Council for National Policy

{{cquote|'''''The media should not know when or where we meet or who takes part in our programs, before or after a meeting.'''''|4=Council for National Policy's instructions to members.}}
{{cquote|Be not afraid of the accusations that you’re a voter suppressor, you're a [[racist]] and so forth.|||J. Christian Adams at a CNP meeting<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/council-national-policy-video/2020/10/14/367f24c2-f793-11ea-a510-f57d8ce76e11_story.html|title=Videos show closed-door sessions of leading conservative activists: ‘Be not afraid of the accusations that you’re a voter suppressor’|first= Robert Jr.|last= O'Harrow |date=October 14, 2020|work=The Washington Post|access-date=July 23, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030213312/https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/council-national-policy-video/2020/10/14/367f24c2-f793-11ea-a510-f57d8ce76e11_story.html|archive-date=October 30, 2020|url-status=dead|url-access=subscription}}</ref>}}
[[File:CNP logo.jpg|thumb|right|Council for National Policy's logo.]]
'''Council for National Policy''' is a highly secretive umbrella organization of social [[conservative]] activists, described by ABC News as "[[New World Order|the most powerful conservative group you've never heard of]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/council_020501.html|title=Vast, Right-Wing Cabal?|last=Ambinder|first=Marc J.|publisher=ABC News|date=May 2, 2002|access-date=July 23, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020609234645/http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/council_020501.html|archive-date=June 9, 2002|url-status=dead}}</ref> The full membership of the group has been secretive, but was estimated to be a few hundred.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kirkpatrick|first=David D.|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/2004/08/28/politics/campaign/28conserve.html|title=Club of the Most Powerful Gathers in Strictest Privacy|work=The New York Times|date=August 28, 2004|access-date=July 23, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725001921/http://www.nytimes.com:80/2004/08/28/politics/campaign/28conserve.html?pagewanted=all|archive-date=July 25, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Founded in 1981, the group has meet three times a year since, never disclosing the location beforehand. The group has been accused of being a leader of the [[Dominionism|Dominionist]] movement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theocracywatch.org/taking_over.htm|title=Taking Over the Republican Party|publisher=[[Theocracy Watch]]|date=2005|access-date=July 23, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140216104939/http://www.theocracywatch.org/taking_over.htm|archive-date=February 16, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The CNP is largely believed to be behind the choice of [[Sarah Palin]] as vice-presidential nominee of the [[Republican Party]] in the 2008 Presidential Election,<ref>{{cite web|last=Blumenthal|first=Max|url=http://www.thenation.com/blogs/state_of_change/352178/secretive_right_wing_group_vetted_palin|title=Secretive Right-Wing Group Vetted Palin|work=State of Change|publisher=TheNation.com|date=September 1, 2008|access-date=July 23, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206141111/http://www.thenation.com/blogs/state_of_change/352178/secretive_right_wing_group_vetted_palin|archive-date=December 6, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> after the CNP had considered running a third party candidate, viewing [[John McCain]] as too [[pro-choice]]. In the Fall of 1999, [[George W. Bush]] spoke to the organization in secret in order to gain their support, promising only to appoint [[anti-abortion]] judges.

==Membership==

In 2016, the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] released a redacted copy of the 2014 Membership Directory.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2016/05/17/council-national-policy-behind-curtain|title=The Council for National Policy: Behind the Curtain|first= Heidi |last=Beirich|first2= Mark|last2= Potok |date=May 17, 2016|publisher= Southern Poverty Law Center|access-date=July 23, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618132816/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2016/05/17/council-national-policy-behind-curtain|archive-date=June 18, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The 2014 President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer were Stuart W. Epperson, [[Tony Perkins]] (president of [[Family Research Council]]), and John H. Scribante, respectively.<ref name=membership>[https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/cnp_redacted_final.pdf Council for National Policy 2014 Membership Directory]</ref> Past presidents have included Becky Norton Dunlap, T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr., Donald Paul Hodel, James C. Miller III, Foster Friess, [[Edwin Meese III]], Rich DeVos (founder of [[Amway]]), Paul Pressler, [[Pat Robertson]], Nelson Bunker Hunt, and Tom Ellis.<ref name=membership/> 

Other notable past and present members include:<ref name=membership/>
{{collist|2|
*David Bossie, president of [[Citizens United]]
*[[L. Brent Bozell III]]
*Brian S. Brown, president of [[National Organization for Marriage]]
*Benjamin W. Bull, chief executive of [[Alliance Defending Freedom]]
*Joseph Coors, founder of the [[Heritage Foundation]]
*[[Jerome Corsi]] of [[WND]]
*Brad Dacus, president of [[Pacific Justice Institute]]
*Jim DeMint, president of the Heritage Foundation
*[[19 Kids and Counting|Joshua Duggar]]
*[[Jerry Falwell]]
*Joseph Farah, CEO of WND
*Michael P. Farris, founder and chancellor of [[Patrick Henry College]]
*Steve [[Forbes]]
*Terry P. Jeffrey, editor-in-chief of [[CNS News]]
*David Keene, editor at [[Washington Times]]
*[[Tim LaHaye]]
*[[Wayne LaPierre]], [[NRA]]
*Tim Macy, [[Gun Owners of America]]
*Tim Minnery, senior vice president of [[Focus on the Family]]
*Troy Newman, president of [[Operation Rescue]]
*Neil S. Patel, co-founder of [[The Daily Caller]]
*Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
*Timothy R. Phillips, president of [[Americans for Prosperity]]
*Christopher Ruddy, president of [[Newsmax]]
*[[R.J. Rushdoony]]
*[[Rick Santorum]]
*Allan E. Sears, president of [[Alliance Defense Fund]]
*[[Rick Scarborough]]
*[[Phyllis Schlafly]]
*Cherie Short, director at [[Concerned Women for America]]
*[[W. Cleon Skousen]]
*Matthew D. Staver, chairman of [[Liberty Counsel]]
*John M. Templeton, president of [[Templeton Foundation]]
*Richard A. Viguerie
*Tim Wildmon, vice president of [[American Family Association]]
*Charmaine Yoest, president of [[Americans United for Life]]
}}

==External links==
*[http://www.policycounsel.org/ The Council for National Policy's stunningly uninformative website.]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Political action groups]]

Categories: Political action groups