Judicial Watch
| Judicial Watch | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | 501(c)(3) |
| Top official: | Thomas Fitton, President |
| Founder(s): | Larry Klayman |
| Year founded: | 1994 |
| Website: | Official website |
Judicial Watch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. As of Novemebr 2025, the organization described itself as a "a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, which promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law" that "uses the open records or freedom of information laws and other tools to investigate and uncover misconduct by government officials and litigation to hold to account politicians and public officials who engage in corrupt activities."[1]
Background
Judicial Watch was established in 1994 as a conservative 501(c)(3) nonprofit judicial and government watchdog organization. The group is based in Washington, D.C. Judicial Watch, through the Freedom of Information Act among other methods, investigates government officials and files suits against politicians and public officials.[2] The organization also conducts educational outreach through speeches, op-eds, published research, educational conferences, media outreach, and radio and news television appearances.[2]
As of November 2025, Judicial Watch's website provided the following mission statement:[2]
| “ |
Judicial Watch, Inc. is a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, which promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law. Through its educational endeavors, Judicial Watch advocates high standards of ethics and morality in our nation’s public life and seeks to ensure that political and judicial officials do not abuse the powers entrusted to them by the American people. Judicial Watch fulfills its educational mission through litigation, investigations, and public outreach. The motto of Judicial Watch is “Because no one is above the law”. To this end, Judicial Watch uses the open records or freedom of information laws and other tools to investigate and uncover misconduct by government officials and litigation to hold to account politicians and public officials who engage in corrupt activities. Litigation and the civil discovery process not only uncover information for the education of the American people on anti-corruption issues, but can also provide a basis for civil authorities to criminally prosecute corrupt officials. Judicial Watch seeks to ensure high ethical standards in the judiciary through monitoring activities and the use of the judicial ethics process to hold judges to account. Judicial Watch’s investigation, legal, and judicial activities provide the basis for strong educational outreach to the American people. Judicial Watch’s public education programs include speeches, opinion editorials (op-eds), publications, educational conferences, media outreach, radio and news television appearances, and direct radio outreach through informational commercials and public service announcements. Through its Open Records Project, Judicial Watch also provides training and legal services to other conservatives concerning how to effectively use the Freedom of Information Act and other open records laws to achieve conservative goals of accountability and openness in government. Through its publication The Verdict and occasional special reports, Judicial Watch educates the public about abuses and misconduct by political and judicial officials, and advocates for the need for an ethical, law abiding and moral civic culture. Judicial Watch also pursues this educational effort through this Internet site where many of the open records documents, legal filings, and other educational materials are made available to the public and media. This educational effort, which includes direct mailings to millions of Americans, educates the public about operations of government and the judiciary and increases public awareness if corruption and misconduct exists. [3] |
” |
Work
While Judicial Watch acts as a watchdog group, it also oversees its Open Records Project, which helps conservatives through the provision of legal guidance and training on how to utilize the Freedom of Information Act.[2] The group also publishes its work on the Judicial Watch website, including reports, open records documents, court and legal submissions, and financial disclosures.[2]
Amicus brief activity
The following are the U.S. Supreme Court cases for which Judicial Watch has filed amicus briefs from 2011 to 2015.
| Amicus briefs filed by the Judicial Watch in the U.S. Supreme Court, 2011-2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | ||
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| 2012 | ||
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| 2013 | ||
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| 2014 | ||
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| 2015 | ||
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Leadership
Tom Fitton is the president of Judicial Watch.[12]
According to the Judicial Watch website, the following is a list of the leadership:[12]
- Paul J. Orfanedes
- Christopher J. Farrell
- Tom Fitton
Finances
The following is a breakdown of Judicial Watch's revenues and expenses as submitted to the IRS for the 2011 to 2014 fiscal years:
| Annual revenue and expenses for Judicial Watch, 2011–2014 | ||
| Tax Year | Total Revenue | Total Expenses |
| 2014[13] | $30,811,460 | $21,638,212 |
| 2013[14] | $20,622,935 | $17,657,173 |
| 2012[15] | $20,210,502 | $15,902,133 |
| 2011[15] | $16,598,272 | $13,527,052 |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Judicial Watch'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Judicial Watch, "A Message From President Tom Fitton," accessed November 13, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Judicial Watch, "About Judicial Watch," accessed November 13, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ JW, "Judicial Watch v. National Energy Policy Development Group, et al," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ JW, "Mark J. McBurney v. Nathaniel L. Young, Deputy Commissioner and Director, Virginia Division of Child Support Enforcement," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ JW, "State of Arizona v. United States of America," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ JW, "State of Arizona v. United States of America," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ JW, "Abigail Noel Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ JW, "Dennis Hollingsworth, et al v. Kristen M. Perry, et al," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ JW, "Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, et al. v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc.," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ JW, "State of North Carolina, et al. v League of Women Voters of North Carolina, et al.," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 JW, "Board," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ Guidestar, "IRS Form 990, Judicial Watch (2014)," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ Guidestar, "IRS Form 990, Judicial Watch (2013)," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Guidestar, "IRS Form 990, Judicial Watch (2012)," accessed September 26, 2016
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