Dallas lawyer Sidney Powell’s nonprofit raised over $16 million after 2020 election

A nonprofit run by Trump ally and Dallas-based lawyer Sidney Powell that supported legal challenges to the 2020 presidential election results raised over $16 million in the year following the election, according to a filing obtained by The Washington Post last week. The nonprofit, Defending the Republic, was founded based on promoting false claims of election fraud in the 2020 election, and one of its key purposes is to support legal battles. “We are a public interest advocacy group of relentless, fearless fighters with the guts to stand up to corruption, lawfare, and tactics of intimidation,” the nonprofit’s mission statement reads. In the year, the organization reported spending $8 million for legal services and litigation support. The organization has also filed lawsuits challenging COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and the defense of some people facing charges related to the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

While Powell is listed as the president and treasurer of the nonprofit, the filings show she and other leaders worked for no pay. However, reporting individual compensation was only required from the first month of the organization’s operations. Brendan Fischer, deputy executive director of the nonprofit and corporate watchdog organization Documented, told The Post the filings demonstrate that spreading election misinformation is “incredibly lucrative.” The filings and other relevant documents submitted to the Internal Revenue Service don’t show where the millions in reported legal expenses are flowing, Fischer said. “Defending The Republic Inc. has independent accountants, legal counsel, and auditors. If there are errors or omissions in the 990, it will be corrected as soon as possible,” Powell wrote in a response to The Post. Powell has been a prominent figure and attorney to challenge the 2020 election results. Her role in an attempt to overturn the election was discussed repeatedly throughout the nine public House select committee on Jan. 6 hearings, where it was revealed she reportedly suggested measures like rerunning the election and having the military seize voting machines.