Revolving Door Project is a project of the left-of-center Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) ¹ that monitors political appointments to 39 different federal government agencies. ²

Revolving Door Project urged the Biden administration Department of Justice to stop prosecuting Trump administration-era legal cases on issues such as immigration enforcement, ³ has offered suggestions to the U.S. Department of Justice for efforts to defund the police, ⁴ and supports the implementation of critical race theory-influenced “racial equity” policies at the Federal Housing Finance Agency. ⁵

History and Leadership

Revolving Door Project is a project of the left-of-center Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR). ⁶

Jeff Hauser is the executive director of the Revolving Door Project. Before joining Revolving Door Project in 2015, he ran left-of-center labor union federation AFL-CIO’s political media, economic policy, outreach, and labor communications for immigration-related issues. He was also the executive director of the immigration expansionist Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (now America’s Voice) and has worked at left-of-center MoveOn.org, Majority Action, Accountability Now, and on the 2004 presidential campaign of retired U.S. Army General Wes Clark (D). ⁷

Activities and Funding

Revolving Door Project is a project of the left-of-center Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) ⁸ that monitors political appointments to 39 different U.S. federal government agencies. ⁹ The organization is also a member of the left-of-center Declaration for American Democracy coalition. ¹⁰

Revolving Door Project urged the Biden administration Department of Justice to stop prosecuting Trump administration-era legal cases on issues such as immigration enforcement, environmental issues, education policy, agriculture, voting qualifications, criminal justice, Social Security Administration, and others. ¹¹ As a part of its political appointee monitoring, Revolving Door Project creates a personnel map that connects members of the executive branch to different private industries and economic sectors. ¹² The organization has also urged the Biden administration to fill the government with left-of-center appointees throughout agencies. ¹³

In 2021, Revolving Door Project released a personnel report on the Biden administration with left-wing Demand Progress. ¹⁴ This report tracked appointments to leadership positions at 39 agencies and monitors key votes for the leadership of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). ¹⁵ Revolving Door Project also tracks the Office of Management and Budget and the semi-independent bureaus of the Department of Treasury, including the Internal Revenue Service. ¹⁶

Issue Activism

Revolving Door Project supports the implementation of critical race theory-influenced racial equity policies at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, ¹⁷ offers suggestions for how the U.S. Department of Justice can support efforts to defund the police, ¹⁸ and claims that the U.S. economy is a “rigged economy.” ¹⁹ Revolving Door Project has also suggested that the Biden administration use various cancer research projects to target hydraulic fracking and other conventional energy extraction processes by attempting to label them as toxic and carcinogenic. ²⁰

In 2022, Revolving Door Project supported a campaign by the left-wing People’s Action Homes Guarantee program to change tenant and rent laws and regulations in the U.S. ²¹ The organization has also supported Biden administration COVID-19 policies and the appointment of Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Department of the Interior. ²²

Funding

Revolving Door Project is a project of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) and receives a budget from its parent group. ²³ The organization also receives some funding from individual donations. ²⁴

1. “The Revolving Door Project.” Center for Economic and Policy Research. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://cepr.net/the-revolving-door-project/.
2.  “Agency Spotlight.” Revolving Door Project. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://agencyspotlight.org/.
3. Hannah Story Brown, Ananya Kalahasti, Andrea Beaty, Eleanor Eagan, Nika Hajikhodaverdikhan, and Sion Bell. “The Trump Administration Made a Mockery of the Law. Why Hasn’t Biden Tossed its Cases?” Revolving Door Project. January 20, 2023. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/the-trump-administration-made-a-mockery-of-the-law-why-hasnt-biden-tossed-its-cases/.
4. Eversley, Mariama. “How DOJ Can Defund the Police.” August 2, 2021. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/how-doj-can-defund-the-police/.
5. Shankar, Vishal. “Why Sandra Thompson Could Be Biden’s Most Important Housing Policy Nominee.” Revolving Door Project. February 22, 2022. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/why-sandra-thompson-could-be-bidens-most-important-housing-policy-nominee/.
6. “The Revolving Door Project.” Center for Economic and Policy Research. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://cepr.net/the-revolving-door-project/.
7. “Jeff Hauser.” Revolving Door Project. Accessed February 23, 2023.
8. “The Revolving Door Project.” Center for Economic and Policy Research. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://cepr.net/the-revolving-door-project/.
9. “Agency Spotlight.” Revolving Door Project. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://agencyspotlight.org/.
10. “Our 250 Members.” Declaration for American Democracy. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://dfadcoalition.org/.
11. Hannah Story Brown, Ananya Kalahasti, Andrea Beaty, Eleanor Eagan, Nika Hajikhodaverdikhan, and Sion Bell. “The Trump Administration Made a Mockery of the Law. Why Hasn’t Biden Tossed its Cases?” Revolving Door Project. January 20, 2023. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/the-trump-administration-made-a-mockery-of-the-law-why-hasnt-biden-tossed-its-cases/.
12. “Personnel Map.” Revolving Door Project. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/personnel/.
13. Jeff Hauser and David Segal. “Building Back Better (Than Expected).” Revolving Door Project. March 22, 2021. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/building-back-better-than-expected/.
14. ^[1] Langholz, Maria. “Demand Progress and Revolving Door Project Release Personnel Report Card on the Biden Administration’s Appointments (So Far). Demand Progress. February 25, 2021. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://demandprogress.org/demand-progress-revolving-door-project-release-personnel-report-card-biden-administrations-appointments-far/.
15. “Agency Spotlight.” Revolving Door Project. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://agencyspotlight.org/.
16. “About Us.” Revolving Door Project. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/about-us/.
17. Shankar, Vishal. “Why Sandra Thompson Could Be Biden’s Most Important Housing Policy Nominee.” Revolving Door Project. February 22, 2022. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/why-sandra-thompson-could-be-bidens-most-important-housing-policy-nominee/.
18. Eversley, Mariama. “How DOJ Can Defund the Police.” August 2, 2021. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/how-doj-can-defund-the-police/.
19. “About Us.” Revolving Door Project. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/about-us/.
20. Dorothy Slater and Hannah Story Brown. “Biden Should Wed His Cancer Moonshot To The Energy Transition.”
21. Vishal Shankar, Andrea Beaty, and Kalimah Muhammad. “Biden Can Protect Millions of Vulnerable Tenants with the Stroke of a Pen.” Revolving Door Project. December 19, 2022. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/biden-can-protect-millions-of-vulnerable-tenants-with-the-stroke-of-a-pen/.
22. Jeff Hauser and David Segal. “Building Back Better (Than Expected).” Revolving Door Project. March 22, 2021. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/building-back-better-than-expected/.
23. “The Revolving Door Project.” Center for Economic and Policy Research. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://cepr.net/the-revolving-door-project/.
24. “Support Us.” Revolving Door Project. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/support-us/.