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Congressional Integrity Project

The CRC influence machine

Follow the money through the machine

Capital Research Center sits at the center of a chain that turns private money into government action. Scroll to follow it, step by step — with sources.

The machine

  • 01 The money

  • 02 Capital Research Center

  • 03 The output

  • 04 The consequence

  1. 01

    The money

    According to public IRS filings, Capital Research Center is funded by conservative foundations — Scaife, Bradley, Diana Davis Spencer, the Searle Freedom Trust — and by donor-advised funds led by DonorsTrust. Because much of it moves through donor-advised funds, the original donors largely stay anonymous.

    See the donor database →
  2. 02

    Capital Research Center

    CRC, led by president Scott Walter, turns that funding into research and commentary targeting progressive nonprofits and Democratic-aligned donors — including its “InfluenceWatch” project.

  3. 03

    The output

    According to news reporting, Walter briefed the White House in 2025 on Democratic donors and groups such as ActBlue. The Congressional Integrity Project reports he “personally briefed” the administration and says CRC’s research has been used by the Justice Department.

    Read the release ↗
  4. 04

    The consequence

    The administration moved against progressive nonprofits — a memo targeting ActBlue and, in September 2025, NSPM-7, directing agencies to investigate the funders of groups it labels tied to “political violence.” The Project documents an FBI unit built to act on it.

    Read the release ↗

Funding figures are drawn from public IRS Form 990 filings. Characterizations of how Capital Research Center’s work has been used are attributed to the Congressional Integrity Project and to news reporting; readers can follow the linked sources. Nothing here alleges unlawful conduct by any donor.

Why this matters

Transparency starts with following the money.

When a self-styled “watchdog” is bankrolled by the very interests it serves, the public deserves to know. Share this investigation. Put it in front of reporters and lawmakers. Help hold Capital Research Center’s funders accountable.

See Who’s Funding ItRead the Receipts