Center for Individual Freedom

The Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF) is an Alexandria, Virginia based U.S. nonprofit conservative policy advocacy[1][2] organization.

History

The Center for Individual Freedom was founded in 1998 by former tobacco industry executives who sought to counter government restrictions on smoking.[3]

It has led efforts to defeat efforts to compel "dark money" groups like it from being forced to reveal their donors. It won a victory in September 2012 when a U.S. appeals court overturned a lower court decision that increased disclosure requirements. Despite this, Mother Jones reported in April 2012 that the Center for Individual Freedom had been given $2.75 million from Crossroads GPS, the conservative non-profit started by Karl Rove.[4] Paul Ryan, an attorney with the Campaign Legal Center (a group in favor of campaign finance regulation), says CFIF's anti-disclosure cases are without merit but adds that challenging disclosure laws is a new attempt to deregulate campaign finance.[4]

In the 2010 elections CFIF spent $2.5 million supporting Republican candidates, and in the 2012 elections it spent $1.9 million.[5]

In April 2016, it was reported that CFIF spent $200,000 on advertisements opposing the Puerto Rico debt relief bill.[6] The Center also launched a radio ad, criticizing Representative Sean Duffy for his inconsistent stance on the bill.[7]

The CFIF supported efforts to repeal net neutrality laws in 2017.

A story by Gizmodo found that CFIF was involved in the communications industry's campaign against net neutrality.[1][8]

In 2024, CFIF launched a podcast called IP Protection Matters, which discusses intellectual property issues.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Cameron, Dell (February 21, 2019). "How an Investigation of Fake FCC Comments Snared a Prominent D.C. Media Firm". Gizmodo.
  2. ^ a b Tony Mecia & Haley Byrd (September 21, 2018). "Off the Hook: How Organizations Are Using Telemarketing to Reach Congress". Weekly Standard. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018.
  3. ^ Geiger, Kim; Hamburger, Tom (October 24, 2010). "Group funding GOP campaigns had its origins backing tobacco". Los Angeles Times.
  4. ^ a b Kroll, Andy (April 20, 2012). "It Takes Dark Money to Make Dark Money". Mother Jones.
  5. ^ Stein, Sam (September 19, 2012). "Center for Individual Freedom, Conservative Group, Spends Big Against House Dems". Huffington Post.
  6. ^ "Dark money group spends $200,000 on ads opposing Puerto Rico debt relief bill : Sunlight Foundation". sunlightfoundation.com. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  7. ^ Freedom, Center for Individual. "CFIF Launches Radio Ad Exposing Rep. Sean Duffy's Flip-Flop on "Super Chapter 9 Bankruptcy" for Puerto Rico". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  8. ^ "Blockbuster Gizmodo investigation reveals probable masterminds of the massive anti-Net Neutrality identity theft/astroturf campaign". BoingBoing. February 22, 2019.


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