Eric Kessler

Foundation Watch
The Open Society Foundation’s 2022 Grants Expose Arabella and Soros
In 2022, the Open Society Foundations gave $31,075,000 to the “Five Sisters”: the Sixteen Thirty Fund, New Venture Fund, Hopewell Fund, Windward Fund, and North Fund. The Five Sisters are…
by Marquis Starks on November 27, 2023

Featured Items
Scott Walter Testifies Before the Senate Budget Committee
Testifying before the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, Scott Walter, president of the Capital Research Center, argued (c)(4) “dark money” is not a big deal in American politics, but if anyone…
on June 22, 2023

Featured Items
Written Statement on “Dark Money” in the Climate Debate
Yesterday, Scott Walter, president of the Capital Research Center, testified before the U.S. Senate Budget Committee on “dark money” in the climate debate. He observed that “dark money” in our…
by Scott Walter on June 22, 2023

Featured Items
Transcript of Scott Walter’s Testimony Before the Senate Budget Committee
Transcript of Scott Walter's oral testimony before the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, in which he argued that “dark money” is not a big deal in American politics. “Dark money” and…
on June 22, 2023

Deception & Misdirection
Arabella’s $1.6 Billion “Dark Money” Haul in 2021
The country’s largest and perhaps most influential “dark money” network pulled in nearly $1.6 billion in 2021, according to new IRS filings, a mere $148 million drop from the record…
by Hayden Ludwig, Parker Thayer on November 16, 2022

Organization Trends
The For-Profit DC Firm Staging America’s ‘Grassroots’ Movements
Behind the closed doors of an unassuming philanthropic consultancy in Washington, D.C., is one of the most powerful lobbying forces in the United States. The Atlantic has called it “the massive progressive dark-money…
by Hayden Ludwig on September 19, 2022

Deception & Misdirection
Excavating Arabella’s Origin: Arabella Trails
Before Arabella Advisors and its nonprofit minions was ALF—the “Arabella Legacy Fund," bankrolled by the Hewlett Foundation and Wilburforce Foundation. Its first initiative was Responsible Trails America, a “pop-up” astroturf…
by Dave Skinner on April 13, 2022

Deception & Misdirection
Excavating Arabella’s Origin: Starting Small
Arabella has been all about other people’s money from day one, and it remains so. The money in this case was a special but tiny federal fund, the Recreational Trails…
by Dave Skinner on April 13, 2022

Deception & Misdirection
Excavating Arabella’s Origin: Behind the Curtain
Arabella Legacy Fund’s IRS Form 990s were signed by Eric Kessler, actually Eric J. Kessler. In 2008, Arabella's throughput nearly quadrupled, to $6.1 million in gross receipts, $732,000 of which…
by Dave Skinner on April 13, 2022

Deception & Misdirection
Excavating Arabella’s Origin: Lessons Learned
Responsible Trails America’s narrative shamelessly copycatted other progressive outlines. It existed as an “organization” or “coalition” mostly through numerous professionally written press releases. Those in turn directed journalist inquiries to…
by Dave Skinner on April 13, 2022