Citizens for the Republic

Citizens for the Republic (CFTR), a political action committee formed in 1977 "to attract conservative support" by then-Governor Ronald Reagan, in Santa Monica, CA, and "created with money and mailing lists left over" from Reagan's 1976 presidential campaign, resurfaced in 2007 "to reanimate the Republican Party by reviving the organization that brought Reagan to power" by a "group of former aides ... [f]ed up with neocons, theocons and convict cons." CFTR "plans to launch before the [2008] presidential primaries," Marc Ambinder wrote October 5, 2007, in The Atlantic.

CFTR "has already secured $17 million in solid financial commitments, according to an official involved in raising money for the organization," Ambinder wrote.

"Craig Shirley, a Republican strategist and historian, has agreed to serve as chairman of the board. Others who will participate or who have agreed to raise money are Paul Laxalt, the former Nevada Senator and close Reagan friend; former Reagan [national security advisor] Richard Allen; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and conservative activists Brent Bozell and Gary Bauer."

"The new CFTR is predicated on the belief that 'the conditions of the party today are almost identical to what they were in 1977,' the official said. 'By 1977, the party had been betrayed by corruption and betrayal of conservative principles'," Ambinder wrote.

History
In 1977, using "about $1 million in leftover money" from his 1976 campaign, Ronald Reagan "set up a political action group called Citizens for the Republic," TIME Magazine reported in November 1977. "Its executive director is Lyn Nofziger, a longtime Reagan sidekick, and its steering committee sports almost every key Reagan adviser from the '76 campaign, including Campaign Manager John Sears. So far the committee has added about $250,000 in contributions, to be distributed to conservative candidates for Congress and state offices next year.

"The group has hired Pollster Richard Wirthlin, who worked for Reagan in '76, to analyze every congressional district in the country. Reagan can also call for help from an active old boy network. It includes G.O.P. state chairmen and national committee members in 28 states. Beyond that, Reagan backers from ten Western states have formed their own organization. Says a top adviser: 'All they are waiting for is for him to say 'Go'," TIME wrote.

"Though aspects of CFTR were later determined to be illegal, the notion of using nonprofits between election cycles to pave the way for presidential campaigns has since become commonplace." CFTR routinely sold its mailing lists for "extra cash".

Key personnel

 * Louis W. Barnett, National Political Director
 * Wendy H. Borcherdt, Managing Director ; "headed Reagan’s political action committee, Citizens for the Republic, in the 1986, 1988, and 1990 elections"
 * Bay Buchanan, Controller 1977-1979
 * L. Keith Bulen, member of steering committee
 * John S. Erthein, Assistant for Finance; "assisted in setting up the fundraising organization for the 1980 Reagan Presidential campaign"
 * Peter Hannaford, member of steering committee
 * John Laxalt, President ; brother of former Nevada governor Paul Laxalt
 * J. Curtis Mack II, Executive Director
 * Lyn Nofziger, Executive Vice-Chairman
 * Ronald E. Robertson, lawyer for CFTR and 1980 Reagan for President Committee
 * Gloria E.A. Toote, member of steering committee

1993 resuscitation
In February 1993, Bay Buchanan, who served as CFTR controller, "resuscitated Citizens for the Republic", "changed the group's name to The American Cause and moved it to the Virginia office from which she had run the campaign. Just as it had done for Reagan, the nonprofit promoted conservative causes and kept [her brother] Pat Buchanan's name in front of conservative voters between elections."

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Citizens for the Republic Education Fund

External articles

 * Burton Y. Pines, "Reagan's Money Machine," TIME, July 7, 1980.
 * Jeff Gerth, "Supporters of Reagan Seek to Settle Charges from '80," New York Times, February 17, 1984. Subscription required.
 * "Reagan Fund Surplus To Be Shared With U.S.," Associated Press (New York Times), September 22, 1984.
 * Colleen O'Connor, "Who's afraid of the F.E.C.?" Washington Monthly (FindArticles.com), March 1986: "A $4,000 penalty was paid by the 1980 Reagan for President (RFP) Committee for receiving $194,056 in excess contributions from the Citizens for the Republic (CFTR), Reagan's PAC. (CFTR was hit for a stiff $1,000.)"
 * John Philip Davies, "Paying for presidential elections: some honey, and plenty of money," Contemporary Review (FindArticles.com), October 1996. See page 2.
 * Guy Gugliotta and Ira Chinoy, "Money Machine: The Fund-Raising Frenzy Of Campaign ' 96. Outsiders Made Erie Ballot a National Battle," Washington Post (Democracy.ru), February 10, 1997.
 * John Gizzi, "Reagan vs. Bush," Human Events (FindArticles.com), December 27, 2004.
 * Seth Gitell, "Stage Call for Thompson," New York Sun, August 7, 2007. See page 2.
 * Steve Benen, "Reaganites to revitalize ‘Citizens For The Republic’," The Carpetbagger Report, October 5, 2007.
 * Marc Ambinder, "Reagan Biographer Wants To Teach Giuliani About Ronald Reagan," The Atlantic, October 17, 2007.

External resources

 * Lyn Nofziger in the Wikipedia: In 1980, served "as executive vice-chairman of Citizens for the Republic, a political action committee founded by Reagan."