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Truthout exposes Leo’s latest scheme to enrich himself and his political cronies

WASHINGTON, DC – This weekend, Truthout revealed that conservative kingpin Leonard Leo is using the largest political donation in history to enrich not only himself, but also his longtime deputy, Maria Marshall. Tax documents show that Leo has funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to Marshall’s husband, Alex, to manage Leo’s conservative nonprofit — a new role with significantly more pay and power than Alex Marshall’s previous position as a branch manager for a Washington, DC investment firm.

Maria Marshall was a key aide to Leo as he fought to remake the American judiciary at the Federalist Society and then worked to establish the far right’s dark money apparatus. Truthout’s reporting outlines how Leo hired Maria’s husband, Alex Marshall, to head up Marble Freedom Trust on the heels of his historic $1.6 billion gift from conservative megadonor Barre Seid. As the Leo group’s Chief Investment Officer, Alex Marshall earned nearly $765,000 in one year — regardless of his thin credentials and lack of experience.

But the benefits of loyalty to Leo don’t end there. Truthout reports Maria Marshall’s consulting firm YAS LLC has taken $775,000 from Leonard Leo’s Rule of Law Trust in just three years. In addition to paying the Marshalls nearly $1.5 million, Leonard Leo’s nonprofits have paid his for-profit consulting firm CRC Advisors — for which Maria Marshall serves as senior vice president — at least $43 million since 2019, part of a circular payment structure that enriches Leo and his close associates.

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This is just the latest development in Leonard Leo's decades-long scheme to push his dangerous, extreme agenda and get rich while doing it. From personal enrichment for himself and his inner circle to his machine of nonprofits advancing the MAGA agenda, we’ve only scratched the surface of Leo’s devastating impact on our democracy.”

Accountable.US president Kyle Herrig

Today, new reporting from The Washington Post uncovered more of said devastating impact, revealing that Leo led a secretive panel which helped Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reshape the state court, furthering Leo’s radical, dangerous agenda.

The New York Times last year revealed that Leo received a massive sum of $1.6 billion in 2021 to support his decades-long campaign to bolster conservative causes. Recent reporting shows that in that first year alone, Leo moved $182.7 in an effort to reshape the country and push a right-wing agenda.

Learn more about Leonard Leo, his network of nonprofits, and his expansive campaign to remake American society at LeonardLeo.org.

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