Emails obtained by CNN reporters and watchdog group Documented suggest that Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is the puppet of a “right-wing think tank with deep ties to conservative billionaires.”
Ashcroft, who is also a candidate for governor, seems determined to gin up controversy, with bizarre comments regarding IVF, a bold stance against veterans receiving discounts and a passion for rooting out non-existent ”voter fraud.”
But the emails show he’s often parroting viewpoints from a group with national reach. After CNN’s revelations, it is unclear how many of Ashcroft’s viewpoints are actually his own, and how many have been scripted by the conservative think tank Foundation for Government Accountability.
The emails show that Ashcroft allowed the think tank to suggest regulatory language to him, and even put his byline on an op-ed they wrote that was published in a national conservative magazine, CNN reported.
The report leads with Ashcroft, but also explains similar actions by Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray. “The group’s communications with Ashcroft and Gray give a rare glimpse into how billionaire mega donors use think tanks like FGA to advance their causes out of public view,” the story explains. “Federal tax laws allow such donors to channel millions of dollars anonymously, through nonprofit foundations, to activist organizations that lobby for and work behind the scenes to enact legislation that reflects partisan political goals.”
Ashcroft did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment. Yesterday, his spokesperson initially replied to an email from the RFT requesting a comment and/or a phone call for this story, but ultimately did not provide either by publication deadline. (See update at the story's end for the statement we received after publication.)
The Foundation for Government Accountability, or FGA, is a right-wing think tank headquartered in Florida. The group’s largest known funder is Illinois billionaire Dick Uihlein, according to the Guardian.
Uihlein and his wife Liz have risen to prominence to become two of the most prolific conservative mega donors in the U.S.
The Uihleins “have established a web of financial influence that connects them with ‘dark money’ groups, conservative super PACs, activists spreading disproven theories about former President Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election and campaigns to derail direct democracy efforts in multiple states by curtailing citizens’ ability to bypass lawmakers through ballot initiatives and constitutional amendments,” according to Open Secrets, a nonprofit dedicated to tracking political financial contributions.
Uihlein has become one of the most important funders of election denial claims, and through the Foundation for Government Accountability, his money has underwritten one of the loudest voices calling for a rollback in child labor protections. The think tank has also been the driving force pushing for new hurdles to Missouri’s initiative petition process that would make it harder for voters to bypass the legislature.
The emails show that FGA was in contact with Ashcroft for weeks last spring before he proposed a rule that would crack down on “woke investing” in Missouri, specifically the framework known as ESG, which stands for environmental, social and governance. ESG is a form of investing that takes environmental and social factors into consideration as well as profit, and Ashcroft single-handedly promulgated a new rule that forces Missouri investment banks to disclose their use of the framework.
The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association sued Ashcroft over the new rule, as the Kansas City Beacon reported.
Conservative activist groups have convinced lawmakers and officials in 17 states to pass investment laws to protect fossil fuel companies and gun manufacturers who might be hurt by ESG considerations, CNN reported. When the Missouri legislature failed to pass such legislation, Ashcroft stepped in with the stroke of a pen.
In addition to micromanaging regulatory language, FGA also convinced Ashcroft to publish an op-ed it wrote under his name with the National Review. The opinion piece was published in March of last year.
When Ashcroft claimed the opinion piece as his own on X (formerly known as Twitter), people immediately questioned that in the responses, with one person going so far as to tweet, “You didn't write this. Reeks of ALEC and Koch Bros.”
A week later, Ashcroft announced his candidacy for governor.
Ashcroft isn’t the only Missouri politician influenced by FGA. The foundation’s website also boasts content from state Senator Bill Eigel (R-Weldon Springs), who is also running for Missouri governor.
Eigel spoke in a nearly three-minute promotional video for the think tank about “election integrity, inflation and welfare.” This video is displayed on FGA’s homepage along with other videos promoting the foundation’s views.
But despite their shared fondness for the Florida-based think tank, the two Missouri politicians don’t always see eye-to-eye.
On Ashcroft’s campaign website “Ashcroft for Governor,” all but one of his policy plans are left blank with a picture saying “coming soon” above them. The only one he details is a plan to eliminate the state income tax, repeal the gas tax increase and “reduce government spending.”
Eigel attacked Ashcroft for this plan and accused him of stealing it from his own campaign.
“While I was actually cutting income taxes in the MO Senate,[Ashcroft] was busy taking Zuckerbucks, sending our private voter data to foreign countries, and talking about how “some” foreign countries should be able to buy our farmland,” Eigel said on X before calling Ashcroft part of the “Swamp.”
“Zuckerbucks” is a term frequently used by the Foundation for Government Accountability.
Update: A few hours after publishing this story, we received the following statement from Ashcroft's office: "Secretary Ashcroft worked with individuals - including other secretaries of state, and organizations - including FGA, on his securities rule. The secretary filed his rule with the Administrative Rules Division before legislation was filed in the Missouri legislature. Secretary Ashcroft led other states – many adopting similar rule language – to protect investors from unscrupulous groups that may not have the best interest of the investor in mind.
"The secretary encourages individuals to read the rule language before making assumptions and accusations about its intent. Secretary Ashcroft stands by his rule - focused on transparency and accountability, and will continue to fight to protect Missouri investors."
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