The Center for Renewing America is a right-leaning nonprofit organization created by Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget under former President Donald Trump. The organization’s work focuses on opposing censorship of conservatives big tech companies, opposing the spread of critical race theory, and advocating for stricter security measures in U.S. elections.

Background

The Center for Renewing America is a conservative think tank founded by Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget during the Trump administration. Vought founded the center with a Capitol Hill area office about a week after leaving office in January 2021, initially with eight paid staffers. ¹

Former President Donald Trump has endorsed the Center for Renewing America. ² The staff includes several former Trump administration officials. ³

The center has an advocacy arm, Citizens for Renewing America. ⁴

Policy Issues

The center’s key policy areas are taking on big tech, opposing the teaching of critical race theory in schools, supporting election integrity, advocating for secure borders, “ending endless wars,” opposing big government, and supporting “healthy communities.” ⁵

Citizens for Renewing America created a 33-page handbook as an “A to Z guide” to stop the teaching of critical race theory in schools. The handbook, titled “Combatting Critical Race Theory in Your Community,” is meant to be a resource for both parents and state legislators. ^{6 7}

On September 22, 2022, Russell Vought filed a complaint against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan requesting the IRS to investigate them for, “unlawful personal income tax deduction(s) tracing to non-exempt Section 501(c)(3) activity” ^{8 9} based on over $400 million in donations that had been provided during the 2020 election cycle by nonprofit organizations Center for Tech & Civic Life (CTCL) ($350 million) and the Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR) (over $69 million). ¹⁰ The complaint alleges that not only did Zuckerberg and Chan make donations to, and took deductions from, these groups but also did so towards a political purpose by funding, “unlawful political activities.” ^{11 12}

Leadership

Russ Vought is the founder and president of the Center for Renewing America. He was previously director and deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Donald Trump. ¹³ Before working for the Trump administration, Vought was the vice president of Heritage Action for America. He was previously the policy director for the House Republican Conference under then-chairman Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) and was the executive director of the Republican Study Committee. ¹⁴

Ashlea Frazier is the chief operating officer of the Center for Renewing America. She was previously the chief of staff for the OMB under Vought. Before that, Frazier worked for Hillsdale College’s Washington, D.C., campus and for The Heritage Foundation. ¹⁵

Wade Miller is the executive director of Citizens for Renewing America, which is the advocacy arm of the center. Miller, an Iraq war veteran in the U.S. Marines, previously worked for Heritage Action for America and was the political director for Senator Ted Cruz’s 2018 re-election campaign. ¹⁶

Rachel Semmel is the communications director for the Center for Renewing America. She was previously the communications director at the OMB under Vought. ¹⁷

1. Allison, Bill. “Trump acolytes craft parallel GOP universe so Trumpism lives on.” Detroit News. May 29, 2021. Accessed June 12, 2021. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2021/05/29/trump-acolytes-craft-parallel-gop-universe-so-trumpism-lives-on/5253631001/
2. Allison, Bill. “Trump acolytes craft parallel GOP universe so Trumpism lives on.” Detroit News. May 29, 2021. Accessed June 12, 2021. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2021/05/29/trump-acolytes-craft-parallel-gop-universe-so-trumpism-lives-on/5253631001/
3. “Our Staff.” Center for American Renewal.” Accessed June 12, 2021. https://americarenewing.com/about/
4. [1] Leach, Matt. “Former Trump official Russ Vought leads effort to train anti-CRT parents.” Fox News. June 8, 2021. Accessed June 12, 2021. https://www.foxnews.com/us/critical-race-theory-guide-conservative-think-tank
5. “Policy Issues.” Center for Renewing America. Accessed June 12, 2021. https://americarenewing.com/issues/
6. [1] Leach, Matt. “Former Trump official Russ Vought leads effort to train anti-CRT parents.” Fox News. June 8, 2021. Accessed June 12, 2021. https://www.foxnews.com/us/critical-race-theory-guide-conservative-think-tank
7. Pandolfo, Chris. “Conservative group empowers parents with knowledge to organize and confront critical race theory in schools.” TheBlaze. June 08, 2021. Accessed June 12, 2021. https://www.theblaze.com/news/conservative-group-empowers-parents-critical-race-theory 
8. Vought, Russell T. “Re: Complaint Against (1) Mark Zuckerberg and (2) Priscilla Chan for Improper Charitable Contribution Deduction(s) Because Recipient Organizations Destroyed Their Tax-Exempt Status as 501(c)(3) Organizations Due to Unlawful Electioneering Activity.” Center for Renewing America, September 22, 2022. https://americarenewing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Individuals-Complaint-v.2.pdf
9. Vought, Russell T. “Re: Complaint Against (1) Center for Tech & Civic Life, EIN 47-2148694, (2) National Vote at Home Institute, EIN 82-5515680 and (3) Center for Election Innovation & Research, EIN 81-3815137 for Revocation of Tax-Exempt Status as 501(c)(3) Organizations Due to Unlawful Electioneering Activity.” Center for Renewing America, September 22, 2022. https://americarenewing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Entities-Complaint-v.2.pdf
10. Vought, Russell T. “Re: Complaint Against (1) Mark Zuckerberg and (2) Priscilla Chan for Improper Charitable Contribution Deduction(s) Because Recipient Organizations Destroyed Their Tax-Exempt Status as 501(c)(3) Organizations Due to Unlawful Electioneering Activity.” Center for Renewing America, September 22, 2022. https://americarenewing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Individuals-Complaint-v.2.pdf
11. Vought, Russell T. “Re: Complaint Against (1) Mark Zuckerberg and (2) Priscilla Chan for Improper Charitable Contribution Deduction(s) Because Recipient Organizations Destroyed Their Tax-Exempt Status as 501(c)(3) Organizations Due to Unlawful Electioneering Activity.” Center for Renewing America, September 22, 2022. https://americarenewing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Individuals-Complaint-v.2.pdf
12. Vought, Russell T. “Re: Complaint Against (1) Center for Tech & Civic Life, EIN 47-2148694, (2) National Vote at Home Institute, EIN 82-5515680 and (3) Center for Election Innovation & Research, EIN 81-3815137 for Revocation of Tax-Exempt Status as 501(c)(3) Organizations Due to Unlawful Electioneering Activity.” Center for Renewing America, September 22, 2022. https://americarenewing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Entities-Complaint-v.2.pdf
13. “Our Staff.” Center for American Renewal.” Accessed June 12, 2021. https://americarenewing.com/about/
14. “Our Staff.” Center for American Renewal.” Accessed June 12, 2021. https://americarenewing.com/about/
15. “Our Staff.” Center for American Renewal.” Accessed June 12, 2021. https://americarenewing.com/about/
16. “Our Staff.” Center for American Renewal.” Accessed June 12, 2021. https://americarenewing.com/about/
17. “Our Staff.” Center for American Renewal.” Accessed June 12, 2021. https://americarenewing.com/about/