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Non-profit

Lawyers Democracy Fund

Website:

lawyersdemocracyfund.org
Location:

California, MO
Tax ID:

20-8721718
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(4)

Budget (2020):

Revenue: $277,000
Expenses: $342,899
Assets: $25,587
Founded:

2007

Lawyers Democracy Fund is a conservative-leaning legal group that supports fair and honest elections and seeks to protect the right of eligible voters to vote. 1

The fund has proposed model voter identification legislation for states to adopt. 2

Background

Lawyers Democracy Fund is a conservative-leaning group that says it backs ethics and legal professionalism in the electoral process to ensure fair and honest elections. 3

The organization said it wants to protect the right of eligible voters to vote. The organization conducts, funds and publishes research on the effectiveness of current and proposed election methods. 4

The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation gave $625,000 to the Lawyers Democracy Fund from 2018 through 2020. 5

The leftwing American Prospect magazine criticized the Lawyers Democracy Fund for having the same initials as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. 6

Voter ID Advocacy

Legal Democracy Fund has sued and submitted amicus briefs in election-related lawsuits, and as defending state voter ID laws, including the 2008 Supreme Court case of Crawford v. Marion County. 7

Lawyers Democracy Fund proposed model state legislation on voter ID. The model legislation requires a signature from the voter at the polling place as an additional identity safeguard; requires the voter to provide photo identification and to state his or her name and address verbally; allows voters without ID to vote a provisional ballot; provides free voter ID cards; and offers an affidavit exception in cases of reasonable impediment to providing the required documents to obtain a free voter identification card. 8

Leadership

Harvey Tettlebaum is the president of the Lawyers Democracy Fund. He is a member of Husch Blackwell LLP’s health care, life sciences, and education team. He has argued more than 100 cases in appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Tettlebaum was the assistant dean of the Washington University School of Law from 1968-1969 and was a Missouri assistant attorney general under then-Attorney General John Danforth (R) from 1971 to 1977. 9

Tom Spencer is the vice president of the Lawyers Democracy Fund. He has more than 50 years of experience practicing law in Florida. He also argued cases in the International Court of Arbitration in Paris. Then-Florida Governor Jeb Bush (R) appointed Spencer to the Judicial Nominating Commission, where he was the chairman. Spencer was co-counsel and testified in Bush v. Gore in 2000. Then-President George W. Bush appointed Spencer to the Presidential Rank Review Board in 2001. 10

Ashlee N. Titus is the secretary of the Lawyers Democracy Fund. She is a member of the Bell, McAndrews and Hiltachk LLP firm, and focuses on advising individuals, businesses, candidates, political action committees (PACs), lobbyists, and trade associations on compliance with campaign finance and advertising, lobbying, and nonprofit tax-exempt statutes and regulations. She is a member of the California Political Attorneys Association, the Federalist Society, and Republican National Lawyers Association, and a supporter of the Center for Civic Education. 11

Elliot Berke is the treasurer of the Lawyers Democracy Fund. He is a managing partner of Berke Farah LLP. He was named by Chambers USA as a “Nationwide Best Lawyer” and by Washingtonian as one of “Washington’s Best Lawyers.”  He has represented clients before congressional ethics and oversight committees, the Federal Election Commission, the Justice Department, and inspectors general. He has represented also presidential nominees in their confirmation process. He was also a former counsel to the speaker of the House and House majority leader. 12

Mike Andrews is a board member of the Lawyers Democracy Fund. He is the senior vice president in the Federal Public Affairs group at McGuireWoods Consulting. He was formerly the staff director and chief counsel for the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs under the leadership of Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Before working in Washington, he was a state, federal and tribal prosecutor in Arizona. He was an executive at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He was the lead counsel for the D.C. Crime Victims Resource Center and was the former chairman of the Victim Advisory Group for the U.S. Sentencing Commission. 13

References

  1.  “About.” Lawyers Democracy Fund. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://lawyersdemocracyfund.org/about-us/our-mission/
  2. “Model Voter ID Legislation.” Lawyers Democracy Fund. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://lawyersdemocracyfund.org/voter-id/model-voter-id-legislation/
  3. “Lawyers Democracy Fund.” Cause IQ. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/lawyers-democracy-fund,208721718/
  4. “About.” Lawyers Democracy Fund. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://lawyersdemocracyfund.org/about-us/our-mission/
  5.  Armiak, David. “Revealed: The Biggest Voter Suppressor You’ve Never Heard Of.” Exposed by Center for Media and Democracy. March 28, 2022. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2022/03/28/revealed-the-biggest-voter-suppressor-youve-never-heard-of/
  6. Gibson, Brittany. “The Conservative Voter Fraud Swarm.” The American Prospect. September 18, 2020. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://prospect.org/civil-rights/the-conservative-voter-fraud-swarm/
  7. “About.” Lawyers Democracy Fund. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://lawyersdemocracyfund.org/about-us/our-mission/
  8. “Model Voter ID Legislation.” Lawyers Democracy Fund. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://lawyersdemocracyfund.org/voter-id/model-voter-id-legislation/
  9. “Leadership.” Lawyers Democracy Fund. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://lawyersdemocracyfund.org/about-us/leadership/
  10.  “Leadership.” Lawyers Democracy Fund. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://lawyersdemocracyfund.org/about-us/leadership/
  11. “Leadership.” Lawyers Democracy Fund. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://lawyersdemocracyfund.org/about-us/leadership/
  12. “Leadership.” Lawyers Democracy Fund. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://lawyersdemocracyfund.org/about-us/leadership/
  13. “Leadership.” Lawyers Democracy Fund. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://lawyersdemocracyfund.org/about-us/leadership/
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: January 1, 2016

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2020 Dec Form 990 $277,000 $342,899 $25,587 $0 N $277,000 $0 $0 $0
    2019 Dec Form 990 $200,000 $156,095 $91,486 $0 N $200,000 $0 $0 $0
    2018 Dec Form 990 $200,000 $165,610 $47,581 $0 N $200,000 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990EZ $0 $39,727 $13,191 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2016 Dec Form 990EZ $5,000 $159,263 $52,891 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2015 Dec Form 990 $200,104 $875 $207,154 $0 N $200,025 $0 $79 $0 PDF
    Map image for Lawyers Democracy Fund

    Lawyers Democracy Fund

    56295 Little Moniteau Road
    California, MO