Profiteering
- Ward Connerly Profits Big Off Divisive Effort
- Connerly Paid Self $2.2 Million for “Speaking Fees and Interviews”
Ward Connerly Profits Big Off Divisive Effort
As the Associated Press reported in May, Ward Connerly has had “more setbacks than victories so far this political season,” but don’t expect his wallet to take a hit. Connerly has raked in millions of dollars as the right-wing’s face of the effort to roll back equal opportunity programs that have helped minorities and women get a fair shake. Based on available information from the IRS, between 1997 and 2006 Connerly has lined his own pockets with over $7.6 million from his two tax exempt non-profit organizations; American Civil Rights Institute (ACRI), a 501(c)3, and American Civil Rights Coalition (ACRC), 501(c)4. This $7.6 million figure doesn’t include the money Connerly has paid himself since 2006 OR how much Connerly has raked in through his political consulting firm, Connerly & Associates, over the same nine-year timeframe.
Timeline
1996: Connerly leads effort to ban equal opportunity programs in California
1997-1998: Connerly pays himself $230,000
1998: Connerly leads effort to ban equal opportunity programs in Washington 1998-1999: Connerly pays himself $216,000
1999-2000: Connerly pays himself $390,000
2000-2001: Connerly pays himself $1,014,000
2001-2002: Connerly pays himself $910,000
2002-2003: Connerly pays himself $1,138,000
2003-2004: Connerly pays himself $1,047,000
2004-2005: Connerly pays himself $1,174,000 ($217,000 salary plus $957,000 for speaking fees, expenses & advisory)
2005-2006: Connerly pays himself $1,574,000 ($300,000 salary plus $1,274,000 for speaking fees, expenses and interviews)
2006: Connerly leads effort to ban equal opportunity programs in Michigan
2006-2007: Unknown how much Connerly has paid himself [990s not released yet]
2007-present: Unknown how much Connerly has paid himself [990s not released yet]
2007-present: Connerly spends over $2.8 million on five campaigns to re-write state constitutions and ban equal opportunity programs. [Salary figures compiled by Rep. Conyers from available IRS forms 990]In 2006 a Congressional office created a chart indicating that Connerly had been paid nearly $5 million by his tax exempt nonprofits. More recently available 990s push the figure to$7.6 million.
2004-2005 990's
2005-2006 990's
Connerly draws compensation from ACRI for engaging in public education crusading in targeted states on his ballot initiatives, and to financially support the state committees through ACRC. According to the Sacramento Bee, Connerly has said he uses roughly half of his salary from ACRI and ACRC (not counting speaking fees) to reimburse Connerly & Associates. [Jim Sanders, “Connerly’s Crusading is Paying Off,” Sacramento Bee, June 26, 2003.] ACRC has also engaged in legal action, e.g. filing an amicus brief in a 2007 Oklahoma federal case, Yes on Term Limits v. Savage, in which a group unsuccessfully challenged the requirement under Oklahoma law that initiative and referendum petition circulators be Oklahoma residents.
- Connerly Paid Self $2.2 Million for “Speaking Fees and Interviews”
