirming Her, Dooming Her Nomination Within A Month Of Her Introduction To The Senate

Axios: Centrist Dems Sink Biden’s Nominee For Top Bank Regulator. “Five Democratic senators have told the White House they won’t support Saule Omarova to head the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, effectively killing her nomination for the powerful bank-regulator position. […] Driving the news: In phone call on Wednesday, Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), all members of the Senate Banking Committee, told Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) — the panel’s chairman — of their opposition.” [Axios, 11/24/21]

The Hill: Five Senate Democrats Reportedly Opposed To Biden Banking Nominee. “Five Senate Democrats have said they will oppose President Biden’s nominee to head the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Saule Omarova, Axios reported. Three Democratic members of the Senate Banking Committee — Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) — reportedly told the panel chairman, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), in a call on Wednesday they would not support Omarova’s nomination. According to Axios, Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) also oppose the nomination. [Axios, 11/25/21]

Law360: Biden OCC Pick Takes Hits From Both Sides In Senate Hearing. “Saule Omarova’s nomination to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency hung in the balance on Thursday after enduring blistering Republican attacks during a contentious Senate confirmation hearing that also saw two key Democrats express reservations about her policy views.” [Law360, 11/18/21]

National Review: A Red Scare over ‘Comrade’ Omarova Is Warranted, Actually. “The Left is quite perturbed that Louisiana Republican senator John Kennedy had the gall to suggest, during a confirmation hearing, that “comrade” might be an appropriate way to address Joe Biden’s nominee for comptroller of the currency, Saule Omarova.” [National Review, 11/19/21]

The American Prospect: Two Dems Could Sabotage Bank Regulator Who Opposed Their Deregulatory Agenda. “Saule Omarova’s past criticism of bank deregulation is a sticking point for Democrats wary of how aggressively she would regulate big banks.” [The American Prospect, 11/22/21]

Some Democratic Senators Were Quick To Defend Omarova And Call Out The Smear Campaign Targeting Her

Duckworth, Hirono Urge Republicans To End Smear Campaign And Confirm Comptroller Nominee Omarova Immediately. “U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) wrote to Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Ranking Member Pat Toomey (R-PA) urging them to immediately advance the nomination of Professor Saule Omarova to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). President Biden nominated Professor Omarova to serve as Comptroller of the Currency on November 2, 2021. She is widely regarded as a leading expert in her field. If confirmed, she would be the first woman, person of color, and immigrant to lead the OCC.” [Senator Duckworth Newsroom, 11/19/21]

Senator Brown: Saule Omarova Is Eminently Qualified To Lead The OCC – Professor Omarova Would Be The First Woman, Person Of Color, And Immigrant Confirmed To Lead The Agency. “I applaud the Biden Administration for this historic nomination. Professor Omarova will be the first woman, first person of color, and first immigrant to serve as the Comptroller of the Currency. Ms. Omarova is one of the most qualified nominees ever for this job.” [Senate Banking Committee, 11/18/21]

Senator Warren: At Hearing, Warren Calls Out Coordinated Smear Campaign Against Comptroller Of The Currency Nominee Saule T. Omarova. “This is a vicious smear campaign – coordinated by Republicans who are doing the bidding of giant banks that want to keep gobbling up smaller competitors, want to keep ripping off their customers, and want to keep getting away with it.” [Senator Warren Newsroom, 11/18/21]

Omarova Said “Substantive Questions Never Really Came Up” In Hearings. “Unfortunately, the substantive questions never really came up. Instead, the substance of my scholarship has been completely distorted. And it’s been so politicized in such a simplified way that all my preparation for a kind of debating the complex technical questions of bank regulation turned out not to be necessary.” [NPR, 12/13/21]

December 7^th: Statement of President Joe Biden and Nominee for Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Saule Omarova. “I have accepted Saule Omarova’s request to withdraw her name for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.” [White House, 12/7/21]

AP News: Biden To Withdraw Embattled Banking Regulator Nominee. “President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Saule Omarova’s nomination to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency would be withdrawn, as her candidacy faced steep resistance in the Senate with Republican lawmakers criticizing her vision for banking regulation and her birthplace in the former Soviet Union.” [AP News, 12/7/21]

The New York Times: President Biden’s Pick For A Key Banking Regulator Backs Out. “Saule Omarova withdrew herself from consideration to be comptroller of the currency after attacks from Republicans and banking lobbyists that labeled her a communist.” [The New York Times, 12/7/21]

Newsweek: Biden Withdraws Banking Nominee Saule Omarova After GOP Pushback and Modest Dem Support. “Saule Omarova’s nomination for Comptroller of the Currency in the Treasury Department will be withdrawn following criticism from Republican Senators about her background, and middling support from Democrats, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday.” [Newsweek, 12/7/21]

Biden Said Omarova Was ‘Subjected To Inappropriate Personal Attacks That Were Far Beyond The Pale”

The Daily Beast: Biden’s Pick for Banking Regulator Pulls Out After ‘Inappropriate Personal Attacks’. “Though Biden believed she could bring “invaluable insight” to the position, her opponents argued that she couldn’t be trusted because of her childhood upbringing in the Soviet Union. “[U]nfortunately, from the very beginning of her nomination, Saule was subjected to inappropriate personal attacks that were far beyond the pale” Biden said.” [The Daily Beast, 12/7/21]

In An NPR Interview, Omarova Said Banks Choose To Weaponize Her Identity Because They Didn’t Like Her Policies. “I believe that the Wall Street lobby doesn’t really care about my race or my sex or anything like that. They would have loved me just the way I am if only I stood up for their interests and if only I was the kind of comptroller nominee that they knew would do their bidding for them and treat them as, quote-unquote, “clients.” But they chose to weaponize my identity because that was the easiest way politically to tank my nomination.” [NPR, 12/13/21]

• It Was A “Shock” To Omarova That Red Scare Tactics Still Work Today. “That system was dying even when I was there, and we all knew that. So to me, it was a shock that the appeal to that sort of fear of communism, particularly in its Soviet incarnation, could still have that much power in today’s day and age, in today’s America.” [NPR, 12/13/21]

Senator Brown: Brown Statement On OCC Confirmation Process. “In a relentless smear campaign reminiscent of red scare McCarthyism, they have shamefully attacked her family, her heritage, and her commitment to American ideals. I am disappointed that these spurious attacks and misrepresentations of Professor Omarova’s views were not resoundingly rejected in a bipartisan manner.” [Senator Brown Newsroom, 12/7/21]

Industry Associations And Conservatives Celebrated Omarova’s Withdrawal

Independent Community Bankers Of America: ICBA-Opposed Omarova Nomination Withdrawn. “In a statement Tuesday, ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said the withdrawal exhibits the importance of community banks to Main Street communities and local economic growth.” [ICBA, 12/7/21]

Senator Sullivan: Sullivan Cheers Withdrawal Of Radical Omarova Nomination. “U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) celebrated President Joe Biden’s announcement today that Saule Omarova has withdrawn her nomination to serve as Comptroller of the Currency. Sen. Sullivan has been rallying his colleagues and speaking out forcefully for weeks against the nominee, highlighting her demonstrated hostility toward the free market system and American banking, her lack of qualifications, and her affinity for Marxist ideology.” [Senator Sullivan Newsroom, 12/7/21]

Competitive Enterprise Institute: Biden Bank Regulator Nominee Withdraws Due To Communism. “The withdrawal of the nomination of Saule Omarova to be Comptroller of the Currency is a victory for community banks, FinTech innovators, and consumers. It is heartening that Senators of both parties concluded that Omarova’s statements calling for nationalization of deposit banking, wishing for bankruptcy of small energy companies, and sympathizing with the social policy of her native Soviet Union rendered her unfit to serve in this vital position.” [Competitive Enterprise Institute, Via Nexis, 12/7/21]

Wall Street Journal (Editorial Board): Saule Omarova Withdraws – The White House Lost On Her Nomination Because It Is Bowing To Elizabeth Warren On Financial Regulation. “The U.S. doesn’t need a bank regulator who wants to end banking as we know it, or who wants to create a central bank digital currency, as [Omarova] put it, to “redesign our financial system & turn Fed’s balance sheet into a true ‘People’s Ledger.’” [Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, 12/7/21]

The Daily Caller: NYT Alleges Biden’s Failed Banking Pick Saule Omarova Was ‘Painted’ As A Communist By Republicans And ‘Lobbyists’. “In a tweet linking to its article on Omarova’s withdrawn nomination, the Times wrote that “bank lobbyists and Republicans painted her as a communist because she was born in the Soviet Union,” and offered no further context. The article mentions “a Wall Street Journal editorial suggesting that Ms. Omarova’s Soviet childhood meant that she could not be trusted,” linking to an op-ed mostly concerned with Omarova’s ideas on banking that briefly mentions her upbringing.” [The Daily Caller, 12/7/21]

An A.A.F. Press Release, Titled “AAF RESEARCH TANKS SAULE OMAROVA COMPTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY NOMINATION,” Claimed Full Credit For Tanking Omarova’s Nomination With “Bipartisan Opposition Research.” “U.S. President Joe Biden today withdrew Saule Omarova’s nomination to serve as Comptroller of the Currency following bipartisan opposition based on American Accountability Foundation’s (AAF) research.” [American Accountability Foundation, 12/7/21]

The AAF Tweeted Claiming Credit For Omarova’s Failed Nomination. 

[Twitter, 12/7/21]

The AAF Tweeted Pointed To Three Specific Research Inquiries It Disseminated As The Reasons Omarova’s Nomination Was Withdrawn. 

[Twitter, 12/7/21]

The American Accountability Foundation (A.A.F.) Claims Credit For Derailing Saule Omarova’s Nomination. “Late last year, Saule Omarova—a leading academic in the field of financial regulation, who is a law professor at Cornell and holds doctorates in law and political science—withdrew her name from consideration as Biden’s Comptroller of the Currency. She did so, she told me, because an opposition-research campaign against her, which the A.A.F. took credit for, had, among other things, falsely portrayed her as a secret communist.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

Omarova Identified The A.A.F. As Leading The Charge Against Her. “Omarova told me, “There were so many accusations. A.A.F. was at the forefront of making my life extremely and unnecessarily difficult. […] “The A.A.F. made it into this big deal,” she told me. “They said, ‘She wants to make America into the Soviet Union.’ It was a complete absurdity. But people who have no idea who I am jumped in and said, ‘Go back to the Soviet Union!”” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

A.A.F’s “True Motivations” For Sinking Biden Nominees Likely Come From Fossil Fuel And Banking Industry Donations. “Omarova had suggested that it would be good for the environment if America transitioned away from fossil fuels, even if some companies ended up going out of business. She had also called for tougher regulations on banks. These two points likely constituted the true motivation for the opposition she encountered from the Republicans on the Senate Banking Committee. Omarova was soon opposed by every Republican senator, and also five Democrats—led by Jon Tester, of Montana, who has been a major recipient of banking-industry donations. Her nomination was doomed. The A.A.F.’s Web site celebrated the news with the headline “A.A.F. RESEARCH TANKS SAULE OMAROVA.’” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

• In An NPR Interview, Omarova Said Banks Choose To Weaponize Her Identity Because They Didn’t Like Her Policies. “I believe that the Wall Street lobby doesn’t really care about my race or my sex or anything like that. They would have loved me just the way I am if only I stood up for their interests and if only I was the kind of comptroller nominee that they knew would do their bidding for them and treat them as, quote-unquote, “clients.” But they chose to weaponize my identity because that was the easiest way politically to tank my nomination.” [NPR, 12/13/21]

American Accountability Foundation Engages In “Guerilla-Style Tactics” And Manages Two “Watchdog” Websites 

The American Accountability Foundation (AAF) Is An Opposition Research Organization With “Guerilla-Style Tactics.” “…the AAF differs from other opposition groups by not being client-based, and instead is focused on causing trouble for the new administration. It was set up only in March but has already made headlines, in part due to its guerilla-style tactics.” [Fox News, 4/13/21]

The American Accountability Foundation Claims Credit For Derailing The Nominations Of Saule Omarova, Sarah Bloom Raskin, And David Chipman. “Among the nominees the group boasts of having successfully derailed are Saule Omarova, a nominee for Comptroller of the Currency, and Sarah Bloom Raskin, whom Biden named to be the vice-chair for supervision of the Federal Reserve Board. David Chipman, whom the President wanted to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and David Weil, Biden’s choice for the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor, both saw their nominations founder in the wake of A.A.F. attacks.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

‘Congressional Pork Map, An Effort To Smear Members Of Congress As Corrupt, Is A Project Of The American Accountability Foundation. 

[PorkMap.com, Accessed 3/17/22]

‘BidenNoms.com,’ An Effort To Sink Biden’s Nominees, Is A Project Of The American Accountability Foundation. 

[BidenNoms.com, Accessed 3/17/22]

American Accountability Foundation Was Founded In 2021 With Millions In Funding And A Sizable Budget— AAF Estimated That It Needed $750,000 In 2021

The American Accountability Foundation Was Founded In January 2021.

[American Accountability Foundation IRS Form 1023, 1/25/21, Page 41]

AAF Expected To Operate On A $750,000 Budget, And Declined To Disclose Its Donors. “It expects to operate on a $750,000 budget this year, a spokesperson told Axios. During the interview, Jones and Buckham declined to identify any of their donors.” [Yahoo, 9/13/21]

The American Accountability Foundation Was Founded With $600,000 In Funding For 2021, $1 Million For 2022, And $1.5 Million For 2023.

[American Accountability Foundation IRS Form 1023, 1/25/21, Page 13]

American Accountability Foundation Conducted Opposition Research Against Biden Nominees And Coordinated With The NRA To Sink Nominees

The American Accountability Foundation (AAF)’s Initial Programmatic Focus Was Lower-Level Biden Appointees. “[Thomas Jones] said the AAF has been focusing on Biden appointees who are just below Cabinet position, something he said that has been neglected by more traditional conservative organizations.” [Fox News, 4/13/21]

The American Accountability Foundation Is A Nonprofit Opposition Research Organization Whose Explicit Purpose Is To Sink Biden Nominees. “An explicit purpose of the A.A.F.—a politically active, tax-exempt nonprofit charity that doesn’t disclose its backers—is to prevent the approval of all Biden Administration nominees.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

The American Accountability Foundation’s Has Primarily Targeted Women Nominees And Nominees Of Color. “The A.A.F., which is run by conservative white men, has particularly focused on blocking women and people of color. As of last month, more than a third of the twenty-nine candidates it had publicly attacked were people of color, and nearly sixty per cent were women.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

The American Accountability Foundation Targets Lower-Level Appointees As Well. “And the A.A.F. hasn’t just undermined nominees for Cabinet and Court seats—the kinds of prominent people whose records are usually well known and well defended. It’s also gone after relatively obscure, sub-Cabinet-level political appointees, whose public profiles can be easily distorted and who have little entrenched support.” [The New Yorker, 4/16/22]

American Accountability Foundation Is Closely Tied To The Conservative Partnership Institute, A Conservative Group Founded By Ex-Heritage Foundation Head Jim DeMint

The American Accountability Foundation’s IRS Form 1023 Lists The Conservative Partnership Institute As Its “Care Of Name.”

[American Accountability Foundation IRS Form 1023, 1/25/21, Page 1]

American Accountability Foundation And Conservative Partnership Institute Share An Address.

[Conservative Partnership Institute IRS Form 2019 990, Page 1]

The Conservative Partnership Institute Was Founded By Former Senator And Heritage Foundation Head Jim DeMint, Who Previously Employed Leading American Accountability Foundation Staff In His Senate Office

Former Senator And Heritage Foundation Head Jim DeMint (R – SC) Founded The Conservative Partnership Institute In 2017. “Former Sen. Jim DeMint will serve as chairman of the new Conservative Partnership Institute to fortify the presence of conservatives in Washington, he said in a news release Tuesday, adding that he thinks the status quo is hindering the development of conservative lawmakers and staffers. […] Previously, DeMint served at the helm of the Heritage Foundation, a venerable conservative think tank that at times has had a turbulent relationship with the rise of Donald Trump.” [Politico, 7/25/17]

• The Conservative Partnership Institute Was Created To Get Right-Wing Lawmakers Into Powerful Positions In The White House And Congress. “The backdrop: DeMint founded CPI because he felt the conservative movement did a lousy job at helping members of Congress be effective legislators once they get to D.C. His team has since focused on placing conservatives in prime spots in the Trump administration and Capitol Hill, and has trained staff on strategy and congressional rules and procedure.” [Axios, 1/27/21]

Both Of American Accountability Foundation’s Founders, Tom Jones And Matt Buckham, Worked For Jim DeMint. “AAF is led by Tom Jones and Matt Buckham. […] While on Capitol Hill he served as the Legislative Director for Senator Ron Johnson, ran the opposition research program for Cruz for President, and previously as a Senior Policy Advisor to Senator Jim DeMint. […] Previously, he served as a legislative aide to former Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), Senior Advisor to the House Freedom Caucus, and in various positions with conservative non-profit organizations.” [American Accountability Foundation, Accessed 3/17/22]

Leading Members Of The American Accountability Foundation Currently Work At The Conservative Partnership Institute And Even More Are Former Employees

Ed Corrigan, The Treasurer-Director Of The American Accountability Foundation, Is The President CEO OF The Conservative Partnership Institute. [CPI.org, Accessed 3/17/21]

• Corrigan Is The Treasurer-Director Of The American Accountability Foundation

[American Accountability Foundation IRS Form 1023, 1/25/21, Page 1]

Wesley Denton, The Secretary-Director Of The American Accountability Foundation, Is The COO Of The Conservative Partnership Institute. [CPI.org, Accessed 3/17/21]

• Wesley Denton Is American Accountability Foundation’s Secretary-Director

[American Accountability Foundation IRS Form 1023, 1/25/21, Page 1]

American Accountability Foundation Founder Matt Buckham Worked For The Conservative Partnership Institute At Its Inception. “DeMint has hired several former Heritage staffers for his new outfit, including Wesley Denton, Matt Buckham, Rachel Bovard, and Megan Tubb.” [Think Tank Watch, 10/27/17]

• Buckham Is One Of American Accountability Foundation’s Two Founders. “AAF is led by Tom Jones and Matt Buckham. […] While on Capitol Hill he served as the Legislative Director for Senator Ron Johnson, ran the opposition research program for Cruz for President, and previously as a Senior Policy Advisor to Senator Jim DeMint. […] Previously, he served as a legislative aide to former Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), Senior Advisor to the House Freedom Caucus, and in various positions with conservative non-profit organizations.” [American Accountability Foundation, Accessed 3/17/22]

Shortly After Congress Launched The Committee To Investigate The Capitol Riot, Trump’s PAC Donated $1 Million To The Conservative Partnership Institute…

Shortly After Congress Launched The Committee To Investigate The Capitol Riot, Trump’s PAC Donated $1 Million To The Conservative Partnership Institute. “Former President Donald Trump’s political action committee donated $1 million to the conservative nonprofit organization where his former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, is a senior partner, according to a campaign finance report filed with the Federal Election Commission Monday night. […] The tax-deductible seven-figure contribution to the Conservative Partnership Institute is by far the largest chunk of $1.35 million in donations Trump’s “Save America” PAC made to political allies over the last six months of 2021, according to the campaign finance report. […] On July 1, the House voted to establish a select committee to investigate the Capitol attack.” [CNBC, 2/01/22]

… The Trump PAC Donation Coincided With Congress Recommending Contempt Charges For Mark Meadows, Trump’s Former Chief Of Staff And Senior Partner At The Conservative Partnership Institute—The Contempt Charges Were Based On Meadows’ Refusal To Cooperate With January 6^th Investigations

Trump’s Former Chief Of Staff, Mark Meadows, Joined The Conservative Partnership Institute While He Was Advising Trump On His Impeachment Trial Following The Incitement Of Insurrection At The Capitol. “Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is joining the Conservative Partnership Institute, a group run by former South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint that operates as a “networking hub” for conservatives, sources familiar with his plans tell Axios. Between the lines: Meadows, who is still in frequent contact with former President Trump and has been advising him ahead of his impeachment trial, will now operate behind the scenes to help create more members like Jim Jordan, Ted Cruz, and Josh Hawley — conservative firebrands with strong networks and staffs.” [Axios, 1/27/21]

• Meadows Is A Senior Partner At The Conservative Partnership Institute. “Former President Donald Trump’s political action committee donated $1 million to the conservative nonprofit organization where his former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, is a senior partner, according to a campaign finance report filed with the Federal Election Commission Monday night.” [CNBC, 2/01/22]

Trump’s PAC Donation To The Institute Came After Congress Recommended The Justice Department Charge Meadows Over His Refusal To Cooperate With Investigations Regarding The Capitol Riot. “In December, the House voted to recommend that the Justice Department pursue contempt of Congress charges against Meadows over his refusal to cooperate with an investigation into the Trump-inspired Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.” [CNBC, 2/01/22]

Senior Conservative Partnership Institute Leaders Matt Buckham And Ed Denton Also Worked For The Trump White House

Matt Buckham Worked In Trump’s Office Of Presidential Personnel, Which Oversaw Trump’s Senate-Confirmed Appointments. “Matt Buckham, the other co-founder, worked in Donald Trump’s White House Office of Presidential Personnel, which oversees nominations to Senate-confirmed posts.” [Yahoo, 9/13/21]

Buckham Is One Of American Accountability Foundation’s Two Founders “AAF is led by Tom Jones and Matt Buckham.” [American Accountability Foundation, Accessed 3/17/22]

• Buckham Worked For The Conservative Partnership Institute At Its Inception. “DeMint has hired several former Heritage staffers for his new outfit, including Wesley Denton, Matt Buckham, Rachel Bovard, and Megan Tubb.” [Think Tank Watch, 10/27/17]

Wesley Denton Was Chief Of Staff In Trump’s Office Of Management And Budget And Worked At The Conservative Partnership Institute. “Other CPI staff include Wesley Denton, former chief of staff in Trump’s Office of Management and Budget” [Axios, 1/27/21]

• Wesley Denton Is American Accountability Foundation’s Secretary-Director

[American Accountability Foundation IRS Form 1023, 1/25/21, Page 1]

The Conservative Partnership Institute Controversial Trump Advisor Stephen Miller On Starting His Own Non-Profit After Leaving Trump’s White House

The Conservative Partnership Institute Advised Stephen Miller On Starting His Own Non-Profit, America First Legal, After Leaving Trump’s White House. “Miller has been putting America First Legal together with guidance from former Sen. Jim DeMint’s Conservative Partnership Institute and Clinton-impeachment lawyer Ken Starr, who also served on Trump’s first impeachment defense team. Gene Hamilton, a former Justice Department lawyer, has also been involved and is expected to oversee the group’s legal work since Miller himself is not a trained attorney, while former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, currently a senior partner at CPI, will serve on its board.” [Politico, 3/26/21]

Stephen Miller Was The Architect Of Trump’s Cruel Immigration Policies And Was Found To Hold White Nationalist Views. “In a trove of emails provided to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights group, Miller cited and promoted white nationalist ideologies of white genocide, immigrants as criminals and eugenics, all of which were once considered fringe and extreme. White nationalists embrace white supremacist and white separatist views.” [NBC News, 12/7/19]

• Leaked Emails Showed Miller Cited And Promoted White Nationalist Ideologies. “In a trove of emails provided to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights group, Miller cited and promoted white nationalist ideologies of white genocide, immigrants as criminals and eugenics, all of which were once considered fringe and extreme. White nationalists embrace white supremacist and white separatist views.” [NBC News, 12/7/19]

Mark Meadows Was Intimately Involved Trump’s Efforts To Overturn The 2020 Election

In December 2020 And January 2021, Mark Meadows Participated In The White House Pressure Campaign Urging Georgia Officials To Change The Results Of The Election. “That’s important, because the second new piece of information we obtained this week was an email sent by one of Meadows’ aides to the deputy secretary of state in Georgia, Jordan Fuchs, following-up on a meeting that Meadows had had with Fuchs the previous week. The email was sent on Dec. 30, just a week after Trump’s phone call to the election inspector and only three days before Trump’s infamous Jan. 2 call to Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, pressuring him to “find 11,780 votes.” [American Oversight, 03/12/21]

After The 2020 Election, Meadows Repeatedly Pressed The Department Of Justice To Investigate Election-Related Conspiracy Theories. “In Donald J. Trump’s final weeks in office, Mark Meadows, his chief of staff, repeatedly pushed the Justice Department to investigate unfounded conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election, according to newly uncovered emails provided to Congress, portions of which were reviewed by The New York Times.” [New York Times, 06/05/21]

The Conservative Partnership Institute’s Senior Legal Fellow Cleta Mitchell Worked With Trump To Pressure Georgia Officials To Overturn The Election Results

Cleta Mitchell Is The Senior Legal Fellow At The Conservative Partnership Institute, Where She Is Coordinating Right-Wing Efforts To Combat Voting Rights. “Mitchell has two new roles in an emerging conservative voting operation. She’s running a $10 million initiative at the limited government group FreedomWorks to both push for new restrictions in voting and help train conservatives to get involved in the nuts and bolts of local elections. She’s also a senior legal fellow at the Conservative Partnership Institute, an organization run by former Republican Sen. Jim DeMint. She says she’ll use that role to “coordinate” conservative voting positions, particularly in opposition to H.R. 1.” [AP, 3/28/21]

• Mitchell Is Advising Conservative Lawmakers On How To Both Craft Laws To Restrict Voting Rights While Also Beating Back Efforts To Expand Them. “Now Mitchell has taken the helm of two separate efforts to push for tighter state voting laws and to fight Democratic efforts to expand access to the ballot at the federal level. She is also advising state lawmakers crafting the voting restriction proposals. And, she said Friday, she is in regular contact with Trump.” [AP, 3/28/21]

Mitchell Participated In Trump’s Infamous Phone Call To The Georgia Secretary Of State Where He Demanded The Official “Find” Enough Votes For Him To Win The State. “Mitchell, a longtime Washington D.C. lawyer, worked with President Donald Trump to argue that he won the 2020 election and participated in the infamous phone call to the Georgia Secretary of State where Trump pushed the official to “find” enough voters to overturn Biden’s win in that state.” [Urban Milwaukee, 8/03/21]

• Mitchell Tried To Pressure Georgia Officials To Overturn The Election By Insisting She Had ‘Evidence’ Of Widespread Voter Fraud. “Mitchell’s most public involvement in the voting wars came in participation on Trump’s call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2. During that call, Mitchell insisted she had evidence of voting fraud, but officials with the secretary of state’s office told her that her data was incorrect. The call is part of an investigation by the Fulton County District Attorney’s office into whether Trump or others improperly tried to influence election officials. Mitchell would not discuss the call or the investigation.” [AP, 3/28/21]

Mitchell Chairs The Conservative Partnership Institute’s “Election Integrity Network. “Cleta Mitchell is the Senior Legal Fellow at CPI and chairs CPI’s Election Integrity Network. Cleta is an attorney, licensed in Oklahoma and the District of Columbia, who has practiced election, campaign finance, and political law for decades.” [CPI.org, Accessed 3/17/21]

March 2021: Mitchell Continues To Publicly Claim Trump Lost The 2020 Election Due To Voter Fraud. “Mitchell says she believes the courts used legal trickery to avoid ever truly addressing Trump’s allegations of voter fraud. That evidence had made some conservative groups careful not to echo Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud, even as they argue for tighter restrictions on which Americans vote. Mitchell’s role could complicate that effort to keep a distance.” [AP, 3/28/21]