Cleta Mitchell

Mitchell's network spans political figures, election officials, and conservative legal organizations. Heather Honey served as vice president on the FAIR Elections Fund board while simultaneously running Haystack Investigations (a Cyber Ninjas subcontractor during the 2020 Arizona audit), founding Verity Vote, and founding PA Fair Elections. ⁹ Honey was appointed DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Election Integrity in August 2025, a role in which she drafts executive orders, crafts policy, and liaises with the White House and NSC. ⁹ According to reporting by Votebeat, state election officials warned that the appointment could erode trust between state and federal officials. ⁹

According to records reviewed, Mitchell co-convenes the Election Transparency Initiative with Ken Cuccinelli, and the two collaborated at ALEC to pass the Only Citizens Vote model bill. ¹ Records indicate she chairs an ALEC election working group, led the December 2024 elections panel, and co-presented the OCVC model bill to 150 state legislators in July 2024. ¹ LittleSis records map 50 relationships for Mitchell, including professional ties to Ginni Thomas (wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas), Matthew Seifried, Erick Kaardal, and Patrick Colbeck, as well as business connections to EagleAI and 9Seven Consulting. ¹¹ She has served as lawyer for Jim Jordan's congressional campaign and is listed as a contributor to Project 2025. ¹¹

Mitchell was connected to the Georgia alternate electors effort in 2020, reportedly working alongside John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro through intermediary Christopher Gardner. ³ Her earlier career included a long tenure as an NRA lawyer, serving as co-counsel in a Supreme Court case challenging the 2002 federal campaign finance law. ¹² In 2018, McClatchy reported that Mitchell had previously expressed concerns about NRA ties to Russia and possible Russian money flowing through the NRA into the Trump 2016 campaign; Mitchell denied these claims. ¹² Her name appeared on the House Intelligence Committee's interview list for the Russia investigation. ¹² Stephen Miller directs weekly election enforcement meetings at the White House in which Honey participates as the DHS election integrity deputy. ⁹

CPI's IRS 990 filings show revenue growth from $1.8 million in 2017 to $45.7 million in 2021, settling to $19.5 million by 2023 while accumulating $71 million in total assets. ⁴ CPI's spending increased 54% to $32.6 million in 2024, with its allocation to FAIR rising from $815,000 to over $6 million. ⁴⁵ According to records reviewed, CPI also pays nearly $2 million annually to Compass Legal Group, the compliance firm beneficially owned by Mitchell, up from $1.5 million in 2023. ⁸

FAIR Elections Fund (EIN 931870447) raised $3.9 million in its first full operating year (July 2023 through June 2024), spending $2.1 million and disbursing over 75% as grants to ten organizations. ⁵ The largest recipients were FDRLST Media Foundation (The Federalist) at $400,000, Tea Party Patriots Foundation at $100,000, Citizen Outreach Foundation at $89,000, the MacIver Institute at $75,000, Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona at $75,000, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty at $75,000, and Wisconsin Voter Alliance at $25,000. ⁵ Grant flow analysis indicates that FAIR distributed funds received from CPI to state-level organizations focused on election-related activity. ⁵

The Only Citizens Vote Coalition, launched by Mitchell in May 2024, comprises over 80 member organizations. ¹³ According to Issue One, more than $590 million in identified funding since January 2020 has flowed to approximately 36 member groups. ¹³ The top funders identified are Schwab Charitable Fund ($328 million), DonorsTrust ($80 million), Bradley Impact Fund ($31 million), Fidelity Charitable ($24 million), and Concord Fund ($24 million). ¹³ The largest recipient is the 85 Fund at $413 million, representing 70% of the total. ¹³ Over 25% of coalition members also participated in Project 2025. ¹³

FEC records show Mitchell donating from Pinehurst, North Carolina, listing herself as self-employed. ¹⁴ Her donations include $2,500 to Michael Whatley's Senate campaign (September 2025, while Whatley served as RNC chair), $1,041 to Trey Trainor (October 2025, former FEC chair), and recurring $1,000 contributions to Chip Roy and Richard Hudson. ¹⁴ CPI senior partner Mark Meadows received $908,000 in compensation in 2024, up from $587,000 in 2023, per 990 filings. ¹⁰ Ed Corrigan, who sits on the FAIR board, simultaneously serves as CPI CEO, director of America First Legal, director of the State Freedom Caucus Network, director of the Immigration Accountability Project, and board member of Citizens for Renewing America. ¹⁵¹⁰

Review of IRS 990 filings and DC corporate records shows multiple nonprofit entities headquartered at 300 Independence Avenue SE, Washington DC 20003, the CPI address. ⁶ These include CPI itself (EIN 821470217, 501(c)(3)), FAIR Elections Fund (EIN 931870447), Election Integrity Network Inc (EIN 332585603), and Citizens for Renewing America (EIN 861769922, 501(c)(4)). ⁶ According to filings reviewed, CPI functions as fiscal sponsor and administrative hub. ⁶ CRA's 501(c)(4) status carries different disclosure requirements than CPI's 501(c)(3). ⁶ Examination of IRS records indicates EIN Inc received its own separate 501(c)(3) ruling in August 2025. ⁶

Beyond the CPI address, review of records indicates Mitchell holds roles across additional organizations. ² She is listed as beneficial owner of Compass Legal Group, which provides legal compliance services to CPI. ⁸ According to LittleSis and lobbying disclosure records, she serves as secretary and principal officer of 1792 Exchange. ² Florida corporate records list her as Vice Chair/Secretary of the Venezuelan Pro-Democracy Movement Inc (FL corp F11000001810, now inactive), registered at the Foley and Lardner DC office at 3000 K Street NW Suite 600. ¹⁶ She also served as secretary of Conservative Solutions PAC Inc (FL corp N15000011741, inactive), registered in Tampa. ¹⁶

According to records reviewed, Compass Legal Group managed the tax-exempt application for Valid Vote, the nonprofit behind EagleAI, a voter challenge tool that Mitchell promotes through EIN. ⁸ LittleSis records show a professional relationship between Mitchell and EagleAI. ⁸ Cross-referencing 990 grant data and corporate records indicates that CPI funds FAIR, FAIR distributes grants to state organizations, those organizations use EagleAI tools, and Compass Legal Group provides legal services across the network. ⁷

Mitchell participated in the January 2, 2021 phone call between Donald Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as Trump's attorney. ³ A Fulton County special purpose grand jury unanimously recommended that Mitchell be indicted on four counts related to the call, with an additional two charges for soliciting false statements recommended on a split vote of 12-5-1. ³ The grand jury recommended charges against 39 individuals total. ³ District Attorney Fani Willis did not include Mitchell among the 19 people ultimately indicted in the RICO case. ³ According to lobbying and career records reviewed, Mitchell's participation in the call led to her departure from Foley and Lardner, where she had been a partner since 2001. ²

CourtListener records identify 20 cases involving Mitchell. ¹⁷ These include Mitchell v. Select Committee on January 6th (1:22-cv-00250, D.D.C.), in which she challenged a congressional subpoena from the House January 6th Committee, and the related In re Subpoena of AT&T (1:21-mc-00157, D.D.C.), concerning House subpoenas of phone records. ¹⁷ Her litigation history spans election law and nonprofit advocacy: True the Vote v. IRS (1:13-cv-00734, D.D.C.) and Tea Party Patriots v. IRS (1:14-cv-00615, D.D.C.) both challenged IRS treatment of conservative organizations. ¹⁷ NOM v. United States (1:13-cv-01225, E.D. Va.) addressed donor disclosure requirements, Democracy NC v. Hirsch (1:23-cv-00878, M.D.N.C.) involved voting rights, and Perry v. Judd (3:11-cv-00856, E.D. Va.) concerned ballot access. ¹⁷

Analysis of 990 filings, FEC records, corporate registrations, and LittleSis data across Mitchell's organizations indicates several layers of coordinated activity. ⁷ CPI provides funding to FAIR, which in turn distributes grants to state-level organizations. ⁵ Analysis suggests that policy advocacy flows through FAIR's grants to OCVC member organizations and through ALEC model legislation, where Mitchell chairs an election working group. ⁷ EIN delivers poll watcher training; the organization states it has trained 4,500 poll watchers in Virginia alone and operates in all 50 states. ⁷

According to records reviewed, the EagleAI voter challenge tool is operated through Valid Vote, whose tax-exempt status was obtained with legal assistance from Mitchell's Compass Legal Group. ⁸ Records indicate that state organizations receiving FAIR grants use EagleAI for voter roll challenges. ⁸ Compass Legal Group provides legal compliance services to CPI at nearly $2 million annually. ⁸ Personnel transitions connect these organizations to federal positions: Heather Honey moved from the FAIR board to a DHS election integrity role, and Mitchell's FEC-recorded donations include contributions to officials with election administration authority. ⁹¹⁴

Review of records indicates the SAVE Act was promoted through the OCVC/ALEC channel. ⁷ According to Issue One reporting, the coalition supporting it encompasses over $590 million in identified funding and 80+ member organizations. ¹³ Examination of filings shows all organizations share a single address at 300 Independence Avenue SE with overlapping officers. ⁶ Over a quarter of OCVC's member organizations also participated in Project 2025. ¹³