According to new reports from NBC and Puck News, right-wing judicial activist Leonard Leo took part in a fundraising event last week at former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. Leo made an appearance in Palm Beach for a summit of the Rockbridge Network, a well-funded donor group “firmly aligned with Trump.”

Leonard Leo continues to use former President Trump as a tool for enacting his own far-right agenda. Whether it’s rolling back reproductive rights, undermining voting rights, or shifting the judiciary further to the right, Leo has used his connection with Trump to push these extreme views. Trump is just another way for Leo to force his agenda on everyday Americans."

Accountable.US president Caroline Ciccone

According to Puck News, Leonard Leo spoke at the event. In addition to Leo, the former president called into the Rockbridge event, canceling an in-person appearance due to his criminal trial in New York. Donald Trump Jr. and top Trump campaign officials including Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita presented to the group alongside Trump.

The Rockbridge Network was originally founded by Thiel ally Senator JD Vance (R-OH) and Chris Buskirk, publisher of the pro-Trump “news” website American Greatness. Alongside Leo, prominent donors in attendance at last week’s event included GOP megadonor Rebekah Mercer, whose family foundation has contributed millions to Leo’s DonorsTrust, and former Trump Ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson.

Rockbridge members are required to commit to spending at least $100,000 per year on network-approved programs. According to NBC News, one of Rockbridge’s key 2024 priorities is voter registration on behalf of the Trump campaign.

Leonard Leo was at the center of the Trump administration’s judicial selection efforts, hand-picking Trump’s three nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court and mobilizing tens of millions of dollars to back their confirmations. He also engaged in questionable financial transactions with top Trump officials including Kellyanne Conway, in what appears to be an effort to trade nonprofit cash for influence.

recent Accountable.US review found that Leo’s network pumped over $50 million into Project 2025, the “MAGA blueprint” effort to lay the groundwork for a future conservative administration. Accountable.US research also identified millions of dollars from Leo’s network flowing to groups involved in the effort to protect Trump’s ballot access in Colorado.

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