Leonard Leo’s Dark Influence Network Props Up Voter Suppression Bill

As the House Administration Committee voted to advance the American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act yesterday, government watchdog Accountable.US released a new report exposing the right-wing influence network behind the ACE Act, the election-denying witnesses, and the shady connections to conservative kingpin Leonard Leo.

A coalition of Leo-linked groups — most notably the Honest Elections Project (HEP) — is backing the bill’s voting restrictions, which include new voter ID and voter roll purge requirements. HEP was involved in numerous legal challenges in the run-up to the 2020 election, challenging efforts to expand access to voting in key swing states and pushing the independent state legislature theory.

Another key ACE Act provision is the bill’s ban on nonprofit donor disclosure, a long-term priority of Leo and his billionaire backers. An Accountable.US review found that Leo has propped up a group opposing donor disclosure, People United for Privacy, since its founding in 2017.