7/27/2019 OR - Who Is Behind The Cascade Policy Institute

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The State Policy Network (SPN) is an umbrella group of right-wing think tanks across the country. The Cascade Policy

Institute (CPI) for Economic Research is SPNs cookie-cutter think tank in Oregon. While CPI claims to be focused onissues important to the people of Oregon, it actually pushes an agenda dictated by its national right-wing funders and

partners.

While CPI is not required to disclose its donors to the public, and does not do so voluntarily, the identities of the fewknown CPI donors shows it is largely funded by out-of-state right-wing groups. CPIs largest known donor is Donors

Capital Fund, known as the dark money ATM of the conservative movement .Other notable donors include the CoorsCastle Rock Foundation (of Coors Brewing Company) and the Wisconsin-based Bradley Foundation.

Funder Based In Amount Years

Donors Capital Fund Virginia $1,253,600 2007-2011Jaquelin Hume Foundation California $340,000 1999-2011The Challenge Foundation Oregon $219,368 2006-2010

Castle Rock Foundation Colorado $170,000 1995-2011State Policy Network Virginia $144,821 2002-2011

JM Foundation New York $130,000 1995-2012Chase Foundation of Virginia Virginia $92,500 2001-2011

Searle Freedom Trust Illinois $30,000 2004The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation Wisconsin $25,000 2005-2007

The Cato Institute Washington, DC $25,000 2006[American Bridge Conservative Transparency; Cato Institute IRS 990, 2006]

In April of 2009, Jeff Alan Brent, who had been working for theCascade Policy Institute on an investigation intovoter fraudin

Oregon, pled guilty to three felony charges of fraud. Thecharges included using a false social security number, making

fraudulent statements to a federally insured bank, andcollecting unemployment insurance while he was making

$5,000 a monthas consultant for theCascade Policy Instituteand the Franklin Center for Government and Public integrity.

Brent was ultimatelysentencedto 18 months in prison. Brentswork with the Cascade Policy Institute focused on rooting out

people who may have cast ballots in the name of a deadperson. Peter Ames Carlin, ofTheOregonian, pointed out the

ironythat the Social Security Administration had consideredBrent, himself, to be dead for the past 15 years.

SPN PresidentTracie Sharpco-founded CPI, and served asthe institutes executive director from 1991 to 1999. Today,

Sharp maintains control over SPNs think tank network and isa member of the controversial American Legislative ExchangeCouncil (ALEC). She was the recipient of ALEC's 2009Private

Sector Member of the Year Award.

Restrict workers collective bargaining rights bypushing so-called Right to Work

Block access to affordable healthcare for Oregofamilies

Defund and privatize Oregon public schools withvoucher programs

Deny the science of climate change, repealenvironmental and pollution protections, and

oppose renewable energy

Lower taxes on corporations and tobaccoproducts

Privatize Social Security

Oppose paid family leave programs

Destroy public pensions with defined-contributioplans

Cascade Policy Institute: Issues

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/02/donors-trust-donor-capital-fund-dark-money-koch-bradley-devoshttp://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/02/donors-trust-donor-capital-fund-dark-money-koch-bradley-devoshttp://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/02/donors-trust-donor-capital-fund-dark-money-koch-bradley-devoshttp://bridgeproject.com/?organization&id=275614http://bridgeproject.com/?organization&id=275614http://bridgeproject.com/?organization&id=275614http://cascadepolicy.org/news/2008/10/31/voting-by-mail-2/http://cascadepolicy.org/news/2008/10/31/voting-by-mail-2/http://cascadepolicy.org/news/2008/10/31/voting-by-mail-2/http://www.oregonlive.com/north-of-26/index.ssf/2010/09/jeff_alan_gets_18-month_sentence_for_using_fraudulent_identity.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/north-of-26/index.ssf/2010/09/jeff_alan_gets_18-month_sentence_for_using_fraudulent_identity.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/north-of-26/index.ssf/2010/06/former_koin_news_director_jeff_alan_brent_reaches_plea_deal_faces_prison_time.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/north-of-26/index.ssf/2010/06/former_koin_news_director_jeff_alan_brent_reaches_plea_deal_faces_prison_time.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/north-of-26/index.ssf/2010/06/former_koin_news_director_jeff_alan_brent_reaches_plea_deal_faces_prison_time.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/north-of-26/index.ssf/2010/06/former_koin_news_director_jeff_alan_brent_reaches_plea_deal_faces_prison_time.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/north-of-26/index.ssf/2010/09/jeff_alan_gets_18-month_sentence_for_using_fraudulent_identity.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/north-of-26/index.ssf/2010/09/jeff_alan_gets_18-month_sentence_for_using_fraudulent_identity.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/north-of-26/index.ssf/2010/09/jeff_alan_gets_18-month_sentence_for_using_fraudulent_identity.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/special/index.ssf/2009/04/former_koin_directors_life_rid.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/special/index.ssf/2009/04/former_koin_directors_life_rid.htmlhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tracie_Sharphttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tracie_Sharphttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tracie_Sharphttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ALEC_Award_Winnershttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ALEC_Award_Winnershttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ALEC_Award_Winnershttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ALEC_Award_Winnershttp://cascadepolicy.org/issues/more/http://cascadepolicy.org/issues/more/http://cascadepolicy.org/issues/more/http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ALEC_Award_Winnershttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ALEC_Award_Winnershttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tracie_Sharphttp://www.oregonlive.com/special/index.ssf/2009/04/former_koin_directors_life_rid.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/north-of-26/index.ssf/2010/09/jeff_alan_gets_18-month_sentence_for_using_fraudulent_identity.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/north-of-26/index.ssf/2010/06/former_koin_news_director_jeff_alan_brent_reaches_plea_deal_faces_prison_time.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/north-of-26/index.ssf/2010/06/former_koin_news_director_jeff_alan_brent_reaches_plea_deal_faces_prison_time.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/north-of-26/index.ssf/2010/09/jeff_alan_gets_18-month_sentence_for_using_fraudulent_identity.htmlhttp://cascadepolicy.org/news/2008/10/31/voting-by-mail-2/http://bridgeproject.com/?organization&id=275614http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/02/donors-trust-donor-capital-fund-dark-money-koch-bradley-devos