[Vision2020] Judicial Crisis Network (JCN) "...spent $7 million to block the Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland..."

[Ted Moffett]

Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
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https://www.desmogblog.com/judicial-crisis-network
Judicial Crisis Network (JCN)Background

The Judicial Crisis Network (JCN) <https://judicialnetwork.com/>, formerly
the Judicial Confirmation Network, is a 501(c)(4) “social welfare”
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2013/05/13/what-is-a-501c4-anyway/>organization
that advocates on federal judicial appointments and elections. JCN was
founded in 2004 by Gary Marx and renamed The Judicial Crisis Network (JCN) in
February 2010
<https://web.archive.org/web/20180919224316/http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2010/02/into-crisis-mode-for-conservative-judicial-advocacy-group.html>.
[1] <https://www.desmogblog.com/judicial-crisis-network#s1>

JCN describes itself <https://judicialnetwork.com/about/>as “dedicated to
strengthening liberty and justice in America.” The group spends millions of
dollars supporting conservative federal, state, and local judges while
blocking opposition. JCN spent $7 million
<https://www.brennancenter.org/blog/conservative-group-behind-kavanaugh-confirmation-has-spent-years-reshaping-state-and-federal>to
block the Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland and $10 million to
support Neil Gorsuch. In 2018, JCN focused on confirming President Donald
Trump's <https://www.desmogblog.com/donald-trump> judicial nominees. [21]
<https://www.desmogblog.com/judicial-crisis-network#s21>, [22]
<https://www.desmogblog.com/judicial-crisis-network#s22>

Gary Marx
<https://web.archive.org/web/20161030175646/http://www.madisonstrategiesllc.com/team.html>,
vice president of Century Strategies
<https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Century_Strategies> and founder of
Madison Strategies, worked as an executive in the PR industry while also
leading JCN as its president until 2015. According to 990 forms, Daniel
Casey took over as president in 2015, while Marx stayed on as secretary and
treasurer. Carrie Severino, a former law clerk
<https://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/conservative-judicial-group-to-hammer-chris-christie-108907>
for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, serves as JCN's chief counsel
and policy director. [2]
<https://www.desmogblog.com/judicial-crisis-network#s2>, [3]
<https://www.desmogblog.com/judicial-crisis-network#s3>

OpenSecrets reported
<https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/03/the-jcn-story-building-a-secretive-gop-judicial-machine/>
that lawyer
Ann Corkery and California real estate mogul Robin Arkley II were key to
getting JCN started, with Arkley providing seed funding and Corkery
direction. The group's launch coincided with a dinner that featured
prominent guests Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Leonard Leo
<https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Leonard_Leo> of the Federalist
Society
<https://www.desmogblog.com/federalist-society-law-and-public-policy-studies>,
as well as Corkery and Arkley. [4]
<https://www.desmogblog.com/judicial-crisis-network#s4>

Tom Carter, a former associate of Leo's at the U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom, said “The JCN is Leonard Leo's PR
organization
<https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-secrets-of-leonard-leo-the-man-behind-trumps-supreme-court-pick?ref=scroll>–
nothing more and nothing less.” As to the Federalist Society connection,
Carrie Severino “was working out of the Federalist Society office.
Federalist Society staff babysat her kids as the JCN project was launched.”
[5] <https://www.desmogblog.com/judicial-crisis-network#s5>
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