WHO IS LEONARD LEO?
Leonard Leo is the driving force behind recruiting, appointing, legitimizing, and defending activist judges ready to implement an extreme MAGA courts’ agenda. Through an intentionally complex web of front organizations and sham companies, Leo has funneled money to numerous far-right litigation groups that concoct cases to bring to right-wing loyalist judges ready to rule his way–all to strip Americans of their rights he dislikes and dismantle core protections in our democracy.
He has grown very wealthy, helping to destroy people’s rights by advancing the agenda of the billionaires who have funded his influence machine.
LEO & TRUMP
During the Trump administration, Leonard Leo provided lists of lawyers hand-picked to advance his MAGA agenda, and Trump then appointed them to be federal judges.
Leo simultaneously funds the groups that bring cases to these judges, like the Supreme Court, all to suit the fundamentalist Christian/Catholic Nationalist and Corporate policies he embraces… along with some of his billionaire backers.
LEO & THE CONCORD FUND
The Concord Fund is the largest contributor to RAGA, and one of Leo’s dark money vehicles. Between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2023, the Concord Fund gave $10.5 million to RAGA.
HOW LEO OVERTURNED ROE
STACK THE COURTS
Leo stacked the U.S. Supreme Court, lower federal courts, and state supreme courts with judges aligned with his agenda to overturn Roe v. Wade and ban access to abortion.
MONEY TO RAGA
Leo funded RAGA whose AGs filed briefs to support reversing that legal precedent and announced actions to restrict the ability of pregnant Americans to access abortion.
FUND THE RSLC
Leo funded the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), which backs judges and legislators aligned with Leo’s agenda to block abortion access; RSLC legislators passed abortion restrictions and state and federal judges aided by Leo rule in favor of those restrictions, aligned with his anti-abortion agenda.
LITIGATE
Leo funded other groups that file suits or submit briefs attacking access to abortion, as with the litigation against the FDA-approved mifepristone medical abortion pills; those suits are filed in courts that have judges Leo helped install who then rule on such cases.
GET RICH
Since 2017, groups with ties to LEO’s network have made over $104 million in “consulting” payments for providing his judicial consulting services to right wing political organizations and politicians.
