Meet the rich conservatives bankrolling a major fight against Trump

President Donald Trump greets Supreme Court justices after addressing a joint session of Congress, March 4, 2025. Image via Screengrab / PBS.

On Wednesday, November 5 — the day after the United States' 2025 off-year elections — the U.S. Supreme Court will be hearing oral arguments in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, a case involving President Donald Trump's ability to unilaterally impose tariffs via executive order under the Emergency Powers Act of 1977.

Many Democrats are hoping that the High Court will rule against Trump in the case, but opposition is coming from the right as well — including a group called the Liberty Justice Institute.

According to Washington Post reporter Kat Zakrzewski, the Institute is generously funding the anti-tariffs argument from the right.

"President Donald Trump is used to battles at the Supreme Court against liberal advocacy groups," Zakrzewski explains in an article published on November 4. "But Wednesday's high-stakes argument over his tariff policy features a very different foe — a legal center funded without public disclosure by some of the country's wealthiest conservatives. The cases on which the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments were brought by small businesses, which argue that Trump's tariffs have harmed them by raising their costs."

Zakrzewski adds, "Standing behind them, however — and paying for some of the high-priced legal talent — is the Liberty Justice Center, a nonprofit group with a libertarian-leaning agenda that has previously challenged public-sector unions and sued to prevent the ban on TikTok from taking effect."

According to Zakrzewski, prominent conservatives are funding the Liberty Justice Center.

"Liberty Justice Center does not disclose the names of its donors," the reporter notes, "but a Washington Post analysis of tax filings found that since 2020, it has received money from Donors Trust, the Walton Family Foundation and the Bradley Foundation, all of which have been prominent conservative donors. Donors Trust is a fund that receives money from wealthy donors whose identities are not disclosed and steers it toward conservative causes."

Zakrzewski continues, "The group has frequently backed organizations associated with Federalist Society co-Chairman Leonard Leo, who counseled Trump on judicial picks during his first presidential term, but whom Trump denounced in May, in part because of the tariff case. Liberty Justice Center is also listed as a national partner of the State Policy Network, a network of conservative nonprofit organizations with links to Charles and David Koch that also receives funding from Donors Trust."

Read Kat Zakrzewski's full Washington Post article at this link (subscription required).

From Your Site Articles