FreedomWorks
| FreedomWorks | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Year founded: | 1984 |
| Website: | Official website |
| Connections | |
| FreedomWorks for America | |
FreedomWorks described itself as a "community of Americans devoted to promoting lower taxes, less government, and more freedom."[1] The organization is associated with the super PAC FreedomWorks for America.
In May 2020, the organization's website said, "For over a quarter century, FreedomWorks has identified, educated, and actuated citizens who are enthused about showing up to support free enterprise and constitutionally limited government."[2]
FreedomWorks was originally led by former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, who resigned from the position in 2012.[3]
On May 7, 2024, the FreedomWorks' board of directors voted to dissolve the organization effective immediately.[4]
History
FreedomWorks originated from a conservative political group established in 1984, Citizens for a Sound Economy, which split in 2004. Part of the organization merged with Empower America in 2004 and was renamed FreedomWorks, while the other part went on to form Americans for Prosperity.[5][6]
The FreedomWorks name was derived from a common saying by Richard "Dick" Armey: “Freedom works. Freedom is good policy and good politics.”[7]
On November 30, 2012, Dick Armey resigned as chairman of FreedomWorks. Armey said, "The top management team of FreedomWorks was taking a direction I thought was unproductive, and I thought it was time to move on with my life." Armey stipulated that FreedomWorks was to immediately remove his name, image, or signature "from all its letters, print media, postings, web sites, videos, testimonials, endorsements, fund raising materials, and social media."[8][9]
On May 7, 2024, the FreedomWorks' board of directors voted to dissolve the organization effective immediately.[10]
Activity
According to Politico, FreedomWorks was involved in facilitating protests of government responses to the coronavirus pandemic and provided resources such as a #ReOpenAmerica Rally Planning Guide.[11]
Along with other conservative groups, FreedomWorks launched "Save Our Country Coalition" in April 2020 with the following five principles:[12]
| “ |
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Syria response
- See also: United States involvement in Syria
In a statement released September 6, 2013, FreedomWorks urged lawmakers to vote against a congressional resolution authorizing the use of military force in Syria and said it would use lawmakers’ positions as a key vote in its congressional scorecards.[14]
The group said it would also use its "organizational muscle to rally activists to jam congressional phone lines to demand that lawmakers focus on the U.S. economy and debt rather than an overseas conflict."[14]
President Matt Kibbe said his organization had been “overwhelmed” with requests for help getting the word out in opposition to a strike on Syria and that many Americans had “already roundly rejected the Obama Administration’s rationale for bombing Syria.” Kibbe said that even limited military action in Syria could have dire long-term consequences for the U.S. economy.[14]
“The costs of brinksmanship in an ongoing civil war are steep, and a collapse of state would fall in our laps. In other words, if we break it, we buy it,” Kibbe said. “Americans can agree that the strength of our country ultimately depends upon our fiscal stability. While our nation is capable of summoning its superpower, it would be reckless for Congress to bankrupt us in the process.”[14]
Ballot measures
Opposed
2009 ballot measures
Oregon Tax Increase Vote, Measures 66 and 67
- FreedomWorks is opposed to Oregon Tax Increase Vote, Ballot Measures 66 and 67 (2010)—a $733 million tax hike enacted by the Oregon State Legislature in 2009—which is scheduled to appear on the January 26, 2010, special election ballot.[15]
- In 2009, FreedomWorks' branch in Oregon helped collect signatures to place a tax hike referendum on the 2010 statewide ballot in Oregon. In May 2009, Oregon director Russ Walker said his Oregon group is "prepared to spend $500,000 or more to gather signatures."[16][17]
- According to opponents, the taxes "target small and family businesses, the engine of our economy. They target the middle class, and those who need the most help today, family owned businesses who are already having a hard time staying afloat and paying their employees." In other words, the groups argue that the higher taxes on businesses will reduce employment, thus harming the middle-class employees.[18]
- In 2009, FreedomWorks' branch in Oregon helped collect signatures to place a tax hike referendum on the 2010 statewide ballot in Oregon. In May 2009, Oregon director Russ Walker said his Oregon group is "prepared to spend $500,000 or more to gather signatures."[16][17]
2014 Elections
Endorsed candidates
Kentucky's U.S. Senate race
FreedomWorks endorsed Matt Bevin on January 22, 2014. In the endorsement, it embraced Bevin as the more fiscally sound choice and criticized incumbent Mitch McConnell for “helping the Democrats” fund Obamacare in 2013.[19]
“He orchestrated the McConnell-Reid sellout bargain to increase the debt limit and fully fund a broken health care law, getting a $1.2 billion ‘special project kickback’ in the process,” said FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe. “Kentucky deserves better, and looking at the dropping poll numbers for McConnell, there’s no reason to settle."[19]
Nebraska's U.S. Senate race
President Matt Kibbe said, "The Senate does not need more smart people with generally nice sounding ideas; it needs heroes. The time for giant voices and strong principles is now. Shane Osborn has proven himself to be all these things and more. Nebraska and the country will be proud of the work Shane Osborn does in the Senate."[20]
Georgia's 11th Congressional District
FreedomWorks announced its endorsement of Barry Loudermilk on November 6, 2013.[21]
In the endorsement, FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe said, “Barry Loudermilk is a rare commodity in politics today. As a legislator he has proven time and time again a willingness to stand on principle over party and fight for conservative values even when it meant taking on Republican leadership and a Republican governor. As a small business owner he has survived the onslaught of federal overreach and understands firsthand what needs to be done to get our economy rolling...Some candidates run for Congress because of the lure of the title, while others run for a chance to earn redemption in the spotlight. This race has those candidates in spades. This race also has Barry Loudermilk, who cares more about fixing our fiscal problems and returning our nation to sound constitutional principles than the pomp and fame a congressional office holds. The choice is clear. Barry Loudermilk will be a clear voice for common sense fiscal policies and a return to limited government in Congress.”[21]
Idaho's 2nd Congressional District
FreedomWorks endorsed challenger Bryan Smith (R) in Idaho's 2nd District race against eight-term Republican Congressman Mike Simpson on September 24, 2013.[22]
FreedomWorks PAC President Matt Kibbe called Simpson an “insider” who supports House Speaker John Boehner and “the Washington establishment class.”[22]
“For the past 14 years, Congressman Mike Simpson has had a chance to stand up for common sense fiscal policies and constitutionally limited government,” Kibbe said in a news release. “But instead of fighting for these things he has led the charge for the insider priorities of Speaker John Boehner and the Washington establishment class. Whether it’s supporting the Wall Street bailouts, extending the nation’s debt, or creating large entitlement programs like Medicare Part D, Congressman Simpson has been on the wrong side of all the major fiscal issues.”[22]
Maine's 2nd Congressional District
At the end of September 2013 FreedomWorks announced its endorsement of Bruce Poliquin in Maine's 2nd Congressional District.[23][24]
President Matt Kibbe stated in the endorsement, “Bruce Poliquin, a successful businessman and proven conservative leader, is just the kind of man we need in Congress. With an education in economics and more than 30 years in the financial industry, his insights into how to fix a failing economy will be an asset from day one. Poliquin has a track record of putting his common sense fiscal principles to work. As State Treasurer for Maine, he took on the debt-ridden pension system that was wasting money and hurting its pensioners and turned it around. He saved the state 1.7 billion dollars and put the system on solid footing. Results matter and Bruce Poliquin is a leader that can deliver, and has delivered. The voters have an easy choice. Bruce Poliquin is the only candidate in this race who will lead the charge and help fix our fiscal house in Washington, D.C.”[24]
2012 elections
FreedomWorks
According to OpenSecrets.org, FreedomWorks spent $2,661,992 on the 2012 election cycle.[25]
Of this $2,661,992, FreedomWorks spent:[25]
- $8,800 in contributions to candidates
- $250 in contributions to parties
- $2,652,942 in contributions to satellite spending groups
Top recipients
| Top 6 largest FreedomWorks recipients in 2012[25] | |
|---|---|
| Recipient | Total |
| FreedomWorks for America (satellite spending group) | $2,652,942 |
| Rand Paul | $5,000 |
| Thomas Massie | $2,500 |
| Ted Cruz | $1,000 |
| Sam Roher | $300 |
| Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania | $250 |
FreedomWorks for America (Super PAC) and FreedomWorks (PAC)
- See also: FreedomWorks for America
FreedomWorks for America and FreedomWorks are affiliated political action committees. Here is their 2012 election cycle information.
According to OpenSecrets.org, FreedomWorks for America and FreedomWorks spent a total of $19,638,968 in the 2012 election cycle.[26]
Of this $19,638,968, FreedomWorks for America and FreedomWorks spent:
- $42,870 for Democrats
- $7,079,203 against Democrats
- $11,306,234 for Republicans
- $1,210,661 against Republicans
According to the Sunlight Foundation, the FreedomWorks for America PAC spent $19,234,074 on the 2012 elections. Of those funds, 24.59 percent achieved the desired result, based on Sunlight Foundation analysis.[27] Open Secrets also analyzed the success of 2012 general election cycle spending:[28]
Endorsements
FreedomWorks for America endorsed nearly 600 candidates for U.S. House, Senate and presidency for the 2012 election.[29]
The PAC financed efforts to support some of these candidates, but only Jeff Flake and Ted Cruz were successful in their elections.[25]
| Candidate | Party | State | Office | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connie Mack |  Republican |
Florida | Senate | $1,874,246 |
| Richard Mourdock | Republican |
Indiana | Senate | $1,665,105 |
| Josh Mandel | Republican |
Ohio | Senate | $1,534,975 |
| Jeff Flake | Republican |
Arizona | Senate | $1,087,627 |
| Tom Smith | Republican |
Pennsylvania | Senate | $722,048 |
| Jeff Landry | Republican |
Louisiana | House | $691,151 |
| George Allen | Republican |
Virginia | Senate | $522,683 |
| Ted Cruz | Republican |
Texas | Senate | $481,322 |
| Joe Walsh | Republican |
Illinois | House | $357,164 |
| Ann Marie Buerkle | Republican |
New York | House | $293,448 |
Targets
FreedomWorks for America targeted certain politicians for defeat in 2012.[25] All were successfully elected in 2012 except Richard Lugar, who lost in the Republican primary.
| Incumbent | Party | State | Office | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orrin Hatch | Republican |
Utah | Senate | $945,373 |
| Bob Casey |  Democratic |
Pennsylvania | Senate | $759,473 |
| Joe Donnelly | Democratic |
Ohio | Senate | $755,545 |
| Barack Obama | Democratic |
President | $621,913 | |
| Richard Lugar | Republican |
Indiana | Senate | $335,099 |
| Dan Maffei | Democratic |
New York | House | $115,060 |
| Jim Matheson | Democratic |
Louisiana | House | $110,273 |
| Charles Boustany Jr. | Republican |
New York | House | $103,769 |
| Lois Frankel | Democratic |
Florida | House | $80,625 |
| Jon Tester | Democratic |
Montana | Senate | $71,204 |
Expenditures
FreedomWorks for America spent a grand total of $19,636,548 in the 2012 election. Of that money, $42,870 was spent for Democrats, $7,079,203 was against Democrats, $11,096,487 was for Republicans, and $1,417,988 was used against Republicans. [25]
| Top 10 largest FreedomWorks for America expenditures in 2012[25] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | State | Office | Total | For | Against | Desired Result |
| Tammy Duckworth | IL | House | $1,866,787 | $30,510 | $1,836,277 |  |
| Connie Mack | FL | Senate | $1,862,846 | $1,874,246 | $11,400 | |
| Richard Mourdock | IN | Senate | $1,646,652 | $1,665,105 | $18,453 | |
| Josh Mandel | OH | Senate | $1,523,865 | $1,534,975 | $11,110 | |
| Jeff Flake | AZ | Senate | $1,050,301 | $1,087,627 | $37,326 |  |
| Bill Nelson | FL | Senate | $1,022,863 | $2,750 | $1,020,113 | |
| Orrin Hatch | UT | Senate | $945,373 | $0 | $945,373 | |
| Bob Casey | PA | Senate | $759,473 | $0 | $759,473 | |
| Joe Donnelly | IN | Senate | $755,545 | $0 | $755,545 | |
| Sherrod Brown | OH | Senate | $745,670 | $201 | $745,469 | |
Donors
Organizations
As of April 21, 2012, the top five donors to the FreedomWorks for America PAC were[26]:
| Top 5 Donors to FreedomWorks for America, 2012[26] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Occupation/Employer | Total | From Individuals | From Organizations |
| FreedomWorks | $1,631,082 | $0 | $1,631,082 |
| Crow Holdings | $250,000 | $0 | $250,000 |
| Uline Inc | $250,000 | $250,000 | $0 |
| Entertrainment Junction | $150,000 | $150,000 | $0 |
| Friess Assoc | $100,000 | $100,000 | $0 |
Industries
As of April 21, 2012, the top five industries donating to the FreedomWorks for America PAC were[30]:
| Top 5 Donors to FreedomWorks for America, 2012[30] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | Total | From Individuals | From Organizations |
| Republican/Conservative | $1,631,082 | $0 | $1,631,082 |
| Retired | $424,318 | $424,318 | $0 |
| Real Estate | $254,050 | $4,050 | $250,000 |
| Retail Sales | $250,000 | $250,000 | $0 |
| Recreation/Live Entertainment | $150,000 | $150,000 | $0 |
Board of directors
In 2013, the FreedomWorks board of directors included the following members:[31]
- FreedomWorks Board
- Robert T.E. Lansing, Chairman (The Westminster Funds)
- Matt Kibbe, President and CEO
- Thomas Knudsen (Thomas Publishing Company)
- Richard J. Stephenson (Cancer Treatment Centers of America)
- Mary E. Albaugh
- Former members[32]
- Richard Armey
- C. Boyden Gray
- James Burnley IV
- FreedomWorks Foundation Board
- Steve Forbes, Vice-Chairman (Forbes, Inc.)
- Matt Kibbe
- Ted Abram (American Institute for Full Employment)
- Frank M. Sands Sr. (Sands Capital Management)
- FreedomWorks Emeritus Board
- Bill Jaeger (Jaeger Vineyards)
Noteworthy events
Dissolution of the organization (2024)
On May 7, 2024, the FreedomWorks' board of directors voted to dissolve the organization. The president, Adam Brandon, reported that the organization had been losing revenue since 2022. He also explained that it came as the result of what he identified as an ideology gap between the FreedomWorks leadership and members that accompanied the political career of former president Donald Trump. Brandon stated, "A lot of our base aged, and so the new activists that have come in [with] Trump, they tend to be much more populist." The dissolution went into effect on May 8.[33][34]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for "FreedomWorks"
- All stories may not be relevant to this organization due to the nature of the search engine.
See also
- Oregon Tax Increase Vote, Ballot Measures 66 and 67 (2010)
- FreedomWorks for America (Super PAC)
- Super PAC
- Political action committee
- Federal Election Commission
External links
- FreedomWorks official website 501(c)(4)
- FreedomWorks Foundation 501(c)(3)
- FreedomWorks for America Super PAC 527
- Social media:
- Endorsements and ratings:
- Fact-checking:
- Financial:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
- Archived profile of former Founder and Chairman Dick Armey at FreedomWorks
- Armey in Exile, Luke Mullins, Washingtonian, June 26, 2013
Footnotes
- ↑ Facebook, "FreedomWorks," accessed May 27, 2020
- ↑ FreedomWorks, "About FreedomWorks," accessed May 27, 2020
- ↑ Washington Post, "Dick Armey quits FreedomWorks," accessed July 18, 2013
- ↑ The Washington Post, "FreedomWorks, an organization that mobilized tea party conservatives, dissolves," May 9, 3024
- ↑ FreedomWorks, "About FreedomWorks," accessed July 18, 2013
- ↑ The Guardian, "Republicans steal Barack Obama's internet campaigning tricks," accessed July 18, 2013
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "Citizen Arney," January 2003
- ↑ MotherJones, "Exclusive: Dick Armey Quits Tea Party Group in Split Over Direction (UPDATED)," accessed July 18, 2013
- ↑ Washingtonian, "Armey in Exile," accessed July 18, 2013
- ↑ The Washington Post, "FreedomWorks, an organization that mobilized tea party conservatives, dissolves," May 9, 3024
- ↑ Politico, "Trump allies have their fingerprints on lockdown protests," April 21, 2020
- ↑ Save Our Country, "Five Principles," accessed May 27, 2020
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Politico, "FreedomWorks to fight Syria resolution," accessed September 6, 2013
- ↑ Portland Business Journals, "Kulongoski signs tax bills," July 20, 2009
- ↑ Register-Guard, "Legislative tax plans could go to voters," May 30, 2009
- ↑ FreedomWorks, "Help us protect the integrity of the referendum process in Oregon," June 25, 2009
- ↑ The Oregonian, "Do tax increases 'target the middle class?'," November 17, 2009
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Politico, "FreedomWorks backs Mitch McConnell challenger Matt Bevin," accessed January 22, 2014
- ↑ Watchdog.org, "FreedomWorks endorses Osborn for Senate," accessed November 13, 2013
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Peach Pundit, "FreedomWorks PAC Endorses Loudermilk," accessed November 12, 2013
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Idaho Statesman, "Idaho’s Smith wins support of PAC that backed Sens. Paul and Lee," accessed September 25, 2013
- ↑ Bruce Poloquin for Congress Facebook Page, "Photos," accessed October 1, 2013
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 As Maine Goes, "FreedomWorks Endorses Poliquin," accessed October 1, 2013
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 25.6 OpenSecrets, "FreedomWorks," accessed December 3, 2013 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "os" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "os" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 OpenSecrets, "FreedomWorks," accessed December 3, 2013 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "os2" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Sunlight Foundation, "Outside spenders' return on investment," November 14, 2012
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "FreedomWorks for America," accessed July 15, 2013
- ↑ FreedomWorks for America, "Candidates," accessed April 25,2013
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Open Secrets, "Contributions to FreedomWorks for America Industry Breakdown, 2012," accessed May 10, 2012
- ↑ FreedomWorks, "Board of Directors," accessed July 18, 2013
- ↑ Mother Jones, "FreedomWorks Fallout Continues: 2 Prominent Conservatives Resign," June 4, 2013
- ↑ Politico, "FreedomWorks Is Closing — And Blaming Trump," May 8, 2024
- ↑ The Washington Post, "FreedomWorks, an organization that mobilized tea party conservatives, dissolves," May 9, 3024
