Be on the watch for Judicial Crisis Network and those affiliated with them.

[suffragette]

They are an organization funded by dark money whose purpose is to get conservative Republicans into judicial positions and block appointments by Democrats.

They already were pushing Kavanaugh. They were the ones who created the pro-Kavanaugh letter signed by 65 women. They also launched a ‘confirm Kavanaugh’ website and ads for him. It’s looking more and more like they knew there was a chance of something like this coming out and had prepared for countering it.

Now they are sending out their top guns to defend him on news programs.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211148540

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/sep/17/brett-kavanaugh-accuser-testify-senate-committee

The White House has sought to cast Kavanaugh as a champion for women. As the Ford allegation surfaced late last week, initially anonymously, a pro-Kavanaugh letter was published, signed by 65 women who said he had always “behaved honorably and treated women with respect”.

The letter appears to have been orchestrated by confirmkavanaugh.com, a website funded by the Judicial Crisis Network, a group that relies upon undisclosed donations and backs conservatives for judgeships.

https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judicial_Crisis_Network

The Judicial Crisis Network (JCN, formerly the Judicial Confirmation Network) is an advocacy organization that advances a right-wing legal agenda and uses undisclosed dark money "issue ads" to influence state and federal judicial appointments and elections. JCN also directs millions in funding to other dark money groups such as Wisconsin Club for Growth and American Future Fund that spend large amounts in state-level Supreme Court and Attorney General races, as well as other down-ticket races.[1]

JCN is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit. JCN does not disclose its funders, but all of its reported revenue in 2012 and 2013 came from large contributions of more than $10,000, and contributions of more than $1 million providing more than 80 percent of JCN's total revenue in both years.

~~~

"Seven Figure" Campaign to Obstruct Appointing Justice Scalia's Replacement

"Let the People Decide" ad highlighting Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
In February 2016 JCN launched "a seven figure television, radio and digital advertising campaign" that would support seven Republican U.S. Senators who were trying to block hearings on any candidate President Obama nominated to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant after Justice Antonin Scalia's death. Titled "Let the People Decide," the campaign asserts that the seat should only be filled by the next President. The ads were to run in Washington, DC and the media markets covering Senators "Kelly Ayotte (NH), Chuck Grassley (IA), Ron Johnson (WI), John McCain (AZ), Mitch McConnell (KY), Rob Portman (OH), and Pat Toomey (PA)."[15] All but McConnell were up for re-election; McConnell was still serving as the Senate Majority Leader

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Severino

Carrie Severino is an American lawyer. She serves as chief counsel and policy director at the Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative legal organization.[3][4] She was previously a law clerk to United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and to Judge David B. Sentelle of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.[5] She is a contributor to National Review.[6][7]

[lunasun]

1. Kick

[suffragette]

3. Thanks. Now they are adding a new $1.5 million ad buy to defend him. Follow the money!

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/17/kavanaugh-ad-judicial-crisis-network-826088

The Judicial Crisis Network is planning a $1.5 million television ad campaign that will feature a longtime friend of Kavanaugh's, according to a person familiar with the buy.


"We are not going to allow a last-minute smear campaign destroy a good and decent man who has an unblemished personal record," the person said. JCN has already spent millions pressing for the Senate to confirm Kavanaugh after helping install Neil Gorsuch to the court last year and pressuring Republicans to keep Merrick Garland from the Supreme Court in 2016.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. Thanks for the research!

[suffragette]

4. Glad to do it. Found more info in article from PFAW in 2016. Koch funding link.

http://www.pfaw.org/press-releases/backgrounder-the-judicial-crisis-network-behind-the-group-spreading-misinformation-about-supreme-court-nominee-merrick-garland/

The Judicial Crisis Network receives most of its funding from the Wellspring Committee, an organization founded by the billionaire Koch brothers that does not have to reveal the identity of its donors. [The Daily Beast, 3/29/2016]

[Rhiannon12866]

5. Thanks!

They really do pull out all the stops, don't they?? And they manage to muddy the waters enough that it's no wonder few people know or understand what's really going on - unless they're on DU and care enough to do the research!

[suffragette]

6. Muddying the waters is exactly what Severino

was doing.
And the new ad campaign is supposed to feature a friend of Kavanaugh vouching for him. Mind, this org alone has already spent more than 4 million, just anted up 1.5 million more and stared they would be willing to spend 10 million on total campaign for Kavanaugh.

[Rhiannon12866]

7. Whenever I hear these numbers, my first thought always is

How many could that feed? Or help to rebuild - or provide with decent medical care?? It really is obscene.

[suffragette]

8. My first thought, too.

[Mc Mike]

9. Thanks for the big amount of good info on the Koch machine. Rec, Nt