{"id":2318416,"date":"2024-08-02T17:57:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-02T21:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/zuckbucks-group-to-dump-more-cash-into-election-offices\/"},"modified":"2024-08-02T18:04:31","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T22:04:31","slug":"zuckbucks-group-to-dump-more-cash-into-election-offices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/zuckbucks-group-to-dump-more-cash-into-election-offices\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Zuckbucks&#8217; Group To Dump More Cash Into Election Offices"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fzuckbucks-group-to-dump-more-cash-into-election-offices%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2318416&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) has announced a \u200dnew round of\u200d grants \u200caimed at upgrading election technology in rural and nonmetro areas ahead of the November elections. This\u200b initiative, described \u200bas nonpartisan, follows CTCL&#8217;s previous efforts\u200c in 2020 which allegedly influenced Democratic turnout by directing funds, often \u200dreferred to as &#8220;Zuckbucks,&#8221; from Meta CEO\u2063 Mark Zuckerberg to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-senate-study-200k-ballots-counted-in-2020-with-mismatched-signatures\/\" title=\"Arizona Senate Study: 200k Ballots Counted in 2020 With Mismatched Signatures\">public election offices<\/a>. The upcoming grants will assist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-zuckerberg-broke-law-with-dropboxes\/\" title=\"Trump: Zuckerberg &#039;Broke Law&#039; with Dropboxes\">local election offices<\/a> in modernizing technology and improving access for voters, including seniors and veterans.\u200c Grants vary in amount based on the population size of the jurisdiction, with larger populations\u200c eligible for more funding. The \u2064program is accessible in U.S. territories and 19 states,\u2063 including\u2063 key battleground areas like Michigan, Nevada, and New Hampshire. CTCL&#8217;s history raises\u200b concerns regarding its\u2063 neutrality, as\u2063 it was founded by former staff of a group known for developing digital\u200c strategies for the Democratic Party. Critics have expressed skepticism about the integrity\u200d of such funding,\u200b with a\u200d number of states prohibiting similar contributions due to concerns over election \u200cintegrity.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), which increased Democratic turnout in 2020 by shuttling &ldquo;Zuckbucks&rdquo; to public election offices, will be issuing another round of grants to rural areas ahead of November&rsquo;s election.<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>&ldquo;This program will help eligible rural and nonmetro election offices modernize outdated voting technology, improve access to voting for rural voters, seniors, and veterans, and make much-needed infrastructure updates to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-court-grants-preliminary-injunction-on-parts-of-newly-passed-florida-election-law\/\" title=\"Federal court issues preliminary injunction on portions of recently enacted Florida election law.\">enhance election security<\/a> and make voting smoother,&rdquo; said CTCL Director Tiana Epps-Johnson in a <a href=\"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/06871ce9876c\/new-campaign-seeks-federal-funding-for-secure-election-infrastructure-from-congress-10413853\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">press release<\/a> obtained by The Federalist.<\/p>\n<p>Rural officials can apply for grants beginning today, the release said. It is unclear how much money CTCL is planning to distribute to local election offices before the election.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>But the group did announce how much money it would give to each area, based on the number of voters. According to the press release, jurisdictions with fewer than 5,000 citizens of voting age are eligible for $5,000; those with 5,001 to 25,000 are eligible for $20,000; those with 25,001 to 100,000 are eligible for $50,000; those with 100,001 to 250,000 are eligible for $100,000.<\/p>\n<p>According to CTCL&rsquo;s website, the &ldquo;nonpartisan&rdquo; grants will be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techandciviclife.org\/our-work\/election-officials\/grants\/2024grants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">available<\/a> in U.S. territories and 19 states. The grants target 2024 battleground states Michigan, Nevada, and New Hampshire. Other eligible states are Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wyoming.<\/p>\n<p>The new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techandciviclife.org\/our-work\/election-officials\/grants\/2024grants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">grants<\/a> can be used for &ldquo;key human, physical, and technological assets&rdquo; the Department of Homeland Security considers &ldquo;necessary to conduct elections,&rdquo; according to CTCL&rsquo;s website.<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The group linked to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/publications\/election_infrastructure_subsector_specific_plan.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">document<\/a> from the DHS&rsquo; CISA program, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-judge-grants-gop-lawmaker-standing-to-sue-biden-administration-over-unrwa-funding-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Texas judge grants GOP lawmaker standing to sue Biden administration over UNRWA funding - Washington Examiner\">federal government&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s hub for Big Tech <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/05\/08\/fbi-confirms-its-restarting-online-censorship-efforts-ahead-of-2024-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">collusion<\/a> and online <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/05\/why-cisas-censorship-and-election-interference-work-is-the-most-insidious-attack-on-american-democracy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">censorship<\/a>. The document lists designated election assets, which can &ldquo;range from physical sites and hardware to digital operations.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The grant application <a href=\"https:\/\/forms.techandciviclife.org\/241565275637868\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">asks<\/a> officials questions including the jurisdiction&rsquo;s number of active registered voters, number of full time staff, and annual election budget &mdash; of which it requests a copy.<\/p>\n<p>To determine &ldquo;rural&rdquo; and &ldquo;nonmetro&rdquo; jurisdictions <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techandciviclife.org\/our-work\/election-officials\/grants\/2024grants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">eligible<\/a> for the grants, the group is using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/data-products\/rural-urban-continuum-codes\/documentation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">guidelines<\/a> from the United States Department of Agriculture. CTCL claimed its grant program is to compensate for the federal government <a href=\"https:\/\/stateline.org\/2024\/06\/19\/states-struggle-with-unreliable-federal-funding-for-making-sure-elections-are-secure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reducing<\/a> 2024 election funding to $55 million.<\/p>\n<p>CTCL <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techandciviclife.org\/us-alliance-for-election-excellence-launch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">launched<\/a> the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence in 2022, joining electoral influence groups from 2020 to continue working with local election offices. That year, the alliance <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/01\/08\/exclusive-how-a-left-wing-alliance-skirted-arizonas-zuckbucks-ban-to-meddle-in-key-countys-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">skirted<\/a> Arizona law to work with Coconino County.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h4>A Questionable Past<\/h4>\n<p>CTCL claims to provide &ldquo;nonpartisan&rdquo; funding, but its history suggests otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>The group was founded in 2012 by former staffers of the New Organizing Institute (NOI) &mdash; namely Epps-Johnson, Whitney May, and Donny Bridges, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/new-organizing-institute\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">InfluenceWatch<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>NOI became <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/new-organizing-institute\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">known<\/a> as the &ldquo;Democratic Party&rsquo;s Hogwarts for digital wizardry,&rdquo; and trained more than 30,000 Democratic digital organizers and campaigners. The group focused on election administration, voter data management, and get-out-the-vote efforts &ndash;- all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techandciviclife.org\/youth-engagement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">areas<\/a> on which CTCL now <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techandciviclife.org\/youth-engagement\/\">focuses<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Leftist Swiss billionaire Hansj&ouml;rg Wyss took <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/app\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Corridor-Partners-Plan-.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">inspiration<\/a> from the NOI in 2015 to strategize efforts to &ldquo;reshape the U.S. electorate&rdquo; and give so-called &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/04\/04\/inside-one-dark-money-fueled-groups-strategy-session-to-target-democrat-voting-blocs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">progressive<\/a>&rdquo; causes a permanent advantage.<\/p>\n<p>CTCL shuttled <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/01\/sources-missouri-ag-stopped-working-on-investigation-into-zuckbucks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$328 million<\/a> from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-zuckerberg-funded-nonprofit-helped-shift-michigans-2020-voting-rules\/\" title=\"Exclusive: Zuckerberg-Funded Nonprofit Helped Shift Michigan\u2019s 2020 Voting Rules\">public election agencies<\/a> in 2020. The grants, which later became known as &ldquo;Zuckbucks,&rdquo; largely targeted areas with left-leaning voting blocs and boosted Democratic turnout in the already close presidential election.<\/p>\n<p>According to the Capital Research Center (CRC), 28 states have <a href=\"https:\/\/capitalresearch.org\/article\/states-banning-zuck-bucks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">banned<\/a> &ldquo;Zuckbuck&rdquo;-style election funding due to integrity concerns. Those states are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techandciviclife.org\/our-work\/election-officials\/grants\/2024grants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">not listed<\/a> as eligible for the 2024 grants.<\/p>\n<p>CTCL <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techandciviclife.org\/election-infrastructure-launch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">launched<\/a> an <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/15\/zuckbucks-group-teaches-election-offices-how-to-shut-down-speech-and-influence-election-laws\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">effort<\/a> in 2021 to circumvent those laws with its Election Infrastructure Initiative, billed as &ldquo;bringing together election officials, nonprofits, counties, cities, and states&rdquo; to call on $20 billion in congressional election funding over the next decade.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In a statement made to The Federalist, Scott Walter, President of Capital Research Center, said that while CTCL has made clear its commitment to increasing public funding, &ldquo;they should be asked if they will urge that this new public funding of elections be fair, rather than grossly partisan&rdquo; as it has been in the past.<\/p>\n<p>As noted by Walter, the CTCL&rsquo;s efforts are cosponsored by the Center for Secure and Modern Elections, which has ties to the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/04\/10\/arabella-sheds-light-on-the-dark-money-groups-remaking-america-millions-of-dollars-at-a-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Arabella <\/a>network and its &ldquo;multi-billion dollar empire of Democratic-aligned &lsquo;dark money,&rsquo; trying to manipulate our elections.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>More recently, CTCL <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/15\/zuckbucks-group-teaches-election-offices-how-to-shut-down-speech-and-influence-election-laws\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">advised<\/a> officials on censoring speech and swaying election laws. Kurt Sampsel, then-senior project manager for CTCL, said in an online course that former President Donald Trump&rsquo;s concerns about the 2020 election &ldquo;had the effect of undermining confidence in our democratic processes.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Logan Washburn is a staff writer covering election integrity. He graduated from Hillsdale College, served as Christopher Rufo&#8217;s editorial assistant, and has bylines in The Wall Street Journal, The Tennessean, and The Daily Caller. Logan is originally from Central Oregon but now lives in rural Michigan.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), known for boosting Democratic voter turnout in 2020 by distributing &#8220;Zuckbucks&#8221; to public election offices, is set to provide another series of grants aimed at rural regions before the upcoming November election. CTCL Director Tiana Epps-Johnson stated in a press release obtained by The Federalist that this initiative will assist qualifying rural and nonmetropolitan election offices in updating outdated voting technology, enhancing voting accessibility for rural residents, seniors, and veterans, as well as making essential infrastructure improvements to bolster election security and streamline the voting process. Rural officials can start applying for these grants today; however, the total amount CTCL plans to allocate to local election offices remains unspecified.<\/p>\n<p>The organization has outlined grant amounts based on voter population: jurisdictions with fewer than 5,000 eligible voters can receive $5,000; those with between 5,001 and 25,000 are eligible for $20,000; areas with 25,001 to 100,000 can get $50,000; while jurisdictions with populations ranging from 100,001 to 250,000 may receive up to $100,000. According to CTCL&#8217;s website information about these &#8220;nonpartisan&#8221; grants will be accessible across U.S. territories and in nineteen states including key battlegrounds like Michigan, Nevada and New Hampshire. Other states eligible include Alaska through Wyoming.<\/p>\n<p>These new funds can be utilized for essential human resources as well as physical and technological assets deemed necessary by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for conducting elections. The grant application requires officials to provide details such as their number of active registered voters along with their full-time staff count and annual budget.<\/p>\n<p>To identify which rural or nonmetropolitan jurisdictions qualify for these grants CTCL is following guidelines established by the United States Department of Agriculture. The organization claims its funding initiative aims at offsetting a reduction in federal funding allocated towards elections which has been cut down to $55 million ahead of the 2024 elections.<\/p>\n<p>CTCL initiated the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence back in 2022 collaborating with electoral influence groups from previous years focused on supporting local election offices\u2014an effort that included navigating around Arizona laws concerning Coconino County operations.<\/p>\n<p>Despite claiming neutrality regarding political affiliations CTCL&#8217;s background raises questions about its impartiality since it was founded by former members of the New Organizing Institute (NOI), an entity recognized as a training ground specifically designed for Democratic digital strategists who have worked extensively on voter outreach efforts\u2014areas where CTCL now concentrates its activities.<\/p>\n<p>In addition during the last presidential cycle they facilitated over $328 million from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg towards public electoral agencies primarily benefiting regions leaning toward Democratic candidates thereby increasing turnout rates during an already competitive race according Capital Research Center findings indicating that concerns over integrity led twenty-eight states banning similar funding practices hence not qualifying them under current grant provisions.<\/p>\n<p>In response Scott Walter President at Capital Research Center remarked that while acknowledging CTCL\u2019s push towards increased public financing it remains crucial they clarify whether this new influx would be equitable rather than heavily biased like past initiatives have shown tendencies toward being so especially given connections between some sponsors involved within broader networks associated closely aligned politically against traditional electoral processes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":507,"featured_media":2318417,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/800px-Election_Day_2020_50564531997.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[8394,36901,36267,37055,33188],"class_list":["post-2318416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-zuckbucks","tag-election-funding","tag-election-offices","tag-philanthropy","tag-voter-engagement"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/800px-Election_Day_2020_50564531997.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2318416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/507"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2318416"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2318416\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2318417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2318416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2318416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2318416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}