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Center for Media and Democracy

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Center for Media and Democracy
CMD2.png
Basic facts
Location:Madison, Wis.
Type:501(c)(3)
Affiliation:Nonpartisan
Top official:Arn Pearson, Executive Director
Year founded:1993
Website:Official website

Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization based in Madison, Wis. The organization conducts investigations into what it deems "the corruption that undermines our democracy, environment, and economic prosperity.."[1]

Background

Founded in 1993, Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) is located in Madison, Wis.[2] Lisa Graves, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, served as the organization's executive director from 2009 to 2017.[3]

Leadership

As of August 2025, Arn Pearson, who previously served as the vice president for policy and litigation at Common Cause, is the executive director of CMD. Lisa Graves is the organization's board president.[4]

Work and activities

Newsgathering activities

According to CMD's website, its "investigations, public information requests, and lawsuits have ignited national conversations on money in politics and the distortion of U.S. law and democracy -- at every level of government and in every region of the country."[5] The group files more than 1,000 public information requests each year.[1] CMD's reporting focuses on issues such as climate, democracy, the economy, and education.[1] The group also maintains a number of other websites, including ALECexposed.org, which focuses on the activities of the American Legislative Exchange Council.[6]

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.

Finances

The following is a breakdown of the Center for Media and Democracy's revenues and expenses for the 2019 to 2023 fiscal years, according to documents submitted to the Internal Revenue Service.

Annual revenue and expenses for the Center for Media and Democracy, 2019–2023
Tax Year Total Revenue Total Expenses
2023[7] $1,793,93,730 $1,444,756
2022[8] $1,140,052 $819,340
2021[8] $1,898,218 $680,065
2020[9] $829,683 $667, 67,430
2019[9] $1,015,543 $773,352


Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Center Media Democracy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Center for Media and Democracy - Google News

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 CMD, "About," accessed August 26, 2025
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named about
  3. ↑ Center for Media and Democracy, "Lisa Graves," accessed August 26, 2025
  4. ↑ Center for Media and Democracy, "Team," accessed August 26, 2025
  5. ↑ PR Watch, "CMD," accessed August 26, 2025
  6. ↑ ALEC Exposed, "Home," accessed August 26, 2025
  7. ↑ Internal Revenue Service , "Center for Media and Democracy 2023 990 Form," accessed August 26, 2025
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Internal Revenue Service, "Center for Media and Democracy 2022 990 form," accessed August 26, 2025
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Internal Revenue Service, "Center for Media and Democracy," accessed August 26, 2025
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Influencers
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John Doe investigations related to Scott Walker
Background
Lawsuits
State court lawsuits: • Three Unnamed Petitioners v. Gregory A. Peterson • Eric O'Keefe, et al. vs. Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, et al. • Two Unnamed Petitioners v. Gregory A. Peterson • Christopher Brekken v. Bruce J. Landgraf • Christopher L. Wiesmueller v. Neal Nettesheim • Francis D. Schmitz v. Gregory A. Peterson • Cynthia Archer v. John Chisholm, et. al. • Federal court lawsuits: • Eric O'Keefe and Wisconsin Club for Growth, Inc. v. Francis Schmitz, et. al. • Relevant rulings: • McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission • Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission • Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. v. Thomas Barland • Citizens for Responsible Government v. Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, et. al. • Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. • Wisconsin Coalition for Voter Participation Inc., et. al. v. State of Wisconsin Elections Board, et. al.
Prosecutors
Special prosecutor: • Francis Schmitz • Personnel in Milwaukee County DA's Office: • John Chisholm • Bruce Landgraf • David Budde • David Robles • Robert Stelter • District attorneys in the five John Doe counties • John Chisholm • Ismael Ozanne • Jane Kohlwey • Larry Nelson • Kurt Klomberg
Courts
Judges
Attorneys
Attorneys of JD targets: • Steven Biskupic • Todd Graves • Michael Bresnick • Edward Meyers • Dean Strang • Matthew O'Neill • David Rivkin • Andrew Grossman • Attorneys of JD prosecutors and judges: • Patrick Fiedler • Samuel Leib • Randall Crocker • Douglas Knott • Joseph M. Russell
Supporters of JD investigations
Media
Elected Officials
Government Accountability Board
• Wisconsin Government Accountability Board • Current board members: • Gerald Nichol • Timothy Vocke • Thomas Cane • Harold Froehlich • John Franke • Elsa Lamelas • Past board members: • Thomas Barland • Michael Brennan • Staff: • Kevin Kennedy • Dean Nickel • Jonathan Becker • Shane Falk • Nathan Judnic • Elizabeth Blackwood • J. Douglas Haag • Vendors: • Digital Intelligence
Targets of John Doe I
Prosecuted: • Kelly Rindfleisch • Darlene Wink • Kevin Kavanaugh • Tim Russell • Brian Pierick • Wiliam Gardner • Investigated: • Friends of Scott Walker • Christopher Wiesmueller • John Hiller • Jim Villa • Cindy Archer • Jailed by prosecutors/No charges filed: • Christopher Brekken • Andrew P. Jensen, Jr. • Home or office raided: •Kelly Rindfleisch • Cindy Archer • Darlene Wink • Tim Russell • Brian Pierick • Christopher Wiesmueller • Compelled to testify: • R.J. Johnson
Targets of John Doe II
Individuals: • Kelly Rindfleisch • Eric O'Keefe • R.J. Johnson • Deborah Jordahl • Jed Sanborn • Carol Valley • William Eisner • Keith Gilkes • Sean Hannity • Charlie Sykes • Organizations: • Wisconsin Club for Growth • Club for Growth • Wisconsin Right to Life • United Sportsmen of Wisconsin • Coalition Partners, LLC • R.J. Johnson and Associates • Nonbox • TenCAPITOL • Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce • American Federation for Children • Americans for Prosperity • Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin • Right Direction Wisconsin PAC • Republican State Leadership Committee • Committee to Elect a Republican Senate • Wisconsin Recall Action Fund • Jobs First Coalition • Ending Spending Action Fund • Mary Stitt & Associates • Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce • League of American Voters • Citizens for a Strong America • Republican Party of Wisconsin • Republican Governors Association • American Crossroads • Wisconsin Family Action
Other
Flag of Wisconsin
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State of Wisconsin
Madison (capital)
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