Today, Leonard Leo-linked judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled to force the abortion pill off the market nationwide, impacting the nearly half of women undergoing pregnancy terminations that typically rely on the medication. Anti-abortion activists intentionally filed the suit in a federal court district where Kacsmaryk is the only judge due to his extreme beliefs and long history of conservative activism.

Judge Kacsmaryk just checked off another task on Leonard Leo’s decades-long “ban abortion” to-do list. Kacsmaryk is a key player in Leo’s game to use the court to force an extreme, unpopular agenda on Americans.”

Accountable.US President Kyle Herrig

Kacsmaryk’s ties to Leo run deep:

  • Kacsmaryk has deep connections to the conservative Federalist Society, where Leo is the current Board co-chair. 
  • Leo has financial ties to the firm, First Liberty Institute, where Kacsmaryk worked immediately before becoming a judge. After Trump first nominated Kacsmaryk in 2017, First Liberty Institute began paying the Leo-aligned firm CRC Advisors over $100,000 a year.
  • Kacsmaryk’s friend Roger Severino is married to Carrie Severino, a close associate of Leo and the president of the Concord Fund, which has gotten the vast majority of its funding from groups aligned with Leo.

Following an explosive Politico story detailing a circular payment scheme where Leo-connected nonprofits pay Leo’s for-profit consulting firms, Accountable.US launched the “Mr. MAGA” campaign to expose Leo’s extremism, corrupt personal dealings, and his influence through judges like Kacsmaryk. Learn more about Leo’s extremist agenda and the campaign at LeonardLeo.org.

 

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