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Ex-Trump Campaign Aides Start Voter Registration Effort Ex-Trump Campaign Staff Seek Higher Turnout and ‘Fraudulent’ Votes
(about 7 hours later)
WASHINGTON — With President Trump’s poll numbers slipping, a group of the president’s former campaign aides is beginning an effort to encourage new voters in parts of the country that supported him in the election, and to stop what they contend are illegal votes in Democratic areas.WASHINGTON — With President Trump’s poll numbers slipping, a group of the president’s former campaign aides is beginning an effort to encourage new voters in parts of the country that supported him in the election, and to stop what they contend are illegal votes in Democratic areas.
The former aides are starting a group called Look Ahead America to identify “disaffected” rural and working-class Americans who either do not vote or are not on the voter rolls, in order to register and mobilize them ahead of future elections, according to a prospectus being distributed to possible donors.The former aides are starting a group called Look Ahead America to identify “disaffected” rural and working-class Americans who either do not vote or are not on the voter rolls, in order to register and mobilize them ahead of future elections, according to a prospectus being distributed to possible donors.
Look Ahead America also seeks to discourage or invalidate “fraudulent” votes by deploying poll watchers with cameras, and through what it called a forensic voter fraud investigation to identify “votes cast in the names of the deceased, by illegal immigrants or non-citizens,” according to the prospectus, which was shared with The New York Times.Look Ahead America also seeks to discourage or invalidate “fraudulent” votes by deploying poll watchers with cameras, and through what it called a forensic voter fraud investigation to identify “votes cast in the names of the deceased, by illegal immigrants or non-citizens,” according to the prospectus, which was shared with The New York Times.
The group is the brainchild of two people who initially helped run the data team for Mr. Trump’s campaign, Matt Braynard and Witold Chrabaszcz.The group is the brainchild of two people who initially helped run the data team for Mr. Trump’s campaign, Matt Braynard and Witold Chrabaszcz.
They are rolling out Look Ahead America in a series of private meetings in Washington this week with conservative leaders and activists, including those gathered Wednesday morning for a weekly meeting of influential conservatives convened by the anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist.They are rolling out Look Ahead America in a series of private meetings in Washington this week with conservative leaders and activists, including those gathered Wednesday morning for a weekly meeting of influential conservatives convened by the anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist.
Mr. Braynard and Mr. Chrabaszcz will be joined in the organization by a former regional coordinator for the Trump campaign, Andrew Stempki, and a board of directors including about 30 former campaign field staffers and state coordinators.Mr. Braynard and Mr. Chrabaszcz will be joined in the organization by a former regional coordinator for the Trump campaign, Andrew Stempki, and a board of directors including about 30 former campaign field staffers and state coordinators.
The people involved are not big names in conservative politics, where operatives constantly jockey for the attention of major donors. But Mr. Braynard and Mr. Chrabaszcz said in an interview that they have had talks with people close to Mr. Trump’s political operation, as well as major donors. Look Ahead America is nearing an $800,000 goal that will fully fund a pilot program in Virginia in time to register voters ahead of the state’s November elections for governor and the legislature, its founders said.The people involved are not big names in conservative politics, where operatives constantly jockey for the attention of major donors. But Mr. Braynard and Mr. Chrabaszcz said in an interview that they have had talks with people close to Mr. Trump’s political operation, as well as major donors. Look Ahead America is nearing an $800,000 goal that will fully fund a pilot program in Virginia in time to register voters ahead of the state’s November elections for governor and the legislature, its founders said.
“There are millions of these disaffected patriotic Americans who’ve grown cynical about institutions that dismiss their fears, ignore their concerns and ridicule their values,” said Mr. Braynard. “There are easily enough that if they made their voices heard, they would be decisive in elections.”“There are millions of these disaffected patriotic Americans who’ve grown cynical about institutions that dismiss their fears, ignore their concerns and ridicule their values,” said Mr. Braynard. “There are easily enough that if they made their voices heard, they would be decisive in elections.”
Look Ahead America plans to use what the prospectus calls “psychographic modeling” of data from voter files and commercial sources to identify unregistered adults who fit the targeted demographic. The group intends to contact these people using a combination of direct mail, phone calls and in-person visits from full-time field staffers — it intends to hire 12 people in Virginia working out of a handful of offices to start.Look Ahead America plans to use what the prospectus calls “psychographic modeling” of data from voter files and commercial sources to identify unregistered adults who fit the targeted demographic. The group intends to contact these people using a combination of direct mail, phone calls and in-person visits from full-time field staffers — it intends to hire 12 people in Virginia working out of a handful of offices to start.
Mr. Braynard said the idea is to create “the Acorn of the right” — a reference to the liberal community organizing juggernaut that was largely dissolved after a 2009 scandal sparked by a conservative provocateur’s sting videos.Mr. Braynard said the idea is to create “the Acorn of the right” — a reference to the liberal community organizing juggernaut that was largely dissolved after a 2009 scandal sparked by a conservative provocateur’s sting videos.
Mr. Braynard and Mr. Chrabaszcz worked together starting in the late 1990s at the Republican National Committee building and deploying the party’s national voter database. They reunited on the Trump campaign in 2015, at a time when Mr. Trump was widely believed to have little chance of winning the presidency. Mr. Braynard left the campaign in March 2016 amid an internal dispute, but remained supportive of Mr. Trump. Mr. Chrabaszcz remained employed by the campaign through Election Day, and did some consulting work for the campaign as recently as January.Mr. Braynard and Mr. Chrabaszcz worked together starting in the late 1990s at the Republican National Committee building and deploying the party’s national voter database. They reunited on the Trump campaign in 2015, at a time when Mr. Trump was widely believed to have little chance of winning the presidency. Mr. Braynard left the campaign in March 2016 amid an internal dispute, but remained supportive of Mr. Trump. Mr. Chrabaszcz remained employed by the campaign through Election Day, and did some consulting work for the campaign as recently as January.
Their new group is registered under a section of the tax code — 501(c)(3) — that allows it to raise unlimited funds from donors without publicly disclosing their identities, but also bars it from engaging in partisan politics. The prospectus declares that “our targeting is not based on political party affiliation or to benefit any particular candidate,” though Mr. Braynard conceded that the people his group hoped to engage were not dissimilar from those who mobilized by Mr. Trump’s campaign.Their new group is registered under a section of the tax code — 501(c)(3) — that allows it to raise unlimited funds from donors without publicly disclosing their identities, but also bars it from engaging in partisan politics. The prospectus declares that “our targeting is not based on political party affiliation or to benefit any particular candidate,” though Mr. Braynard conceded that the people his group hoped to engage were not dissimilar from those who mobilized by Mr. Trump’s campaign.
Mr. Braynard stressed that the effort to clamp down on alleged illegal voting is secondary.Mr. Braynard stressed that the effort to clamp down on alleged illegal voting is secondary.
But it could attract criticism from voting rights advocates. They say there’s little evidence of widespread voter fraud, and contend that the real goal of conservative efforts to fight illegal voting — including the Trump administration’s investigation of alleged voter fraud — is to purge Democratic-leaning African-American and Hispanic voters from the voter rolls.But it could attract criticism from voting rights advocates. They say there’s little evidence of widespread voter fraud, and contend that the real goal of conservative efforts to fight illegal voting — including the Trump administration’s investigation of alleged voter fraud — is to purge Democratic-leaning African-American and Hispanic voters from the voter rolls.
Representatives from the White House, the Republican National Committee and Mr. Trump’s re-election campaign did not respond to requests for comment on Look Ahead America.Representatives from the White House, the Republican National Committee and Mr. Trump’s re-election campaign did not respond to requests for comment on Look Ahead America.
The project in some ways stems from an idea that Mr. Braynard articulated before the 2016 Republican primaries in a memo to the Trump campaign leadership, in which he urged them to focus on “enfranchising the conventionally low propensity voters that support our candidate.”The project in some ways stems from an idea that Mr. Braynard articulated before the 2016 Republican primaries in a memo to the Trump campaign leadership, in which he urged them to focus on “enfranchising the conventionally low propensity voters that support our candidate.”
It is unclear to what extent Mr. Trump’s general election victory over Hillary Clinton relied on such voters.It is unclear to what extent Mr. Trump’s general election victory over Hillary Clinton relied on such voters.
But Republicans have lagged behind Democrats for years when it comes to registering new voters. That is partly because it is more efficient to make the personal contact necessary to complete registrations in liberal urban areas where people live closer together, than in more conservative exurban and rural areas.But Republicans have lagged behind Democrats for years when it comes to registering new voters. That is partly because it is more efficient to make the personal contact necessary to complete registrations in liberal urban areas where people live closer together, than in more conservative exurban and rural areas.
Additionally, Democratic-leaning unions have invested heavily in registering and mobilizing voters, while the right has not really had an analogue. In recent years, well-funded conservative groups, including Americans for Prosperity, which is backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, have tried and failed to register new voters in a cost-effective manner.Additionally, Democratic-leaning unions have invested heavily in registering and mobilizing voters, while the right has not really had an analogue. In recent years, well-funded conservative groups, including Americans for Prosperity, which is backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, have tried and failed to register new voters in a cost-effective manner.
“Voter registration is not the sexiest or the easiest activity, but it’s impactful,” Mr. Chrabaszcz said, “and we see a big opportunity here.”“Voter registration is not the sexiest or the easiest activity, but it’s impactful,” Mr. Chrabaszcz said, “and we see a big opportunity here.”