News roundup: Policymakers using CRC research

It has been a busy couple of weeks for news regarding the research produced by Capital Research Center staff and how policymakers are using it. Most of the coverage of Ryan Mauro’s report,  Soros’ Open Society gave $80 million to pro-terror groups, is collected and posted in a separate blog post from last Friday: Trump White House & national media react to CRC report on Soros funding of extremist NGOs.

The following are pull quotes and summaries from some of the recent media hits that are not related to Ryan’s report:

NBC News: Trump administration faces hurdles in targeting left-wing groups, experts say

A White House vow to dismantle left-wing organizations may be easier issued than implemented, according to experts.

“There’s not a lot of federal law on this,” said Scott Walter, president of the Capital Research Center, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that tracks progressive groups and is influential in conservative circles. “Frankly, the states and localities should be doing a better job [of prosecuting criminal activity], as they did in the 1960s. They have enormously more manpower.”

His point hints at the challenge administration officials have as they try to respond to anger over the Sept. 10 assassination of prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk with a concrete plan of action.

[. . .]

Walter, the president of the Capital Research Center, whose group has briefed the White House on nonprofit organizations’ voter registration efforts that it sees as partisan, said that despite the challenges, he is hopeful that the administration can take effective actions against left-wing groups.

“I’m more optimistic than I’ve ever been, but it is definitely an uphill battle to make progress,” he said.

To do that, he added, the White House should focus on sources of funding, including tax exemptions.

“I hope the administration will come up with serious strategic ways of dealing with these things,” he said. “The larger problem, namely all the radicalization, needs to be looked at strategically.”

The Federalist: ‘Nonpartisan’ Voter Registration Groups Target Likely-Democrat Voters In Virginia Elections

Much like other self-professed “nonpartisan” voter registration groups, VPC is actually “a left-of-center” group that “runs a direct-mail program [targeting] ‘unmarried women, minorities and millennials’ with voter registration mailings and phone calls” alongside its sister group CVI, according to InfluenceWatch. Both groups are currently run by CEO and known Democrat operative Tom Lopach.

The Amber May Show (podcast): Autism, Activism & Arabella: The Hidden Forces Shaping Culture

From classrooms to campuses, the culture wars are heating up. In this episode, we cover the shocking story of an Auburn middle school drag queen teacher who landed a new role coaching students with “learning differences,” the growing link between autism and LGBTQ identity highlighted by Dr. Peter McCullough, and the Pride flag’s new infinity symbol for neurodiversity. Plus, we dive into a stunning new survey revealing over a quarter of young voters think America is “better off” after the assassination of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk—and media figures like Joy Reid who appear to cheer it on. My guest is Scott Walter, author of Arabella: The Dark Money Network of Leftist Billionaires Secretly Transforming America, to expose who’s really pulling the strings behind today’s radical cultural shifts. [emphasis added]

On The Bookshelf Podcast: The True Story of Dark Money Network ARABELLA of Leftist Billionaires

Scott Walter, author of Arabella: The Dark Money Network of Leftist Billionaires Secretly Transforming America. (Encounter Books)

Exposes Arabella Advisors as a major “dark money” operation that channels billions into progressive causes through opaque networks and deceptive grassroots groups, revealing its significant influence on U.S. politics and its far-reaching impact on issues from Supreme Court nominations to election manipulation.

[. . .]

Thanks to the author and his colleagues at the Capital Research Center, which first exposed Arabella, even the mainstream press have begun to report on this scandalous story. As this book reveals, Arabella is a major player in battles over Supreme Court nominations, environmentalism, abortion, Medicare for All, fake local news outlets, “Zuck Bucks” that manipulate election offices, lawsuits brought by Democratic super-lawyer (and Steele dossier booster) Marc Elias, and much more.

The Free Press: Trump White House Plots Ways to Go After Left-Wing Groups

Scott Walter, the president of Capital Research Center, a think tank that investigates left-leaning philanthropy, has briefed senior White House officials in recent months on liberal fundraising methods.

“We’ve said for years that some donors and activists are violating nonprofit laws,” Walter told me. “Bad actors deserve accountability, and it’s great that people are now paying attention.”

He has also distributed research memos to the officials, including one that sought to draw a connection between pro-Palestinian protesters and terrorism. That memo claimed that over 150 groups protesting against Israel after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack were “pro-terrorism” and listed possible options for cracking down on them.

The FirstTV (w/ Jesse Kelly): BOMBSHELL: Evidence EXPOSES Top Democrat Donors To RICO Charges

The U.S. wants to bring RICO charges against Democrat donors. Parker Thayer of Capital Research joins Jesse Kelly to explain the evidence he has.