This investigation looked at an alliance between Mike Pence’s dark money group, Advancing American Freedom, and conservative legal powerhouse Leonard Leo to derail RFK Jr.’s confirmation as HHS Secretary—using abortion as their wedge issue. The move has puzzled observers, given Pence’s rocky ties with Trump and Leo’s direct influence. Is this strategy about policy, or a deeper political rift?

Ahead of anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert Kennedy Jr.’s Senate confirmation hearing for the Health and Human Services Secretary position, a prominent anti-vaccine group rebranded. Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, known for its promotion of unproven COVID treatments, has become the Independent Medical Alliance. Important Context did a deep dive into the change.

Right-wing operatives and anti-vax groups that were successful in politicizing COVID-19 have already begun downplaying concerns about bird flu outbreaks and pushing conspiracy theories. Such efforts are part of a larger campaign to undermine public health.

This investigation was a deep-dive into the speakers at the 2024 Brownstone Institute conference in Pittsburgh. The event, held ahead of the election, featured anti-vaccine figures, public health contrarians, and right-wing operatives. The range of backgrounds and organizations represented by the speakers showed how far Brownstone’s reach has extended in its short existence.

A lawfare dark money group tied to billionaire industrialist Charles Koch is waging a legal battle on behalf of allegedly vaccine-injured plaintiffs against members of the Biden administration over alleged censorship. New Civil Liberties Alliance fought a similar case but lost at the Supreme Court in June 2024.

Important Context took a look at the big money propping up anti-trans right-wing agitator Chris Rufo. In partnership with the Center for Media and Democracy, we looked at the funding behind the various dark money groups affiliated with Rufo.

For this sweeping investigation, Important Context teamed up with Rolling Stone to reveal how major charitable funds were directing millions of dollars to anti-vaccine groups, including Robert Kennedy Jr.’s Children’s Health Defense.

For this investigation, AJI teamed up with The New Republic. Together, we looked into how much money major charitable funds were distributing to hate groups in the U.S. The amounts were not insignificant.

Important Context revealed some of the previously anonymous funders of the Brownstone Institute. A dark money group dedicated to opposing pandemic control measures, Brownstone quickly became a central hub of COVID-19-related misinformation since its founding in 2021.

Important Context dug into federal tax filings in order to identify the funding behind prominent right-wing media dark money groups. Their major financial backers provide insight into their agenda and coverage.

Important Context obtained leaked emails from inside the Brownstone Institute, the COVID-19 misinformation dark money group. The emails reveal support for child labor within the group. Brownstone founder Jeffrey Tucker said he would abolish a key child labor law and admitted to supporting youth tobacco use.

Important Context’s report on the anonymous money behind the Brownstone Institute, which highlighted violent Substack posts by one of the Brownstone fellows, appears to have caused a shake up at the dark money group.

Important Context looked at the funding behind the so-called Brownstone Institute, a right-wing dark money outfit that emerged in 2021 and has since become a hub for COVID-19 conspiracy theories and misinformation. We revealed that the group was primarily propped up by large anonymous donations.