Coalition to Preserve, Protect, and Defend (Coalition)

Aftergut has advocated for left-of-center policy regarding abortion access, has argued for prosecuting persons allegedly involved in riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and has previously promoted claims of collusion between former President Trump and the Russian government. ²

History

The Coalition to Preserve, Protect, and Defend was founded in 2017 by San Francisco-based attorney and former federal prosecutor Dennis Aftergut. ^{1 3}

Advocacy

Dennis Aftergut has criticized Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) for banning a controversial African-American AP studies course for allegedly containing content inspired by critical race theory and the College Board for amending the course to satisfy some of Gov. DeSantis’s objections. ⁴

Writing alongside controversial left-of-center legal scholar Laurence Tribe, Aftergut claimed that then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) undercut the rule of law to become Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Aftergut and Tribe argued that Speaker McCarthy was wrong in linking any spending cuts to raising the debt ceiling. Aftergut and Tribe opposed the creation of a House subcommittee to investigate the Congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol. Aftergut and Tribe claimed U.S. Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) should not be the chair of the House Judiciary Committee due to him potentially being a witness to the January 6^th riot investigation. ⁵

Aftergut wrote alongside Amherst College professor Austin Sarat that the Supreme Court ruling in the abortion case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization  proved that the U.S. was “a country whose constitution does not evolve or change to meet new circumstances and affords no protection of citizens’ privacy from government intrusion—a good operating definition of a totalitarian state.” ⁶

Aftergut advocated for charging President Trump for offenses related to his response to the 2020 elections, arguing that President Trump’s actions were “directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action.” ⁷

Finances

In 2018, the Coalition to Preserve, Protect, and Defend reported net assets of $11,315. ⁸ According to the organization’s tax returns, in 2018 the Coalition recorded no revenue and had $545 in expenses. ⁸ In 2017, the Coalition had $14,300 in revenue and $2,440 in expenses. ¹

In May 2022, the Coalition to Preserve, Protect, and Defend had its nonprofit status automatically revoked for failure to file required tax returns with the IRS, but the IRS reinstated the group in September of that year. ⁹

Leadership

The Coalition to Preserve, Protect, and Defend was founded by Dennis Aftergut. ¹⁰ Aftergut is a former federal prosecutor and Chief Assistant City Attorney in San Francisco. ¹⁰ In the late 1990s, Aftergut appeared before the California Supreme Court arguing to recognize same-sex domestic partnerships. ¹¹ Aftergut co-founded the Oak Hill school, a school specializing in helping disabled students. ¹¹ Aftergut has a law degree from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College. ¹⁰