Idaho Progressive Investor Network steers donors to left-of-center causes such as expanding Medicaid, increasing funding for public education, and protecting public lands.

Idaho Progressive Investor Network was founded by Lauren McLean, a liberal politician in Boise who has served as the city’s mayor since her election in 2019. ¹ After McLean spent very little money on advertising during the 2019 mayoral election and it was revealed that a majority of television-ad buys supporting her candidacy originated from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), the right-of-center Idaho Freedom Foundation alleged that McLean used the Network to steer donors toward LCV. ²

History

The Idaho Progressive Investor Network was founded in February 2010 by Lauren McLean. ³ The Network also does business as the Idaho Investor Network, with the same mailing address. ⁴ In 2019, the Idaho Press reported that McLean stated that the goal of the Network was to connect left-of-center donors to organizations working on those issues in Idaho. ⁵ Such causes included expanding Medicaid, supporting public education, increasing voter access for Latinos, and protecting public lands. ⁶

Political Campaigns

The Idaho Progressive Investor Network was formed in 2010. Lauren McLean ran for Boise City Council in 2011. ⁷ McLean has stated that none of the contributions to the Idaho Progressive Investor Network went directly to political candidates, but only left-of-center advocacy causes. ⁸

Before 2019, when McLean ran for mayor, she was listed as the primary contact for the organization. ⁹ McLean also ran The Confluence Group, a philanthropy-consulting business. ¹⁰

Allegations were made during the 2019 mayor’s race that McLean was using an off-the-books “dark-money” shadow campaign that spent $310,000 running television ads for McLean’s benefit. ¹¹ While McLean denied any connections between herself, the Network’s activity at the time, and the television-ad buys with a third party, the right-of-center Idaho Freedom Foundation noted that McLean’s campaign only spent money on Google and Facebook advertising, campaign staff, and the operational expenses of running a campaign. ¹² The television advertising supporting McLean was paid for by the League of Conservation Voters. ¹³

Finances

In 2017 and 2019, the State Engagement Fund gave the Idaho Progressive Investor Network $35,000. ^{14 15} In 2021-2022, the Idaho Education Association teachers’ union paid $25,000 to the Network for an annual membership. ¹⁶ The Committee on States, a state-focused donor convening associated with the Democracy Alliance, gave Idaho Progressive Investor Network $50,000 in 2022. ¹⁷

Founder

Lauren McLean is the founder of the Idaho Progressive Investor Network. ¹⁸ McLean was elected as mayor of Boise, Idaho, in 2019 and re-elected in 2023. ¹⁹ McLean served on the Boise City Council from 2011 through 2019 and as Council President from 2017 through 2019. ²⁰ On the council, McLean advocated a 100 percent clean-energy plan for the city. ²¹

1. Cassidy, Jon. “Mayor Lauren McLean, The Dark Money Queen of Boise.” Idaho Freedom Foundation. August 12, 2020. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://idahofreedom.org/mayor-lauren-mclean-the-dark-money-queen-boise/.
2.  Cassidy, Jon. “Mayor Lauren McLean, The Dark Money Queen of Boise.” Idaho Freedom Foundation. August 12, 2020. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://idahofreedom.org/mayor-lauren-mclean-the-dark-money-queen-boise/.
3. “Idaho Progressive Investor Network, LLC.” Idaho Secretary of State Certificate of Organization. February 16, 2010. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://sosbiz.idaho.gov/search/business; Carmel, Margaret. “McLean Defends Political Fundraising Through Organization She Founded.” Idaho Press. July 25, 2019. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/mclean-defends-political-fundraising-through-organization-she-founded/article_4cd221e9-fd83-5cdd-a3be-05137128b991.html; “About the Mayor.” City of Boise, Idaho. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/mayor/about-the-mayor/.
4. Cassidy, Jon. “Mayor Lauren McLean, The Dark Money Queen of Boise.” Idaho Freedom Foundation. August 12, 2020. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://idahofreedom.org/mayor-lauren-mclean-the-dark-money-queen-boise/; Nelsen, Maxford. “Idaho Education Association Joins Progressive Advocacy Group.” Freedom Foundation. February 29, 2024. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://www.freedomfoundation.com/labor/idaho-education-association-joins-progressive-advocacy-group/.
5. Carmel, Margaret. “McLean Defends Political Fundraising Through Organization She Founded.” Idaho Press. July 25, 2019. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/mclean-defends-political-fundraising-through-organization-she-founded/article_4cd221e9-fd83-5cdd-a3be-05137128b991.html.
6. Carmel, Margaret. “McLean Defends Political Fundraising Through Organization She Founded.” Idaho Press. July 25, 2019. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/mclean-defends-political-fundraising-through-organization-she-founded/article_4cd221e9-fd83-5cdd-a3be-05137128b991.html.
7. “Idaho Progressive Investor Network, LLC.” Idaho Secretary of State Certificate of Organization. February 16, 2010. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://sosbiz.idaho.gov/search/business; “Lauren McLean.” Ballotpedia. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://ballotpedia.org/Lauren_McLean.
8. Carmel, Margaret. “McLean Defends Political Fundraising Through Organization She Founded.” Idaho Press. July 25, 2019. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/mclean-defends-political-fundraising-through-organization-she-founded/article_4cd221e9-fd83-5cdd-a3be-05137128b991.html.
9. Carmel, Margaret. “McLean Defends Political Fundraising Through Organization She Founded.” Idaho Press. July 25, 2019. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/mclean-defends-political-fundraising-through-organization-she-founded/article_4cd221e9-fd83-5cdd-a3be-05137128b991.html.
10. Carmel, Margaret. “McLean Defends Political Fundraising Through Organization She Founded.” Idaho Press. July 25, 2019. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/mclean-defends-political-fundraising-through-organization-she-founded/article_4cd221e9-fd83-5cdd-a3be-05137128b991.html.
11.  Cassidy, Jon. “Mayor Lauren McLean, The Dark Money Queen of Boise.” Idaho Freedom Foundation. August 12, 2020. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://idahofreedom.org/mayor-lauren-mclean-the-dark-money-queen-boise/.
12. Carmel, Margaret. “McLean Defends Political Fundraising Through Organization She Founded.” Idaho Press. July 25, 2019. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/mclean-defends-political-fundraising-through-organization-she-founded/article_4cd221e9-fd83-5cdd-a3be-05137128b991.html; Cassidy, Jon. “Mayor Lauren McLean, The Dark Money Queen of Boise.” Idaho Freedom Foundation. August 12, 2020. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://idahofreedom.org/mayor-lauren-mclean-the-dark-money-queen-boise/.
13. Cassidy, Jon. “Mayor Lauren McLean, The Dark Money Queen of Boise.” Idaho Freedom Foundation. August 12, 2020. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://idahofreedom.org/mayor-lauren-mclean-the-dark-money-queen-boise/.
14. State Engagement Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017.
15. State Engagement Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/810865943/202023219349316072/IRS990ScheduleI
16. Idaho Education Association, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2021.
17. Committee on States, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2022, Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/842558945/202313199349321081/IRS990ScheduleI
18. “Idaho Progressive Investor Network, LLC.” Idaho Secretary of State Certificate of Organization. February 16, 2010. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://sosbiz.idaho.gov/search/business.
19. “About the Mayor.” City of Boise, Idaho. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/mayor/about-the-mayor/.
20.  “About the Mayor.” City of Boise, Idaho. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/mayor/about-the-mayor/.
21. “About the Mayor.” City of Boise, Idaho. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/mayor/about-the-mayor/.