Restore Public Trust (RPT)

Restore Public Trust (RPT) is an advocacy organization launched in November 2018 to assist the “constellation of progressive-oriented accountability groups that have launched in response to Donald Trump’s presidency.” ¹

RPT is a former project of the New Venture Fund (NVF), a nonprofit group managed by philanthropic consulting firm Arabella Advisors.² As of 2020, RPT is no longer listed as a stand-alone nonprofit but instead a project managed by Accountable.US. ³

While classifying itself as a “non-partisan public interest group,” its investigations have been solely directed at Republicans and the Trump administration. ⁴ On the day it was launched it filed 12 freedom of information requests with Trump administration Cabinet agencies. ⁴

Prior to its move to becoming a project of Accountable.US, RPT’s board of advisers consisted of Democratic Party-affiliated strategists, operatives, political consultants, and former Obama Administration officials. Most were, or were previously affiliated with, similar “accountability” organizations created since the start of the Trump Administration in 2017. There were allegedly two instances specifically where the organizations was mentioned in a January 2017 proposal made by Hillary Clinton operative David Brock to major left-wing donors, which advocated a mission of damaging the incoming Trump administration with a barrage of open records requests and bad publicity. ^{3 5} Then-executive director Caroline Ciccone was a former executive director for left-of-center advocacy group Americans United for Change, and a former staffer from the Obama White House. ³

RPT and at least two other groups—Democracy Forward (DF) and American Oversight (AO)—did not exist at the time of the Brock proposal, but have since emerged to fulfill the mission it promoted. These organizations have staffs and board members that have been affiliated with each other’s organizations and the organizations specifically noted in the Brock document. ^{3 5 6}

Background

Restore Public Trust (RPT) was established in November 2018 following the 2018 midterm elections, in which it cited its own polling claiming that “people believe the Trump administration has a corruption problem.” On the day of its establishment, RPT announced it had already filed 12 freedom of information requests with Trump administration cabinet agencies. ⁴

RPT is a former project of the New Venture Fund (NVF), a nonprofit group managed by philanthropic consulting firm Arabella Advisors. ⁷ Kyle Herrig, a former managing director for NVF, was listed as being on the advisory board of RPT as of 2019. ³ As of 2020, RPT is no longer listed as a stand-alone nonprofit but instead a project managed by Accountable.US. ³

Affiliations

In a 2018 Daily Beast media interview, then- Restore Public Trust (RPT) executive director Caroline Ciccone claimed her organization’s objective was to provide “complimentary strategies” in cooperation with other organizations sharing similar missions. RPT was noted in the media report as one of a “constellation of progressive-oriented accountability groups that have launched in response to Donald Trump’s presidency.”¹

American Oversight (AO) was also listed in the report. ¹ It was launched in March 2017 and opened investigations into the Trump Administration based largely on its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and lawsuits. For 2018 alone, AO claimed to have filed more than 1000 FOIA requests and 56 open records lawsuits directed at the administration. ⁸ Democracy Forward (DF) also fills a role very similar to that of AO; both are tied to major left-wing Democratic donors and employ staffers with partisan left-wing work histories.

In December 2018, RPT and Democracy Forward sent joint requests to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), claiming that EPA officials had illegally collaborated with Fox News the content of an April 2017 broadcast, and asking for an investigation from the OIG. ⁹

Criticism of Trump Administration

In April 2019, Restore Public Trust (RPT) signed and authored a letter, titled “An Open Letter to America’s CEOs” condemning the immigration policies of the Trump Administration and advocated for American CEOs not to employ anyone involved with the policy. It accused these officials of being directly guilty for physical abuse, sexual assault, and even the death of illegal immigrant children. ¹⁰

Cooperation with Congressional Democrats

On December 7, 2018, Restore Public Trust (RPT) announced it had requested the House Financial Services Committee to investigate then-U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao’s behavior while she was on the board of Wells Fargo. Prior to this, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) had announced one of her first jobs after becoming chair of the committee in January 2019 would be investigating Wells Fargo’s business practices. RPT also released a report claiming to show “numerous instances where Wells Fargo took advantage of its customers through fraudulent schemes during Secretary Chao’s time on the Board.” ¹¹

Activities

Restore Public Trust v. Department of Transportation

In June 2019, American Oversight (AO) filed a lawsuit on behalf of Restore Public Trust (RPT) in order to gain access to documents from then-U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao’s alleged leverage of her political role as Secretary of Transportation to promote the interests of her family’s company Foremost Group. ^{12  13}

Specifically, American Oversight requested access to the travel records of Elaine Chao. Additionally, American Oversight requested access to documentation detailing her communication with individuals associated with her husband Senate House Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s reelection campaign and communication between senior Department of Transportation staff and entities or individuals representing Foremost Group. ¹⁴

While Chao allegedly maintained no formal stake or affiliation in Foremost Group, McConnell previously received millions of dollars in gifts from her father, James Chao, who ran the organization until 2018. Mitch McConnell’s re-election campaigns previously received more than $1 million in contributions from James and Angela Chao who have both served on the executive board of Foremost Group. ¹⁵

Elaine Chao was later accused of abusing her role as Secretary of Transportation to arrange government-funded transportation for her relatives, using her political status to promote Foremost Group, and involving family members in high-profile government meetings. ¹⁶

Leadership

Lizzy Price was the former director of Restore Public Trust (RPT). As of 2023, she serves as the director of strategic partnerships at Accountable.US. ¹⁷ She previously worked as national communications director for gubernational campaigns at American Bridge as well as a communications director for both the New Hampshire Democratic Party and the Arkansas Democratic Party. ^{18 17}

Caroline Ciccone is the president of Accountable.US as of 2023. She took over from activist and attorney Kyle Herrig, who previously served as president from 2019 until 2023. Ciccone previously served as executive director for Accountable.US. Prior to her time at the organization, she worked as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Communications Director for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). ¹⁹ In addition, she was the former executive director for nonprofit group Americans United for Change (AUFC), the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Communications and Public Liaison under the Obama Administration, and the Deputy Communications Director, Communication Specialist for the Democratic National Committee (DNC). ^{19 20}

Three members of RPT’s past advisory board were  transferred to the staff of Accountable.US. As of 2020, RPT is no longer listed as a stand-alone nonprofit but instead a project managed by Accountable.US. ³

Accountable.US’ board members have extensive connections to Democratic officials and causes, left-wing advocacy groups, and in particular other left-wing “accountability” organizations that dovetail with the mission laid out in the January 2017 Brock proposal. Three board members have history with American Bridge 21^st Century and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) – the two main organizations specifically promoted in the Brock proposal. ^{3 5}

Kyle Herrig is the founder and former president of Accountable.US. He served as president from 2019 until 2023 when Caroline Ciccone took over in the position. Herring was previously a senior advisor and board member for the organization. ²¹ In addition, as of 2023 was listed as the executive director for research group Congressional Integrity Project (CIP), was a co-founder and board member for judicial activist organization American Oversight (AO), and the former managing director of nonprofit group New Venture Fund. ^{21 22}

Shripal Shah previously worked on the advisory board for RPT before it became part of Accountable.US. ²³ He is vice-president of American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic Party super PAC. He was formerly a staffer for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). In 2014, he worked as both communications director and deputy campaign manager for Senator Jeanne Shaheen. ^{24 25}

Brad Woodhouse previously worked on the advisory board for RPT before it became part of Accountable.US. ²⁶ He is the executive director of Protect Our Care, an Obamacare advocacy organization and project of the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a 501(c)(4) advocacy group and sister to New Venture Fund. He is also a former president of both American Bridge 21st Century (AB PAC) and Americans United for Change, and a former communications staffer for the Democratic National Committee (DNC). He worked as an advisor and a spokesperson for Senator Jon Corzine in the early 2000s, a communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2003-2004 and as communications director for the Democratic National Committee in 2008. He also worked as a senior strategist for both of President Obama’s campaigns in 2008 and 2012. ²⁴