A group claiming to represent Republicans is gaining media attention for its multi-million dollar ad campaign opposing former President Donald Trump. However, a closer look reveals that Democrats are significantly funding this effort — many such cases these days.
Newsweek, The Hill, The Center Square, and the Indianapolis Star have all reported on Republicans for the Rule of Law, portraying it as a Republican organization running a $2 million campaign against Trump’s bid for presidential immunity in an election interference case. What these reports fail to mention is that the group is a project of Defending Democracy Together, a political nonprofit heavily financed by Democrat-aligned dark money groups.
Republicans for the Rule of Law is part of a larger trend where liberal donors fund organizations to create the impression that Republicans oppose Trump.
Another such organization, the Republican Accountability PAC, is leading a $50 million “Republican Voters Against Trump” campaign. Notably, nearly 75% of its 2023 funding came from just six major Democratic donors.
Sarah Longwell, the executive director of Defending Democracy Together, also heads the Republican Accountability PAC. This organization, which claims to be created by lifelong conservatives and Republicans, aims to preserve the “integrity” of the Republican Party. Longwell is also the executive director of Republicans for the Rule of Law, according to a press release from the group.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund, an advocacy organization managed by the consulting firm Arabella Advisors, is one of the largest funders of Defending Democracy Together, providing over $10.8 million between 2020 and 2022.
The fund has spent millions to help Democrats win elections by supporting left-of-center voter mobilization efforts and funding pro-Democrat PACs.
Another donor, the Hopewell Fund, also managed by Arabella Advisors, contributed $75,000 in 2018. Democracy Fund Voice, funded by liberal billionaire Pierre Omidyar, gave $4.4 million between 2018 and 2021.
Omidyar, along with his wife, has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates over the past two decades.
Founded in 2018, Republicans for the Rule of Law initially opposed any attempts by then-President Trump to dismiss Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
The group also ran ads supporting Mueller’s investigation and spent millions trying to persuade Republican members of Congress to vote for Trump’s impeachment in 2019.
Tax filings show that Defending Democracy Together and Republicans for the Rule of Law share the same tax identification number, indicating they operate under the same entity. The former also uses “Republicans for the Rule of Law” as a trade name, allowing it to do business under this alias.
Despite media portrayals, the substantial funding from Democrat-aligned donors raises questions about the true independence of Republicans for the Rule of Law. The group’s activities seem to align more with Democratic interests than those of genuine Republican constituencies.
