Alliance Defending Freedom

The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is an American conservative Christian nonprofit organization founded by more than 30 Christian ministries, as a response to the American Civil Liberties Union, to defend "family values." ADF's major focus is strategizing and coordinating with hundreds of lawyers and right-wing groups to defend what they define as "Christian legal issues." Formerly known as the Alliance Defense Fund, the group was established in March 25, 1993 and is currently based in Scottsdale, Arizona. People for the American Way notes that ADF's founding groups "are influential members of the Right, they are pro-life and anti-gay and their ultimate goal is to see the law and government of the US enshrined with conservative Christian principles."

News and Controversies

Politicizing the Courts in Tennessee

ADF is a supporter of the Family Action Counsel of Tennessee (FACT) and its advocacy arm, Family Action of Tennessee in their efforts to politicize state courts in favor of a radical right-wing agenda. The FACT National Associations page lists ADF as a partner, stating it is one of their "key national associations or national allies for us as we seek to defend the biblical definition of marriage and family, life, and religious liberty."

FACT has tried to reshape Tennessee state courts by removing judges it dislikes through retention election campaigns. In 2006, FACT was part of a coalition of right-wing groups trying defeat four state Supreme Court justices who had affirmed a right to abortion in Planned Parenthood of Middle Tennessee v. Sundquist. The coalition surveyed dozens of appellate judges on specific political positions including abortion rights and other issues. Most judges refused to answer but FACT still distributed 300,000 information packets about the justices to voters. Despite those efforts, the justices all won their retention elections.

The group attempted to sway elections through a voter survey again in 2014 but failed to receive significant responses from judicial candidates. However, FACT was part of a successful campaign to abolish merit selection of judges, giving the governor power to appoints Supreme Court and Appellate Court judges, subject to review by the state legislature.

In December 2017, FACT’s leader, David Fowler, urged judges in Tennessee to rule that the state must refrain from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples until the legislature brings state law into accordance with the U.S. Supreme Court the decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. “It’s time state judges begin to restore the rule of law that the United States Supreme Court subverted in Obergefell … and the states quit pretending we have laws we don’t have,” Fowler said.

Participation in State-Funded Federalist Society Event

The Alliance Defending Freedom participated in the "Inaugural Wisconsin Chapters Conference" hosted by the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy in Madison, Wisconsin on May 4, 2018. The Federalist Society is a right-wing legal association which has been helping Republican presidents and politicians pack the courts. The event received state funding from the Office of State Courts and participation by judges bestowed mandatory continuing legal education credits. 15 Wisconsin judges protested the event, writing to the organizers "would the Office of State Courts financially underwrite the event and incentivize judicial attendance with credits towards the judges' mandatory continuing legal education?"

At the event, Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel delivered the keynote speech. Schimel kicked off his presentation by reminding the audience that "it is an election year." He then cataloged his accomplishments in a campaign-like speech. Schimel concluded by recognizing his "friend from the Alliance Defending Freedom" in the room and stating that his time spent at the ADF's conference last year was "some of the best time I ever spent."

One Wisconsin Now Files Complaint Against Schimel for ADF Conference Appearance

Wisconsin Attorney General Schimel appeared at the Alliance Defending Freedom's 2017 conference at a luxury resort in California. Although Schimel defended his appearance at the Federalist Society's Inagural Wisconsin Chapters Conference, One Wisconsin Now filed a request under state open records law demanding disclosure of his statements. In return for his participation, Schimel recieved a $4,100 appearance fee as well as accmodation while appearing in his official capacity. One Wisconsin Now Director Scott Ross stated "Brad Schimel appeared in his official capacity as the Attorney General of the state of Wisconsin at a conference hosted by an anti-LGBTQ hate group. We deserve to know what he said in exchange for the luxury resort accommodations and appearance fee they gave to him."