Council for National Policy

The Council for National Policy (CNP) is a shadowy, secretive group dubbed "Sith Lords of the Ultra-Right" by the liberal blog DailyKos. Mark Crispin Miller called CNP a "highly secretive... theocratic organization -- what they want is basically religious rule" (A Patriot Act). Their membership (see below) is a Who's Who list of the biggest names of the Radical Right.

"The CNP describes itself as a counterweight against liberal domination of the American agenda," reported ABC News.

CNP's membership is comprised of leaders in the family values, national defense and decency movements woven by members of the Dead Billionaires Club like the Adolph Coors Foundation, the Koch brothers, Richard DeVos, Richard Scaife and other billionaires and foundations who have invested heavily in developing a complex web of far-Right groups, think-tanks and politicians over the last forty years to return the United States to its pre Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 19th century capitalist roots.

Barry W. Lynn, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told the New York Times about the CNP meeting ahead of the 2004 Republican National Convention, "The real crux of this is that these are the genuine leaders of the Republican Party, but they certainly aren't going to be visible on television next week."

"Utah Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Holland said that the Council for National Policy meeting gives [the public] 'a rare opportunity to see - or more accurately not see - what Republicans are all about. And that is how policy is influenced in this country by what amounts to a secret society of far-right-wing conservatives and religious extremists.'"

Foundation
Formed in 1981 by Tim LaHaye as a networking tool for leading US conservative political leaders, financiers and religious right activist leaders. The group promotes "Educational conferences for national leaders in the fields of business, government, religion and academia to explore national policy alternatives. Weekly newsletters are distributed to all members to keep them apprised of member activities and public policy issues. A semi-annual journal is produced from membership meeting speeches."

Executive Director
Their Executive Director from 1981 until 1985 was Woody Jenkins.

Secretive Membership
"The media should not know when or where we meet or who takes part in our programs, before of after a meeting," the New York Times reported in August 2004.

According to the Salt Lake Trib in 2007: "Members are told not to discuss the group, reveal the topics discussed in the closed-door meetings, or even say whether or not they are members of the organization. 'You're not supposed to be here,' said a grinning Foster Friess, who was pleasant but steadfast in his unwillingness to talk about the group."

Board of Directors
The 2002 calendar year Form 990 return filed with the IRS lists the board of Directors as:


 * Donald Paul Hodel President (former Secretary of Energy and former president of the Christian Coalition)
 * T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr., Vice President
 * James C. Miller, III, Chairman
 * John Scribante, Secretary/Treasurer
 * Robert Fischer, Director,
 * Dr. Dal Shealy, Director
 * Howard Phillips, Director
 * Ken Raasch, Director
 * Mary Reilly Hunt, Director
 * Stuart W. Epperson, Director
 * Ann Drexel, Director (also a Red Cross board member)
 * Becky Norton Dunlop, Director
 * Jerome Ledzinski, Director
 * Grover Norquist, Director
 * E. Peb Jackson, Director

Staff members of the Board of Directors are:
 * Steve Baldwin, Executive Director (paid $157,391 in 2002)
 * David Fenner, Director of MIS &amp; Programs (paid $89,088 in 2002)
 * Jennifer Rutledge, Director of Finance &amp; Administration (paid $57,504 in 2002)

Membership Roster

 * Several groups have listings of CNP members on websites. However, the primary source documents for these lists are not included. Some listsings are at:
 * Council for National Policy membership roster, last updated July 2001:
 * Member Directory.
 * CNP Members Database.

Based on these rosters and other source articles, the following people are or have been members of CNP:

A

 * Jack Abramhoff - Former super lobbyist and convicted felon.
 * Howard Ahmanson, Jr. - Home Savings & Loan (Savings of America) heir
 * Thomas R. Anderson
 * Dr. John F.Ankerberg who believes that biblical prophecies were literal promises and are coming true;
 * Hon. Richard K. Armey
 * Thomas K. Armstrong
 * Sen. William L. Armstrong
 * John Ashcroft Attorney General
 * John M. Ashbrook
 * Edward G. Atsinger III

B

 * Carole Baker
 * Theodore Baehr
 * William B. Ball
 * David Balsiger
 * Hon. Gary Bauer
 * John Beckett
 * Ray Berryman
 * Morton Blackwell
 * Thomas A. Bolan
 * Pat Boone - Actor, investor and contributor to social conservative and religious causes.
 * Richard Bott
 * Dr. James Bowers
 * Lynn Francis Bouchey
 * L. Brent Bozell III of the Media Research Center
 * Dave Breese hosts The King Is Coming, a show devoted entirely to Christian eschatology
 * Dr. William Rohl Bright
 * Floyd Brown
 * Sam Brunelli
 * Larry Burkett

C

 * John Commuta
 * Robert Cone
 * Peter Cook
 * Holland (Holly) Coors
 * Jeffrey Coors
 * Joseph Coors
 * Mary C. Crowley

D

 * Beverly Danielson
 * Sen. William Dannemeyer
 * Karen Davis
 * Cullen Davis
 * Arnaud deBorchgrave
 * Tom DeLay - Former Speaker of the House sentenced to three years in Texas prison for money laundering.
 * Richard DeVos founder of Amway and Orlando Magic owner. A major contributor to a wide range of ultra-Right causes, groups and candidates
 * Rich DeVos
 * Dick Dingham
 * Dr. [[James Dobson - Focus on the Family founder with his hands in many anti-LGBT and pro Christian causes.
 * John T. (Terry) Dolan
 * Arthur M. Dula
 * Ann Drexel
 * Pierre du Pont

E

 * John East
 * Thomas F. Ellis
 * Stuart Epperson

F

 * Lauch Faircloth
 * Rev. Dr. Jerry Falwell (Deceased)
 * Joseph F. Farah
 * Michael P. Farris
 * Dr. Edwin J. Feulner, Jr
 * Father Charles Fiore
 * Foster Friess -Born-again billionaire mutual fund manager. Has given millions to far Right causes. His Red White and Blue Fund Super PAC was instrumental in putting Rick Santorum to within eight votes of winning the 2012 GOP Iowa Caucuses.

G

 * Willard Garvey
 * Peter B. Gemma
 * George F. Gilder
 * Dr. Duane Gish
 * Ronald P. Godwin
 * Alan Gottlieb
 * Robbie Gowdey
 * J. Peter Grace
 * Lt. General Daniel O. Graham
 * Robert Grant
 * Anthony Harrigan
 * Preston Hawkins
 * Lt. Gov.Gary Herbert - Utah
 * Jesse Helms
 * Thomas Hess
 * Rev. E.V. Hill
 * Jimmy Hill
 * Joe Hilyard
 * Roland Hinz
 * Hon. Donald P. Hodel - former Secretary of Energy and former president of the Christian Coalition
 * Rev.Melvin Hodges
 * Robert Holding
 * George Holland
 * John Holt
 * Donald R. Howard, Ph.D.
 * Dr. John A. Howard
 * Max Hugel
 * Herbert William Hunt
 * Mary Reilly Hunt
 * Nelson Bunker Hunt - Unsuccessfully tried to corner the silver market.

I

 * Reed Irvine
 * Hon. Ernest J. Istook, Jr.

J

 * Lorena Jaeb
 * Kay Cole James
 * Gary Jarmin
 * Charles W. Jarvis, chairman and chief executive of USANext and United Seniors Association
 * Louis (Woody) Jenkins
 * Terry J. Jeffers
 * Dr. [[Mildred Faye Jefferson
 * Bob Jones III, President, Bob Jones University
 * James F. Justiss

K

 * Rep. Jack Kemp (R-NY)
 * Dr. D. James Kennedy
 * Alan Keyes
 * Dora Kingsley, political scientist
 * Brig. General Albion W. Knight
 * Dr. Robert H. Krieble

L

 * Beverly LaHaye
 * Dr. Timothy LaHaye, author of the Left Behind Series,
 * Reed Larson
 * Dr. Ernest Lefever
 * John Lenczowski
 * Earl Little
 * John Lofton
 * Trent Lott
 * Ed Lozick

M

 * Marlin Maddoux
 * Marion Magruder
 * Peter Marshall, Jr.
 * Connaught Marshner
 * James Mather
 * Pat Matrisciana
 * Donald S. McAlvany
 * Ed McAteer
 * Norm McClelland
 * James McClure
 * Jim McCotter
 * Larry P. McDonald
 * Hon. Edwin Meese III
 * Major F. Andy Messing, Jr.
 * Chuck Missler, an Idaho radio host who has predicted an imminent invasion of Jerusalem by forces guided by the Antichrist
 * Barbara Monteith
 * Dr. Stanley Monteith
 * Rev. Sun Myung Moon - Reverend Moon of the "Moonies"
 * Dr. Raymond Moore
 * Sam Moore, president of Thomas Nelson, the country's most successful Christian book publishing company
 * Dr. Henry Morris, prominent creationist

N

 * Don Nickles
 * David A. Noebel
 * Grover Norquist - President, Americans for Tax Reform - Far Right power broker and keeper of the infamous "Tax Pledge"
 * Dr. Gary North
 * Lt. Col. Oliver North - Iran-Contra and a failed attempt to run for the United States Senate.

P

 * Gov. Sarah Palin former governor of Alaska and former Vice Presidential running mate for Senator John McCain in 2008.
 * Dr. Paige Patterson
 * Robert J. Perry
 * Howard Phillips
 * William M. Polk
 * Lawrence D. Pratt
 * Judge Paul Pressler
 * Jim Price
 * Ed Prince
 * Elsa Prince

R

 * Dr. Charles E. Rice
 * H.L. "Bill" Richardson
 * Rich Riddle
 * Dr. Pat Robertson, former presidential candidate and Christian Coalition founder
 * James Robinson
 * Kathleen Teague Rothschild
 * Howard J. Ruff
 * Rev. Rousas J. Rushdoony, founder of Chalcedon Foundation (deceased)
 * William Rusher

S

 * Phyllis Schlafly Founder, Eagle Forum
 * Lynda Scribante
 * Ron Seeley
 * Jay Sekulow
 * Hans Sennholz
 * Beurt SerVaas
 * Frank Shakespeare
 * Lou Sheldon, President of the Traditional Values Coalition
 * Richard Shoff
 * Major General John K. Singlaub
 * Dr. W. Cleon Skousen
 * Mark Skousen
 * Baker Armstrong Smith
 * Dr. Lowell Smith
 * Jim R. Smith
 * Gerry Snyder
 * LaNeil Spivy
 * Scott Stanley, Jr.
 * Hon. Steve Stockman, former Texas Republican Representative
 * Robert Waring Stoddard
 * John A. Stormer
 * Lt. General Gordon Sumner
 * Gaylord K. Swim
 * John H. Sununu

T

 * Dr. Lewis Tambs
 * The Hon.Helen Marie Taylor
 * John Taylor, the chairman and president of the Virginia Institute for Public Policy
 * Stacy Taylor
 * Dr. Edward Teller
 * Tommy Thompson, Health and Human Services Secretary (former member)
 * Herbert Titus

U

 * Sherman E. Unkefer

V

 * Mike Valerio
 * Guy Vander Jagt
 * Richard Viguerie
 * Christine de Vollmer

W

 * Craig Welch
 * Paul Weyrich
 * James Whelan
 * John W. Whitehead founder of the Rutherford Institute
 * Rev. Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association
 * Dr. John Wilke
 * Alvin Williams co-founder of BAMPAC, a political action committee that promotes black conservatism

Other Attendees Not Confirmed as Members
A Salt Lake Trib article in 2007 lists:


 * LaVar Christensen - former Utah legislator and congressional candidate
 * Richard Wirthlin - former Reagan administration political guru and political pollster
 * Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values

People Who Have Addressed CNP

 * John Ashcroft
 * George W. Bush, 2000
 * Vice President Dick Cheney, 2007
 * Mitt Romney 2007
 * Rep. Chris Cannon, 2007
 * Joe Cannon, Editor, Deseret Morning News, 2007
 * Doug Holmes, chairman of Parents for Choice in Education
 * Lyall Swim, director of operations for the Sutherland Institute

Meetings
CNP meets three times a year. Notes from meetings that have been covered:

2006 Meeting
An example of the group’s far-reaching influence on the conservative movement in the United States is their May 9, 2006, meeting where speakers included NRA President Sandra Froman, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, Heritage Foundation president Edwin Fuelner Jr., Phyllis Schlafly, Grover Norquist, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton, Oliver North and Robert Bork.

2007 Meeting
Robert Gerhke of the Salt Lake Trib covered the meeting in September of 2007 in Utah when Vice President Dick Cheney and presidential aspirant Mitt Romney were the featured guest speakers. Wyoming born-again billionaire mutual fund manager Foster Friess, who has given millions to far Right Christian and Libertarian causes, organizations, and political candidates, was in attendance, a new note of a major donor to the Far Right participating. Doug Holmes, chairman of Parents for Choice in Education, and Lyall Swim, director of operations for the Sutherland Institute spoke on Utah's school voucher referendum.

Funding
CNP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For the year ending December 31, 2002, CNP income was $1,240,377.

According to Media Transparency, between 1995 and 2002 the CNP received $125,000 (unadjusted for inflation) from the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation and the Castle Rock Foundation. In 2000 the Castle Rock Foundation paid a membership fee of $10,000.

The CNP also has a related 501(c)(4) organisation CNP Action Inc.. CNP Action re-imbursed CNP $16,563 for the use of its facilities with and $39,457 of staff time.

Joseph Coors gave start-up funding, according to Washington Babylon (p. 11).

Books mentioning CNP

 * Russ Bellant, The Coors Connection, How Coors Family Philanthropy Undermines Democratic Pluralism, South End Press, 2nd edition October 1991. ISBN 0896084167 ISBN 13 978-0896084162

Contact details
10329-A Democracy Lane Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Phone: 703 890 0113 Journal website: http://www.policycounsel.org/

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Salem Communications Corporation
 * Western Goals Foundation

External articles

 * Article by Barbara Aho.
 * The Council for National Policy: What It Is.
 * COUNCIL OF NATIONAL POLICY. One world "Christian" organization--Very new information.
 * Council for National Policy Unofficial Information Page, Public Eye
 * David D. Kirkpatrick, "Club of the Most Powerful Gathers in Strictest Privacy", New York Times, August 28, 2004
 * Suzi Parker, "The Real Convention?", U.S. News and World Report, August 25, 2004
 * Jeremy Leaming and Rob Boston, "Behind Closed Doors: Who Is The Council For National Policy And What Are They Up To? And Why Don’t They Want You To Know?" Americans United for Separation of Church and State, October 2004.
 * Sarah Posner, "Just who is the Council for National Policy, and why aren't they paying taxes?" The Gadflyer, February 21, 2005.
 * Sarah Posner, "Secret Society," The Gadflyer, March 1, 2005.
 * Steven D, "Sith Lords of the Ultra-Right,", The Daily Kos, June 1, 2005.
 * Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman, "Why did J. Kenneth Blackwell seek, then hide, his association with super-rich extremists and e-voting magnates?" Freepress.org, March 10, 2006.
 * David D. Kirkpatrick, "Christian Right Labors to Find ’08 Candidate", New York Times, February 24, 2007
 * Bill Berkowitz, "Right's New Strategy Emulates the 'Enemy'", Inter Press News Service, February 28, 2007
 * "Cheney's Magical Mystery Tour," Desert Beacon Blogspot, October 1, 2007.
 * Max Blumenthal, "Ultra-Secretive Right-Wing Group Met In Minn. To Vet Palin", The Nation, September 1, 2008.