The Niskanen Center is a nominally libertarian 501(c)(3) environmental think tank with ties to center-left environmental groups. The Center was created in January 2015 and was initially headed by Jerry Taylor, a global warming advocate and environmental activist who authored a 2015 report The Conservative Case for a Carbon Tax. 1 Taylor later resigned in 2021, amid a domestic abuse scandal.2 The Center is named for William Niskanen, a senior economic aide to President Ronald Reagan who died in 2011. 3
The Niskanen Center for Public Policy is the 501(c)(4) lobbying arm of the Niskanen Center.
Carbon Tax Advocacy
The Niskanen Center is a major proponent of a tax on carbon dioxide emissions. The group is credited with assisting then-Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) with introducing a carbon tax bill in 2018; the bill was rejected by the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, which later introduced a successful resolution “expressing the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to the United States economy.” 4 5
Controversies
ExxonMobil/Suncor Lawsuit (2018)
In April 2018, the City of Boulder, Colorado and County of San Miguel, Colorado filed a lawsuit against oil and natural gas companies ExxonMobil and Suncor, accusing them of being “fossil fuel-producing corporations” which negatively impact the climate. 6 The Colorado communities were represented in the lawsuit by a joint climate group which included Hannon Law Firm, a group that litigates environmental lawsuits and whose founder Kevin Hannon served as chief outside legal counsel, the environmentalist nonprofit EarthRights International, and the Niskanen Center. 7 7 The joint climate group claimed that ExxonMobil and Suncor were culpable for over $100 million in climate damages—including wildfires, flooding, road maintenance, landscaping, and individuals work efficiency.8
According to two environmental experts, Randal O’Toole and Robert Bradley Jr., individuals who had known William Niskanen, the Center’s involvement in the lawsuit went directly against the memory of Niskanen and what he believed with regards to climate-policy. 9 William Niskanen stated that “the case for a global warming treaty is shockingly weak” and also that he had “never bought into climate alarmism.” 9
Criticism of Pro-Life Legislation
In May 2019, Niskanen Center’s Vice President for Research Will Wilkinson criticized a pro-life bill passed by Republican lawmakers in Georgia, calling it “so unconstitutional in so many ways.” 10 11 Commonly referred to as a “heartbeat bill,” the law prohibits performing abortions if the doctor can detect a fetal heartbeat (usually occurring six weeks into the pregnancy), except in cases of rape and incest or where an abortion could prevent the mother from dying in childbirth. 12 Wilkinson claimed that the bill was not designed to successfully take on the 1973 Roe V. Wade Supreme Court decision and restore decision making on abortion laws to the state level, but was rather purposely designed to get overturned so Republicans could energize their base and keep voter turnout high indefinitely. 10
Criticism of Trump Judicial Nominees
In May 2019, the Washington Post published an article about Trump administration judicial nominees refusing to comment on whether they support Brown v. Board of Education, the 1954 Supreme Court decision that ended segregation in schools, or any other court cases in order to avoid being led down the slope that would obligate them to answer if they support Roe v. Wade. 13 In a tweet, Niskanen Center president Jerry Taylor shared the article and characterized Republican judicial nominees as intentionally not supporting Brown v. Board, stating that any nominee who does not support that decision “has no business being on the court.” 14
El Paso v. Trump (2019)
In May 2019, a lawsuit against President Trump entitled El Paso v. Trump was filed in the Western District of Texas by El Paso County and left-of-center nonprofit Border Network for Human Rights. The suit was intended to oppose the use of emergency funds for border wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Niskanen Center joined the plaintiffs’ counsel team, which included Protect Democracy, Laurence Tribe, and Stuart Gerson.
Protect Democracy is left-of-center litigation nonprofit organization created by a former staffer in the Obama administration to oppose the policies of President Trump. 15 Laurence Tribe is a distinguished Harvard legal professor who has become well-known on Twitter for his fevered opposition to Trump, having shared multiple fabricated conspiracy theories about the President. 16 Stuart Gerson was assistant attorney general for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice under President George H.W. Bush and was acting attorney general under President Bill Clinton. Gerson currently works at a law firm representing clients in the health care industry. 17
Resignation of Jerry Taylor
On September 6, 2021, Jerry Taylor resigned as president of the Niskanen Center as a result of domestic abuse allegations made against him by his ex-wife. 2 The incident took place in June 2021, and publicly surfaced later that year when POLITICO obtained records of Taylor’s misdemeanor arrest. Taylor denied the accusations and claimed he only plead guilty in exchange for a deal that the charges against him would be dismissed after he successfully completed a domestic violence and substance abuse prevention program. 2 When the board at the Niskanen Center was made aware of the allegations, Taylor was placed on administrative leave, and Taylor resigned shortly thereafter. 2
Niskanen Center for Public Policy
Also see Niskanen Center for Public Policy (Nonprofit)
The Niskanen Center for Public Policy is the 501(c)(4) lobbying arm of the Niskanen Center created in 2016. The Center for Public Policy is also headed by Jerry Taylor.
According to a 2019 donation history document on Niskanen Center’s website, the Center for Public Policy reported three grants from funding groups on the political Left for advocacy: 18
- Open Society Foundations: $500,000 in 2017 for “Immigration and Foreign Policy Departments advocacy”
- Democracy Fund Voice: $175,000 in 2018 for “Open Society Project advocacy”
- Sall Family Foundation: $200,000 in 2018 for “Climate policy advocacy”
Additionally, the left-wing Environmental Defense Action Fund reported a $10,000 grant to the Niskanen Center for Public Policy in 2015. 19
Funding
Financial Overview
The Niskanen Center’s financial overview from 2015 to 2018 is available below: 20
Niskanen Center: Financials (2015-2018) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Revenues | Expenditures | Net Assets |
2018 | $4,349,043 | $4,170,789 | $894,237 |
2017 | $3,529,677 | $3,281,090 | $715,983 |
2016 | $2,250,594 | $2,447,205 | $467,396 |
2015 | $1,954,786 | $1,665,531 | $664,007 |
Total: | $12,084,100 | $11,564,615 |
Contributors
The Niskanen Center has received grants from a number of center-left foundations, funding groups, donor-advised fund providers, and at least one limited liability company (LLC), Arnold Ventures, associated with the John and Laura Arnold Foundation (also a Niskanen Center donor). The following are known grants to the Niskanen Center: 21
Niskanen Center: Known Donors (2014-2018) | Amount | Year | Grant Description |
---|---|---|---|
Arnold Ventures LLC | $1,000,000 | 2019 | Operating support for climate change initiatives |
Alex C. Walker Educational and Charitable Foundation | $20,000 | 2018 | Carbon Tax Advocacy |
Alex C. Walker Educational and Charitable Foundation | $15,000 | 2018 | Climate Litigation |
Democracy Fund | $100,000 | 2018 | General Support |
Energy Foundation | $50,000 | 2018 | To promote education and analysis for clean, affordable energy that protects publich health |
John and Laura Arnold Foundation | $250,000 | 2018 | To provide general operating support |
Park Foundation | $40,000 | 2018 | Defending Constitutional rights of property owners from fossil fuel infrastructure and eminent domain claims |
Rockefeller Foundation | $225,000 | 2018 | For use by its poverty and welfare department... |
Rockefeller Brothers Fund | $193,639 | 2018 | - |
Silicon Valley Community Foundation | $650,000 | 2018 | Community Development |
Alex C. Walker Educational and Charitable Foundation | $10,000 | 2017 | Carbon Tax Advocacy |
Carnegie Corporation Of New York | $150,000 | 2017 | For Immigration Policy Research and Public Outreach |
Democracy Fund | $100,000 | 2017 | General Support |
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $25,500 | 2017 | For Grant Recipient's Exempt Purposes |
Foundation to Promote Open Society | $250,000 | 2017 | - |
Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Foundation | $25,000 | 2017 | Educational and Charitable |
Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma | $75,000 | 2017 | Environmental/Animals |
John and Laura Arnold Foundation | $300,000 | 2017 | To provide general operating support |
Northern Piedmont Community Foundation | $10,000 | 2017 | General Support |
Schwab Charitable Fund | $50,250 | 2017 | Support For Education |
Silicon Valley Community Foundation | $250,000 | 2017 | Community Development |
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation | $250,000 | 2017 | For General Operating Support |
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation | $200,000 | 2017 | For General Operating Support |
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation | $200,000 | 2017 | For The Energy and Climate Program |
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation | $200,000 | 2017 | For Climate Policy and Litigation Program |
Arnold Ventures LLC | $600,000 | 2017 | General operating support |
Alex C. Walker Educational and Charitable Foundation | $10,000 | 2016 | Carbon Tax Advocacy |
Energy Foundation | $150,000 | 2016 | To Support Education and Outreach About Clean Energy |
Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Foundation | $15,889 | 2016 | Educational and Charitable |
Greater Washington Community Foundation | $50,000 | 2016 | General Support Building |
Hopewell Fund | $50,000 | 2016 | Civil rights, social action, advocacy |
Linden Trust For Conservation | $200,000 | 2016 | Climate Change |
Litterman Family Foundation | $100,000 | 2016 | To The General Purpose Fund Of Public Charitable Organizations That Were Classified Under Section 501(C)(3) Of The Internal Revenue Code. |
Rockefeller Brothers Fund | $70,000 | 2016 | For Its Climate Program |
Rockefeller Brothers Fund | $15,000 | 2016 | For Work Related To A Special Initiative On Us Economic Integration (Free Trade) Policies and Latin America |
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | $50,000 | 2016 | General Support |
Sant Charitable Foundation | $50,000 | 2016 | General Support |
Claws Foundation | $100,000 | 2015 | General Support |
2040 Foundation (ClearPath Foundation) | $250,000 | 2015 | Support for greenhouse gas education efforts |
Community Foundation Of The Eastern Shore | $20,000 | 2015 | Community Development |
Energy Foundation | $200,000 | 2015 | To Advance Policy Solutions For A Stable Climate |
Goyanes Family Foundation | $25,000 | 2015 | General Support |
Linden Trust For Conservation | $50,000 | 2015 | Climate Change |
Linden Trust For Conservation | $50,000 | 2015 | Organizational Development |
Litterman Family Foundation | $10,000 | 2015 | General Purpose Fund |
Silicon Valley Community Foundation | $360,000 | 2015 | Building Community |
The Beach Foundation | $25,000 | 2015 | General Fund |
Claws Foundation | $100,000 | 2014 | General Support |
Linden Trust For Conservation | $100,000 | 2014 | Energy Policy |
Litterman Family Foundation | $50,000 | 2014 | General Purpose Fund |
Steve and Lana Hardy Foundation | $20,000 | 2014 | General and Unrestricted |
Total: | $8,160,278 |
A 2019 donation history published by the Niskanen Center noted $5.3 million in grants to the Center between 2017 and 2019. A later list of contributors from early 2022 brought the total known contributions to over $16 million. 22 24 In addition, Niskanen received $50,000 from the Hopewell Fund in 2016 for “civil rights, social action, [and] advocacy.” The Hopewell Fund is a left-wing nonprofit run by Arabella Advisors, a for-profit consultancy that manages three other left-wing nonprofits in a multi-billion-dollar “dark money” network. 25 The following grant data is from the Niskanen Center’s website and not every grant has been substantiated as of April 2022 (see above chart for known grants to the organization):
Niskanen Center: Grantors (2017-2021) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Funder | Year | Amount | Grant Description |
GENERAL SUPPORT | |||
Anonymous | 2021 | $50,000 | General operating support |
Anonymous | 2021 | $250,000 | General operating support |
Anonymous | 2019 | $75,000 | General operating support |
Anonymous, via New York Community Trust | 2021 | $100,000 | General operating support |
Anonymous, via New York Community Trust | 2019 | $100,000 | General operating support |
Anonymous, via Seattle Foundation | 2021 | $50,000 | General operating support |
Bob Jones | 2021 | $9,993 | General operating support |
Bob Jones | 2018 | $5,000 | General operating support |
Claudine Schneider | 2021 | $5,000 | General operating support |
Democracy Fund | 2021 | $100,000 | General operating support |
Democracy Fund | 2018 | $100,000 | General operating support |
Democracy Fund | 2018 | $15,000 | General operating support |
Derek & Leora Kaufman Foundation | 2021 | $15,000 | General operating support |
2018 | $25,000 | General operating support and technology policy | |
Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Foundation | 2021 | $25,000 | General operating support |
Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Foundation | 2018 | $25,000 | General operating support |
Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Foundation | 2019 | $50,000 | General operating support |
KHD Charitable Fund | 2018 | $20,000 | General operating support |
Kristin & Michael Reed Family Foundation | 2021 | $7,500 | General operating support |
Litterman Family Foundation | 2021 | $300,000 | General operating support |
Litterman Family Foundation | 2021 | $150,000 | General operating support |
Litterman Family Foundation | 2018 | $100,000 | General operating support |
Lodestar Foundation | 2021 | $50,000 | General operating support |
Lodestar Foundation | 2019 | $25,000 | General operating support |
Lonsdale Family Philanthropic Fund | 2019 | $10,000 | General operating support |
Open Society Foundations | 2019 | $300,000 | General operating support |
Phil Harvey | 2021 | $50,000 | General operating support |
Phil Harvey | 2018 | $50,000 | General operating support |
Pivotal Foundation | 2019 | $25,000 | General operating support |
Ray Iwanowski | 2021 | $50,000 | General operating support |
Ridgely Walsh LLC | 2021 | $5,000 | General operating support |
Robert Routhhouse | 2021 | $4,000 | General operating support |
Roger and Vicki Sant Foundation | 2019 | $50,000 | General operating support |
Sant Family Foundation | 2021 | $50,000 | General operating support |
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation | 2021 | $75,000 | Organizational Effectiveness |
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation | 2018 | $400,000 | General operating support |
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation | 2019 | $1,000,000 | General operating support |
William B. Wiener Jr. Foundation | 2018 | $20,000 | General operating support |
William S. and Ina Levine Foundation | 2019 | $25,000 | General operating support |
Total: | $3,766,493 | ||
CAPTURED ECONOMY PROJECT | |||
2022 | $100,000 | Tech Policy | |
Google Foundation | 2018 | $100,000 | Captured Economy project: intellectual property |
Smith Richardson Foundation | 2018 | $50,000 | Captured Economy project |
Total: | $250,000 | ||
CLIMATE POLICY, LITIGATION | |||
Alex C. Walker Foundation | 2018 | $15,000 | Eminent domain pipeline project; Common law nuisance litigation project |
Alex C. Walker Foundation | 2021 | $30,000 | Pipeline eminent domain project |
Alex C. Walker Foundation | 2021 | $50,000 | Research project with commissioned study |
Anonymous Foundation | 2018 | $100,000 | Climate Policy Department |
ClimateWorks Foundation | 2021 | $500,000 | Pipeline eminent domain project |
David Rockefeller Fund | 2019 | $150,000 | Climate litigation project |
Energy Foundation | 2018 | $50,000 | Eminent domain and pipeline litigation project |
Energy Foundation | 2021 | $175,000 | Pipeline eminent domain project |
Generation Foundation | 2021 | $700,000 | Border adjustment carbon tax and environmental justice projects |
Generation Foundation | 2018 | $200,000 | Climate Policy Department |
High Tide Foundation | 2021 | $900,000 | Pipeline eminent domain project |
John Wolthuis | 2021 | $100,000 | Climate public policy ?carbon tax project |
Linden Trust for Conservation | 2018 | $100,000 | Climate Policy Department |
McQuown Trust | 2019 | $50,000 | Climate litigation project |
McQuown Trust | 2021 | $25,000 | r Climate nuisance |
Merck Family Fund | 2021 | $20,000 | Climate public policy ?carbon tax project |
Park Foundation | 2021 | $100,000 | Pipeline eminent domain project |
Park Foundation | 2018 | $40,000 | Eminent domain and pipeline litigation project |
Property Rights and Pipeline Center | 2021 | $10,000 | Landowner study |
Rockefeller Brothers Fund | 2018 | $200,000 | Eminent domain and pipeline litigation project |
Rockefeller Brothers Fund | 2020 | $200,000 | Pipeline eminent domain project |
Rockefeller Family Fund | 2018 | $50,000 | Eminent domain and pipeline program |
Sall Family Foundation | 2021 | $300,000 | Climate public policy ?carbon tax project |
Sall Family Foundation | 2018 | $200,000 | Climate Policy Department |
Sant Family Foundation | 2018 | $50,000 | Climate Policy Department |
The Laura and John Arnold Foundation | 2017 | $600,000 | Climate Policy, Eminent domain and pipeline litigation project |
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation | 2017 | $300,000 | Climate Policy Department |
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation | 2021 | $750,000 | r Macrogrid and transmission project and Struggling Regions Initiative project |
Tortuga Foundation | 2018 | $25,000 | Eminent domain and pipeline litigation project |
Tortuga Foundation | 2021 | $60,000 | Pipeline eminent domain project |
William B. Wiener, Jr. Foundation | 2021 | $20,000 | Pipeline eminent domain project |
Total: | $6,070,000 | ||
IMMIGRATION | |||
Anonymous | 2021 | $25,000 | Immigration public policy |
Carnegie Corporation of New York | 2021 | $170,000 | Immigration public policy |
Carnegie Corporation of New York | 2019 | $150,000 | Immigration Policy Department |
Carnegie Corporation of New York | 2019 | $150,000 | Linda Chavez immigration policy work |
Catena Foundation | 2021 | $66,186 | Immigration public policy |
FWD.US Education Fund | 2021 | $100,000 | Immigration public policy |
Open Philanthropy Project | 2018 | $400,000 | Immigration Policy Department |
Ray Iwanowski | 2021 | $70,000 | Afghan refugee program |
Shapiro Foundation | 2021 | $10,000 | Refugee policy |
Total: | $1,141,186 | ||
OPEN SOCIETY PROJECT | |||
Anonymous via Silicon Valley Community Foundation | 2018 | $250,000 | Open Society Project |
Linden Family Foundation | 2018 | $25,000 | Open Society Project |
Linden Family Foundation | 2019 | $25,000 | Open Society Project |
Paul and Laura Jost | 2018 | $50,000 | Open Society Project |
Pritzker Innovation Fund | 2021 | $35,000 | |
Pritzker Innovation Fund | 2018 | $50,000 | Open Society Project |
Total: | $435,000 | ||
POVERTY AND WELFARE, SOCIAL POLICY | |||
Rockefeller Foundation | 2020 | $500,000 | Struggling regions and opportunity zones project, and earned income tax credit and child tax credit reform project |
Annie E. Casey Foundation | 2021 | $75,000 | Child allowance and unemployment insurance modernization |
Charles and Lynn Schustermann Family Philanthropies | 2022 | $50,000 | Support for rapid response child tax credit research project |
Conrad Hilton Foundation | 2021 | $1,000,000 | Housing and homelessness project |
David and Lucile Packard Foundation | 2021 | $550,000 | Core support of the work of the social policy team |
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation | 2020 | $400,000 | Advancing transpartisan income support policies project |
Rockefeller Foundation | 2021 | $1,500,000 | Struggling regions and opportunity zones project, and earned income tax credit and child tax credit reform project |
Rockefeller Foundation | 2018 | $250,000 | Struggling Regions and Opportunity Zones Project |
W.K. Kellogg Foundation | 2021 | $400,000 | Project on public investment in early childhood education/family support programs |
Total: | $4,725,000 | ||
Grand Total (2017-2021): | $16,387,789 |
Leadership
Founder and President
Jerry Taylor was the founding president of the Niskanen Center. A self-described “libertarian,” Taylor previously worked in various senior roles with the center-right Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, where he was at various points director of natural resources studies, assistant editor of the Institute’s magazine Regulation, senior fellow, and vice president. Taylor also worked as director for energy and environment at the center-right American Legislative Exchange Center (ALEC). 26 In 2018, his total compensation was $233,464. 27
In March 2015, Taylor authored a report entitled The Conservative Case for a Carbon Tax in which he argued that “conservatives should make a carbon tax a centerpiece of their environmental policy agenda” instead of debating the merits of man-made climate change or global warming theory. Taylor wrote: 1
The political question is not whether government should act to control the emission of greenhouse gases. That question has been settled for the foreseeable future. The relevant political question is how government should control greenhouse gas emissions.
A carbon tax advocate, Taylor has stated his support for a plan proposed by the Stanford Energy Modeling Forum which would enact a $65 per ton tax on carbon dioxide emissions by 2022, rising to $296 per ton in 2045. Taylor has claimed that the total cost to the U.S. economy from this plan “would be less than 0.2 percent of GDP.” 28
Taylor’s brother, James Taylor, is senior fellow for environment and energy policy at the center-right Heartland Institute. Taylor has described a “‘revenue neutral’ carbon tax [as] a costly myth.” 29 30
Taylor resigned in September 2021 after pleading guilty to domestic abuse charges made by his ex-wife. 2 The Niskanen Center’s co-founder Joe Coon, stepped in as interim president.
Advisory Board
According to its 2018 annual report, Niskanen’s advisory board consisted of the following individuals, who were affiliated with the listed organizations at that time: 31
- Mindy Finn, Stand Up Republic
- Evan McMullin, Stand Up Republic
- George P. Shultz, Hoover Institution
- David Frum, Senior Editor of The Atlantic
- Yuval Levin, National Affairs
- Reihan Salam, National Review
- Eli Lehrer, R Street Institute
- Eliot Cohen, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Relations
- Anat Admati, Stanford University
- Brandon Arnold, National Taxpayers Union
- Radley Balko, Journalist and Author
- Tom Nichols, Author
- Virginia Postrel, Author and Columnist
- Stuart Butler, Brookings Institution
- William A. Galston, Brookings Institution
- Benjamin Wittes, Brookings Institution
- John H. Cochrane, Hoover Institution
- Tyler Cowen, Mercatus Center
- J. Bradford Delong, University of California at Berkeley
- Daniel Drezner, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University
- Jacob T. Levy, McGill University
- Alexander McCobin, Conscious Capitalism
- Mark S. Weiner, Rutgers University
- Justin Wolfers, University of Michigan
- Matt Zwolinski, University of San Diego
Documents
The Niskanen Center’s Form 990 IRS filings for 2016 through 2019 are available here:
The Niskanen Center’s 2017-2018 annual report is available here.
The Niskanen Center’s 2020 annual report is available here.
References
- Jerry Taylor. “The Conservative Case for a Carbon Tax.” Niskanen Center. March 23, 2015. Accessed May 3, 2019. Original URL: https://niskanencenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/The-Conservative-Case-for-a-Carbon-Tax1.pdf. Available: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/05/the-conservative-case-for-a-carbon-tax.pdf
- Lippman, Daniel. “Think Tank President Quits after Domestic Violence Complaint.” POLITICO. POLITICO, September 29, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/29/think-tank-president-quits-domestic-violence-514601.
- Jonathan Miller. “A place for the GOP to mull life after Trump.” Roll Call. May 1, 2019. Accessed May 3, 2019. http://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/place-gop-mull-life-trump
- Hayden Ludwig. “The Myth of a Conservative Carbon Tax: Ignoring Basic Tax Policy.” Capital Research Center. October 12, 2018. Accessed May 3, 2019. https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-myth-of-a-conservative-carbon-tax-part-2/
- Jonathan Miller. “A place for the GOP to mull life after Trump.” Roll Call. May 1, 2019. Accessed May 3, 2019. http://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/place-gop-mull-life-trump
- “After Months of Silence, Boulder to Hold Rally With Activists to Announce Climate Lawsuit.” EID Climate – A Project of IPAA. April 20, 2018. Accessed November 01, 2018. https://eidclimate.org/after-months-silence-boulder-hold-rally-with-activists-announce-climate-lawsuit/.
- Cooke, Amy. “High Powered Legal Team for Plaintiffs in the Boulder Climate Lawsuit.” IWF. Accessed November 01, 2018. http://iwf.org/blog/2807807/High-powered-legal-team-for-plaintiffs-in-the-Boulder-climate-lawsuit.
- Norton, Gale. “Climate Change Lawsuits: Boulder Can Do Better.” The Denver Post. April 20, 2018. Accessed November 01, 2018. https://www.denverpost.com/2018/04/20/climate-change-lawsuits-boulder-can-do-better/.
- Cooke, Amy. “Swift Condemnation for Boulder Climate Lawsuit and DC Think Tank.” Independence Institute. May 29, 2018. Accessed November 01, 2018. https://i2i.org/swift-condemnation-boulder-climate-lawsuit-and-dc-think-tank/.
- Tweet (@willwilkinson). May 8, 2019. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://twitter.com/willwilkinson/status/1126235616100999169
- Horgos, Bonnie. “What Alabama’s Abortion Bill Could Mean for the Pro-Choice Movement.” Yahoo! May 16, 2019. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/alabamas-abortion-bill-could-mean-120048591.html.
- Mazzei, Patricia, and Alan Blinder. “Georgia Governor Signs One of Nation’s Most Restrictive Abortion Laws.” The New York Times. May 07, 2019. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/07/us/heartbeat-bill-georgia.html.
- Meckler, Laura, and Robert Barnes. “Trump Judicial Nominees Decline to Endorse Brown v. Board under Senate Questioning.” The Washington Post. May 16, 2019. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/trump-judicial-nominees-decline-to-endorse-brown-v-board-under-senate-questioning/2019/05/16/d5409d58-7732-11e9-b7ae-390de4259661_story.html?utm_term=.8cb1880621ed&wpisrc=nl_politics&wpmm=1.
- Tweet (@jerry_jtaylor). May 17, 2019. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://twitter.com/jerry_jtaylor/status/1129430691614265344
- “About.” Protect Democracy. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://protectdemocracy.org/about/.
- Bernstein, Joseph. “Why Is A Top Harvard Law Professor Sharing Anti-Trump Conspiracy Theories?” BuzzFeed News. May 11, 2017. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/josephbernstein/larry-tribe-why.
- “Biography | Stuart M. Gerson.” Epstein Becker & Green. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://www.ebglaw.com/stuart-m-gerson/.
- “Niskanen Center for Public Policy: Donation History.” Niskanen Center. Accessed May 6, 2019. Original URL: https://niskanencenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Niskanen-Center-donation-history-March-2019-3.pdf. Available here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/05/Niskanen-Center-2019-Donations.pdf
- Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Environmental Defense Action Fund. 2015. Schedule I, Part II (Grants…).
- Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990) (multiple). Niskanen Center. 2015, 2016, 2018. Part I. Lines 12, 18, 22.
- Information provided by FoundationSearch. Niskanen Center. 2015-2018. FoundationSearch.com. Various Form 990 filings for 2018 were also used to accumulate grant data.
Arnold Ventures: Grants to Niskanen Center. Accessed February 15, 2021. Original URL: https://www.arnoldventures.org/grantees/the-niskanen-center. Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2021/02/Arnold-Ventures-Niskanen-Center-Grants-2021.pdf
- Niskanen Center Contributors, 2022. Accessed April 7, 2022. Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2022/04/niskanen-center-donors-2021.pdf
- “Niskanen Center for Public Policy: Donation History.” Niskanen Center. Accessed May 6, 2019. Original URL: https://niskanencenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Niskanen-Center-donation-history-March-2019-3.pdf. Available here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/05/Niskanen-Center-2019-Donations.pdf[/note
Major grantors listed in the document included George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Arnold Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Sall Family Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Rockefeller Foundation. 23“Niskanen Center for Public Policy: Donation History.” Niskanen Center. Accessed May 6, 2019. Original URL: https://niskanencenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Niskanen-Center-donation-history-March-2019-3.pdf. Available here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/05/Niskanen-Center-2019-Donations.pdf
- Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Hopewell Fund. 2016. Schedule I. Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/03/Hopewell-Fund-2016-Form-990.pdf
- “Jerry Taylor.” Niskanen Center. Accessed May 3, 2019. https://niskanencenter.org/blog/staff/jerry-taylor/
- Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Niskanen Center. 2018. Part VII.
- Jerry Taylor. “A Conservative Carbon Tax.” Milken Institute Review. January 19, 2017. Accessed May 3, 2019. http://www.milkenreview.org/articles/a-conservative-carbon-tax
- “James Taylor.” Heartland Institute. Accessed May 3, 2019. https://www.heartland.org/about-us/who-we-are/james-m-taylor
- “A ‘Revenue Neutral’ Carbon Tax is a Costly Myth.” Heartland Institute. February 23, 2019. May 3, 2019. https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/a-revenue-neutral-carbon-tax-is-a-costly-myth
- “Niskanen Center Annual Report, 2017-2018.” Niskanen Center. Accessed May 20, 2019. Original URL: https://niskanencenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2018-Niskanen-Annual-Report-v2.pdf. Available here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/05/Niskanen-Center-Annual-Reort-2017-2018.pdf