Hans von Spakovsky

Hans von Spakovsky left Heritage Foundation in Jan 2026 to join Mike Pence's Advancing American Freedom as Senior Legal Fellow in new Edwin Meese III Institute for the Rule of Law. Previously managed Heritage's Election Law Reform Initiative. Authored FEC chapter of Project 2025. Former DOJ Civil Rights counsel (2002-2005) and FEC commissioner (2006-2007). FEC records show Vienna VA address, Heritage employer.

Von Spakovsky moved from Heritage to Pence's AAF Edwin Meese III Institute Jan 2026: Resigned Heritage Dec 22, 2025 amid Heritage Foundation exodus (20+ board members/scholars/staffers left after Kevin Roberts Tucker Carlson controversy Oct 30). Joins 13 other former Heritage staff at AAF including directors of economic, legal, and data teams. AAF launched Edwin Meese III Institute for Rule of Law in Dec 2025. Von Spakovsky cited election integrity and immigration issues as key focus areas. Named Edwin Meese III as namesake - same name as Heritage center he left (Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies). This represents a Heritage election capability transplant to AAF, not a departure from the network.

The Heritage-to-AAF migration is structurally significant: the entire election integrity infrastructure that produced Project 2025 FEC chapter and the Heritage voter fraud database appears to be reconstituting at AAF. Von Spakovsky authored the Project 2025 FEC chapter. AAF was founded by Mike Pence. The Meese Institute naming creates institutional continuity with Heritage's Meese Center. 13 former Heritage staff joined AAF including division directors - this is not an individual departure but an organizational split.

Von Spakovsky moved Heritage election integrity apparatus to AAF. Election Fraud Database (electionfraud.heritage.org) remains at Heritage but lost its principal architect. Von Spakovsky now at AAF Meese Institute pushing SAVE Act.

Hans von Spakovsky managed Heritage Election Law Reform Initiative and Election Fraud Database (1,412+ proven cases) since 2017. He authored Project 2025 FEC chapter. Resigned from Heritage Dec 22, 2025 (same day Roberts tapped him for interim Meese Center leadership). Joined AAF Meese Institute as Senior Legal Fellow Jan 12, 2026. At AAF, he continues election integrity work: pushing SAVE Act, voter citizenship verification requirements. The Election Fraud Database website (electionfraud.heritage.org) remains live at Heritage but has lost its creator and primary maintainer. Heritage states election integrity remains a 2026 priority but has not named von Spakovsky's replacement for the Election Law Reform Initiative.

Von Spakovsky organized secret meetings with Republican state election officials excluding Democrats, with DOJ and DHS officials participating

Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Hans von Spakovsky organized private meetings with Republican state election officials since Trump took office. No Democratic officials were invited. During August 2020 meeting, Cameron Quinn from DHS/CISA was announced as liaison to the election community. In 2019, John Gore (DOJ Civil Rights Division head) attended and co-led discussion on election reforms and messaging. Meetings covered voter roll culling and opposition to mail-in voting expansion. Von Spakovsky also sits on PILF board (Cleta Mitchell is chairman) and co-authored Project 2025.

Heritage Election Fraud Database used as policy justification contains 1300 cases over 40 years with no peer review

Von Spakovsky maintains the Heritage Foundation Election Fraud Database claiming 1300+ proven cases of voter fraud. Brennan Center analysis found claims grossly exaggerated and devoid of context. Database includes cases going back to 1982 many only tangentially related to in-person fraud. Von Spakovsky testified in court that none of his work has undergone peer review. Heritage own data shows noncitizen voting is not widespread. Despite methodological flaws, the database is cited by policy advocates and used to justify voter restriction legislation.