Center of the American Experiment

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The Center of the American Experiment (CAE) is a right-wing pressure group based in Minnesota. It is a member of the State Policy Network (SPN), a web of state pressure groups that denote themselves as "think tanks" and drive a right-wing agenda in statehouses nationwide. On the homepage of its website, CAE lists its issue areas as: Minnesota economy, healthcare, families, governance, education and employee freedom.[1]

Koch Wiki

The Koch brothers -- David and Charles -- are the right-wing billionaire co-owners of Koch Industries. As two of the richest people in the world, they are key funders of the right-wing infrastructure, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the State Policy Network (SPN). In SourceWatch, key articles on the Kochs include: Koch Brothers, Koch Industries, Americans for Prosperity, American Encore, and Freedom Partners.

CAE Names Conservative Blogger John Hinderaker President

In January of 2016, John Hinderaker was named the new President at the Center of the American Experiment.[2] Before taking on this position, Hinderaker was a lawyer and a conservative blogger. His blog Power Line won Time Magazine's 2004 award for "Blog of the Year" for what the Star Tribune reported as debunking a "report that lead to the downfall of CBS news anchor Dan Rather."[2]

Hinderaker was quoted as saying after the announcement that, "One of my real missions over the next couple of years is going to be to stimulate some candid debates and conversations all around the state about how we are doing and how we can do better (in Minnesota).”[2] Minnesota consistently ranks highest among states in quality of life and healthcare.[3]

Political Activity

Attempting to Influence Legislation in Minnesota

Minnesota Senator and candidate for Governor Dave Thompson proposed a constitutional amendment (SF 1705) to make Minnesota a "Right to Work" state. The amendment was strikingly similar to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) bill the "Right to Work Act," as a November 2013 report by Alliance for a Better Minnesota points out. The report continues, "Piggybacking on Thompson's ALEC-based efforts to pass Right to Work in Minnesota, CAE released a report in support of the measure. Not surprisingly, the SPN-written report was shown to be both duplicative to reports from other states and inaccurate."[4]

CAE also released a report in support of a 2012 constitutional amendment that would have codified language very similar to ALEC's "Voter ID Act."[4]

Political Contributions of CAE Staff and Directors

According to the Alliance for a Better Minnesota report, "CAE staff and directors contributed at least $289,430 to federal candidates and committees between 1998 and 2012. Nearly all contributions were made to conservative or Republican organizations and candidates. . . .[5] CAE staff and directors contributed at least $656,718 to candidates and committees at the state level from 1998–2012. As with the federal contributions, nearly all contributions were made to "conservative" organizations and candidates."[6][4]

Ties to the Bradley Foundation

Through 2016, the Center of the American Experiment received $305,000 from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.

Bradley detailed the most recent grants in internal documents examined by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD). Below are the descriptions prepared by CMD. The quoted text was written by Bradley staff.

2016: $25,000 to support research and activities on the effects of family fragmentation. “Specifically, in part at Bradley’s and (Brookings Institution’s Ron) Haskin’s urging, CAE is looking into ways in which apprenticeships might make men more employable and thus more ‘marriageable.’ Also at Bradley’s urging, it is looking to create partnerships in the African American communities of Minnesota.”

2015: $25,000 to support research and activities on the effects of family fragmentation.

2014: $50,000 to support its research on the cultural role of marriage and fatherhood. Bradley awarded a grant to CAE president Mitch Pearlstein in 2013 for a project investigating how family fragmentation is contributing to a less cohesive nation and how policy can address the issue (Broken Bonds: What Family Fragmentation Means for America’s Future). “Pearlstein attributes the idea for the book and the methodology employed in its research and writing to his participation in the Bradley Working Group on the Family… Pearlstein in his follow on two part project will select 15 to 20 clergy, scholars, and lay leaders to engage in a two part exercise on whether churches and religious institutions are doing enough to reinforce marriage… Pearlstein will be pursuing questions such as: what, if anything their parishes, congregations and assemblies are doing to strengthen marriages in general and reduce nonmarital births in particular; what is standing in the way of them doing more; what do they think they and other religious institutions should be doing that they are not; and how can churches and other religious institutions provide more space and opportunities for ex offenders to spend more time with law abiding citizens away from corrupting influences that helped send them to prison in the first place… In the second part, Pearlstein will commission 10 to 12 clergy and scholars to contribute a complementary variety of essay to an anthology. In this Anthology, the select group of writers will address the question of what religious institutions and their leaders do to strengthen their voice of matters of personal well being and family stability.”

Bradley Files

In 2017, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), publishers of SourceWatch, launched a series of articles on the Milwaukee-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, exposing the inner-workings of one of America's largest right-wing foundations. 56,000 previously undisclosed documents laid bare the Bradley Foundation's highly politicized agenda. CMD detailed Bradley's efforts to map and measure right wing infrastructure nationwide, including by dismantling and defunding unions to impact state elections; bankrolling discredited spin doctor Richard Berman and his many front groups; and more.

Find the series here at ExposedbyCMD.org.

Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council

SPN is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Additionally, CAE board member, John Gibbs, represents Comcast Corporation on the ALEC Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force.[7]

Please see SPN Ties to ALEC for more.

About ALEC
ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our PRWatch.org site.

Ties to the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity

The Center of the American Experiment has hosted writers from the ALEC-connected Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, which screens potential reporters on their “free market” views as part of the job application process.[8] The Franklin Center funds reporters in over 40 states.[9] Despite their non-partisan description, many of the websites funded by the Franklin Center have received criticism for their conservative bias.[10][11] On its website, the Franklin Center claims it "provides 10 percent of all daily reporting from state capitals nationwide."[12]

Franklin Center Funding

Franklin Center Director of Communications Michael Moroney told the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) in 2013 that the source of the Franklin Center's funding "is 100 percent anonymous." But 95 percent of its 2011 funding came from DonorsTrust, a spin-off of the Philanthropy Roundtable that functions as a large "donor-advised fund," cloaking the identity of donors to right-wing causes across the country (CPI did a review of Franklin's Internal Revenue Service records).[13] Mother Jones called DonorsTrust "the dark-money ATM of the conservative movement" in a February 2013 article.[14] Franklin received DonorTrust's second-largest donation in 2011.[13]

The Franklin Center also receives funding from the Wisconsin-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation,[15] a conservative grant-making organization.[16]

The Franklin Center was launched by the Chicago-based Sam Adams Alliance (SAM),[17] a 501(c)(3) devoted to pushing free-market ideals. SAM gets funding from the State Policy Network,[18] which is partially funded by The Claude R. Lambe Foundation.[19] Charles Koch, one of the billionaire brothers who co-own Koch Industries, sits on the board of this foundation.[20] SAM also receives funding from the Rodney Fund.

Core Financials

2016[21]

  • Total Revenue: $1,841,454
  • Total Expenses: $1,843,336
  • Net Assets: $816,700

2015[22]

  • Total Revenue: $1,196,118
  • Total Expenses: $1,087,451
  • Net Assets: $564,596

2014[23]

  • Total Revenue: $1,243,963
  • Total Expenses: $1,125,952
  • Net Assets: $455,929

2013[24]

  • Total Revenue: $1,114,215
  • Total Expenses: $926,287
  • Net Assets: $337,918

2012[25]

  • Total Revenue: $1,116,632
  • Total Expenses: $972,969
  • Net Assets: $149,990

2011[26]

  • Total Revenue: $799,736
  • Total Expenses: $770,575
  • Net Assets: $6,327

2010[27]:

  • Total Revenue: $711,473
  • Total Expenses: $651,873
  • Net Assets: -$22,834

2009[28]:

  • Total Revenue: $744,556
  • Total Expenses: $658,994
  • Net Assets: -$82,434

Personnel

As of Sept 2018:[29]

Staff

  • John H. Hinderaker, President
  • Mitch Pearlstein, Founder & Senior Fellow
  • Kim Crockett, Vice President, Senior Policy Fellow & General Counsel
  • Peter Nelson, Vice President & Senior Policy Fellow
  • Tom Steward, Communications Director and Investigative Reporter
  • Kathy Kersten, Senior Fellow
  • John Phelan, Economist
  • Catrin Thorman, Policy Fellow
  • Isaac Orr, Policy Fellow
  • Robert Benson, Greater Minnesota Coordinator
  • Tom Mason, Editor and Publisher, Thinking Minnesota
  • Kristen Fuzer Sheehan, Development Director
  • Peter Zeller, Director of Operations
  • Pari Cariaga, Donor Relations and Events Coordinator

Former Staff:

  • Dwight Tostenson, Chief Financial Officer
  • Samantha Peterson, Assistant Development Director

Board of Directors

  • Ron Eibensteiner, Chairman; Venture Capitalist, Wyncrest Capital, Inc.
  • John Hinderaker, President
  • Mark S. Larson, Secretary; Attorney, Messerli & Kramer
  • Scott Rile, Treasurer; Principal, Bernstein Global Wealth Management
  • Edward C. Anderson, Forthright Solutions
  • Tara J. Anderson, TJA Business Law
  • Elam Baer, North Central Equity
  • Asim Baig, CATS Software, Inc.
  • Michael E. Barry, Twin City Fan Companies
  • Molly Corrigan Cronin
  • Peter Dahl, Crown Bank
  • Mitchell Davis, Davis Family Dairies
  • Elizabeth Driscoll
  • Greg Frandsen, Fransen Companies
  • John F. Gibbs, Comcast Corporation
  • Bill Guidera, 21st Century Fox
  • Michael Hayden
  • Lowell W. Hellervik, Omni Leadership
  • Robin Norgaard Kelleher, Seaton, Beck & Revnew
  • Thomas O. Kelly, III, Dorsey & Whitney
  • Keith Kostuch
  • Richard G. Morgan, Bowman & Brooke
  • Kenneth W. Morris, The Apercu Group
  • Charles Nickoloff, Medical Equities Investments
  • Andrew M. O'Brien, Trean Corporation & Benchmark Insurance Company
  • Mitchell B. Pearlstein, Founder of Center of the American Experiment
  • Rick Penn, Hutchinson Technology
  • Ted Risdall, Risdall Marketing Group
  • Brent Robbins, General Mills
  • Thomas J. Rosen, Rosen's Diversified Inc.
  • Ronald J. Schutz, Robins Kaplan LLP
  • Charles E. Spevacek, Meagher & Geer, P.L.L.P.
  • Todd Vollmers, Thompson Hall

Former Board Members

  • Jack Lanners, F.T.L. Corporation
  • Kurt Schellhas, Center for Diagnostic Imaging
  • Bruce Taher, Taher, Inc.
  • Erik Torgerson, Northwest Equity Partners
  • Martha M. Head, Ceann Company
  • Kim Crockett, J.D., Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President & General Counsel
  • Mitchell Davis, Davisco Foods
  • Carolyn Ericsson, CSM Investments
  • Harrison T. Grodnick, Owner & Manager, Minneapolis Portfolio Management Group
  • John W. Hedberg, Hedberg Family Foundation
  • Rick Leggott, Arbor Capital Management
  • Eduard Michel, M.D. (Co-Founder, Virtual Radiologic Corp.)

Contact Information

Center of the American Experiment
8441 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 350
Golden Valley, MN 55426
Phone: 612-338-3605
Fax: 612-338-3621
Website: http://www.americanexperiment.org
Email: tom.steward@americanexperiment.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mnthinktank
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanExperiment/

Articles and Resources

Related SourceWatch Articles

Related PRWatch Articles

External Resources

References

  1. ↑ Center of the American Experiment, Center of the American Experiment, Center of the American Experiment', 2016.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ricardo Lopez, Conservative blogger, attorney takes helm of Center of the American Experiment, Star Tribune", January 17, 2016.
  3. ↑ Alexander E.M. Hess and Thomas C. Frohlich, The 10 States With the Best Quality of Life, 24/7 Wall St., October 6, 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Alliance for a Better Minnesota, Who's in Charge: How Nationalized Corporate-Run Think Tanks Influence Minnesota Politics, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
  5. ↑ Federal Election Commission, Advanced Transaction Query By Individual Contributor, federal government agency campaign contributions search engine, accessed November 2013.
  6. ↑ Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, Search, state governmental agency campaign contributions search engine, accessed November 2013.
  7. ↑ American Legislative Exchange Council 35 Day Mailing, Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force, July 18, 2011
  8. ↑ Franklin Center, Franklin Affiliates in Your State, organizational website, accessed October 2012.
  9. ↑ The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, Think tank Journalism: The Future of Investigative Journalism, organizational website, accessed August 19, 2011.
  10. ↑ Rebekah Metzler, "Watchdog" website puts a new spin on politics, The Portland Press Herald, October 2, 2010.
  11. ↑ Allison Kilkenny, The Koch Spider Web, Truthout, accessed August 19, 2011.
  12. ↑ Sara Jerving, Franklin Center: Right-Wing Funds State News Source, PRWatch.org, October 27, 2011.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Paul Abowd, Center for Public Integrity, Donors use charity to push free-market policies in states, organizational report, February 14, 2013.
  14. ↑ Andy Kroll, Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement, Mother Jones, February 5, 2013.
  15. ↑ Daniel Bice, Franklin Center boss wants apology from Democratic staffer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 8, 2011.
  16. ↑ The Bradley Foundation. The Bradley Foundation. Organizational website. Accessed August 19, 2011.
  17. ↑ Sam Adams Alliance. Sam Adams Alliance Media Kit. Organizational PDF. Accessed August 19, 2011.
  18. ↑ Media Matters Action Network. Sam Adams Alliance. Conservative Transparency. Accessed August 19, 2011.
  19. ↑ Media Matters Action Network. State Policy Network. Conservative Transparency. Accessed August 19, 2011.
  20. ↑ Media Matters Action Network. Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation. Conservative Transparency. Accessed August 19, 2011.
  21. ↑ Center of the American Experiment, 2016 IRS 990, via ProPublica, Sept 2, 2018.
  22. ↑ Center of the American Experiment, [paper copy 2015 IRS 990], Center of the American Experiment, May 10, 2016.
  23. ↑ Center of the American Experiment, 2014 IRS 990, Center of the American Experiment, November 2, 2015.
  24. ↑ Center of the American Experiment, 2013 IRS 990, Center of the American Experiment, August 4, 2014.
  25. ↑ Center of the American Experiment, 2012 IRS 990, Center of the American Experiment, August 1, 2013.
  26. ↑ Center of the American Experiment, 2011 IRS 990, Center of the American Experiment, July 23, 2012.
  27. ↑ Center of the American Experiment, IRS form 990, 2010. GuideStar.
  28. ↑ Center of the American Experiment, IRS form 990, 2009. GuideStar.
  29. ↑ Center of the American Experiment, About, Center of the American Experiment, 2018.

[[Category:ALEC Members]

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