Wellspring Committee

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

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Ideological Alignment: Right of Center
Formation:

2008

Status:

Defunct (shut down in 2018)

President (most recent):

Neil Corkery

Location: Washington, DC View on map
Tax ID: 36-2046485

Contents

    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, other tax filings confirm it received $150,000 from the American Democracy Alliance in 2008, 4 and $100,000 from the Rosebush Corporation in 2011. 5 In addition, according to separate tax filings, the Wellspring Committee donated $75,000 to Shaar Education (then called United In Purpose Education) in 2016. 6

    Leadership

    Neil Corkery was the president of Wellspring Committee prior to its shut down in 2018. 7 Corkery was previously listed as the president of the Sudan Relief Fund and was a board member of Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust. 8

    Ann Corkery was the president of Wellspring Committee prior to Neil Corkery. 1 Ann Corkery sat on the board of the Sudan Relief Fund, was counsel for the Judicial Crisis Network, and a board member of the Foundation Stone Institute. Corkery also formerly sat on the boards of the Youth Leadership Foundation, Becket Reserve, and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. 9

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    References

    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 B, Part II. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/270455540/201743139349101054/full
    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. “Ann Corkery.” ProPublica. Accessed October 5, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/full_text_search?q=%22ann%20corkery%22.