The Leadership Center for Attorney General (AG) Studies is a left-leaning think tank associated with the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA) that provides research and educational materials supportive of left-leaning policies.

The organization’s work focuses on powers held by state attorneys general and encourages action by attorneys general to implement policies on an array of key left-leaning policy priorities including climate policies, election administration, gun control, immigration, policing, and labor. The organization is one of multiple groups operated by the Democratic Attorneys General Association and runs advocacy advertisements that are deemed as educational. The organization received $3.4 million from “dark money” funding organization the Hopewell Fund, a project of Arabella Advisors, in 2020. ^{1 2}

Background

The Leadership Center for Attorney General Studies was formed in 2020. The organization is an arm of the Democratic Attorneys General Association, which is the campaign committee that supports Democratic campaigns for state attorneys general. The organization publishes research and educational materials supporting actions of state attorneys general that advance left-leaning policy principles. ^{3 4}

The organization shares an office address, logo, and website layout as both the DAGA and the Progressive State Leaders Committee, another arm of the DAGA. The DAGA’s executive director Sean Rankin, is listed as a board member for the organization. ^{5 6}

Funding

The Leadership Center for AG Studies was formed as a nonprofit organization in 2020, and tax records are not available detailing the finances for the organization as of November 2021. However, it is known that the left-leaning “dark money” funder the Hopewell Fund, gave the organization $3.4 million in 2020. The Hopewell Fund is managed by Arabella Advisors and operates alongside its sister organizations the Sixteen Thirty Fund and the New Venture Fund. ⁷

Activity

While the Leadership Center for AG Studies is a 501(c)(3) organization that is not legally allowed to engage in political campaigning, the organization released ads during the 2020 election season providing information on how to vote. The organization also aired public service announcements from Democratic state attorneys general Letitia James of New York, Aaron Ford of Nevada, and Keith Ellison of Minnesota as well as actress Sela Ward urging voters to “make sure your vote is counted.” ⁸

The organization also highlights actions taken by Democratic attorneys general on a variety of policy issues such as election administration, abortion, and gun control. The organization has highlighted coalitions of Democratic attorneys general who opposed various environmental and other polices of the Trump Administration. ^{9 10}

People

The listed board members of the organization include Sean Rankin, a Democratic political operative who is the executive director of the Democratic Attorneys General Association and the Progressive State Leaders Committee. ^{11 12}

Other board members of the organization include former Attorney General of Hawaii Doug Chin (D), who served as the policy committee chair of DAGA while in office; former Connecticut Attorney General George Jepson (D); former Chief Deputy Attorney General for the District of Columbia Natalie Ludaway; and Daniel Suvor, the former chief of policy and senior counsel to then-California Attorney General and Biden administration Vice President Kamala Harris. ¹³

1. “About.” Leadership Center for AG Studies. Accessed November 23, 2021. https://agstudies.org/about/
2. “IRS Form 990.” Hopewell Fund. 2020. https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2021/11/hopewell-fund-2020-form-990.pdf
3. Statement from Sean Rankin Executive Director of the Democratic Attorneys General Association on DAGA Co-chair and District of Columbia AG Karl Racine’s Primary Victory.” DAGA. Accessed November 23, 2021. https://dems.ag/daga-statement-on-karl-racine-primary-victry/
4. “IRS Form 990.” Hopewell Fund. 2020. https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2021/11/hopewell-fund-2020-form-990.pdf
5. “Statement from Sean Rankin Executive Director of the Democratic Attorneys General Association on DAGA Co-chair and District of Columbia AG Karl Racine’s Primary Victory.” DAGA. Accessed November 23, 2021. https://dems.ag/daga-statement-on-karl-racine-primary-victry/
6. “IRS Form 990.” Hopewell Fund. 2020. https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2021/11/hopewell-fund-2020-form-990.pdf
7.  “IRS Form 990.” Hopewell Fund. 2020. https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2021/11/hopewell-fund-2020-form-990.pdf
8. “Media Center.” Leadership Center for AG Studies. Accessed November 23, 2021. https://agstudies.org/media-center/
9. “Climate.” Leadership Center for AG Studies. Accessed November 23, 2021. https://agstudies.org/issues/climate/
10. “Voting Rights.” Leadership Center for AG Studies. Accessed November 23, 2021. https://agstudies.org/issues/voting-rights-democracy-protection/
11. “About.” Leadership Center for AG Studies. Accessed November 23, 2021. https://agstudies.org/about/
12. “Statement from Sean Rankin Executive Director of the Democratic Attorneys General Association on DAGA Co-chair and District of Columbia AG Karl Racine’s Primary Victory.” DAGA. Accessed November 23, 2021. https://dems.ag/daga-statement-on-karl-racine-primary-victry/
13. “About.” Leadership Center for AG Studies. Accessed November 23, 2021. https://agstudies.org/about/