The Wellspring Committee was a social welfare organization provided funding to advocacy groups that produced ads promoting conservative and Republican Party-aligned causes. ¹ The Wellspring Committee ceased operations in December 2018. ²

Activities

The Wellspring Committee was one of the largest funders of the Judicial Crisis Network, a right-of-center judicial advocacy group, with $53.6 million in contributions between 2012 and 2017. ³

Funding

The Wellspring Committee was funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While Wellspring did not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from American Democracy Alliance ($150,000 in 2008), ⁴ the Rosebush Corporation ($100,000 in 2011), ⁵ and United in Purpose Education ($75,000 in 2016). ⁶

Board of Directors

Neil Corkery was the most recent president of Wellspring Committee. ⁷ Corkery is the president of the Sudan Relief Fund, sits on the board of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, and possesses the books and records for the BH Fund, the Annual Fund, America Engaged, Marble Freedom Trust, the Rule of Law Trust, the Catholic Association Foundation, the 85 Fund, National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, and the Judicial Crisis Network. ⁸

Ann Corkery was the president of Wellspring Committee before Neil Corkery. ⁹ Ann Corkery sits on the board of the Sudan Relief Fund, is of counsel at the Judicial Crisis Network, and sits on the board of the Foundation Stone Institute. Corkery formerly sat on the boards of the Youth Leadership Foundation, Becket Reserve, and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. ¹⁰

1. Novak, Viveca, Maguire, Robert, and Overby. Peter. “Wellspring’s Flow: Dark Money Outfit Helped Fuel Groups on Political Front Lines.” OpenSecrets. November 5, 2013. Accessed October 5, 2023. https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2013/11/wellsprings-flow.html.
2. Massoglia, Anna. “An influential ‘dark money’ group turns off the lights for the last time.” OpenSecrets. May 23, 2019. Accessed October 5, 2023. https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/05/an-influential-dark-money-group-turns-off-the-lights-for-the-last-time/.
3. Wellspring Committee Inc., Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2012-2017, Schedule I, Part II.
4. American Democracy Alliance, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2008, Schedule I, Part II.
5.  “Wellspring Cmte.” OpenSecrets. Accessed October 5, 2023. https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/receipts?id=262046485.
6. United in Purpose Education, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2016, Schedule I, Part II.
7. Wellspring Committee Inc, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2018, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.
8. “Neil Corkery.” ProPublica. Accessed October 5, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/full_text_search?q=%22neil+corkery%22.
9. Novak, Viveca, Maguire, Robert, and Overby. Peter. “Wellspring’s Flow: Dark Money Outfit Helped Fuel Groups on Political Front Lines.” OpenSecrets. November 5, 2013. Accessed October 5, 2023. https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2013/11/wellsprings-flow.html.
10. “Ann Corkery.” ProPublica. Accessed October 5, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/full_text_search?q=%22ann%20corkery%22.