Summary We Don’t Talk About Leonard: The Man Behind the Right’s Supreme Court Supermajority — ProPublica www.propublica.org
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Leonard Leo's actions have significantly reshaped the American legal system through strategic placement of conservative lawyers in influential judicial roles.
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Slide Presentation (9 slides)
Key Points
- Leonard Leo has played a crucial role in reshaping the American legal system, particularly through his work in building a conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court.
- Leo's influence extends beyond the Supreme Court, as he has built a network of contacts and organizations that work to transform the entire judiciary, from state courts to federal appointments.
- Leo's strategy involves identifying young conservative lawyers early in their careers and nurturing them through mentorship and support, ultimately placing his allies in key positions throughout the government.
- Leo has been successful in raising over $600 million between 2014 and 2020, utilizing these funds to support conservative causes and candidates.
- Despite facing criticism and opposition from liberals and Democrats, Leo remains committed to his vision of transforming not only the courts but also culture and politics more broadly.
Summaries
16 word summary
Leonard Leo has transformed the American legal system by placing conservative lawyers in influential judicial positions.
104 word summary
Conservative political figure Leonard Leo has had a major impact on the American legal system by identifying and supporting promising young conservative lawyers. He has successfully placed allies in elected and appointed judicial positions, leading to more partisan courts. Leo's influence extends to state judicial appointments and he now leads a $1.6 billion trust to expand his vision. Despite criticism and investigations, Leo remains committed to his goal of transforming the courts, culture, and politics. His involvement in challenging the Dodd-Frank regulatory overhaul and securing Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court demonstrates his influence. Leo's rise to power is unparalleled in American jurisprudence.
224 word summary
Leonard Leo, a prominent figure in conservative politics, has had a profound impact on the American legal system. His strategy involves identifying promising young conservative lawyers early in their careers and providing mentorship and support to advance their careers. Leo has successfully placed his allies in both elected and appointed judicial positions, leading to more partisan courts and the appointment of staunchly conservative judges. His influence also extends to state judicial appointments, where he has worked to change nonpartisan systems and support conservative candidates in judicial elections. Leo now leads a newly formed $1.6 billion trust with plans to expand the Federalist Society model beyond the law. Despite facing criticism, Leo remains committed to his vision of transforming not only the courts but also culture and politics more broadly. His rise to power and influence is unparalleled in American jurisprudence. One example of Leo's influence was his involvement in challenging the Dodd-Frank regulatory overhaul. Leo also played a key role in securing Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. Furthermore, Leo's influence expanded beyond the judiciary when he became chairman of the Teneo Network. Despite facing backlash and investigations, Leo remains defiant, emphasizing his vision for a country guided by higher principles. In conclusion, Leonard Leo has played a significant role in shaping the conservative legal movement and the composition of the Supreme Court.
511 word summary
Leonard Leo, a prominent figure in conservative politics, has had a profound impact on the American legal system. His influence extends beyond the Supreme Court, as he has built a vast network of contacts and organizations that seek to transform the entire judiciary. Leo's strategy involves identifying promising young conservative lawyers early in their careers and providing mentorship and support to advance their careers. He has successfully placed his allies in both elected and appointed judicial positions, leading to more partisan courts and the appointment of staunchly conservative judges. His influence also extends to state judicial appointments, where he has worked to change nonpartisan systems and support conservative candidates in judicial elections.
Despite facing criticism from liberals and Democrats, Leo remains committed to his vision of transforming not only the courts but also culture and politics more broadly. He now leads a newly formed $1.6 billion trust with plans to expand the Federalist Society model beyond the law. Throughout his career, Leo has developed connections with conservative justices, politicians, and donors, using faith and ideology as a bridge. He has become a trusted ally to the justices, providing support and ensuring their satisfaction in their roles. Leo's influence extends beyond the legal realm into politics and policy, effectively bringing donors' priorities to public servants who can act on them.
Leo's rise to power and influence is unparalleled in American jurisprudence. While his tactics have faced criticism, there is no denying the significant impact he has had on the conservative movement and the legal system as a whole. His vision and strategies have reshaped the courts, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
One example of Leo's influence was his involvement in challenging the Dodd-Frank regulatory overhaul. Alongside Paul Singer, Leo actively worked to challenge the law by speaking with attorneys general in multiple states and organizing conference calls. Leo's network made an example of Indiana's Republican attorney general for not joining the lawsuit.
Leo also played a key role in securing Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. He arranged for high-net-worth donors to have a private audience with Justice Clarence Thomas to gain their support. Leo's involvement in judicial picks began after Justice Scalia's death in 2016, and he gained control over judicial picks with Trump in office. Trump appointed 231 judges during his tenure, with 86% of them being former or current Federalist Society members.
Furthermore, Leo's influence expanded beyond the judiciary when he became chairman of the Teneo Network. Under his leadership, the group's budget increased, and new members from his network joined. Leo's ventures also embraced extreme ideas, such as promoting the independent state legislature theory through the Honest Elections Project.
Despite facing backlash and investigations, Leo remains defiant, emphasizing his vision for a country guided by higher principles. In conclusion, Leonard Leo has played a significant role in shaping the conservative legal movement and the composition of the Supreme Court. His involvement in challenging laws, fundraising for conservative causes, and exerting influence over judicial picks has had a lasting impact on the American legal system.
667 word summary
Leonard Leo, a key figure in conservative politics, has had a profound impact on the American legal system. Known for his work in building a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, advising Donald Trump on nominations, and supporting conservative justices, Leo's influence extends beyond the highest court. He has built a vast network of contacts and organizations that seek to transform the entire judiciary, from state courts to federal appointments. Leo has cultivated relationships with conservative justices, organized private trips and speaking engagements, and placed Federalist Society proteges in important government positions. Additionally, he has been an exceptional fundraiser, raising over $600 million between 2014 and 2020. Leo's strategy involves identifying promising young conservative lawyers early in their careers and providing mentorship and support to advance their careers. Consequently, he has successfully placed his allies in both elected and appointed judicial positions, leading to more partisan courts and the appointment of staunchly conservative judges. His influence also extends to state judicial appointments, where he has worked to change nonpartisan systems and support conservative candidates in judicial elections.
However, Leo's work has drawn criticism from liberals and Democrats who are mobilizing to counter his efforts. Despite opposition, Leo remains committed to his vision of transforming not only the courts but also culture and politics more broadly. He now leads a newly formed $1.6 billion trust with plans to expand the Federalist Society model beyond the law. Throughout his career, Leo has developed connections with conservative justices, politicians, and donors, using faith and ideology as a bridge. He has become a trusted ally to the justices, providing support and ensuring their satisfaction in their roles. Leo's influence extends beyond the legal realm into politics and policy, effectively bringing donors' priorities to public servants who can act on them.
Leo's rise to power and influence is unparalleled in American jurisprudence. While his tactics have faced criticism, there is no denying the significant impact he has had on the conservative movement and the legal system as a whole. His vision and strategies have reshaped the courts, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
One example of Leo's influence was his involvement in challenging the Dodd-Frank regulatory overhaul. Alongside Paul Singer, Leo actively worked to challenge the law by speaking with attorneys general in multiple states and organizing conference calls. Although the attorneys general dropped out after an adverse ruling, Leo's network made an example of Indiana's Republican attorney general for not joining the lawsuit.
In March 2017, Leo arranged for high-net-worth donors to have a private audience with Justice Clarence Thomas at the U.S. Supreme Court. Later, Leo turned to these donors for emergency funds to support Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.
Leo's involvement in judicial picks began after Justice Scalia's death in 2016. He aimed to build confidence among Republican voters by putting himself at the forefront and gained control over judicial picks with Trump in office. Trump appointed 231 judges during his tenure, with 86% of them being former or current Federalist Society members.
Furthermore, Leo's influence expanded beyond the judiciary when he became chairman of the Teneo Network. Under his leadership, the group's budget increased, and new members from his network joined. Leo's ventures also embraced extreme ideas, such as promoting the independent state legislature theory through the Honest Elections Project. This theory could potentially give partisan state legislators the power to draw gerrymandered maps and subvert the outcome of presidential elections.
Leo faced backlash following the Dobbs decision and relocated with his family to Northeast Harbor, Maine. However, his presence there sparked drama and protests. His influence also attracted attention from liberal opposition research groups and an investigation by the District of Columbia's attorney general. Throughout these challenges, Leo remains defiant, emphasizing his vision for a country guided by higher principles.
In conclusion, Leonard Leo has played a significant role in shaping the conservative legal movement and the composition of the Supreme Court. His involvement in challenging laws, fundraising for conservative causes, and exert
855 word summary
Leonard Leo, a behind-the-scenes figure in conservative politics, has played a crucial role in reshaping the American legal system. Leo is known for his work in building a conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court, advising Donald Trump on nominations, and helping to pick or confirm several conservative justices. However, Leo's influence extends beyond the Supreme Court. He has built a network of contacts and organizations that work to transform the entire judiciary, from state courts to federal appointments. Leo has cultivated relationships with conservative justices, arranged private trips and speaking engagements, and helped place Federalist Society protégés in key positions throughout the government. He has also been a prolific fundraiser, raising over $600 million between 2014 and 2020. Leo's strategy involves identifying young conservative lawyers early in their careers and nurturing them through mentorship and support. He has been successful in placing his allies on the bench in both elected and appointed judicial systems. Leo's efforts have had a significant impact on the courts, leading to more partisan courts and the appointment of hard-line conservative judges. His influence extends to state judicial appointments as well, where he has worked to change nonpartisan systems and support conservative candidates in judicial elections. Leo's work has drawn criticism from liberals and Democrats, who have begun to mobilize to counter his efforts. Despite the opposition, Leo remains committed to his vision of transforming not only the courts but also culture and politics more broadly. He now leads a newly formed $1.6 billion trust with plans to expand the Federalist Society model beyond the law. Throughout his career, Leo has forged connections with conservative justices, politicians, and donors, using faith and ideology as a bridge. He has become a den mother to the justices, helping to take care of them and keep them happy in their roles. Leo's influence reaches beyond the legal world into the realm of politics and policy, where he has brought donors' priorities to public servants who can act on them. Leonard Leo's rise to power and influence is unparalleled in American jurisprudence. While his tactics have drawn criticism, there is no denying the impact he has had on the conservative movement and the legal system as a whole. His vision and strategy have reshaped the courts, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
After the 2008 financial crisis, Paul Singer became a vocal critic of the Dodd-Frank regulatory overhaul. Leonard Leo, the man behind the right's Supreme Court supermajority, joined Singer in challenging the law. Leo spoke with attorneys general in multiple states about a legal challenge to Dodd-Frank and scheduled conference calls with Oklahoma and Texas attorneys general. Eventually, 11 states signed on to challenge the law. However, after an adverse ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the attorneys general dropped out. Leo's network made an example of Indiana's Republican attorney general, Greg Zoeller, after he didn't sign on to the lawsuit.
In March 2017, Leo arranged for a select group of high-net-worth donors to have a private audience with Justice Clarence Thomas at the U.S. Supreme Court. Leo wanted these donors to hear about the Constitution and the rule of law from one of the best teachers he knew. Leo later turned to these donors to raise emergency funds for advertisements supporting Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.
Leo's involvement in judicial picks began after Justice Scalia's death in 2016. He wanted to build confidence among Republican voters to support Donald Trump in the 2016 election by putting himself front and center. With Trump in office, Leo, along with other conservative lawyers connected to the Federalist Society, gained control over judicial picks. Trump appointed 231 judges during his four years in office, with 86% of them being former or current Federalist Society members.
Leo's influence expanded beyond the judiciary. He took over as chairman of a private and confidential group called the Teneo Network in late 2021. The group's budget soared under Leo's watch, and new members joined from all corners of his network. Additionally, Leo's ventures embraced extreme ideas that could have sweeping consequences for American democracy. The Honest Elections Project, a group in Leo's network, promoted the independent state legislature theory, which claimed that state legislatures had sole authority over federal elections. This theory could have given partisan state legislators the power to draw gerrymandered maps and potentially subvert the result of presidential elections.
Leo faced backlash after the Dobbs decision, and he and his family moved to Northeast Harbor, Maine. However, his presence became a source of drama and protests in the town. Leo's influence also drew attention from liberal opposition research groups and an investigation by the District of Columbia's attorney general. Leo has remained defiant throughout it all, emphasizing his vision of a country guided by higher principles.
In conclusion, Leonard Leo has played a significant role in shaping the conservative legal movement and the Supreme Court's makeup. He has been involved in challenging laws, raising funds for conservative causes, and exerting influence over judicial picks. Despite facing backlash and investigations, Leo remains committed to his vision for America.