American Center for Law and Justice

In 2022, California Passed AB 2223, A Bill Seeking To Protect Women Who Experience Pregnancy Loss Or Newborn Death From Prosecution Would Legalize Infanticide. “AB 2223 would help ensure that no person in our state is ever investigated, prosecuted, or imprisoned for losing or ending their pregnancy. AB 2223 protects reproductive freedom by clarifying that the Reproductive Privacy Act prohibits pregnancy criminalization, removes outdated provisions requiring coroners to investigate certain pregnancy losses, and ensures that information collected about pregnancy outcomes is not used to target people through criminal or civil legal systems.” [ACLU California]

In Response, The American Center For Law And Justice Lied That The California Bill Legalized Infanticide [ACLJ Blog, 4/21/22]. “A misinterpretation of a California bill has already gone viral online. The misinformation appears to have originated from multiple questionable websites that published stories claiming that California bill AB 2223 legalizes infanticide. One site said it would ‘legalize the murder of children up to nine months gestation and in the week(s) after birth.’” [LA Times, 5/5/22]

That Same Year, The ACLJ Opposed A Similar Law In Maryland Under The Same Grounds. “But others interpreted this to mean that any death of a newborn, including by neglect, would be effectively decriminalized by this bill. One opponent who testified to the Health and Government Operations Committee was Olivia Summers, associate counsel for public policy at the American Center for Law and Justice, a group that often advocates for pro-life causes. Summers testified that the bill would prohibit investigations into the death of newborns, contradictory to the state’s efforts to lower the rates of infant mortality.” [WUSA9, 3/29/22]

In 2023, The American Center For Law and Justice Submitted Testimony In Support Of Making It More Difficult To Amend The Ohio Constitution Ahead Of An Abortion Rights Ballot Amendment [ACLJ Blog, 4/3/2023]. “Backers of the measures argued publicly that the supermajority requirement would prevent deep-pocketed interest groups from targeting Ohio’s founding document, but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have confirmed to News 5 the effort is ultimately meant to stop abortion from becoming legal, even if a majority of Ohioans vote in favor of it in November.” [News 5 Cleveland, 5/10/23]

In New York, The American Center For Law And Justice Represented Four Anti-Abortion Centers In Opposing A Law That Would Study If Anti-Abortion Centers Are Effective In Providing The Care They Claim To Provide. “Late in 2022, New York passed a law (A5499) intended to target pro-life Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs) for a government study and report concerning the unmet health and resource needs facing pregnant women in New York… Shortly after the law was passed, a coalition was formed to ensure that every pro-life center in New York had legal support if or when the study was conducted. The ACLJ represented four PRC directors, none of whose centers received a request from the Commissioner of Health for any information. The proactive measure of obtaining legal counsel prior to the implementation of the law was critical to ensuring that the PRCs in New York would not be targeted and harassed by the law.” [ACLJ Blog, 2/23/24]

The Islamophobia Network Found That Much Of The Funding, Rhetoric, And Actions Of The ACLJ Are Anti-Muslim. “This organization is known for disseminating anti-Muslim propaganda. Operating as a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, religious corporation, the ACLJ is a significant and well-funded node of the Islamophobia network. According to 2022 CAIR report detailing nearly $106 million of philanthropic funding into anti-Muslim groups, it was revealed that ACJU received over $60 million between 2017-2019 as the largest recipient of grants from philanthropic groups funding anti-Muslim organizations.” [Islamophobia Network, 8/24/23]

In 2010, The ACLJ Filed A Lawsuit Opposing The Construction Of An Islamic Cultural Center Near The Site Of The World Trade Center September 11 Attacks. “The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday by the American Center for Law & Justice in Washington whose mission is defending religious freedom, challenged Tuesday’s decision by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission not to grant landmark status to the 1857 Italianate building currently on the site… ‘This issue has nothing to do with religious freedom,’ said Brett Joshpe, a lawyer for ACLJ. ‘Given what the (planned new) building represents, the placement of the project at that location is inappropriate and inflammatory.’ … Opponents of the center say it would betray the memory of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. The lawsuit says the building, which has been used in a variety of ways during its history, from manufacturing to retail stores, is ‘an iconic symbol’ linking ‘the rise of American capitalism’ with ‘our current quest to preserve our freedom.’ The building currently serves as a makeshift Muslim prayer center.” [Telegraph, 8/5/10]

That Same Year, The ACLJ Accused The Congressional Muslim Staffers’ Association Of Inviting Extremists With Ties To Terrorism To Their Weekly Prayer Session On Capitol Hill And Asked The Department Of Justice To Investigate. [Fox News, 11/12/10]

Pat Robertson was the founder of the American Center for Law and Justice, alongside the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) Inc., International Family Entertainment Inc., Regent University, Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation, The Flying Hospital, Inc. and several other organizations and broadcast entities. He was a televangelist well-known for attacking other religions, including Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam. He served as founder of the Christian Broadcast Network and the conservative religious school Regent University, in addition to hosting The 700 Club television show and writing 15 evangelical books. Robertson has been characterized by the Human Rights Campaign as having “a long history of anti-LGBTQ actions and opposition to LGBTQ rights, including advocating for criminalizing homosexuality abroad.” He has also long been considered a leader of the Religious Right, starting the Christian Coalition in 1989, which would become a “major political force” for conservatives in the 1990s. In 2005, Robertson implied that the September 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina were God’s punishment for American abortion rights. In 2020, he spoke out against Black Lives Matter, calling it part of a “very very radical anti-family, anti-God agenda.” In 2023, Robertson passed away at the age of 93.

Jay Sekulow has served as chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice since its founding, when he was hired by Pat Robertson. Sekulow converted to Christianity while at Atlanta Baptist College (now Mercer University), and became a member of Jews for Jesus, for whom he served as general counsel. After earning a J.D. from Mercer in 1980, Sekulow later received a PhD from Regent University in 2004. In 1988, Sekulow founded Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism, which he claimed sought to meet “a growing need to challenge the state’s infringement upon the right of Christians to proclaim the gospel.” He has argued 12 cases before the Supreme Court, particularly in misconstruing the First Amendment to attack the separation of church and state, and won several by arguing that bans on religious expression in public places violated practitioners’ right to free speech. He has indicated support for criminalizing women who have abortions. Sekulow has been considered one of the “Four Horsemen” behind Chief Justice Roberts’ nomination to the Supreme Court in 2005. He opposed President Barack Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court in 2016, a position he justified using an incorrect interpretation of the Constitution and history. He has served as Trump’s attorney since 2017 and led his impeachment defense team, despite his virtually complete lack of experience with law enforcement or white collar matters. During the first impeachment trial, he told a number of lies on Trump’s behalf. Sekulow is also a television personality and hosts the daily radio show, “Jay Sekulow Live,” national call-in radio show Sekulow, and the weekly television program “ACLJ This Week.” He has written a number of books espousing his extremist Christian and Islamophobic views, including Unholy Alliance, which claims to “[expose] the attempts by fundamentalist Muslims to destroy our legal system and liberties.” In another, he described being LGBTQ+ as a “perversion” and recommended conversion therapy. He uses the ACLJ and its affiliates to funnel millions of dollars to himself and his family.

Jordan Sekulow is the executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice. He and his father, Jay Sekulow, head the organization and its extreme initiatives. Described as a “global attorney for the religious right,” Sekulow has been credited with being “particularly instrumental” in the ACLJ’s interference in African politics, where they lobbied Kenyan and other East African lawmakers to “take the Christian’s views into consideration as they draft legislation and policies.” Sekulow opposes even allowing exceptions for abortion in cases where the mother’s life is at risk, dismissing such a health emergency as “abortion on demand.” He is proudly Islamophobic and has expressed his belief that America is at war with Islam and that “Muslim political leaders have forfeited their seat at the discussion table,” endorsing an Oklahoma constitutional amendment that banned sharia. Like other leaders of the ACLJ, Sekulow maintains a very public media presence, having hosted or cohosted the radio program Sekulow, daily radio broadcast The Jordan Sekulow Show, television broadcast ACLJ This Week, and the Sekulow Brothers Podcast with his brother Logan Sekulow, who works as the Director of Media for the ACLJ. He has also written for the Washington Post, both for the “On Faith” section and, from 2010-2013, for his own featured blog, Religious Right Now. Sekulow attended George Washington University and received a J.D. from Regent University, in addition to an LL.M in International Human Rights Law from Georgetown University Law Center. In 2008, he defended Israel at the International Criminal Court. Sekulow has worked for the George W. Bush 2004, Mitt Romney 2008, and Jeb Bush 2016 presidential campaigns. Like his father, Sekulow is also a member of Trump’s legal team.

Mike Pompeo is the Senior Counsel for Global Affairs at the American Center for Law and Justice and the former Secretary of State under Trump. He joined the ACLJ after serving as Secretary of State during the first Trump administration. While Secretary of State, Pompeo refused to cooperate with the International Criminal Court, accusing the court of “illegitimate attempts to subject Americans to its jurisdiction.” Pompeo supported the overturn of Roe v. Wade, claiming that “For a decade or so, I worked hard to return the authority to the states… I think the Lord will be at work, and over time, I think they will all come to see the vital nature of protecting the unborn.” Pompeo attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and later graduated with a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He worked for six years in the U.S. House of Representatives before serving as director of the CIA from 2017-2018.

Regent University is a private Christian conservative university in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Regent and the American Center for Law and Justice were both founded by Pat Robertson and consequently have close ties. The ACLJ operates a location on the Regent campus. Furthermore, many current staff and leadership, including Jay and Jordan Sekulow, hold a degree from Regent University School of Law.

ACLJ Action is the sister organization of the American Center for Law and Justice. It is a 501(c)(4) Advocacy Organization. Its mission statement claims that the organization “will push beyond the courtroom, throughout the halls of Congress, and into every state capital. We seek to shape the law before it is made and change the law when it needs changing, delivering positive results for our membership and for every American.” Its president and CEO is Jordan Sekulow, demonstrating the deep overlap between the two groups. ACLJ Action is also on the advisory board for Project 2025.

The American Center For Law And Justice Is An Official Ally Of Alliance Defending Freedom. “​​Robertson’s legal group, American Center for Law and Justice, is also officially allied with ADF. ADF has listed ACLJ as one of its allied legal organizations, and the two groups supported or collaborated on several cases that went to the U.S. Supreme Court. For example, ACLJ submitted an amicus brief for Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, a case in which ADF argued that a university should be required to give “registered student organization” status to a religious group even if it did not comply with the school’s nondiscrimination policy that required student groups be open to LGBTQ students. ADF and ACLJ also submitted a joint amicus brief, together with Liberty Counsel’s Mat Staver and other conservative groups, in Perdue v. Kenny, a case regarding payments to private civil rights attorneys. There are also at least two other instances of ADF and ACLJ separately submitting amicus briefs in support of the same party in a U.S. Supreme Court case.” [Media Matters, 5/15/20]

Jay And Jordan Sekulow Serve As Members Of Trump’s Legal Team. “Jay Sekulow is a real lawyer, and he plays one on TV. Mr. Sekulow, the coordinator of President Trump’s personal legal team… is best known as a prodigious fund-raiser on evangelical television and a litigator for the Christian right, not for handling criminal prosecutions or executive power disputes…Mr. Sekulow’s son Jordan and Mr. Roth are also on the Trump payroll.” [New York Times, 12/1/19]

The ACLJ’s Senior Counsel For Global Affairs Is Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State In Trump’s First Term. [ACLJ Staff]

In 2018, The ACLJ Took Advantage Of Trump’s Attacks On Planned Parenthood To Raise Money For Itself And The Sekulows. “One of Donald Trump’s lawyers is using the Trump administration’s scrutiny of Planned Parenthood to raise money for his conservative activist group, which has directed millions of dollars to his law firm and his family… Jay Sekulow, a personal attorney to the president, has contracted telemarketers to collect money from the public for his not-for-profit organisation using a script that highlights the justice department’s examination of foetal tissue transfers by groups including the women’s clinic network.” [Guardian, 7/24/18]

The ACLJ Is Listed Among Groups That Supported A U.S. House Bill Seeking To Ban Abortion After Five Months. [Rep. Doug Lamborn News Release, 5/13/15]

In 2018, The ACLJ Demanded That The Secretary Of Health And Human Services End Title X Funding For Crucial Family Planning Programs Like Planned Parenthood. [ACLJ Blog, 5/14/18]

The ACLJ Submitted Written Testimony And, Later, An Amicus Brief In Favor Of The Texas Heartbeat Act. [ACLJ Blog, 10/22/21]

In 2022, The ACLJ Submitted A Public Comment Opposing An Interim Final Rule Issued By The U.S. Department Of Veterans Affairs That Would Include Medical Benefits Coverage Of Abortion And Abortion Counseling. [Ethics and Public Policy Center, 10/12/22]

In 2010, The American Center For Law And Justice Funded A Campaign Opposing Kenya’s Draft Constitution That Would Have Expanded Abortion Access And Religious Rights For Muslims. “The question has come up because a religious group, the American Center for Law and Justice, has admitted to helping fund a campaign against Kenya’s draft constitution… The organisation says it is supporting some Christian denominations opposed to the draft on the grounds that it would allow abortion on demand and permit Islamic law, Sharia.” [BBC World Service, 5/4/10]

The ACLJ Fueled Local Religious Fears To Push Its Own Agenda In Kenya. “Much of the debate has focused on church groups’ opposition to two things. One is the Muslim courts that rule in matters of marriage, divorce and inheritance for believers. They are also enshrined in both the current constitution and the new draft, leading to opposition from Christian church groups playing on the fears of greater Muslim dominance in Kenya. The other hot issue is that the new version of the constitution explicitly states that abortion is legal in cases where the life of the mother is endangered, a proviso that currently exists only in the country’s legal code. Church groups fear the clause could open the door to wider abortions. They have been encouraged by some American Evangelical groups, including the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), an antiabortion group founded by Pat Robertson. The ACLJ’s international director, Jordan Sekulow, told the Associated Press earlier this year that the measure ‘opens the door to abortion on demand, which is why Christian organizations that are pro-life are so opposed to that provision.’” [Time, 6/29/10]

The American Center For Law And Justice Has Established Counterparts In East Africa, Europe, And Other Parts Of The World To Promote Its Extreme Views Globally. “Beyond Africa, the ACLJ has also established a European Center for Law and Justice, which has campaigned against marriage equality throughout the continent, and the Slavic Center for Law and Justice, which backs Russia’s notorious law banning the dissemination of so-called gay propaganda, according to the Human Rights Campaign.” [Salon, 3/9/15]

Alongside Alliance Defending Freedom, The ACLJ Has Spent Millions Promoting Anti-Abortion And Anti-LGBTQIA+ Policies In Europe. “The investigation by openDemocracy found that more than two dozen organizations have been involved in legal battles across Europe opposing same-sex adoption, defending legislation against same-sex couples and restricting access to contraception and abortion. According to the report, the majority of the money spent by these groups in Europe came from two Christian legal advocacy groups, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) and the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the latter of which the Southern Poverty Law Center has listed as a designated hate group for its support of anti-LGBTQ legislation both in the U.S. and abroad.” [Time, 10/27/20]

In 2020, OpenDemocracy Found That The ACLJ Has Spent $18 Million Globally In Support Of Conservative Policies Since 2007, Mostly In Europe. “One of the main groups is the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), whose chief counsel Jay Sekulow is Trump’s personal lawyer. It supported a ruling in Poland last week banning abortion in cases of foetal defects, the report said… The ACLJ – shown through its financial records to have spent $18 million globally since 2007, 80% of it in Europe – did not respond to a request for comment.” [Reuters, 10/27/20]

The ACLJ Has Defended Anti-LGBTQIA+ Discrimination. “The ACLJ is particularly active in battles over marriage equality; the group helped draft the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),” the federal law that defined marriage as the “legal union of one man and one woman.”… In Congress and in the courts, the ACLJ has been a consistent opponent of gay rights initiatives and a champion of anti-gay legislation. According to Sekulow, the ACLJ has employed an “aggressive strategy of defending the traditional view of marriage in each significant marriage case that existed anywhere in the United States,” including California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. In 2010, in an attempt to force Washington, D.C., to put its own marriage equality law up to a popular referendum, the ACLJ filed a brief on behalf of 49 Republican members of Congress… Beyond targeting marriage equality initiatives, ACLJ works against any efforts to end anti-LGBTQ discrimination. In 1999, the ACLJ challenged an ordinance in Louisville, Kentucky, that banned employment discrimination based on “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.”55 A year earlier, the group successfully represented two Minnesota teachers who protested their school’s requirement that they participate in a session on “Gays and Lesbians in the Workplace,” charging that the “state of Minnesota tried to force these employees to change their beliefs about homosexuality.”56” [Political Research Associates, 11/5/12]

In 2018, The ACLJ Filed An Amicus Brief In NIFLA v. Becerra, Filed Suit On Behalf Of Three AACs, And Filed A Petition Asking The Supreme Court To Take Up The Case Against A California Law Seeking To Limit The Disinformation of AACs. [ACLJ Blog, 6/26/18]

In Response To A Massachusetts Initiative Spreading Awareness About AACs And Their Deceptive Tactics, The ACLJ Filed A Lawsuit On Behalf Of An AAC. “The Washington-based American Center for Law and Justice filed a lawsuit this month in federal court on behalf of Your Options Medical, which operates four antiabortion pregnancy clinics in the eastern part of the state… The lawsuit names Healey; state Department of Public Health Commissioner Robert Goldstein; and Rebecca Hart Holder, executive director of the Reproductive Equity Now Foundation, a nonprofit focused on educating the public about equitable access to reproductive healthcare… The suit alleges that the state initiative amounts to an unconstitutional violation of free speech and equal protection rights for those who run the pregnancy crisis centers. The plaintiffs also argue that the state is subjecting them to religious discrimination.” [LA Times, 8/29/24]

The ACLJ Submitted An Amicus Brief In Support Of Crisis Pregnancy Centers And Against State Attempts To Implement Some Level Of Accountability. [ACLJ Blog, 4/17/24]

In 2013, The American Center For Law And Justice Formed A Coalition With Numerous Anti-Abortion Allies, Including Americans United For Life And Alliance Defending Freedom, Challenging A Health Care Mandate That Would Cover Contraception. “For-profit businesses, state attorneys general and educational institutions are among more than 100 plaintiffs who have mounted some 40 lawsuits challenging the mandate… The white shoe law firm of Jones Day has also deployed a team of lawyers around the country, including a half-dozen in its Washington office, to defend Catholic dioceses and educational institutions suing the federal government. Other leading players representing the plaintiffs include the anti-abortion group Americans United for Life, the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Alliance Defending Freedom and the American Center for Law and Justice.” [Roll Call, 1/24/13]

In 2021, The ACLJ Defended South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem In A Lawsuit Regarding The State’s Requirement That Women Undergo Counseling Before Receiving An Abortion. [ACLJ Blog, 9/17/21]

In 2018, Jay Sekulow And The ACLJ Defended Troy Newman, Who Declared That The Government Should Execute Abortion Providers, After Newman Publicly Released Recordings Of Private National Abortion Federation Meetings. “Sekulow had asked the high court to overturn an injunction against his client, Troy Newman, president of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, and a former board member and secretary of the anti-abortion Center for Medical Progress. The court denied review without comment. Newman and David Daleiden, founder of CMP, were sued by the National Abortion Federation for publicly releasing secret recordings of the federation’s annual meetings and follow-up meetings with abortion providers. The videos, which lawyers for the abortion federation claimed were manipulated to falsely portray the providers as sellers of fetal tissue, violated confidentiality agreements that members of CMP, using false names, signed in order to have access to the meetings, according to the suit.” [Law.com, 4/2/18]

In 2023, The ACLJ Defended Two Anti-Abortion Extremists Who Harassed People Outside Of A Planned Parenthood In Maryland. [ACLJ Blog, 6/1/23]

The ACLJ Represented The Heritage Foundation In A Lawsuit Against Biden’s COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate For Employers. “Heritage filed a lawsuit against the mandate in November, with the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) representing Heritage.” [Heritage Foundation Press Statement, 1/14/22]

The ACLJ Frequently Files Amicus Briefs Advocating For Extremist Conservative And Anti-Abortion Outcomes.

• In 2014, The ACLJ Filed An Amicus Brief In Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Challenging The Affordable Care Act’s Contraceptive Mandate. [Amicus Brief, 1/28/14]
• In 2020, The ACLJ Submitted An Amicus Brief Defending An Ohio Heartbeat Abortion Ban It Helped Draft. [Amicus Brief, 5/6/20]
• That Same Year, The ACLJ Filed An Amicus Curiae Brief In Support Of A Tennessee Heartbeat Abortion Ban. [Amicus Brief, 11/16/20]
• The ACLJ Submitted An Amicus Brief In The Dobbs Case Falsely Claiming That Abortion Is More Dangerous Than Childbirth. [Amicus Brief, 7/17/20]
• In 2021, The ACLJ Submitted A Brief In Defense Of Indiana’s Oppressive Parental Notification Abortion Restriction. [Amicus Brief, 5/3/21]
• A Month Later, The ACLJ Filed An Amicus Brief Supporting South Carolina’s Heartbeat Ban. [Amicus Brief, 6/28/21]
• Also In 2022, The ACLJ Submitted An Amicus Brief Against Michigan’s Decision To Enshrine Abortion As A Constitutional Right. [Amicus Brief, 5/10/22]
• That Same Year, The ACLJ Filed An Amicus Brief In Support Of Oklahoma’s Abortion Ban. [Amicus Brief, 10/3/22]
• Around The Same Time, The ACLJ Filed A Brief In Support Of Two Extreme Kentucky Abortion Bans. [Amicus Brief, 10/4/22]
• The ACLJ Submitted A Brief To The Supreme Court of Iowa In Support Of Its Extreme Fetal Heartbeat Abortion Ban. [Amicus Brief, 11/15/23]
• The ACLJ Submitted An Amicus Brief Supporting A Ban On The Critical Abortion Pill Mifepristone In The Recent Case, FDA v. Alliance For Hippocratic Medicine. “This case features a who’s who of Christian Nationalist groups that are part of a well-funded and politically connected shadow network that is working to undermine church-state separation and our democracy. Alliance Defending Freedom brought the case. First Liberty Institute is where Judge Kacsmaryk, the district court judge to first ban mifepristone, worked prior to his lifetime judicial appointment. A slew of anti-abortion organizations filed briefs supporting the ban, from Family Research Council to American Center for Law and Justice to Advancing American Freedom.” [Americans United for Separation of Church and State Statement, 12/13/23]
• The ACLJ Filed A Brief In Support Of West Virginia’s Extreme, Near-Total Abortion Ban. “West Virginia’s Unborn Child Protection Act bans abortions in almost all cases at any stage of pregnancy and makes it a felony for anyone other than physicians to sell, prescribe or dispense mifepristone outside of the act’s narrow exceptions… The pro-life groups listed on the April 15 amicus briefs are Advancing American Freedom, The American Center for Law and Justice…” [West Virginia Report, 4/17/24]
• The ACLJ Filed An Amicus Brief Defending North Carolina’s Attack On Medication Abortion. [ACLJ Blog, 8/22/24]

The Washington, D.C. Location Had $853,816 In Revenue In FY2022.

Donations To The American Center For Law And Justice Are Controlled Entirely By The Sekulow Family. “But in 2011, the ACLJ formalized an arrangement that first routes donations solicited in its name to the other nonprofit, Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism, tax filings show. The latter charity is controlled entirely by Sekulow, his wife and his two sons, who serve as the only voting members on the board. The ACLJ relies on the family-run charity for nearly its entire budget, $53 million in 2015, meaning the Sekulows effectively control both charities, nonprofit experts said.” [Washington Post, 6/27/17]

In 2005, A Legal Times Investigation Revealed That Millions In Charity Funds Were Being Used To Support The Sekulows’ Lavish Lifestyle. “But there is another side to Jay Sekulow, one that, until now, has been obscured from the public. It is the Jay Sekulow who, through the ACLJ and a string of interconnected nonprofit and for-profit entities, has built a financial empire that generates millions of dollars a year and supports a lavish lifestyle complete with multiple homes, chauffeur-driven cars, and a private jet that he once used to ferry Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia… That less-known side of Sekulow was revealed in several interviews with former associates of his and in hundreds of pages of court and tax documents reviewed by Legal Times. Critics say Sekulow’s lifestyle is at odds with his role as the head of a charitable organization that solicits small donations for legal work in God’s name.” [National Law Journal, 10/31/05]

Of The Nearly $230 Million In Charitable Donations Received By The ACLJ From 2011 To 2015, $5.5 Million Went To The Sekulow Family Themselves And $28.5 Million To Their Businesses. “Through a complex arrangement involving ACLJ and another charity, $5.5 million was paid directly to Sekulow and five family members in salary or other compensation, tax records covering those years show. Another $7.5 million went to businesses owned by Sekulow and his sister-in-law for producing and consulting on TV, movie and radio shows, including his weekday program, ‘Jay Sekulow Live!’ And $21 million went to a small law firm co-owned by Sekulow, records show.” [Washington Post, 6/27/17]

In 2017, The Guardian Revealed That CASE, The Sister Organization And Business Arm Of The ACLJ, Had Steered Over $60 Million To The Sekulows And The Corporations They Own Since 2000. “Documents obtained by the Guardian show Sekulow that month approved plans to push poor and jobless people to donate money to his Christian nonprofit, which since 2000 has steered more than $60m to Sekulow, his family and their businesses… In addition to using tens of millions of dollars in donations to pay Sekulow, his wife, his sons, his brother, his sister-in-law, his niece and nephew and their firms, Case has also been used to provide a series of unusual loans and property deals to the Sekulow family.” [Guardian, 6/27/17]

In 2020, The Associated Press Found That, From 2008 To 2017, More Than $65 Million In Charitable Funds Went To The Sekulow Family And Their Businesses. “The Associated Press reviewed 10 years of tax returns for the ACLJ and other charities tied to Sekulow, which are released to the public under federal law. The records from 2008 to 2017, the most recent year available, show that more than $65 million in charitable funds were paid to Sekulow, his wife, his sons, his brother, his sister-in-law, his nephew and corporations they own… Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, said Sekulow appears to be mixing his defense of Trump with his charitable endeavors.” [PBS, 1/30/20]