A Federalist Society for all things: Dark money enters the culture wars
One of the most successful right-wing organizers in this country's history, Leonard Leo, is now out to "crush liberal dominance and wokeism" across a broad range of American cultural, journalistic, and political life.
Leo, the longtime godfather of the Federalist Society, has a history of crushing liberal influence. He helped to transform the Supreme Court from its generally middle-of-the-road past into a hard-right hammer bent on bludgeoning the law back into what the Federalist Society considers its proper roots. He helped to arrange the appointments of right-wing theocrats to federal judgeships across the country. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, from Amarillo, Texas, who just held a hearing on a lawsuit to ban the abortion drug mifepristone, is a Trump appointee and one of Leo's, and the Federalist Society's, most prominent success stories. Now, having wrapped the federal judicial system in the robes of the Federalist Society, Leo wants to create little outposts of right-wing activists that can, in his words, "roll back" the dominance of liberals in Hollywood, Silicon Valley, New York investment banks, and academia.
(Note: This article is about Leonard Leo’s organization called Teneo. The consulting firm of the same name has no relation to Leo’s organization.)
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https://www.salon.com/2023/03/18/a-federalist-society-for-all-things-dark-money-enters-the-culture/
“Leo wants to…"roll back" the dominance of liberals in Hollywood, Silicon Valley, New York investment banks, and academia.”
That’s a bold and utterly disingenuous dog whistle for what he really wants:
to roll back the social advances that helped make life at least a little bit better, fairer, and more hopeful for most Americans over the past century.
We still have a long way to go—but putting the gear shift into reverse isn’t likely the way to do it. We need D, not R. And let’s keep our eyes on the road ahead.
Organizations that keep their membership secret always make me suspicious, of the motives of the organization and that of the members. It’s like the Mafia, you keep your membership closed and secret and it’s easier to do business. If groups like Teneo had plans to do anything but impose fascist and make their members rich, those members would be happy to be publicly known.