TL/DR –
The Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI), a non-profit organization with a $36 million budget, is under scrutiny for allegedly violating laws that prohibit tax-exempt organizations from engaging in partisan activities. Critics argue that the CPI, which serves as a nerve center for right-wing activists, operates more like a political lobby. The watchdog group, Campaign for Accountability, filed a complaint with the IRS against CPI, claiming that the group’s financial and service offerings are exclusively reserved for a single political party.
Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI) Faces Controversy Over Activities and Nonprofit Status
A force in Washington’s right-wing ecosystem, the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI), recently held its winter conference at the grand Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Fla. The event was attended by around 150 conservative donors and activists, including former Trump legal adviser Cleta Mitchell and the institute’s senior advisor, Mark Meadows, who is reportedly paid $847,000 annually.
The meeting celebrated the rise of the CPI, a well-paying platform for Trump allies and a breeding ground for policies the former president could pursue if re-elected. The group, with an annual budget of $36 million, aims to become a comprehensive hub for right-wing activities and to groom the next generation of Trump loyalists.
However, concerns are raised over the CPI’s operation. Critics argue that the group may violate laws prohibiting tax-exempt nonprofit organizations from engaging in partisan activity. A formal complaint has been lodged with the Internal Revenue Service by watchdog organization Campaign for Accountability and progressive nonprofit research group Accountable.US. They allege that CPI’s resources are reserved for a single political party, and they have requested an investigation into whether the institute’s nearly $2 million donation to Compass Legal Group implies unreported lobbying activity.
The CPI has helped launch multiple conservative outfits, including a law firm (Compass Legal Group), a job placement center (American Moment), and a media center (the American Creative Network). Despite this, the Institute has faced criticism from some conservatives. Members of the House Freedom Caucus, many of whom use CPI’s facilities, have expressed dismay at the large salaries paid to Meadows and other executives. Concerns have also been voiced about the cost of the group’s newly acquired luxury hunting lodge, dubbed Camp Rydin.
Questions have been raised about the CPI’s nonprofit status. Anna Massoglia, editorial and investigations manager at the watchdog group OpenSecrets, highlights that the IRS has not issued extensive guidance allowing the CPI to exploit the gray area of being ideological while remaining non-partisan.
As reported by The Guardian, CPI associates created a shell company that donated $1 million to the audit of the 2020 election results in Arizona, following a million-dollar contribution to the CPI from the Trump-affiliated Save America PAC. CPI also established Personnel Policy Operations, a nonprofit set up to “educate and defend conservative, America First civil servants and their advisers” in 2022. The mission included helping to fund the legal defense of individuals subjected to a “Leftist purge,” including Mark Meadows.
The CPI’s complex operations and financial maneuvering have led to calls for greater transparency and oversight. As Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, noted, when linking these activities together, the CPI appears more like a secretive political operation rather than an honest nonprofit organization.
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