Revealed: Trump-linked US Christian 'fundamentalists' pour millions of 'dark money' into Europe, boo

[Judi Lynn]

Revealed: Trump-linked US Christian ‘fundamentalists’ pour millions of ‘dark money’ into Europe, boosting the far right
MEPs call for action as openDemocracy analysis reveals ‘shocking’ flows of cash crossing the Atlantic to push ultra-conservative agendas.


Claire Provost
Mary Fitzgerald
27 March 2019




US Christian right ‘fundamentalists’ linked to the Trump administration and Steve Bannon are among a dozen American groups that have poured at least $50 million of ‘dark money’ into Europe over the last decade, openDemocracy can reveal today.

Between them, these groups have backed ‘armies’ of ultra-conservative lawyers and political activists, as well as ‘family values’ campaigns against LGBT rights, sex education and abortion – and a number appear to have increasing links with Europe’s far right.

They are spending money on a scale “not previously imagined”, according to lawmakers and human rights advocates, who have called our findings “shocking”. Reacting to openDemocracy’s findings, a cross-party group of more than 40 MEPs has called on the EU’s transparency tsar Frans Timmermans to look into the influence of “US Christian fundamentalists… with the greatest urgency” ahead of May’s European Parliament elections.

Among the biggest spenders is a group whose chief counsel is also Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow. Another organisation has collaborated with a controversial Rome-based ‘institute’ backed by Steve Bannon. And a number of the groups are connected to the World Congress of Families: a network of ultra-conservative activists which has links to far-right politicians and movements in several European countries, including Italy, Hungary, Poland, Spain and Serbia.

More:
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/revealed-trump-linked-us-christian-fundamentalists-pour-millions-of-dark-money-into-europe-boosting-the-far-right/

[bobbieinok]

1. Way past time for dems, M$M to realize threat Evangelicals pose to democracy. Eg, Chris Stroop's blo

He was raised in a fundamentalist/evangelical family and church. He's posted many times on the authoritarian-accepting mind-set these groups inculcate in their members.

[hedda_foil]

2. Koch and DeVos money funds some of it.

None of these American groups discloses who its donors are – though at least two have links to famous conservative billionaires, such as the Koch brothers (who helped bankroll the Tea Party Movement) and the family of Trump’s education secretary.

[dalton99a]

4. +1

[ck4829]

3. K&R

[Lars39]

5. Well, that explains Franklin Fucking Graham being in Iraq a few weeks after

Shock and Awe, and now his recent trip to Russia to meet with high ranking officials.