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Non-profit

American Sunlight Project

Website:

www.americansunlight.org/
Location:

Washington, DC
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(4)

Type:

Left-of-center advocacy group
Formation:

2024
Executive Director:

Nina Jankowicz

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The American Sunlight Project is a left-of-center organization that seeks to counter what it considers “disinformation” online. Founded in 2024 by former Biden administration “disinformation czar” Nina Jankowicz, the organization supports President Joe Biden’s claim that modern people live in the age of disinformation, 1 advances the idea that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to benefit then-Republican candidate Donald Trump, 2 and conducts open-source investigations to undermine those who challenge disinformation researchers. 3 4 5

American Sunlight Project executive director Nina Jankowicz claims the organization received initial donor commitments of $1 million in 2024. 6

History and Leadership

American Sunlight Project was launched in 2024 7  by former Biden administration Department of Homeland Security “disinformation czar” Nina Jankowicz and former Protect Democracy board member Carlos Alvarez-Aranyos. 8

As of May 2024, Jankowicz is American Sunlight Project’s executive director. Prior to joining American Sunlight Project, she was appointed to lead the Biden administration’s controversial Disinformation Governance Board at the Department of Homeland Security. She has held other roles and fellowships with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the National Democratic Institute, and the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry as a part of the Fulbright-Clinton Public Policy Fellowship. 9 10

American Sunlight co-founder Carlos Alvarez-Aranyos previously worked at CAA Communications, Protect Democracy, and the Obama administration Department of Defense. 11 He has directed communications for high-profile lawsuits including Denson v. Donald J. Trump for President and has consulted with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. 12 13

American Sunlight Project also works with Eddie Vale of American Bridge, a liberal group dedicated to gathering opposition research targeting Republicans. 14 Members of the group’s advisory board have experience working at the WestExec Advisors; the Biden administration White House National Security Council, Department of State, and Department of Defense; Twitter; Facebook; the Brookings Institution; Movement Advancement Project; Wide Angle Research; and McKinsey and Company. 15

American Sunlight Project is based in Washington, D.C. 16

Activities and Funding

American Sunlight Project is a left-of-center organization that seeks to counter what it considers “disinformation” online. American Sunlight Project supports President Joe Biden’s claim that modern people live in the age of disinformation, 17 has said that Russia interfered in the 2016 United States presidential election and supported the election of former President Donald Trump, 18 and conducts open-source investigations to undermine those who challenge disinformation researchers. 19

The organization also claims that democracy cannot survive if disinformation is not curtailed, 20 said that inaction on “disinformation” has made the U.S. vulnerable prior to the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and said that “extremists” have been running a campaign to undermine so-called disinformation research since at least April 2022. 21

In an interview with CNN in April 2024, American Sunlight Project executive director Nina Jankowicz claimed that investigations into so-called disinformation researchers make the U.S. less safe. 22 Shortly after the organization was launched in April 2024, Jankowicz sent a letter to U.S. Representatives Jim Jordan (R-OH), James Comer (R-KY), and Dan Bishop (R-NC) claiming that they have “done little to improve the health of our information environment” since the 2016 presidential election. 23 24 The group also alleged that they intimidated disinformation researchers through the House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government 25 and that Jordan, Comer, and Bishop’s actions have led to federal agencies doing less to censor online speech in the name of disinformation. 26

American Sunlight Project also wrote a letter to Facebook parent company Meta’s Oversight Project regarding artificial intelligence-generated images of female public figures, saying that mitigating “gendered disinformation” is imperative for gender equality and democracies. 27

In May 2024, American Sunlight Project executive director Nina Jankowicz appeared on liberal commentator Molly Jong-Fast’s podcast with the Democratic-aligned super PAC Lincoln Project’s Rick Wilson to discuss alleged misinformation in the 2024 election cycle. 28 29

Funding

American Sunlight Project receives funding from individual donations and grants. 30

American Sunlight Project does not have to disclose its donors due to its tax status, but executive director Nina Jankowicz reported that the project received initial commitments of $1 million in 2024. 31

References

  1. “X Post.” The American Sunlight Project X Profile. Posted April 27, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://twitter.com/AmericanSunProj/status/1784416976929988759.
  2. “Welcome to The American Sunlight Project.” American Sunlight Project. April 22, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.americansunlight.org/updates/welcome-to-the-american-sunlight-project.
  3. “Donate.” American Sunlight Project. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.americansunlight.org/donate.
  4. Tim Starks and McKenzie Beard. “GOP legal attacks create a chilling effect on misinformation research.” Washington Post. September 25, 2023. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/25/gop-legal-attacks-create-chilling-effect-misinformation-research/.
  5.  Jones, Ja’han. “MAGA world tried to push her into darkness. Now she’s back with ‘Sunlight.’.” MSNBC. April 30, 2024. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/nina-jancowicz-american-sunlight-project-rcna150088.
  6. Steven Lee Myers and Jim Rutenberg. “New Group Joins the Political Fight Over Disinformation Online.” New York Times. April 22, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/22/business/media/american-sunlight-project-fight-disinformation.html.
  7. “About.” American Sunlight Project. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/company/americansunlight/about/.
  8.  “Principals.” American Sunlight Project. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.americansunlight.org/team.
  9. “Principals.” American Sunlight Project. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.americansunlight.org/team.
  10. “Nina Jankowicz.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninajankowicz/.
  11. “Carlos Alvarez-Aranyos.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvarezaranyos/.
  12. “Principals.” American Sunlight Project. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.americansunlight.org/team.
  13. “Carlos Alvarez-Aranyos.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvarezaranyos/.
  14.  [1] Steven Lee Myers and Jim Rutenberg. “New Group Joins the Political Fight Over Disinformation Online.” New York Times. April 22, 2024. Accessed May 5, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/22/business/media/american-sunlight-project-fight-disinformation.html.
  15. “The Team.” American Sunlight Project. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.americansunlight.org/team.
  16. Steven Lee Myers and Jim Rutenberg. “New Group Joins the Political Fight Over Disinformation Online.” New York Times. April 22, 2024. Accessed May 5, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/22/business/media/american-sunlight-project-fight-disinformation.html.
  17. “X Post.” The American Sunlight Project X Profile. Posted April 27, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://twitter.com/AmericanSunProj/status/1784416976929988759.
  18. “Welcome to The American Sunlight Project.” American Sunlight Project. April 22, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.americansunlight.org/updates/welcome-to-the-american-sunlight-project.
  19. “Donate.” American Sunlight Project. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.americansunlight.org/donate.
  20. “Donate.” American Sunlight Project. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.americansunlight.org/donate.
  21. “Welcome to The American Sunlight Project.” American Sunlight Project. April 22, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.americansunlight.org/updates/welcome-to-the-american-sunlight-project.
  22. “Today: Biden To Sign $95 Billion Foreign Aid Package; Awaiting Judge’s Ruling On Whether Trump Violated Gag Order; Security Officials Warn Of Disinformation Ahead Of Election. Aired 5:30-6a ET.” CNN Transcripts. April 24, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ctmo/date/2024-04-24/segment/02.
  23. Irwin, Lauren. “Former DHS disinformation office chief joins nonprofit, calls out GOP lawmakers.” The Hill. April 23, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4615047-former-dhs-disinformation-office-chief-american-sunlight-project/.
  24. “Jankowicz Tells Jordan: I’m Ready. Release my Transcript.” American Sunlight Project. May 1, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.americansunlight.org/nj-statement-house-judiciary.
  25. “Welcome to The American Sunlight Project.” American Sunlight Project. April 22, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.americansunlight.org/updates/welcome-to-the-american-sunlight-project.
  26. “Our Letter to Congress.” American Sunlight Project. April 22, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.americansunlight.org/letter-to-congress.
  27.  “Submission to the Meta Oversight Board on Explicit AI Images of Female Public Figures.” American Sunlight Project. 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.americansunlight.org/meta-oversight-1.
  28. “X Post.” Molly Jong-Fast X Profile. Posted April 29, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://twitter.com/MollyJongFast/status/1784910673434038536.
  29. “Rick Wilson, Nina Jankowicz & Daniel Nichanian.” Apple Podcasts Preview. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fast-politics-with-molly-jong-fast/id1645614328?i=1000653870054.
  30. “Donate.” American Sunlight Project. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.americansunlight.org/donate.
  31.  Steven Lee Myers and Jim Rutenberg. “New Group Joins the Political Fight Over Disinformation Online.” New York Times. April 22, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/22/business/media/american-sunlight-project-fight-disinformation.html.
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American Sunlight Project


Washington, DC