English First

English First is a 501(c)(4) lobbying and advocacy organization whose mission is “to pass legislation making English the official language of the United States.”

It has a partner 501(c)(3) private foundation, English First Foundation, that was "established in 1991 in order to study the significance of the use of English in the United States, and to educate the public about the importance of preserving English as the common language of the United States."

Anti-Immigrant and Racist Ties
The organization was founded in 1986 by the executive director of Gun Owners of America (GOA), Larry Pratt. Pratt has been known to take an anti-immigration position as part of his extreme gun rights agenda and has also been tied to white supremacists.

English First has also used anti-Latino and racist rhetoric in its publications to advance its positions.

English First has been associated with U.S. English, part of the John Tanton Network that promotes anti-immigration legislation and action. However, a press release penned by U.S. English Chairman Mauro E. Mujica in 2000 states that English First "is completely unaffiliated with U.S.ENGLISH" and calls the group "an insignificant knock-off organization . . . that has had nothing to do with our efforts in Utah."

Lobbying
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, English First reported $174,520 in lobbying expenditures for 2012, $192,049 for 2011, and $207,795 for 2010. The group has one registered lobbyist, Frank Mcglynn, whom it hired in 2011, and Mcglynn's sole client is English First.

Dating back to 1998, the most consistent lobbying issue is "Civil Rights & Civil Liberties," but English First has also engaged in lobbying activities pertaining to education, immigration, the constitution, labor, healthcare, and defense.

Finances
In 2011, English First reported $291,990 in total revenue, $324,966 in total expenses, and a deficit of -$32,976 in net assets. English First Foundation reported $11,956 in total revenue, $16,448 in total expenses, and a deficit of -$4,492 in net assets.

According to the organizations' IRS filings, English First and its foundation share the same address as Gun Owners of America, whose executive director is Larry Pratt.

Board of Directors
As of June 2013, the foundation's directors are:
 * Larry Pratt
 * Erich Pratt
 * Sebastian Taphanel
 * Ben Hand

Contact Details
8001 Forbes Pl Ste 102 Springfield, VA 22151

Phone: (703) 321-8818 Web: http://englishfirst.org/d/contact

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * Gun Owners of America
 * Larry Pratt
 * ProEnglish
 * U.S. English
 * John Tanton
 * John Tanton Network