Media Matters Playbook - Searchable

PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL
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THIS IS NOT WHAT WE PLANNED,
BUT IT'S WHAT WE'RE BUILT FOR
The progressive infrast ructure grou ps we've built t ogether were started long before
Hillary Clint on ran for president. They were always intended to be the first line of defense-
and off ense-w hen we are under siege.
If we keep fightin g, our groups will last, we wi ll continue to build for the future-a nd we
wi ll w in again.
We have the mandate.
Togethe r, we wo n the popular vote and Democrat s picked up seats in the Senate and
th e House.
Trump is the least popu lar incoming president in modern histo ry and the outgo ing presid ent
and popular vote w inner are again th e most adm ired man and woma n in the nation.
The countr y did not vote fo r Trump -sty le change.
Trump has th e legal auth ority, but we have t he moral aut hority-and the moral responsibilit y-
t o oppose him .
We will fight, every day.
We are goi ng to fi ght for the thin gs in whic h we believe, and we are going to fig ht against
any att empt to erode th e co rnerston e wo rk and values of the progressive moveme nt and th is
pluralisti c nation .
We are going to resist t he normalization of Donald Trum p. His every confl ict of interest,
his every bit of cro nyism, his every move toward auth oritar ianism, his every subversion
of our democratic syste ms and principles, his every radical departure from fo reign and
dom estic polic y norms .
We are going to cont est every effort , at every level of government , t o limit rights , rescind
prot ecti o ns, entrenc h inequa lit y, redistribu t e wealth upwards, or in any ot her way
fundam entally undermin e the t enets of egalit arianism that must serve as the bedroc k
of our democracy.
Introduction I1
We will apply lessons learned.
Generally speaking and simply put , Democrats got clobbered in the digital space.
Digital programs-both tactical and messaging-failed to actively liste n to and engage t he

online grassroots universe.
The Trump camp spoke effectively to the grassroots and relied on on line channels to
disseminate information and misinformation and influence the media, even getting fake stories
onto cable TV.
And the right colonized Facebook, which has established a virtual monopo ly on information
distribution.
Our digital efforts were largely focused on changing the narrative with the traditional
media versus voters. This worked to a point but wasn't enough in the face of a news media
incentivized by profit and access and fearful of intimidat ion and bullying by the Trump forces.
We will fully adapt to the new reality, and we will win.
Here's how:
In the next four years, Media Matters will continue its core mission of disarming right-
wing misinformation, while leading the fight against the next generation of conservative
disinformation: The proliferation of fake news and propaganda now threatening the country's
information ecosystem. Here's what success will look like:
• Serial misinformers and right-wing propagandists inhabiting everything from social media
to the highest levels of government will be exposed, discredited.
• Internet and social media platforms, like Google and Facebook, will no longer uncritically
and without consequence host and enrich fake news sites and propagandists.
• Toxic alt-right social media-fueled harassment campaigns that silence dissent and poison
our national discourse will be punished and halted.
American Bridge will cement itself as the standard-bearer of opposition research, build on
its role as a progressive clearinghouse for information that drives the narrative on Republican
officeholders and candidates, and be at the epicenter of Democrats' work to regain power-
starting in 2017 and building to 2020. Here's what success w ill look like:
• Trump will be defeated either through impeachment or at the ballot box in 2020.
• The balance of power will shift back to Democrats. We will measurably impact US Senate,
gubernatorial, and state legislative races.
• We will free ourselves from solely relying on the press. Our robust digital program will reach
voters directly online.
2 I Private & Confidential

CREW w ill be t he leading nonpart isan ethi cs watchdog group in a period of crisis w ith a
president and administrat ion that present possible confli cts of int erest and ethi cal problems
on an unprecedented scale. CREW w ill dema nd eth ical conduct fro m th e administ rati on
and all parts of governm ent, expose impr oper influ ence fro m powe rfu l int erests, and ensure
account abilit y w hen the administrati on and oth ers shirk ethi cal st andards, rules, and laws.
Here's w hat success w ill look like:
• Trump will be afflicted by a steady flow of damaging information, new revelations, and an ·
inability to avoid conflicts issues.
• The Trump administration will be forced to defend illegal conduct in court.
• Powerful industries and interest groups will see their influence wane.
• Dark money will be a polit ical liability in key states.
Shareblue will t ake back social media fo r Democra t s. We w ill delegitimi ze Donald Trump 's
presidency by embo ldening th e opposit ion and empowe ri ng the major ity of A mericans w ho
op pose him. Shareblue w ill be t he dy namic nucleus of a mult i- platfo rm med ia company th at
inform s, engages, and arm s A mericans to fi ght. Here's wha t success wi ll look like:
• Shareblue will become the de facto news outlet for opposition leaders and the grassroots.
• Trump allies will be forced to step down or change course due to news pushed by Shareblue.
• Under pressure from Shareblue , Democrats will take more aggressive positions
against Trump.
• Shareblue will achieve financial sustainability while diversifying content offerings

and platforms.
• Top editorial and writing talent will leave competitors to join Shareblue .
Rig ht now, our instituti ons are amo ng t he criti cal few t hat stand betwee n t he Ame rica we love
and t he abyss. We must protect and defend our democratic values.
We wi ll not back dow n. We wi ll only move fo rwar d.
We hope you'll fight with us.
Introduction I3
Media Matters will further increase our visibility in the ecosystem, .
strengthen the ability of our supporters and partners to influence
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THE TOP WATCHDOG AGAINST
FAKE NEWS AND PROPAGANDA
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
The onslaught of well-funded right -wing media manipulation brings with it significant challenges.
The conservative Media Research Center, with an annual operating budget of $18 million, works closely
with establishment right-wing media to reinforce the myth of a liberally biased media, push journalism
to the right, and propel misinformation into the mainstream.
Breitbart, whic h has received millions in funding from extremist billionaires close to the Trump
adm inistration, prov ides a nexus point for the so-called alt-right (the newest branding for American
white nationalism, anti-Semiti sm, and misogyny) to exploit vulnerabilities throu ghout
the media landscape. W ith a powerful ally in the Wh ite House (former chief executive Steve Bannon
w ill be Trump's chief strategist), Breitbart plans to export its brand of anti-establishment racism on a
global scale.
Meanwhile, the right has spent millions building and maintaining a next generation conservative news
infrastructure, which it effectively weaponized through social media and affi liated sites during the 20 16
presidential campaign.
The relationship is symb iotic.
Donald Trump uses his Twitter account to manipulate news cycles with lies; attack press outle t s that
produce crit ical st ories about him; and share stories from fake news purveyors, conspiracy websites,
and right-wing news out lets.
"Trump TV" (the stream ing news upstart Right Side Broadcasting) gives him a platform to bypass
other news media and distribute programming directly to his suppor ters. (Trump TV will reported ly
be present at White House press briefings even without traditional press credentia ls.)
In a hyper-fragmented media environment, the right is aggressively exploiting vulnerabilities and

finding new ways to poison the information ecosystem with lies.
Media Matters is ready to stop them.
Media Matters for America 2020 Plan I5

OVERARCHING
STRATEGY
In our last four-year strategic plan, we described the media landscape ahead as being "sandwiched
between two realiti es." We foresaw a landscape where, on the one hand, legacy outlets would
ostensibly remain at the forefront, but their power and relevancy wou ld wane as they made abrupt
shift s to respond to changing economic realities. On th e other hand, fragmentati on amo ng audiences
would create an explosion in new digital outlets yielding increases in confirmation bias, trap
information consumers in the filter bubble isolating them from contrary views, and foment extremism .
We are no longer sandwiched between t wo realities. The new reality is th e one of fragmentatio n-
and all that comes with it. Specific ally, Media Matters must respond to three distinct challenges:
• The decay of journalism.
• The rise of fake news, disinformation, and active propaganda efforts.
• An information ecosystem that furthers extremism and cultivates a climate of harassment.
To stop right-wing media manipulati on in this environmen t, we must further increase our visibi lity in
the ecosystem, strengthen the ability of our partners and supporters to influenc e it, and improv e the
infra stru cture on which it rests.
TOP OUTCOMES
Over t he next four years, Media Matters wi ll focus on achieving t he following outcomes:
Serial misinformers and right-wing propagandists inhabiting everything from social media to the
highest levels of government will be exposed.
Internet and social media platforms, like Google and Facebook, will no longer uncritically and
without consequence host and enrich fake news sites and propagandists.
Toxic alt-right social media-fueled harassment campaigns that silence dissent and poison our
national discourse will be punished and halted.
STOPPEDDONALD TRUMP'S PHONE INTERVIEW PRIVILEGES.

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Media Matters was the first to call out national cable broadcast networks for allowing Trump
to phone in to their shows instead of forcing him to appear via satellite or in studio. Because
of this unprecedented privilege, Trump could appear on more shows (he conducted 69 phone
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interviews in the first 69 days of 2016 alone), and he could avoid being confronted by images
and interviewers showing his lies for what they are. As a result of our campaign urging major
networks to correct course, CBS News and NBC News publicly stated they 'd discontinue
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Trump's phone privileges. Eventually others followed suit and Trump's ability to control the
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news cycle from the comfort of his home was greatly reduced.
I Private & Confidential

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THEMEDIAMATTERSPLAN
Med ia Matters will push back on conservative misinformation across all media channels in the
information ecosystem and specifically neutralize the effects and infrastructure of the new ly
empowered alt-right.
We will focus our efforts into the following three areas:
• Leverage our authority to encourage good journalism.
• Develop technologies to serve as an early warning system for fake news and inoculate
social media platforms from exploitation and abuse.
• Implement a robust omnichannel communications strategy and mobilize a massive

grassroots advocacy effort.
ENCOURAGE
GOODJOURNALISM
Traditional news outlets are dying.
17,929
news articles highlighting
Their business models have been decimated over the last 20 years as or relying on Media Matters
thei r audiences have fallen, competitors have grown , and advertising
revenue has plummeted.
Journalist s face an increasingly precarious personal financial position as news outlets lay off report ers
or fold altogether.
This posit ion of weakness, combined with journalists ' inst itutional tendency to portray political
problems as equally the fault of both Democrats/ progressives and Republicans/conservatives
regardless of the facts, suggests that the press will continue to normalize Donald Trump and his allies.
Journalists w ho confront the extreme reality of a Trump adm inistration experience personal
harassment. Med ia outlet s that hold him accountable may be subject to boycotts , enflamed by the
president himself. Both risk access to government information and officials.
Media Matters must grapple wit h the effects of decaying journalism and ensure that truth triumphs in
the information ecosystem - not only as a means to combat misinformation but because it's necessary
for our embattle d democracy to survive.
Here's how we'll do it:
RESEARCH
Even our fiercest detractors acknowledge th e veracity our research. Recognizing that Media Matters'
strengt h comes from its research products, we will elevate and promote their branding and use.
In early December 2076, Media Matters restructured our research department to improve our abi lity
to engage in deep dive research studie s and opposition research while simultaneous ly supporti ng rapid
response that bolsters the progressive movement.
In 2017, we will revamp th e Media Matters website to make this vital and often evergreen information
signifi cantly more accessible. Every day, Media Matters receives requests from members of the news
media and progressive partners that can be satisfied by simply pointing them to previously published
research content. Developing a research portal will capita lize on this demand.
Media Matters for America 2020 Plan I7

Along these lines, when it comes to ultimately moving the needle and shaping coverage, few products
rival a Media Mat ters quantitative study that puts hard numbers on the amount and type of coverage
a topic has received, and the people and organizations sought to discuss it. We know this based on
feedback from journalists as well as the impact these studies have generated. Increasing the number
of quantitative studies we publish will strengthen Media Matters' overall brand while increasing our
credibility with activists, media, and our movement partners.
Additionally, Media Matters' core media monitoring and research teams, which focus on the news of
the day, are bolstered by five issue-specific teams led by experts who study how media cover the key
progressive topics of our time, even when they do not lead the news. Med ia Matters' issue teams are
focused on correcting misinformation on: gun violence and public safety, LGBT equality, reproductive
health and gender equality, climate and energy, and economic policy . Our issue teams teams work daily
with movement partners specializing on these issues to amplify our work and change the narrative on
how these issues are covered in the media.
MEDIA ADVOCACY-PUNISH ENABLING AND COMPLACENCY

Media Matters will be vigilant in holding news media accountable for even
"Over the years, the slightest bit of normalization of Trump. We will encourage journalists
Media Matters has to defend standard practices, like the protective press pool and media
credentialing, and strive for higher standards against this new threat.
won or assisted in a
number of tangible When Breitbart applied for Permanent Senate Gallery Press Credentials,
Media Matters was quick to act by advising t he credentia ling committee
victories,from of the myriad ways that Breitbart violated t heir requirements. Add itiona lly,
getting Glenn Beck Media Matters did something that the committee was unable to do:
A deep dive study of Breitbart content, reviewing thousands of their
off cable news to stories to demonstrate that they do not meet the credentialing
holding 60 Minutes requirement for orig inal reporting.
accountable for its Media Matters also first sounded the alarm about Breitbart's international
faulty Benghazi expansion and began working with journalists in the Unit ed States and
abroad to educate them on Breitbart 's model as well as the larger universe
reporting." of alt-right activity for which Breitbart is the nexus. Most signif icantly ,
-The Nation we helped journalists understand the symbiotic relationship between
Breitbart and opposition political parties so that they can accurately report
on the danger that is spreading across western democracies.
Supporting journa lism means just that: Helping news media navigate the complicated alt-r ight
landscape, defending them against harassment and abuse from alt-right pockets, whi le simu ltaneously
ensuring that they do the work that is so vitally needed.
NEUTRALIZE GOVERNMENT DISINFORMATION

What happens when the most dangerous source of misinformation is no longer right -wing radio hosts
or Fox News, but the federal government itself? Misinformation coming out of government agencies
can have devastating consequences. Look no further than government-fueled misinformation amplified
by an uncritical news media that led the country to war with Iraq in 2003.
The notion that the United States government under Donald Trump could become a source of
misinformation is not far-fetched-and in fact seems all but inevitable. Trump himself has repeatedly
pushed lies on his social media accounts. And several of his top officia ls have promoted fake news
stor ies, including the person that he has put in charge of the officia l White House social media
accounts, who has also used social media to harass detractors .

192.1 million
unique visitors to Media Matters'
website since 20 13
Bottom line: Media Ma tters must be fully prepared to identify
misinformation com ing from government and fight it at every
turn - both directly and indirectly by prodding journalists to scrutinize federal claims .
As part of our research department restructuring, we have added a dedicated team of media analysts
that wi ll use new technologies to help track government disinformation. Media Matters is prepared to
confront the United States government under a proven and dangerous dissembler.
INNOVATE AGAINST FAKE NEWS AND PROPAGANDA
Facebook's virtual monopoly on information distribution has supercharged the fragmented landscape.
Almost two-thirds of Amer icans (200 million) consume news on social media. By contrast, less than
half of adults watch local news, less than a third watch cable news or nightly network news, a quarter
listen to radio, and only one in five read newspapers.
In 2016, a full two-thirds of Facebook users used the platform to get news. Facebook's algorith m fuels
confirmation bias by feeding content from out lets that tell the users what they want to hear. Fake news
purveyors exploited this vulnerabil ity for profit and political influence.
Fake news was so profitable dur ing the 2016 election that teenagers in Macedonia began publishing
pro-Trump propaganda for the sole purpose of making money. In instances where fake news can be
funded by political operations or even foreign governments, Facebook's algorithm is the only barrier
to mass access.
We are already experts in monitoring the way information moves through the media landscape;
we understand where and how a lie is manufactured and how it proliferates.
Now is the time to build on our expertise and unique audio and video archive to develop the
technologies necessary to combat this new onslaught of misinformation.
BIG DATA ANALYSIS AND EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

Media monitoring enables us to identify pernicious misinformation and develop strategies for
combating it. Historically, this has meant monitoring conservative media, television news, and newspapers.
But relying on human media monitors is no longer sustainable. Fake news and alt-right communities
are multiplying exponential ly.
Media Matters has already secured access to raw data from Facebook,
Twitter, and other social media sites. We have also put in place the
970% increase technology necessary to automatical ly mine w hite nat ionalist message
in Facebook engagement over the
boards and alt-right communities fo r our archive.
past 4 years , from 4.8 million
in 2013 to 56 .9 million in 2016 We will now develop technologies and processes to systematical ly monitor
and analyze this unfiltered data.
The earlier we identify a fake news story, the more effectively we can quash it. Wit h th is new technology
at thei r fingerti ps, researchers monitor ing news in real time w ill be able to ident ify t he origins of a lie wit h
mat hematical precision, creating an early warning system for fake news and disinforma t ion.
PREDICTIVE TECHNOLOGY
Bringing this data analysis to scale will also allow Med ia Matters to identify which individua ls and
out lets are the most destructive forces driving fake news, misinformation, and harassment.
Cutt ing-edge advances in cloud comput ing and machine learning wil l enable us to identi fy patterns
and connect ions that wou ld otherw ise go under the radar. We will be able to assess whe re and how
misinformation is likely to move, who will be affected by it, and what needs to be done to neutralize it.
But predictive technolog ies are only as good as the data that goes into them. The more data the system
has to analyze, the richer its insights. Media Matters ' already extensive 12-year archive gives this new
system a big jump-start.
COLLABORATING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

Out lets th at push fake news are completely dependent on Facebook t o spread the ir lies, and ad
net works like Google to fun d them.
Media Matters has unique insight to help fix problems in this part of the media landscape.
After Facebook responded to our campaign by acknowledging t he problem of fake news and agreeing
to do something about it , we began a dialogue . It became clear from these conversat ions that Facebook
needed our help in fu lly understanding t he prob lem and ident ifyi ng concrete solutions. Further, it also
became clear that we had info rmation and insight that t hey didn't have that was helpful in educating
them on the ful l scope of the problem. For example , Media Ma t ters had a detailed map of the
conste llation of right-wing Facebook pages that had been t he biggest purveyors of fake news-as we ll
as insight into the food chain of fake news and how it was movi ng through the Facebook ecosystem.
Similar ly, after Google revised their terms of service in order to prohibit so-called fake news sites from
using their advertis ing network, it was Media Matters that had the information necessary to identify
4 0 of the wo rst fake news sites to which this policy applied.
$170,000,000
in earned TV airtimefor Media Matters
research and video since 2013
Social media platforms need help in identify ing vu lnerabilities and

crafti ng solutions. To th is end, Med ia Matters will serve as t heir partner,
speaking to them in their language of big data and encouraging changes based on what we see
happening in t he landscape.
By applying our expert ise-drive n technolog ies and enhanced credibility, we will earn and mai nta in
our seat at the table and improve t he structures of the media landscape.
MOBILIZE
At the Republican National Convention , Stephen Bannon bragged that Breitbart News had built "the
platform for the alt-r ight." Weeks later, Trum p appointed Bannon the head of his campa ign, and now
Bannon w ill fol low Trump into t he Wh ite House. The alt-r ight specia lizes in harassment and abuse and
distinguishes itself from traditional right -w ing media by its ability t o self-organize.
But it has several key vulnerabili t ies.
They are largely dependent upon social media behemot hs that tolerate the ir abusive act ivity.
(Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, and Twitte r have permitted the alt -right's presence, with some rare but
notable except ions.) They operate on the edge of the law. Their efforts are largely financed on th in
prof it margins. And thei r membership consists of weak individuals, often recrui t ed into t he movement
because they fear or resent women and/o r harbo r racial animosity.
Both fake news and the alt-r ight rely on being able to operate in the shadows. They assume that no one
wi ll detect t heir harassment and propaganda until the damage has already been done .
To stop them, we need to become bigger and louder. Only through mass engagement can we halt their
harassment and lies.
OMNICHANNELCOMMUNICATIONS
Media Matters w ill not j ust manage the effect s of media fragme ntat ion; we w ill leverage it to advance
our mission.
To t his end, Media Matte rs will enhance our existing digital program by establish ing an omnichannel
commun ications command center to communicate wit h audiences in ways that are opti mized for the
platform on which they are already most engaged.
Put another way, we won't force information consumers to come to us for a one-size-fits -all piece
of co ntent. Instead, we wi ll go to them with content t hat is tai lored to their indiv idualized way of
interacting. In practice , th is means that the way we present a speci fic issue on Facebook will be
different than the way that we present it on Tumblr or Twitter-and some in our audience may not even
''l,ve gotten some tough treatment {from Media Matters]

and there were times you guys were right and I internalized
that and said 'that is a lesson learned_,,,
- Major Garrett, CBS News White House Correspondent
(formerly a Fox News correspondent)
Media Matters for America 2020 Plan I 11

"It's often easy to trace Media Matters'
influence on a major news story." get information on social, but instead
-National Journal have it delivered directly to their phone
via text messages.
Our award-winning digital team has incorporated elements of this strategy into our communicat ions for
the past few years, resulting in a 970% increase in engagement and a comparable increase in growth .
Now, Media Matters will fully incorpo rate this approach by overhaul ing our social media strategy,
adding additional staff to our social media team, and init iating a comp rehensive audience target ing
and segmentation program .
We will also bring on board an expert to construc t turnkey rapid-response plans so th at Media Matters
can squash burgeoning on line harassment campaigns and fake news or saturate the landscape with
truth, bypassing the news media entir ely if need be.
W it h this capacity, Media Matters wi ll dramatically increase our audience and engagement and
effect ively quash fake news and misinformation before it spreads far and wide.
MASSIVE GRASSROOTS TRUTH SQUAD

Wider reach alone wo n't be sufficient. We need our audience to persistentl y engage in the fight against
the alt- right and fake news- routinely and wi t hin their own social networks.
Too many Facebook users sit silent as extremism and misinformation fill their news feeds. Progressives
in particular are significantly less likely to chal lenge content that pops up in their feeds compared to
their conservative counterparts. Silence allows mis information to fester.
This can't go on.
We w ill train hundreds of thousands of individuals on how to identify fake news and alt-right smears in
their social media networks and equip them with the too ls to fight them on their own.
In December 2016, with fake news at the forefront of public attention, we added 40,000 new
participants to our action list. We expect this growth t o continue, and wi ll provide tr ainings, resource
materials , and urgent action alerts to keep partic ipants actively engaged.
A deeper grassroots bench also means that Media Matters will be better positioned to win corporate
pressure campaigns, proven to eliminate perverse incentives that reward this horri fic behavior.
EVALUATION
M edia Matters wi ll constantly monitor the following indicato rs to know if we're on track toward our
top outcomes.
Serial misinformers and right-wing propagandists inhabiting everything from social media to the
highest levels of government will be exposed. Journalists, activists, allies, politicians, and the general
public will routinely utilize and weaponize our research products to understand and take action against
the changing media ecosystem and the extremists seeking to manipulate it. We will continu e to break
engagement records and dramatically expand and diversify our reach by presenting our research in
multiple formats on a variety of platforms. Key right-wing targ ets w ill see t heir influence dimin ish as
a result of our work.
Internet and social media platforms, like Google and Facebook, will no longer uncritically and
without consequence host and enrich fake news sites and propagandists. Social media companies
wil l engage with us over their promotion of the fake news industry. Facebook w ill adjust it s model

18,134
research,analysis, and rapid-response
pieces publishedsince 2013
to stem the flow of damaging fake news on its
platform 's pages. Google wi ll cut off these pages' accompanying sites' access to revenue by pulling
their access to Google's ad platform.
Toxic alt-right social media-fueled harassment campaigns that silence dissent and poison our
national discourse will be punished and halted. Hund reds of thousands of activists wil l jo in our
campa igns to push back on alt-right harassment. Key alt -right figures will lose credibility and influenc e
in response to our research and pressure.
BUDGETAND TEAM
Media Matters' core budget for 20 17 is $13.4 million, which covers a staff of 81.
This budget allows us t o create a 34-person research department engaged in media monitoring,
research, deep dive analysis, and rapid response. In addition, this supports five issue-specific teams
housing experts that provide broad support to the progressive movement on topics key progressive
issues like gun vio lence and public safety, LGBT equality, reproductive health and gender equality,
climate and energy, and economic policy.
This budget also allows us to invest in technological innovations like the creation of an early warning
system to identify the pro liferation of fake news more efficiently and to create cutting-edge predictive
techno logy that allows us to identify patterns and connections in order to asses how misinformation
will move and how we can neutralize it. We will also build out our digital and video teams to a staff of a
nine to create a robust omnichannel communications command center and mobilize a grassroots truth
squad; and increase the number and impact of actions and advocacy initiatives we undertake to drive
change and accountability across the media landscape.
SENIOR STAFF
Angelo Carusone, President. Ange lo was named President of Media Matters in December 2016.
Previously, he was the organization's Executive Vice President. In that role, Angelo helped run day-to-
day operations, expanded the organization's online footprint, and managed accountability initi at ives.
In 2016, he took a leave of absence to serve as the Deputy CEO for Finance & Admin istration of the
2016 Democratic National Convention . In 2009 , as a law student , Angelo founded the StopBeck effort,
w hich organized participants via social media to successfully convince sponsors to cease advertising
on Beck's show. In late 2010, Angelo joined Media Matters as Campaign Director and worked on its
DropFox initi ative; he later went on to serve as Director of On lin e Strategy & Campaigns. He organized
the StopRush effort, wh ich convinced thousa nds of advertise rs to refuse to sponso r Limbaugh 's
program. And he launched t he viral Dump Trump campa ign in 2012 that was responsible for convincing
many of Donald Trump's business partners to sever their relationships w ith Trump . He holds a B.A. in
American Studies from Fordham University and a J.D. from t he University of Wisconsin Law School.
Julie Millican, Vice President. Julie has been with the organiza tion collectively for over eight years
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in various capacities since she fi rst joined as a researcher in 2006. During her time, she has been a
Researcher, Assistant Research Directo r, Adv isor, Deputy Research Director, and also Chief of Staff. She
has w ritten exte nsively about the 2008 election and was routinely cited by t he nation's leading papers.
Over the years, Julie has been responsible for managing all Research Department resources, involved
in organization -wide strategy, overseeing the hir ing process, executing restructuring, and overseeing
organizat ional operations . She holds a B.S.in Sociology from Appalachian State University and a M.A.
in Clin ical Psychology.
Sam Zegas, Senior Advisor. Sam is responsible for spearheading Media M att ers' techno logical
innovat ions, organ izational plannin g, and operations. Sam is a recognized autho rity in linguistics and
multi - lingual project ma nager w ith experience in international affairs. Prior to joining Media Matters,
Sam was a management consultant at Accenture. There he spent several years helping the Department
of State to modernize its intern ational supply chain and asset management systems. He th en
transitioned to Boston Children 's Hospita l, where he served as the Acting Director of the International
Health Services department-the wo rld 's largest international patient program at a pediatric hospital.
He has full proficiency and professional experience in German, French, Spanish, and Slovenian, and is
also able to trans late Russian and Ital ian. He holds a B.A. in linguist ics and anthropo logy from Harvard
University. He is currently on deferment from a joint MBA/MP P program from Harvard Business School
and The Kennedy School of Government.
DISRUPTEDRUPERTMURDOCH'STIMEWARNEREXPANSION.
••
As soon as Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Foxannounced its bid to acquire Time Warner in July of 2014,
Media Matters kicked into high gear with a coordinated multi-level pressurecampaignurging Time Warner •
to not be swayed by the right-wing media mogul. Murdoch's attempts to grow his influence in the media
landscape have always been cause for concern, and we made it a part of our missionto keep his newest
•-
power grab in check, cautioning against a future where Fox News-like networks monopolizethe free and •
diverse flow of information in our news. If successful,this merger would have given Murdoch control of
40% of the US cable market and 30% of the movie market. After reports that Murdoch had pulled his •
offer, the New YorkTimes,Politico,Broadcasting& Cable,and other prominent outlets highlighted the
influence of our campaign. •

THE POLITICAL RESEARCH
ENGINE OF THE OPPOSITION
Defeating Donald Trump requires preparatio n and focus.
No other progressive organization has the resources and assets that American Bridge has amassed
over the past several election cyc les to hold Trump, his admi nistrati on, and th e polit icians who support
him accountable.
Only Bridge stands ready with staff already hired, Trump's web of business ties mapped out, and a
massive video archive at our fin gertip s.
There w ill be a need for progressive policy alt ernatives, but our focus at Bridge will be on real t ime
politi cal account ability. In thi s media environment, cont ent is king and that's where t he focus of
Bridge remains.
A look at the analogous entities on the right f urther reinforces the need for our work. Ame rica Rising,
wh ich was mod eled afte r Bridge, has become the unoffici al research arm of the Republica n Party.
The group's 501(c)(4) arm, Rising Squared, has already begun promoting Trump's Cabinet picks.
Trump's campaign allies have also made publ ic their plans to create a new nonprofit dedicated
to enactin g Trump's agenda. Trump campa ign digital director Brad Parscale, who was reported ly
empowered by Trump 's son-in- law Jared Kushner to take charge, will head the entity .
The right will bolster Trump aggressively and deceptiv ely. The campaign to stop him must be nonstop.
At Am erican Bridge, it has already begun.
OVERARCHING STRATEGY
As we move into our fourth elect ion cycle, the vision of Bridge as permanent progressive infrastructure
is coming to fruition. We are beginning to see the full value of our investment in researching and
t racking cand idates over multiple cycles.
With 20,000 hours of video, 289 candidate research books, and the largest available arch ive of Trump
research in the Democrat ic Party, we are uniqu ely prepared to take on the Trump admi nistrat ion, defeat
Republicans w ho enable it, and rebui ld progressive power in t he states.
Our new Trum p War Room, launched wit hin weeks of the election, is already scrutinizing the presidentia l
trans ition and wi ll vigilantly watchdog the personnel, policies, and practices of the adm inistration.
Our purpose is t o keep Trump unpopular and make it more diffic ult for candidates who supp ort him t o
get elected in 2018.
American Bridge 2020 Plan I 15

"On the left, the dominant player is American Bridge." - TIME Magazine
The mid -term map appears difficult for Democrats; damaging Trump in the next two years could
change that.
Republicans running in 2018 (and 2020) will be plagued by what we are best known for: opposition
research, video t racking, and rapid response. We will be involved in every competitive Senate race
in 2018.
But we must expand beyond federa l races; Democra t s must build power at t he st ate level. We have
lost ground and our once- in-a-decade chance to redraw distric t maps is around t he corner. That's why
Bridge wi ll conti nue t o engage in gubernatoria l races. And for the fir st t ime, we will partic ipate in state
legislature races.
Nearly 80 entit ies already use our content. Over the next four years, party committees, candidate
campaigns, and additional in-state allies wi ll use it, too.
But to fu lly realize the value of our cont ent, we must dramatica lly expand its reach. A new, robust
digita l program wi ll bring our content directly to voters, starting w ith t hose who voted twice for
Obama, but switc hed in 2016 to Trump. We must win these voters back in 2020.
As we expand the scope and reach of our research, we must also im prove t he effic iency with wh ich
we do it. We w il l contin ue to develop campaign technologies th at have made us an industry leader.
And we wi ll cont inue to reduce duplication and improve t he qualit y of polit ical research as we move
to the local level.
We are in a state of emergency.
Our initial response has been swift and forcefu l. We expect result s t o follow suit.
TOP OUTCOMES
In the next four years, American Bridge is focused on achieving the fo llowing outcomes:
Defeat Trump either through impeachment or at the ballot box in 2020.
Change the balance of power by measurably impacting US Senate, gubernatorial, and state
legislative races.
Free ourselves from solely relying on the press. Our robust digital program will reach voters
directly online.
DROVE·COVERAGETHAT LEDTO TRUMP ENTERINGOFFICE

•
AS THE LEASTPOPULARPRESIDENT-ELECTIN MODERN HISTORY. •
While the dynamicsof the election overcameTrump'ssky-highnegatives,the groundworkwe laid will be
critical to delegitimizingTrump as president.Bridgedrove673 storiesthroughoutthe campaignexposing
•
Trump'sunstabletemperament, scam-filled businessrecord,history of sexualabuse and misogyny,and •
racist behavior.As he enters office, he is the most unpopularpresident-electin modern history.
•
16 I Private & Confidential •
•
THEAMERICANBRIDGEPLAN
American Bridge is the Democratic epicente r of oppos iti on research and rapid response in president ial
and Senate elect ions. In the Trump era, th ere must be no "off years." American Bridge will sustain a
nonstop campaign .against Trump, his administr ation, and Republicans w ho enable him.
This is how we will do it:
STATE-OF-THE -ART TRUMP WAR ROOM
With 20 ,000 hours of video and audio footage at our fingertips (including nearly 2,000 hours of
Trump material) and massive, fully searchable databases of investigative knowledge on Trump's
business dealings and lawsuits involving him, our war room is already putting these assets to work
in th e follow ing ways:
VETTING NOMINEES
American Bridge has already set up a world-class vetting operation, the largest in the Democratic
Party, to investigate th e records of potentia l Trump nominees. Mor e than 1,200 positions require
confi rmation by the US Senate. We will home in on the 100 most important positions, focusing on
those who stand to have th e greatest impac t on our progress ive values in areas of wo men's health
and reproductive freedom, worke rs' rights, clim ate change, and th e tr eatmen t of immi grants and
people of color.
Wh ile Democ rats' position in the minority makes blocking nominees difficu lt, we believe some of his
nomi nees are so extreme th at the re will be the oppo rt unity to do so. Wher e we cannot block nominees,
we will use the process to highlight their most egregious past statement s and professional dealings
to make t heir confirmation process as difficult as possible and further erode Trump 's credibility.
The same holds for Trump's appointees to the Supreme Court. Republicans set the t one for Supreme
Court obstruc ti on through th eir treatment of Merrick Garland. Bridge will expose the ir extreme issue
positi ons, records , and backgrounds and equip Democrats in Congress, progressive partners, and the
press w ith our research in real t ime.
EXPOSING CONFLICTS
Donald Trump enters the W hite House with significant
confli cts of intere st, unprecedented both in number
20,000+ hours of
and extent compared to any other president-elect in
our history.
video and audio
footage stored in our state-of-the-art vault
The US intel ligence communi ty has confirmed that Russia
interve ned in the electi on to help Trump win and the
president -elect has already appo inted indi viduals wi th strong ties to Russia and Putin to some of the
most powerfu l posit ions in th e US government. Meanwhile, Putin-ti ed Trump campaign staffers Carter
Page and Paul Manafort appear poised to continue to leverage their connections to Trump as he takes
power. American Bridge has, and wi ll cont inue to, help uncover details of Trump's affect ion for Russia
and Putin (w hich appears to be driven at least in part by Trump's business interests), including video
of his Secretary of State pick Rex Till erson receiving th e "Russian Order of Friendship" medal fr om
Putin in 2013.

$311,685,233 value
of TV airtime for Bridge-placed
researchand video since2011
We are tracking Trump 's foreign and domesti c business partners, existing construction projects in
foreign countries, and potenti al negotiations on future projects that he could use to put personal profit
ahead of our national security.
Trump's massive corporate and personal debts take on new meaning when he's in charge of regulating
financial marke ts. He owes debt to banks he will regulate, including Deutsche Bank, Ladder Capital
Finance, Amboy Bank, and nearly a dozen others. There is also strong evidence that he broke the Cuban
embargo at a time w hen it was a serious federal crime.
With so many opportunities for foreign governments and corporations to gain influence over
Trump, American Bridge will use every means at its disposal to hold Trump and his administration
accountable-including FOIA requests, lawsuits , and regulatory complaints. As the progressive
movement's political research clearinghouse , we will arm our allies to join us in taking on the
administration through paid advertising, earned media, grassroots efforts, and legal recourse.
WATCHDOGGING THE AGENCIES

Often the most problematic scandals for any administration begin within the agencies. Trump 's early
nomination picks demonstrate that he will appoint people to run these agencies who are grossly
unqua lified. That, paired with the fact that he is considering gutting the bureaucratic staff, w ill make
agency watchdogging even more important for this administra ti on. American Bridge w ill have a
dedicated team to monitor the activities of the executive branch for confli cts of interest, malfeasance,
and incompetence. We will assign individual researchers to specific execut ive branch agencies,
including the IRS,Justice Department, HUD (given its interactions with Trump's real estate empire),
Defense, State, and others. Specific interest will be given to the various federal incentives and grant
programs and the dissemination of government contracts.
FIGHTING THE TRUMP AGENDA

American Bridge's Trump War Room will also have a team dedicated to monitor ing Trump 's issue
agenda and its potential negative impacts, especially on work ing families , women , the environment,
immigrants, and people of color. As the Trump administration attempts to privatize Medica id, revoke
protections for immigrant families , give massive tax breaks to the very wealthy, eliminate Obamacare,
defund Planned Parenthood, and let oil companies wreak havoc on our environment, American Bridge
will be there to shine a light on the real-world impacts on regular people. We will curate information
from policy think tanks, news reports , and our own original research and disseminate easily accessible
fact sheets to progressive partners, the press, and voters themselves.
TIME CAPSULING TRUMP TESTIMONIALS

Much of the paid communication this cycle centered on criticism of Trump and his temperament.
But one underutilized tactic was sharing testimonials of people who have experienced Trump first-
hand. Trump and his ilk successfully intimidated and silenced many of these crit ics. American Bridge
w ill give them a place to turn. We film tho se who want to tell the ir stor ies on camera, and provide a
space for those who fear going public to tell their stories in a confidential manner. We will use some
of the se stories in real time-and catalogue all for use in paid communication for 2020.
'~merican Bridge has a mission for 2017: Hold Donald Trump accountable."
- McClatchy, December 6, 2016

OPPOSITION RESEARCH AND CANDIDATE TRACKING
American Bridge w ill make run ning as a Republican

candidate in the next four years painful. We w ill not
only damage Trum p, but also the candidates who
enable and support him. Amer ican Bridge w ill use
2,228,190 miles driven and
its full research, video tr acking, and rapid response 24,507 eventscoveredby videotrackers
capabi lities to drive messages about Republican
cand idat es that w ill change the narrative in their
races and help secure victories for Democratic candidate s.
SENATE
We plan to be involved in every competitive and potent ially competitive Senate race in the comi ng
cycle. Democrats are expected to have 23 seats up for election, along with two independent Senators
who caucus wit h Democrats. Republicans are expecte d to have eight seats up for elect ion. Taking into
account seats t hat will likely be safe for one party or the other , we project that American Bridge will
wo rk in 16-20 races.
Democratic incumbents are on the ballot in nine states that Trump won including five t hat Republicans
also wo n in 20 12: Indiana, Missouri, Mon t ana, North Dakota, West Virg inia. Ot hers include Florida,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wi sconsin. The Virg inia Senate race may also be competit ive w ith Tim Kaine
up for reelection. In th ese races, it wi ll be criti cal to defin e the Republican candidates early so they are
unable to capita lize on a polit ical landscape that is favorable to t heir party.
Bridge has already begun research on known Republ ican Senate tar gets like Josh Mandel in Ohio
and Dean Heller in Nevada. We have moved 10 trackers into key Senate states and wil l increase our
track ing reach across the country beginning in Apr il 2017.
We are also maintaining a presence and beginnin g research and tra cking in states that may provide
greater oppor tu nity for Democrat s th is cycle than they have in the past, like Arizona where Republican
Jeff Flake is on t he ballot in 2018.
•--~~ -.-r.·-•;••· .... ·:.......~,;

..
American Bridge 202()Plan I

18,000+ stories
placed based on Bridge research since 2011
GOVERNORS
Electing governors in 2018 is the first conc rete step
Democrats can take toward having a bigger say in the next redistricting process, and opportunities
for pickups are widespread. As Politico recently reported:
"Twenty -seven of the 38 governorships up in 20 17 and 2018 are Republican-held, including

many seats t hat will be open aft er eight years of GOP control. That means w idespread
opportunities for Democratic gains, as well as a criti cal chance for new ideas and new blood
to emerge as the party seeks to identify its next generat ion of leaders."
In 2017, Bridge wil l produce research and tracking for the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races.
We are already ahead of the game in Virginia since we produced a research book on Republican
Virg inia gubernatorial candidate Ed Gil lespie when he ran for US Senate in 2014. We have also
begun research on Prince William County Supervisor Corey Stewart and State Senator Frank Wagner.
We have moved a tracker into New Jersey for the gubernatorial race and have begun research on
Assemblyman Jack Ciattare lli, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, and Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick.
In 2018, Republican governors like Scott Walker, Charlie Baker, and Bruce Rauner are among our
targets. We will also engage in the Florida gubernatorial race, a critical state for Democrats in this
cycle and future elections, as well as the Nevada and New Mexico races, wh ich represent promising
opportunities for Democrats this cycle.
Due to the overlay of targeted Senate and gubernatorial states, Bridge will tra ck in many gubernatorial
races even in those where we may not be as heavily invested in the race.
STATELEGISLATURES
Progressives have long discussed the importance of state legislat ive races because of their impact
on state legislative agendas as wel l as redistricting for 2020. However, with redistr icting just four
years away, these discussions have led to little in the way of concrete plans or action. Now these
state legislative battles are even more critical. Due to poor performances in 2014 and 2016,
we must rebui ld our bench for state and federal races for 2018 and 2020.
Over th e next cycle, American Bridge w ill leverage it s infrastru cture and expert ise into the arena
of state legislative races. We will create pilot programs in key stat es where we can engage in our core
competenc ies-researc h, tracking , and rapid response-and impact the outcomes of races. Bridge will
choose to operate in states where a) Democrats are in the minority by a narrow margin in the state
legislative chambers, b) redistricting is critical, and c) our prog ressive partners are most engaged.
DROVEUP THE KOCHBROTHERS'NEGATIVES. ••

American Bridge led the way for Democrats to fight the Koch brothers' influence and money.
Working with Senator Harry Reid and partners airing TV ads, we created a war room that
•
leveled sustained attacks on the Koch brothers, making their negative ratings spike and
turning their advocacy into a liability for candidates they supported. ••
•
•
•
PARTNERSHIPS
Our impa ct increases wi th every partn ership. Candidates, party committees, and progressive allies
put our conte nt to wo rk in paid and earned media, polling, and grassroots campa igns.
At the cente r of the resistance, we expect our partnerships to grow significant ly-part icularly as we
engage at the stat e level.
In its earliest days; Bridge provided research exclusively on the "indepe ndent -expenditure"
side to Priorities USA, Senate Majority PAC, EMILY's List, NextGen Climate Action , the AFL-CIO,
SEIU, AFSCME, Planned Parenthood , League of Conservation Vote rs, and others. That research
was used as the foundation for pollin g and paid media efforts in president ial and Senate races.
In 2016, Bridge took its role as a research clearinghouse to th e next level by expanding the content
we provide to "coord inated side" campaigns and politica l parties, further maximizing eff iciency and
reducing duplication of work by Democratic groups.
As we look to 2018 and 2020 , we w ill fur the r increase our impa ct by building new partnersh ips
w ith state parties , local candidate campaigns, and stat e allies.
DIGITAL PROGRAM
We know that voters are consuming information in a drastica lly diffe rent way tha n th ey have
in th e past and that they often dist rust the t raditional news med ia as sources fo r info rmation.
For most Ameri cans, Facebook is th eir source for news. In 20 17, we will invest in a new, robust
digit al prog ram to bypass the press as gate keepers and deliver our origina l research dir ectly
t o voters.
We wi ll init ially focus on Obama -Trump voters in swing states . (Trump won more than 200 counties
th at Obama won twice.) By targeting these vot ers and testing their reaction to our content with a
sophisti cated publi c opinion research program, we can pave the way for Democrats' strat egy to win
these voters back in 2020.
Our content will include visual guides to knock dow n Trump 's daily narrative, comprehensive
research reports on Trump's pol icy positions or key appoi ntees, and video test imonials from Trump
voters w ho face the worst impacts of a Trump presidency .
The right 's digital capabiliti es currentl y outpace our own. We will leapfrog Republ icans, as we have
before, by being smarte r, faster, and more agile.
~'American Bridge has become one of the left's

most innovative and successful ventures."
- Newsweek, May 16, 2014

CAMPAIGNTECHNOLOGY
Amer ican Bridge places a premium on bringing technological innovat ion and creativity to opposition
research and campaign commun ications. Over the past five years, we have developed:
• Live stream technology as part of our tracking program- allow ing our DC-based staff to watc h
events we are tracking across the country in realtime and disseminate information to the press
and public in a matter of minutes.
• Our "Vau lt"- a 16-terabyte, ful ly-searchable video archive (created in conj unct ion with a
firm that recently comme rcialized a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
development), built from monitoring candidate media appearances on national and local
television and radio, as well as tracking public events.
• The "Vau lt" features a revolutionary "sound search" that allows audio and video searches
without any pre-existing transcript. This technology indexes audio-visual mate rials by
phonetic sounds, allowing us to find useful tidbits of info rmation buried within our video
collection. Because the Vault is our sharing mechanism for groups that access our video
database, progressive organizations also have access to this powerful search technology.
• An industry- first soft ware system for managing the scheduling and record-keeping for our video
tracking program.
• A first-of- its-kind customized database for creat ing and tracki ng public records request s that
saves hundreds of researcher-hours each year.
• Top-of -class database of federal legislat ive history that makes generating lawmake rs' voting
records simpler and more efficient.
As we move forward into a new era of government and political campaigns , Bridge staffers are already
busy homing in on the next innovative step we can take t o stay ahead of the competition. We are
expanding our abi lity to live stream local events, monitor and record radio programming , and tap into
podcasts that host Republican candidates and other track ing targets.
··•~;-,r~ 'i7!Ni¥'-fl>
_-,
.. .
fOR UNEXPECTED DEMOCRATIC
.• . .·•
SENATEPICKUPIN INDIANA. ·.. ,:•....
By delivering a major research hit against popular incumbent Senator Richard Lugar (he had ..
· not lived in the state for 35 years and had improperly charged taxpayers for hotel stays), \; •
Bridge helped to open the door for outspoken extremist Richard Mourdock to defeat Lugar
in the GOP primary. Mourdock was as extreme as expected during the general election,
most notably claiming pregnancy from rape was "something that God intended." The rest is
history. Democrats won a seat that few would have considered a possibility a year earlier.

289 research books
on Republican candidates, officeholders, and public figures
EVALUATION
American Bridge will constantly monito r the following indicators to know if we're on t rack toward our
top outcomes.
Defeat Trump either through impeachment or at the ballot box in 2020. The number of stories and the
value of TV time fo r anti-T rump media coverage we generate will break all internal records . Multiple
Trump nom inations w ill become a drag on his administration due to the research we unearth. Trump's
approval ratings will remain histo rically low.
Change the balance of power by measurably impact ing US Senate, gubernatorial, and state legislative races.
Republicans wi ll spend precious resources defending stories generated by Bridge in competi ti ve races.
Republicans will be force d to spend money in races that wouldn't otherwise be competitive due t o
Bridge's work putti ng them in play.
Free ourselves from relying solely on the press. Our robust digital program will reach voters directly
online. Mi llions of peop le will see our content through someone they know (a friend or contact) online.
Our own pub lic opinion research wi ll allow us to measure change in opinion among targeted voters
who consume our content.
BUDGETAND TEAM
American Bridge's core budget is $14.7 million in 2017. This budget represents both the work of
A merican Bridge's 501(c)(4) and its Super PAC and covers a total of 146 staff.
The 50 1(c)(4) is creating a 47-person war room to take on Donald Trump wit h a staff of 25 researchers,
a commun ications team of 16 which is feeding our work to the press and doing rapid-response, and a
t eam of six media monitors. Bridge will also build out a robust digit al program to deliver our content
direct ly to vote rs. The to tal cost of the Bridge war room wi ll be $7.8 million in 2017.
The Super PAC wil l do research in 16-20 of t he most competitive Senate races in the 2018 cycle with
two Senate research t eams of five people each. We wi ll also do research in t he seven most competitive
gubernatorial races with two research teams compr ising of nine people to t al. We w ill also hire 33 video
trackers to be out in the states providing constant video t racking in all 20 Senate races, along with
16 total gubernatorial races. To enhance this tracking effort further and bring the informa t ion to voters
and the press in real time, we also plan t o invest to expand our use of live stream technology, and
we plan t o make new techno logical advances in our work, includi ng radio and podcast monito ring.
Lastly, we wil l also launch pilot programs to leverage our research and track ing infrastructure and
expert ise into selective state legislat ure races. The tota l cost of the work in the SuperPAC wi ll be
$6.9 million for 2017.

SENIOR STAFF
Bradley Beychok, Executive Chief of Staff to the Chairman. Bradley has over a decade of experience
managing political campaigns and progressive advocacy organizations. From 2012-2016, he served as
President of Media Matters for America, the nation's leading progressive media watchdog, overseeing
its $71million annual budget and team of over 70 people. Prior to that, Bradley served as Campaign
Director and co-founder of American Bridge 21st Century PAC, the largest opposition, video tracking,
and rapid response organization in Democratic politics. In 2012, Campaignsand Elections magazine
named Bradley a "Rising Star," a select group of operatives who the magazine deems will have a lasting
effect on the campaign world. A native of Baton Rouge, LA, Bradley began his political career wo rking
for the famed political consultant James Carville.
Jessica Mackler, President. Prior to joining American Bridge, Jessica spent nearly a decade working
on the ground on campaigns across the country, including managing the 2012 Senate race in Nevada
and serving as a top adviser to US Senator Mary Landrieu during her 2008 reelection campaign .
In Louisiana, Jessica directed research and rapid response communications to help overcome a
Democratic exodus from the state following Hurricane Katrina, a tre nd of GOP statewide wins, and
a competitive opponent with statewide name recognition to win. Fittingly, Jessica got her start as a
researcher at EMILY's List, rising through the ranks to become the Deputy Director of Research. She
left EMILY's List to co-found what was then one of the only women-run opposition research groups,
where she wo rked with a number of clients who helped Democrats regain majorities in Congress and
governors' offices in the 2006 elections. For their efforts, Jessica's firm was named the "Rookie of the
Year" by the American Association of Political Clients.
Eddie Vale, Vice President. Eddie is a veteran of Democratic and progressive politics and currently
serves as Vice President of American Bridge. He most recently served as Communications Director
for the AFL-CIO's Super PAC Workers' Voice and the health care organization Protect Your Care.
He has also previously wor ked for the AFL- CIO, Progressive Media USA, John Edwards for President,
Ned Lamont for Senate, and Spitzer for Governor, as well as multiple congressional races.
•
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• est.2003
•·• America's Nonpartisan Watchdog Against Government Corruption
•• Combating Abuse, Ensuring Accountability
-•• CREWwill. be ~he]eading nonpartisan ethics watchdog group

, ·. ; ·.,_, . '
•• in a period .c»f.crisis with a President and administration that

present possible conflicts of interest and ethical problems on an
•• unprecedented scale. CREWwill demand ethical conduct from
the administration and all parts of government, expose improper
•
influence from powerful interests, and ensure accountability
•
• when the administration and others shirk ethical standards,
I,
!•
• rules, and laws.
••
•
•
•
•
••
AMERICA'S NONPARTISAN WATCHDOG
AGAINST GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION
The nonpartisan coalition that has driven good government reform for decades now finds itself outgunned.
Judicial Watch, t he most frequent ly cited conservative watchdog organization, has a $30 mi llion
annual budget. It consistent ly caused prob lems for President Obama and Secretary Clint on t hrough
aggressive Freedom of Inform ation Act litigation and other lawsuits and a steady stream of reports and
press outreach.
Donald Trump present s confli cts of interest and possible ethical problems on an unprecedented scale,
and special interests are pushing t o influence both parties in Congress. Yet Judicia l Watch and similar
gro ups (l ike Cause of Action and the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust ( FACT)) have been
conspicuously qui et.
Responding to this crisis requires an ethics watchdog with the credibility, resources, and w illingness to
hold Trump and his administration accountable.
Bolstered by bipartisan board leadership and a winning record even in the face of partisan gridlock,
Citizens fo r Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is positioned for this fight.
Now is the t im e to scale.
CREW knows how to use lit igat ion, legal complaints, research, and press outreach to get result s.
We must signif icantly ramp up to fill the gap in serious ethics analysis and legal account ability fo r t he
new president and t he rest of t he government.
Donald Trum p brings wit h him massive global conflicts of interest and an apparent disregard for t he
t radit ions and rules aimed at protecting the government from improper influence.
To combat t his com ing ethics crisis, CREW will significantly enhance our capabi lit ies t o mon it or
.. confl icts of interest and executive branch ethics , use FOIA to effectively keep tabs on the act ivities of
t he administration and federa l agencies, and take legal action including active litigation to bring about
account ability when t he law is broken.
CREW is not aiming to im ita t e Judicial Watch , but rather will establish itself as a cre dible but
aggressive nonpa rtisan wat chdog seeking accountability for ethical lapses and im proper influe nce
in the new adminis t rat ion. We we lcome groups like Judicial Watch t o join us in holding this
admi nistration accountab le.
CREW 2020 Plan I 25

TOP OUTCOMES
If CREW is successful in causing Trump to behave ethically, it will help protect the country from scandal
and disastrous policy choices. If Trump does not bow to this pressure, CREW w ill hold him accountable.
In the next four years, CREW is focused on achieving the following outcomes:
Trump will be afflicted by a steady flow of damaging information, new revelations, and an inability
to avoid conflicts issues. For as long as Trump maintains the ethi cally untenable posit ion of keeping
his business empire in the fa mily w hile serving as president, CREW wi ll relentl essly probe his globa l
confl icts of interest and administ ration ethics problems t hrough aggressive use of research, open
records requests, legal action, and FOIA litigation.
The Trump administration will be forced to defend illegal

conduct in court. CREW wil l bring about legal account ability fo r
executive branch ethical and legal violations through compla ints
Responsible for and litigat ion. We w ill bring significant pressure on investigative
agencies and Congress to investiga te violations of law and the
more than 40% constitution, which appear li kely to begin on day one of the
of the total fines given out by Trump adminis tration, and we will litigate wrongdoing aggressively,
forcing the administra t ion to defend civil lawsu its, FOIA litigation,
the FECin 2016 and just about
and whistleb lower suits .
all of the fines levied in 2016
resulting from complaintsby Powerfu l indust ries and interest groups will see their influence
wane. CREW w ill expose and cu rb t he imprope r influence of
goodgovernmentgroups powerful industries and interest groups on the administration and
on both parties in Congress w ith successful legal complaints and
lit igation to rein in dark money, reckless campaign finance abuses,
and the misuse of nonprofits by Trump and others.
Dark money will be a polit ical liability in key states. CREW wi ll

make the use of dark money, campaign finance violat ions, and ethics abuses at the state level a major
issue in key stat es that will be the focus of massive spending and atten t ion in the lead up to 2018 and
2020 elections.
••
EXPOSEDTRUMPFOUNDATION'S
AGPAMBONDI,IGNITING
ILLEGAL
DONATIONTOFLORIDA
A MAJORSCANDAL. ••
CREW's initial IRS complaint against the Donald J. Trump Foundation for its $25,000
gift in 2013 to a political organization associated with Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi
was the first to connect the dots and expose a major Trump scandal. The money
••
had been directed from Trump personally and illegally given from the foundation's
funds. Our complaint generated investigations and stories by the Washington Post, •
New York Times, every major paper in Florida, and the Wall Street Journal,and still
•
26
reverberates today.
I Private & Confidential

••
•
THE CREW PLAN
CREW has been successful fo r more than a dozen years using legal comp laint s and lit igation, in-depth
research and Freedom of Information Act requests, and aggressive com mun icati ons to shine a light on
unethi cal conduct and improper influence. CREW was founded in part to fill the void in accountabi lity
and ethics enforcement as figures like Tom Delay and Jack Abramoff ran amo k in the early 2000s .
In the ensuing years, CREW amassed successes both in exposing and curbing ethics abuses by both
part ies and in pushing to highlight and limit the corrupting influence of money in politics.
We now face a likely eth ics crisis in the incoming Trump administration that is far greate r in scale.
CREW must scale accordingly.
Here's how we'l l do it:
NON -STOP WATCHDOGGING
CREW w ill quadruple the size of our research staff and more than double the size of our legal team to
expand our capacity in the fo llowi ng key areas:
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND ETHICS VIOLATIONS

CREW has already been featu red in coverage of Trump's conflicts of inte rest in every major nationa l
media out let, and we worked exte nsively w ith th e New YorkTimeseditorial board to condemn the
utter ly inadequate soluti ons Trump has proposed . New CREW Governing Board Chair Ambassador
Norm Eisen and Vice Chair Richard Painter have been th e faces of bipar ti san outrage over this ethics
crisis, appearing hundreds of tim es in major media outle t s since the elect ion.
Going forward, we wi ll compre hensively mon it or both the Trump businesses and th e actions of
the admi nistration in order to detect and highlight all of the conflicts of interest that arise between
Trump's massive global business int erest s and his actions as president.
Already, Trump's Cabinet picks and top advisers present more confl icts of interest and greater potential
for special intere st influe nce than those of any previous administrat ion. We will monitor and highlight
conflicts of interest and ethica l violations by Cabinet office rs, senior White House officials, and other
senior appoi ntees and influential adv isors, including the Trump fami ly members who appear poised to
take on promine nt roles.
INFLUENCE OF SPECIAL INTERESTS

CREW wi ll comprehens ively mo nito r the secret infl uence of powerfu l specia l int erests on the
Trump administration, including the heavy presence of executives from powerful industr ies, as well
as lobbyists and oth er representatives of special inte rests in key administration positions.
"[T]he leading contender to assume the role of a liberal

Judicial Watch is Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in
Washington, an organization founded in 2003 with an announced
goal of rooting out government corruption."
-Politico Decemb er 16, 2016
CREW 2020 Plan I 27

CREW "could set its own template for forcing lax federal regulators to crack
down on campaign finance violations by the types of outside groups that have
been awash in money since the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizen's United ruling."
- Mother Jones
We will shine a light on the use of money by powerful groups to impact key issues. Our repeated
complaints in 2075 and 2016 against the National Rifle Association, which consistently hid its political
spending, and the Center for Medical Progress, a group that lied to the IRSabout its agenda to attack
Planned Parenthood, helped to define the public understand ing of t hose powerfu l interest groups and
ensure that their efforts to influence issues and policy were out in the open.
CREW will diligently monitor FECand IRSfilings of political organizations and campa igns; personal
financial disclosures required for executive branch officials; responses to our many open records
requests; and lobbying disclosure reports to shed light on ethics and campa ign finance problems
wherever they occur in the government and the political system.
CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS
CREW will keep highlighting congressional ethics vio lations, like our repeated complaints against Rep.
Duncan Hunter for personal use of campa ign funds, and exposing the influence of powerfu l interests
on members. In 2016 we produced an extensive report on special interest funding of new members of
Congress from both parties. In 2017 and beyond, we will expand on this type of research and ensure
that congressional influence and corruption remain issues of great public concern.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
The 2078 elections, particularly at t he state level, will be hugely impor tant as a pot ent ial response
to and check on the Trump administration. CREW will play a significant role in monitoring campaign
finance, special interest influence, and ethics in the coming st ate campaigns.
CREW will highlight the influence of special interests including the Koch brothers, ALEC, corporate
interests, and others at the state level in order to inform voters of the forces attempting to influence them.
CREW will also continue to effectively expose and attack money in politics abuses including by
exposing misuse of nonprofits for politics , such as the Trump Foundation's illegal polit ical contribution
and campaign activity; obtaining accountability for dark money abuses, such as the FEC fines CREW
obtained for three Koch brothers-backed dark money groups; and pushing for enforcement of dark
money rules including in our litigat ion to get the FECto enforce the rules against several
conservative nonprofits .
WONGROUNDBREAKING DECISIONAGAINSTFECFOR Ill:

FAILING
TO INVESTIGATE
ILLEGALPOLITICAL
SPENDING.
CREW filed Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaints following the 2010 election cycle against the
•
American Action Network and Americans for Job Security, two nonprofit organizations with combined spending •
of more than $175 million since 2009. They had spent millions of dollars on campaign-related ads, but failed to
register as political organizations or disclose their donors as required by law. While the FEC's Office of General •
Counsel recommended an investigation, the commission deadlocked, and CREW sued the FECfor failing to take
action . Our lawsuit made national news when a federal district judge ruled in CREW's favor in September 2016,
directing the FECto reconsider the case using a much broader definition for what constitutes a political ad. This .
••
decision will make it much harder for dark money groups to use technicalities to escape disclosing their donors
and already appears to have reduced the number of sham issue ads run close to elections.
•
•
•
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACTION REQUESTS
CREW's expanded research and legal teams w ill dramatica lly increase its use of Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) requests, a powerful tool to uncover information behind secret processes
and investigations. We wil l submit FOIA request s to uncover:
• Conflicts of interest and eth ical and legal violat ions.
• Improper influence by lobby ists and special interests.
• Problematic secrecy in policymaki ng and enforcement (i ncluding inapprop riat e mixing of

business interests and political considerations in decision-making).
A steady stream of open records requests will keep constant attent ion on Trump's unprecedented
conflicts of interest, and we w ill press aggressively for investigat ion by Congress and law enfo rcement.
When our requests are stonewalled, we will use comprehensive and frequent litigat ion to compe l
openness and responsiveness.
LEGAL COMPLAINTS AND LITIGATION

CREW uses cutting-edge litigation to push for accountability. We will use our expanded legal team to
file complaints and lawsuits in the following areas:
• Violations of the law and the US Constitution , potentially

including improper conflicts of interest , "emoluments ,"
fo reign corrupt practices, and other violations;
• Campaign finance vio lations as they will likely continue

More than 500
to emerge in connection with last year's presidential domestk media hits, 70 TVand
election and coming congressiona l and presidential radiomentions (valued at more
elections; than $35 million),and fingerprints
• Ethics abuses in Congress and in congressional races in
on almost 100 majoroutlet stories
key states, where dark money will play a record-setting in Septemberalone due to exposing
role; the TrumpFoundationscandal
• Misuse of nonprofits for politics , such as the Donald J.
Trump Foundati on and the foundation 's illegal political
activit y.
In every case, we will highlight abuses to press for investigations, encourage accountabili t y, and take
out wrongdoers.
PRO BONO ARMY

We w ill enlist an army of pro bono lawyers to help CREW take legal action to hold t he new
administratio n and ot hers accountab le for conflicts of interest, ethics abuses, and violat ions of law.
Already, top law firms and talented lawyers across the country, with specialties including civil litigation
and FOIA, are volunteering to help with this effort.
CREW wil l organize this enthusiastic and capable cadre of lawyers to enable us to obtain more
information about conflicts of interest, influence, and secret government action and to advance more
legal theories and litigation approaches to ensure accountabi lity for wrongdoing and violations of law
and t he constitution.
CREW 2020 Plan I 29

COMMUNICATIONS
CREW's communications team has worked effectively to expose ethical violations and money in
politics abuses, sparking regu lar stories in the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Wall
Street Journal, among many others, and partnering with top reporters to move major stories forward.
In 2017 CREW will triple the size of our communications team, ramping up to spread the wo rd about
the incoming administration's unprecedented ethics crisis further and wider. We wi ll build on our
strong print media relations, and expand to become a regular source of information on broadcast and
cable news and online.
Additional CREW staff will build a dynamic social media presence and dramatically increase t raffic to
our recently overhauled website.
We will also significantly expand our outreach to local media, ensuring that our wo rk to shine a bright
light on improper influence and unethical government reaches people where they live and where they
get their news.
EVALUATION
CREW will constantly monitor the following indicators to know if we're on track to ward our top
outcomes.
Trump will be afflicted by a steady flow of damaging information, new revelations, and an inability to avoid
conflicts issues. The press coverage we drive (both quantity and qualit y) of Trump's conflicts of interest
and other ethics violations will break internal records.
The Trump administration will be forced to defend illegal conduct in court. The legal and administrative
complaints CREW brings and the litigation we initiate and jo in to bring about accountabil ity for
administration conflicts of interest and ethical violations will result in: voluntary changes in behavior,
government agency action to enforce the law or require compliance, court-ordered consequences for
violations, and orders to disclose government information to the public.
Powerful industries and interest groups will see their influence wane. Our legal complaints and litigation
will lead to fines and enforcement, abandonment of improper forms of influence and campaign fi nance
abuses, court decisions enforcing the law on money in politics, and increased oversight and better rules
from agencies and Congress.
Dark money will be a political liability in key states. CREW w ill generate state and local media coverage of
ethics abuses and improper influence in selected states. Our legal complaints and lawsuits responding
to state abuses will produce concrete results. And key local officials and groups w ill draw attention to
ethics and influence issues.
"Congrats, @CREWcrew! Americans deserve light

shed on the dark money polluting our democracy."
-Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on our successful efforts to have the FEClevy fines
against three Koch brothers-backed dark money groups

Onlygroup
to win a major court victory
over the FEC in 2016
BUDGETAND TEAM
CREW is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization. CREW's 20 17 budget is $5.8 million which will double
its size from 2016. The reason for this expansion is the enormous demands that will be placed on this
organ ization this year. Judicial Watch wh ich is CREW's analog in the Conservati ve movement has been
spending an average of almost $20 million a year since 2012 w hen President Obama was re-elected .
In 20 17 CREW is planning to expand t o a staff of at least 38. We will more than double the size of
our legal team, and add to our research and com munic ations shop (inc luding web and social media).
We w ill also expa nd our adminis trativ e and paralegal capabili t ies. The increase d budget w ill also
cover outs ide legal services, web and social media services, and research and investigative resources.
Our expanded staff w ill allow for a compr ehensive Freedom of Information Act team wit h lit igators,
researchers, a coordinator and a paralegal; an executive branch et hics team w ith dedicated lawyers,
a business researcher, and an executi ve branch researcher; a state team w ith a dedicated counsel
and specialized researchers; as we ll as expanded capacity in all aspects of the office, crucial ly
including litigation.
SENIOR ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Noah Bookbinder,ExecutiveDirector. Following an extensive national search, CREW hired Noah
as Executive Director in March of 2015. Noah formerly served as a federal prosecutor in th e Justice
Department's Public Integrity Section and as Chief Counsel fo r Crimina l Just ice of t he US Senate
Judiciary Committee. Before joini ng CREW in 2015, he served as Director of th e US Sent encing
Commi ssion's Off ice of Legislative and Public Affairs, where he helped guide the commi ssion on
important policy decisions including its 2014 reduct ion of federal drug sentences. In his positi on
as Chief Counsel for Crim inal Justice of the Senate Judiciary Committee , he advised Chairman
Patrick Leahy on a range of crimina l justice issues including violent crime preventio n, fraud, pub lic
corru ption , and cr iminal justice reform, and helped manage communicat ions during the confi rmation
hearings of US Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. He has also served as
a Special Assistant United States Attorney in Washington , DC, and as an adjunct professor at both
Howard University and George Washington University Law Schools. Noah is a graduate of
Yale University and Stanford Law School.
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Adam Rappaport, Chief Counsel and Assistant Director. Adam has wo rked at CREW since 2009 and
recently was promoted to Chief Counsel and Assistant Director . Prio r to joining CREW, Adam practi ced
law at Levine, Sullivan, Koch & Schulz, L.L.P.,where he represented members of the news med ia in
seeking access to government records and proceedings and defended t hem in defamation cases.
Before th at, Adam served as a law clerk t o Judge David G. Trager
of the US Distr ict Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Adam covered Congress for National Journal's CongressDaily and
21 complaints the States News Service before attend ing law school. He received
his J.D. with hono rs from the University of Chicago and his B.A.
filed in 2015 and 20 16 with the from Wesleyan University.
IRS,the FEC,and the Department
Jennifer Ahearn, Policy Counsel. Jennifer has been CREW's Policy
of Justice against nonprofitsfor Counsel since 2015. Prior to joining CREW, Jennifer worked in
illegal politicalactivity and lying the Office of General Counse l of the United State s Sentencing
to the government Commission, where she led teams of lawyers and researchers
advisi ng the biparti san Commission on issues like drug policy and
human rights abuses, and advised t he Commission's fede ral judges
and judicial employees on complying with the Code of Judic ial
Conduct. Before t hat, Jennifer served as a law clerk to Judge Thomas B. Russell of the US Dist rict Court
for t he Western District of Kentucky. Jennifer received her J.D. and LL.M. degrees from Duke Law and
her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Matt Corley, Research Director. Matt is the Research Director at CREW, where he has worke d since
20 12. Before j oining the CREW team, Matt worked as an Assistant Editor at the Center for American
Progress, where he wro te for ThinkProgress and The Progress Report. Matt received his B.A. from
Ithaca College and earned an M.A. in Political Science from George Washington University.
Jordan Libowitz, Communications Director. Jordan has served as CREW's Communicat ions Director
since 20 15. A nati ve of Philadelph ia, Jordan previously worked on campaigns from Pennsylvania to
Alaska . Prior to j oining CREW, he ran a communications consult ing firm specializing in nonprofits.
Jordan received his B.A. from th e Johns Hopkins University.
Stuart McPhail, Litigation Counsel. Stuart has served as CREW's Litigation Counsel since 2015 .
Prior to joining CREW, Stuart worked as a litigation associate with Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher LLP
and, before that, Paul, Weiss , Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison LLP.Stuart clerked with Judge Fort unato
Benavides of th e US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and w ith Judge Maxine Chesney of the US
Distr ict Court fo r the Northern District of Californ ia. Stuart received his J.D. from Colum bia Law and his
B.A. and B.S.from the University of Maryland.
THE ANTIDOTE TO BREITBART
Progressive media platforms are not positioned for this fight. They influence mainstream media and
politica l elites, but do not reach people where they are. They advocate fo r progressive issues, but avoid
partisan combat.
The Trump campaign spoke directly to voters-and not just thr ough Donald Trump's Twitter feed.
It used Facebook, and racist and misogynistic (often fake) news sites with massive followings, to ta ke
both his vitrio l and his lies straig ht to the people.
Emboldened by Trump's victory, this messaging apparatus, led by Breitbart, will only become more
dangerous in the next four years.
Progressives need a media outlet with the power, influence, and reach to combat Trump and the media
ecosystem he has emboldened.
Shareblue wi ll become that outlet by differentiating itse lf in four key ways:
Willingness to engage in partisan combat. We are not waiting to see wha t Trump does in office.
We do not give him the benefit of the doubt. He has to ld us what he wants to do to our country and
we believe him. We dedicate every day to calling out Trump and all who cooperate with him (including
Democrats who capitula te to this administration) , and bolster ing those who most effectively oppose
him (including Republicans who rebel against his rule). We are bold, full throated, and we are not
backing down. Authoritarianism, kleptocracy, cooptation by Russia, and white supremacy are we ll
within our sights , and we must fight back.
Connect ion to grassroots. Shareblue does not rely on mainstream jo urnalists to advance our message.
We take it straight to our more than one million followers, who share it w idely with their networks.
Some groups created during the 2016 campaign appeared inauthentic and were avoided by grassroots
users. In contrast, engagement with Shareblue content soared, and our fo llowing continues to grow .
Facebook native. Shareblue is a Facebook community first and foremost. We do not need to adapt to
a new enviro nment; we're already where we need to be. Our team , and our audience, lives on social
media. With some of the highest interaction rates of any mainstream or progressive politi cal media
site on Facebook and Twitt er, we know what works on social and what doesn't.
Emotionally resonant. Messaging based solely on facts doesn't resonate with a broad audience.
Connection and engagement on a personal and emotiona l level-s pecif ically hope, happiness, or
anger-drive success. Depression is a disincent ive to shares and anything mi lquetoast is t oxic to
our position. Shareblue creates fact-based content that connects with our audience on a visceral,
emotional level.
Shareblue 2020 Plan I 33

Over 1 million
Facebookfollowers
Shareblue is a digital attacker.
In year one, we've begun to take back social media for Democrats by creating some of the most widely
shared content of the election cycle.
Going forward, we'll take share from like-minded but combat- averse digital competitors. Our relentless
coverage of Trump models how to put him and his collaborators on the defensive, and keep his popularity
low. By rewarding the fighters and nourishing the grassroots, Shareblue galvanizes the resistance to
Trump and bolsters the morale of the majority of Americans who didn't vote for him. And we won't
hesitate to call out Democrats who equivocate on Trump's dangerous policies or surrender to his
bullying tactics.
Further, we'll take share from corporate media, who are-in the short time since the election-more
concerned about losing access to Trump than covering him aggressively. If the mainstream media fails
to hold Trump to account, increasingly frustrated Americans will tu rn elsewhere for news and opinion .
To compete with Breitbart and the right-wing media infrastructure that will do Trump's bidding,
Shareblue must scale up from a Facebook native news site to a diversified media company, operati ng
across platforms with varied and ever-growing content offerings and products.
Shareblue's aggressive strategy is to grow our audience, maximize impa ct, and scale to reach our
potential as a profitable media company.
GROW AUDIENCE
Every data point demonstrates that Shareblue is growing its audience. Since July 1, there we re
162 million unique viewers of our content, a 50% increase from the first six months of 2016.
Daily average impressions have doubled since the first half of 2016 .
Yet.
Every moment that we are not optimizing our audience behavior or building our databases is a loss
that's greatly compounded over time. Like a 401 K, the earlier we contribute to it, the greater the returns.
DROVENARRATIVE-SHIFTING,
NATIONALLY
TRENDINGHASHTAGS:
••
Our team has created at least 14 hashtags that trended nationally on Twitter-a clear ii
demonstration of our capacity to reach millions and shape the national conversation.
#WeWontBeErased and #HerelAmWithHer drew attention to the commitment, joy, and
•
enthusiasm of Clinton supporters; #TrumpCouldSay and #JustlmagineHillary spotlighted •
the false equivalency in media coverage between Trump's multitude of outrageous actions
and statements, and Clinton's emails; #Interrogate Trump called on the Secret Service to •
investigate Trump's incitements of violence against Clinton.
••
•
Ii
Building on our highly engaged core, Shareblue wil l hyper-t arget active Democ ratic voters and Trump
opponents w ho are likely to share our content and engage others. To reach t he largest and most influentia l
audience as quickly as possible, we w ill emp loy predictive analytics-a capacity we have in-house.
Reaching our potential audience, however, w ill require expanding beyon d Facebook. While our
Facebook presence is our greatest strength , it is also a vu lnerabili t y: We shou ld not be w holl y
dependent on a third part y platfor m. If Facebook makes changes to its algo rithm, Shareblue's
audience could drop precipit ously.
Shareblue must arm itself against t he whims of Facebook's algorithm by build ing our presence on ot her
social platforms , and developing destination traffic for the site. We'll do this by expanding our content
offerings to drive habitual viewi ng, superserving our most engaged users, and maximizing earned media
to build th e Shareblue brand.
MAXIMIZEIMPACT
In t he 20 16 campa ign, Ame rican Bridge and Correct the Record relied on the mainstream medi a to
get messaging and oppositio n research out, instead of going t o the grassroots directly . Once th ey
debunked a major story or hit (e.g., Clinton Cash,the New YorkTimes best seller that baselessly attacked
the Clinton Foundation's donati ons and finan ces), they weren't able to disseminate informat ion to
th e grassroots .
Shareblue is posit ioned to frame opposition research from American Bridge and other progressive groups,
as wel l as leaks and intel from Democrats on House and Senate comm itte es, in our signatu re punchy,
emoti ve sty le-and disseminate it directly to our followers in a daily online persuasion campaign.
The right has done t his effectively (though deceptively) for years. They have brought down progressive
organ izations and damaged Democrats. In addit ion, th ere has been an influx of Republican campaigns
and candidates cit ing bogus news stories from on line smear merchants such as th e Washington Free
Beaconor Breit bart in politi cal ads and communicat ion .
Now, we can use our ow n socia l media plat form to both

weapon ize oppo research and perfect its delivery system to
expose Trump allies and collaborators, and to damage Trump. #2Facebook
We will aim to have our factual news storie s repeated in
Democratic commu nications and paid political ads.
interaction rate
among major political news sites
Shareblue's leadership team has spent the last decade working during 2016 election cycle
to build various parts of t he national progressive infrastructure.
We have worked w ith the White House and Capito l Hi ll,
on presidential campaigns and with vir t ually every major
progressive advocacy group. We will leverage unprecedented access to decision -makers at every level
of t he Democ ratic estab lishment and progressive movement to break news and tangibly damage th e
Trump admini stratio n.
SCALEAS A MEDIACOMPANY
Shareblue occupies a unique place in the media landscape. As this prima ry platform grows in audience
and impact, we' ll leverage the se assets appropriately to establish a powerful brand, generat e revenue,
and drive to fin ancial sustainability. Reaching these goals is crit ical for talent recruitment.

We'll burnish the Shareblue brand by expanding our presence on TV, increasing earned media, and with
greater and more ta rgeted outreach to influencers in media and politics.
We' ll diversify content products to include email newslett ers, podcasts, and discrete edito rial and video
verticals, all of wh ich can be sponso red by strategic partners.
We' ll expand on mobi le platforms via apps.
"Anecessary voice in a world teeming with conservative radio,

television and internet outlets that fire up the Republican base.-''
-Nick Merrill , in New York Times profile of Shareblue
TOP OUTCOMES
Young enterprising media outle ts historically thrive when in t he opposit ion (t hink Talking Point s
Memo and Daily Kos in the George W. Bush years). Now is the time to build Shareblue's aud ience
and influen ce.
In the next fou r years, Shareblue is focused on achieving the fol lowing outcomes:
Shareblue becomes the go-to news outlet for grassroots Trump opponents.
Shareblue becomes the de facto news outlet for opposition leaders.
Trump allies are forced to step down or change course due to news we push.
Under pressure from Shareblue, Democrats take more aggressive positions against Trump.
Achieve financial sustainability while diversifying content offerings and platforms.
Top editorial and writing talent leave competitors to join Shareblue .
Private & Confidential

THE SHAREBLUEPLAN
In its fir st year, Sharebl ue proved it could engage mil lions of peopl e with its content, impact
the national conv ersation , and be a credible and valuable platform for Democratic allies and the
progressive grassroots.
But at such an urgent, alarming time in our national politics, being good isn't enough. We must become
the antidote to Breitbart.
Going forward, and to drive to our top outcomes, Shareblue must expand its editoria l capacity;
broaden and deepen its outreach to allies; upgrade our technology; and get on th e path to
sustainability as a business.
This is how we' ll do it:
CONTENT
EXPAND EDITORIAL
Shareblue content is highly successfu l: Articles are often shared more than 10,00 0 times, and our
average daily impressions are 2.1 million. Coming into 2017, we are publishing more content, more
often, and under more byline s t han at any point in our brief history. With an increase in production,
our audience is growing: Users saw Shareblue posts 323 million times since July 1, a 50% increase
from th e first six months of 2016.
We must expand our editorial capacity, and recruit more full-tim e writers,
beat reporte rs, and editors who create, deliver, and promote content up to
our high standard s and in Shareblue's signature style. 65million
Facebookmonthly .
Across a noisy, disorient ing, and fractured dig ita l landscape, Shareblue's impressions
steady, resolute voice is urgently needed.
OUR EDITORIAL PRIORITIES INCLUDE:

• Calling out all signs of author it arian ism and kleptocracy. Championing voices w ho have been
right to warn us.
• Nonstop coverage of the influence of Vladimir Putin and Russia on Trump and his
administrat ion.
• Exposing Trump as a weak, think-skinned "loser" vulnerable to goading .
• Relentlessly beating the drum that he has no mandate, lost the pop ular vot e, and is the
least popu lar president -elect in modern American history.
• Exposing the insidious role of Mike Pence, who is replicating the right -wing governance
ideology he inflicted on Indiana.
• Demystifying Trump 's "con fli cts of interest " and calling them what they are:
Subversions of th e nation's interests.

• Spotlighting the Trump administration's vast ties to white nationalists and the ways in w hich
they explicit ly empower white supremacy.
• Tracking and fighting back against odious GOP legislat ion in Congress.
• Following SCOTUS nominations/appointments/major cases.
• Morale-boost ing coverage of the grassroots opposition and resistance efforts outside
the Beltway.
• Positive coverage of Democrats who boldly call out Trump and aggressively work against him.
Pressure on Democrats who consider giving him cover.
• Media crit icism exposing mainstream journalists who normal ize Trump, and champion ing
those who hold him accountab le.
• Fighting outrage fatigue.
AGGREGATE
With increased editoria l capacity, Shareblue will expand our dai ly production by aggregating content.
We wil l do this in two ways:
• An aggregation editor wi ll look for content from across the internet, wh ich informs and inspires
our readers, and tracks with our editorial priorities.
• Build a propr ietary algorithm that is specifically designed to amplify negative content for Trump
and deliver positive content to bolster the resistance. Further, by pull ing t he most wide ly shared
progressive content from the top 1,000 social media accounts , Shareblue's algor ithm will not
only aggregate, but drive news and opinion.
MORE VIDEO
While traditional 30 -second TV spots were important in the
2016 campaigns, online videos regularly garnered attention and
Anti-Trump airtime from media outlets, and were shared across mill ions of
screens in socia l networks. Trump's web videos were not highly
Facebook videos produced, but were easily shared across Trump's social media
platforms, which garnered large numbe rs of views and allowed
viewed 20 million+ times him to target specific groups.
Shareblue's anti -Trump videos, opt im ized for mobile view ing
and sharing, were viewed over 20 million times during the
2016 campaign. Democrats often struggle to convey facts in
ways that can be easily understood. Shareblue special izes in
simplify ing st ories, facts, and data through videos, memes, and other highly shareable visual content.
In addition to our own rapid response videos (pairing TV clips with a strong message), Shareblue
wil l also amplify grassroots, authentic video content (e.g., Pantsuit Flash Mobs that first appeared in
New York during the campaign). These videos boost oppos iti on morale, are wide ly shared, and garner
positive media coverage. Through part nerships and joint ventures with grassroots organizatio ns,
Shareblue w il l ramp up its video produc t ion to maxim ize impact and grow our audience.
As we expand across socia l platforms, our approach to visual content wil l be ta ilored to each.
For example, on lnstagram Shareblue wil l produce a daily image- a chart, graph, photograph or gif -
whic h tells a specific story th at aligns w ith our edito rial focus.

INVEST IN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM
The Trump administration needs to be investigated. Since 2006, The Ame rican Independent has
shined a national spotlig ht on important stories-or offered rebutt als of accepted narratives - that t he
corpora te news media leave in the shadows. The American Independent searches for and exposes t he
underreported activities of conservatives, arming the public wi t h th e truth s needed to hold individ uals
and groups responsible for actions or polic ies that run counte r to the progressive agenda.
W ith the electi on of Trump and its implica ti ons for a free press, The American lndependent's work
is more impo rtan t than ever. In 2017, work ing wi t h Shareb lue, The Ame rican Independent w ill award
grants to top investigative j ournalists to cover, expose, and damage the Trump adm inistrat ion and
its allies.
A few examples of The Ame rican lndependent's victories exposing the conservati ve nexus of power
in Wash ingt on include:
• "Company Town", a documentary film t hat te lls the story of Crossett, Arkansas, pop.
5,500, a town lit erally poisone d by the greed of paper - processing com pany Georgia-
Pacific, a Koch Industries subsidia ry. "Company Town" premie red on June 7, 2016 at the
Los Ange les Film Fest ival t o a sold out crowd and was one of a few select fil ms invite d fo r
a second screening. Huffington Post called it an "impor t ant fi lm" that "exposes t he horri fi c
environmental impact that Georgia-Pac ific, a Koch Industries-owne d company, has had
on t he t ightly -knit Arkansas community."
• A 20 14 RollingStone profi le of th e rise of Larry Pratt , Executi ve Direct or of Gun Owners of

America, which earned 570,000 unique visitors and t hree million page views and led to fo llow-
up articles in the New YorkDaily News ("Gun Owners of Ame rica directo r would be 'kind of
glad' if lawmakers feared vio lence from his organizat ion") and Roi/ Call ("Maloney Calls for
Investi gation Into Threats From Pro-Gun Leader Larry Pratt ") .
• Delegitimiz ing Mark Regnerus's 20 12 study accusing same-sex parents of being inferior to
thei r straight counterparts. Subsequent attempts to use Regnerus's study in the Supreme Court
and in state battles failed- because The American lndependent's reporting had destroyed
its credibil ity.
THE GO-TO DESTINATION FOR POLLING AND PREDICTIVE MODELING

People don't answer polls anymo re. Response rates are down to 15% or less. That damages the
quality of polls and we saw t he results in 2016. As poll ing faces a response bias crisis, models that
use alternat ive input s wi ll become more important in fut ure elect ions.
Benchmark Politics is the only predictive model to include county-leve l demographic , economic, and
polling data to make accurate predictions about elections. This local-level focus will make it possible
for Benchmark to not only predict 2018 Senate races, but also House races. As Democrats work
aggressively to pick up seats in the mid-terms and defeat Trump in 2020, Shareblue will become the
most accurate and trustworthy destination for polling and predictive modeling.
Heralded as the "next Nate Silver," Anthony Reed is the founder of Benchmark Politics and Shareblue's
exclusive polling and predictive modeling expert. Notably, Benchmark Politics was the most accurate
election forecaster in the Democratic primaries - beating even Nate Silver.
Shareblue wil l utilize th is data and mode ling expertise to ensure maximum impact of our editorial
mission. With these added capacities, we will be able to test which messages and content are most
effective. Trump was deftly able to change the conversation when it wasn 't favorab le to his terms.
Therefore, we must be able to test in real time what is most damaging to him and his administration
and then relentlessly pursue those angles and storylines.
OUTREACH
Shareblue's allies know that our content gets shared widely , and they know that there is no other
resource like us in the progressive infrastructure. The more Democratic and progressive organizations
get to know us, and see our results, the more often they come to Shareblue with quality story ideas and
exclusive content, and the more they share it with their networks .
But there's much more wor k t o do. To become the de facto news outlet of the opposition in the Trump
era, we must invest significantly in marketing ourselves to the infrastructure and movement we exist
to champion.
Shareblue will widen its outreach by developing strategic partnerships with Democratic allies, influencers,
and progressive groups; we will be the go-to platform to amplify their campaigns and initiatives.
Shareblue wil l expand our reach on the Hill to solidify our relationships and influence with in the
Democratic Party. Looking to 2018, Shareblue's social media platform will be increasingly critical to
party messaging.
As Shareblue becomes the leading source of news of the opposition, we'll regularly recruit Democratic
officials, progressive leaders, and grassroots organizers to write op-eds for the site.
Shareblue editors and wr iters will do more appearances on TV and radio. Strengthening Shareblue's
brand in the media is essent ial to our growth strategy .
TECHNOLOGY
As a digital media com pany, Shareblue needs to be in the vanguard of new tec hnology for both it s
operati ons and in how we deliver our content to our audience.
In 20 17, Shareblue wi ll explore a move to Med ium, w hich woul d reduce cost s, elimi nate t he need for
server space, and shift responsibility t o deali ng w ith DDoS attacks elsewhere. Medium also provides
a new and powerfu l channel for promoting our daily content.
It is we ll documented that t he Trum p campa ign's digital team outperformed Democrat s at every level.
We must comprehens ively understand t he behavior of our audience, and use t hat dat a t o hyper-ta rget
and expand it.
We'll do this in several ways:
• We' ll start wi t h our Facebook audience. Once we

understand t he behavior of our most valuable users
(wit hin and beyond Facebook) in greater detail, we can
#lTwitter
develop online look-alike models. interaction rate
• Analyze the site : W ith regression models we can look at among major political news sites
traff ic sources; a social media analysis will reveal how during 2016 election cycle
we ll certa in types of art icles do when posted in various
media sources; releasing particular articles in a controlled
fashion wi ll test time of day engagement levels, social
media source, and topic.
• We w ill be able t o learn which platforms and ad types are most effective at building
membership, driving views on content, driving amplifiers to share content, etc .
• W it h a clearer sense of who our users are, we 'll make better strategic decisions on
monetiz ing options, the tools to do so, and build the foundation for a potentially valuable
and marketab le dataset.
REVENUE
Impact and monet ization are not mutually exclusive at Shareblue.
In the second half of 2017 we will move the focus to monetization with the goal of bringing in revenue in
Q2 of 2018. Our strategies stem from our core competency: The ability to market content effectively in
social media channels.
Sponsored content. Sponsored content is fueling the explosive grow t h of digital media platforms. These
articles wo uld be specifically wr itten to promote businesses and organizations that fit our audience.
This would primar ily be a lead generatio n business paid throu gh a CPA model. And we'll
go beyond articles, and partner with progressive allies like EMILY'S List to produce video conten t.
Sponsored verticals. Shareblue can create verti cals t hat can be sold to businesses and organizations
that align with our editor ial prioritie s, e.g., labor, environmental organizations, anti -corruption advocates.
Shareblue Premium. Subscribers pay for exclus ive content, daily newsletter or other product.
Think TPM Prime or Slate Plus.
Marketable dataset. Once we know o ur audience bette r, we will have the option of marketing t his data
to allies to help them grow th eir audience and impact as well. Shareblue will always safeguard the
privacy of its readers.

Proprietary technology/prem ium experience . Subscribers pay a fee to part icipate in a Twitte r-like
environme nt for the opposition, free from conservative t rolls and harassment. A powerful way of
merging our connection to the grassroots w ith our platform .
Email leads. Mone t izing tra ffic t hrough sponsored actions, wher eby a th ird part y pays to place a peti t ion
on our sit e and th en pays per emai l ($1.00 -$2 .00) fo r the outp ut. We get to add these email list s to our
database as we ll. Since Change.org shifted from only servi ng t he left , t here is a gap in th e progressive
landscape fo r emai l list generatio n.
Progressive products. In an increasingly high te ch wor ld, peop le seek t hings they can touch and feel. We
cou ld market produc t s t hat align wit h our edito rial mission and capt ure t he emotion of the resistance .
Al l poten t ial products could be market -tested through our Facebook com munity.
Event mar ketin g. As Shareblue's reach and impact increase, so too wil l the oppo rtun it y to
ext end the powe r of ou r brand. We'll develop event prog ramming in major markets t hat feat ures
Shareblue editors, writers , and contributors , and generate revenue from paid sponsorships and/or
consumer sales.
EVALUATION
Shareblue wi ll consta nt ly monitor the fol lowi ng indicators to know if we're on t rack towa rd our
top outco mes.
Shareblue becomes the go-to news outlet for grassroots Trump opponents. Facebook engagement w ith
our content doubles each year. Shareblue .com tra ffic also doubles each year. Twitt er fo llowing increases
25% per year.
Shareblue becomes the de facto news outlet for opposition leaders. Democrat ic off ices, campaigns , and
progressive organ izations will rout inely pitc h us stories, fu nnel us info rm ation, and share our content ,
and we'l l measure ally engageme nt. Shareblue content will be used in paid politica l ads 'in television
and digit al mediums .
Trump allies are forced to step down or change course due to news we push. Intel and oppo given to us
exclusively w ill become higher quality, wi t h higher potential for impact, as our credibili t y and foo t print
grows.
Under pressure from Shareblue, Democrats take more aggressive positions against Trump. Democ rats wi ll
echo the aggressive, emoti ve messaging Shareblue models and t ake act ion accord ingly.
Achieve financial sustainability while diversifying content offerings and platforms. Set and meet revenue
t argets each f iscal year as editorial and reach expand. Find capita l investors in Sharebl ue's new and
expanding business.
Top editorial and writing tale nt leave competitors to join Shareblue . High quality, seasoned editors and
wri t ers at compet ing out lets increasingly fol low Sharebl ue socia l med ia accounts, share our cont ent,
and repeat our messaging- unt il t hey realize Shareblue wo uld make a bett er home .

BUDGET
Shareblue is an LLCwhich has a 2017 budget currently set at $2 mill ion, which covers 18 total staff,
includ ing six full-time content produce rs.
Our top priori ty is expanding editorial capacity, and, accordingly, Share blue's budget is biased towards
content creation. This year, we'll bring on an executive edit or, two wri t ers/repo rters, a produ ction
editor, and increase our freelance wri ters budget by 50%. Alongsi de our edito rial expansion, we' ll
begin to re-bui ld our video content program w ith a part- t ime prod ucer, and optimize our social med ia·
presence wi th a digital manager.
With an increase in the budget t o $3 million , Shareblue will be able to make necessary investments in
2017. A n expanded tec hnology team allows for a dig ita l director to develop and execute social media
and web growth strategies, along w it h a ful l-time developer and a designer.
We' ll continue to expand our edito rial capacity with t wo dedicated reporters (one for the progressive
beat, and one for ethics/legal), and a f ull-time video department of two. And we'll be able to compete
for top editorial talent. A product marketing manager will drive revenue throug h content sponsorships,
email list monet ization, and subscr iber-model exper imentat ion.
TEAM
Shareblue operates with a sma ll but dedicated team, each of whom believes progressive values are
worth fighting for every day. We're passionate about produc ing the highest quality content to inform,
engage, and fire up our audience. And like our audience, we live on social media.
On the content creation side of Shareblue, the editor-in-chief works close ly with her deputy editor, two
senior writers, our exclusive polling and data strategist, and oversees a grou p of five freelance writers.
A direct or of out reach and IT manager round out the operations team.
SELECTEDBIOS
Will Lippincott, Chief Operating Officer. Will began his media career in 1994 at The New Yorker,
wh ere he wo rked in adverti sing sales. From 1998 to early 2001 Will was publisher of The New Republic
and led its re-launch before becomi ng publisher and business development director of BoozAllen's
strategy+businessquarter ly. At both brands, Wi ll was responsible for business operations, inc luding
advert ising sales and consume r marketing , and for the development and execution of on line content
and revenue strateg ies. In 2004, Wi ll co-founded Lippincott Massie McQui lkin ( LMQ), a f ull- service
lit erary agency that now represents more than 300 authors and estates . As an agent and talent
manager, he developed a rigorous approach to securing publishi ng deals for prize-w inning jou rnalists
and thought leaders whose ideas are catalysts for change in culture, polit ics, and business. Wi ll has
been a board member of Media Matters for America since its founding in 200 4, and has served on
the boards of America n Bridge 21st Century and The Amer ican Independent.
Katie Paris, Senior Executive Adviser. Katie is a veteran of progressive infrastructur e organizations
and Democratic camp aigns. She has worked w ith Shareblue since David Brock took it over in late 2015.
Katie also serves as an adviser to Media Matter s, w hich she helped launch as its first Research Director
in 2004 . Katie also helped launch Faith in Public Life, a DC- based strategy cent er th at advances fait h as
a powerful force for progressive causes. Wh en she's not doi ng politic s, she helps inspire social secto r
leaders to build great organizations for greater impact t hrough the Leap of Reason init iative.
Melissa McEwan, Editor-in-Chief. Me lissa is a leading feminist writer who has spent more t han a
decade in progressive advocacy, having founded th e political and cultural blog Shakesville in 2004.
She has been with Shareblue since February of 20 16. Me lissa's wo rk has appeared in a number of
publicat ions, ranging from Geez Magazine to The Guardian.She has long valued building relat ionships
wit h other wr iters in the social justice sphere, and loves to mentor fledgli ng fem inist w rit ers, from
building an aud ience to navigating th e challenges of social media.
Anthony Reed, Polling and Data Strategist. Heralded as the "nex t Nate Silver," Anthony is
Shareblue's exclusive polling and predictiv e mod eling exper t. He is t he founde r of Benchmark
Politi cs, wh ich was the most accurate elect ion fo recast er in t he Dem oc rati c prima ries (beating
even Nate Silver). The Benchmark mode l uses advanced stat istica l techniques based on county-level
data Anthony developed to successfully lower the murd er rate in Baton Rouge, reduce mass incarceration
in Louisiana, and im prove studen t success in pub lic universit ies.
Tommy Christopher, Senior Political Writer. Tommy is a libera l co mm entator and jo urna list with
an extensiv e reporti ng background . He began his journalism career covering th e 2008 presidential
campaign for AO L, then went on to cover the White House for six years wit h Politics Daily, Mediaite,
and The Daily Banter. Before enter ing journalis m, Christoph er was a health insurance consult ant w ith
exten sive expert ise in the field .
44 I Private & Confidential 7

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PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL

We have the mandate.

The countr y did not vote fo r Trump -sty le change.

We will fight, every day.

Digital programs-both tactical and messaging-failed to actively liste n to and engage t he

We will fully adapt to the new reality, and we will win.

2 I Private & Confidential

• The Trump administration will be forced to defend illegal conduct in court.

• Dark money will be a polit ical liability in key states.

• Shareblue will achieve financial sustainability while diversifying content offerings

We wi ll not back dow n. We wi ll only move fo rwar d.

We hope you'll fight with us.

The relationship is symb iotic.

In a hyper-fragmented media environment, the right is aggressively exploiting vulnerabilities and

Media Matters is ready to stop them.

Media Matters for America 2020 Plan I5

• The decay of journalism.

• The rise of fake news, disinformation, and active propaganda efforts.

• An information ecosystem that furthers extremism and cultivates a climate of harassment.

STOPPEDDONALD TRUMP'S PHONE INTERVIEW PRIVILEGES.

I Private & Confidential

We will focus our efforts into the following three areas:

• Leverage our authority to encourage good journalism.

• Implement a robust omnichannel communications strategy and mobilize a massive

Here's how we'll do it:

Media Matters for America 2020 Plan I7

MEDIA ADVOCACY-PUNISH ENABLING AND COMPLACENCY

NEUTRALIZE GOVERNMENT DISINFORMATION

8 I Private & Confidential

INNOVATE AGAINST FAKE NEWS AND PROPAGANDA

Here's how we'll do it:

BIG DATA ANALYSIS AND EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

COLLABORATING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

Social media platforms need help in identify ing vu lnerabilities and

But it has several key vulnerabili t ies.

Here's how we'll do it:

''l,ve gotten some tough treatment {from Media Matters]

Media Matters for America 2020 Plan I 11

MASSIVE GRASSROOTS TRUTH SQUAD

This can't go on.

12 I Private & Confidential

14 I Private & Confidential

Defeating Donald Trump requires preparatio n and focus.

American Bridge 2020 Plan I 15

We are in a state of emergency.

Defeat Trump either through impeachment or at the ballot box in 2020.

DROVE·COVERAGETHAT LEDTO TRUMP ENTERINGOFFICE

This is how we will do it:

STATE-OF-THE -ART TRUMP WAR ROOM

American Bridge 2020 Plan I 17

WATCHDOGGING THE AGENCIES

FIGHTING THE TRUMP AGENDA

TIME CAPSULING TRUMP TESTIMONIALS

18 I Private & Confidential

American Bridge w ill make run ning as a Republican

•--~~ -.-r.·-•;••· .... ·:.......~,;

American Bridge 202()Plan I

"Twenty -seven of the 38 governorships up in 20 17 and 2018 are Republican-held, including

' M.E£ ;-r(i!t.'.