Protect Democracy Project (PDP)

United to Protect Democracy is the 501(c)(4) advocacy affiliate of the Protect Democracy Project.

Activity

Petition for Resignation of Attorney General William Barr

Eight legal analysts that work for CNN and MSNBC along with four former federal prosecutors collectively signed a petition created by the Protect Democracy Project. The petition demanded that Attorney General William Barr resign due to his instructions to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington to revise a court filing regarding the case of Roger Stone. ¹

Roger Stone was originally convicted of charges of obstruction, witness tampering, and providing false statements to Congress. Prosecutors stated that he obstructed the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into the Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections. He was accused of making false statements to the House Intelligence Committee in which he denied having possession of documents that were being pursued by the committee. ² Furthermore, Roger Stone was accused of threatening radio host Randy Credico to comply with his testimony, namely that Credico facilitated communication between Roger Stone and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during the 2016 presidential election. ³

The petition protests the revised sentencing recommendation initiated by Attorney General William Barr. The U.S. Attorney Office in Washington stated that they sought to revise the previous sentencing of Roger Stone that charged him with imprisonment of 87-108 months. The U.S. Attorney Office emphasized that they believed this previous charge was more in-line with cases regarding violent offenses rather than charges of obstruction.

The petition addressed Justice Department employees and encouraged them to report any perceived abuses to the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General, the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility, and Congress. ¹

Ultimately, Stone was sentenced to 40 months in prison after he was accused for tampering with the testimony of a witness and for his involvement in the Trump campaign’s alleged relationship with the Russian government during the 2016 presidential elections. ⁴

Leadership

Founder and Executive Director

Ian Bassin is the founder and executive director of the Protect Democracy Project, the same position he holds in United to Protect Democracy. ^{5 6} In 2017, Bassin’s total salary from both organizations totaled $185,943, with an additional estimated compensation of $16,577 from both nonprofits. ⁷ Bassin served as associate White House counsel for the Obama administration from 2009 to 2011. ⁸

Legal Counsel

Justin Florence is legal director for PDP. In 2017, Florence earned a salary of $119,805. ⁹ Florence previously served in private business and securities litigation practice and the Office of the White House Counsel. Florence has also served as senior counsel on the staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he “worked for Senator Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI].” ⁸

Allison Murphy and Laurence Schwartzol serve as legal counsel to PDP. In 2017, Murphy earned a salary of $124,733 and Schwartzol a salary of $100,435. ⁹

Board of Directors

The Protect Democracy Project board of directors consists of Ian Bassin, Emily Loeb, Cecilia Munoz, Ricki Seidman, Sabeel Rahman, and Justin Florence. ⁶

Funding

PDP has received $100,000 in general operating support grants from the left-wing Hewlett Foundation in 2018. ¹⁰ The grant was made through Hewlett’s “Madison Initiative,” a fund for “strengthening U.S. democracy and its institutions . . . in a time of political polarization.” ¹¹ Other Madison Initiative grant recipients include the Third Way Institute, Pew Charitable Trusts, Brennan Center for Justice, and Bipartisan Policy Center. ¹²

According to its 2017 IRS filing (Form 990), United to Protect Democracy and Protect Democracy Project are not “‘related organizations’ as that term is defined the [IRS] Form 990 glossary.” However, the organizations have a “cost-sharing agreement” in which the Protect Democracy Project “pays United to Protect Democracy (UPD) for its allocable share of personnel, equipment, facilities and other resources.” ⁷

In 2017, Protect Democracy Project’s gross revenues were $2.66 million, its expenditures were $1.22 million, and its net assets were $3.2 million. ⁹

Advisers

Protect Democracy Project and United to Protect Democracy list dozens of advisers to the organizations. Notable advisers include Jerry Taylor, president of the nominally libertarian think tank Niskanen Center; failed 2016 presidential candidate and Stand Up Republic co-founder Evan McMullin; failed 2016 vice presidential candidate and Stand Up Republic co-founder Mindy Finn; and Defending Democracy Together directors Mona Charen and Linda Chavez. ¹³