InfluenceWatch Friday

InfluenceWatch, a project of Capital Research Center, is a comprehensive and ever-evolving compilation of our research into the numerous advocacy groups, foundations, and donors working to influence the public policy process. The website offers transparency into these influencers’ funding, motives, and connections while providing insight often neglected by other watchdog groups.

The information compiled in InfluenceWatch gives news outlets and other interested parties research to use in reporting on significant topics that are often overlooked by the American public.

CRC is pleased to present some of the most significant additions to InfluenceWatch in the past week:

• America Family Law Center (AFLC) is a nonprofit that provides legal services for low-income Texas residents on child access and family law matters. In January 2025, the Texas Legal Services Center filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) against the AFLC, alleging that the group had been charging large fees to clients for inadequate legal services, or services it had not even provided. The complaint also accused AFLC founder Bob Lansink of funneling funds from the group for personal gain.
• The Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA) is a labor union representing non-teacher employees (such as custodians, cafeteria workers, and administrative staff) within Oregon public schools. OSEA is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) as AFT Local 6732, and is also a member of the Oregon AFL-CIO. According to the right-of-center Freedom Foundation, following the 2018 Supreme Court ruling in Janus v. AFSCME, “the union has been forced to close three field offices, drastically cut back spending and accept a $400,000 handout from its parent organization, the American Federation of Teachers, just to make ends meet.”
• The Walentas Foundation (or the Walentas Family Foundation) is a private family grantmaking organization managed by billionaire father and son duo, David and Jed Walentas. The Walentas family firm, Two Trees Management, redevelops low-income neighborhoods in Brooklyn, NY. The Walentas Foundation has provided grants to Brooklyn-based public schools and the conservation group Open Space Alliance (OSA) for North Brooklyn.
• Smartmatic is a private company based in England that provides election technology including ballot marking, election management, and precinct voter tabulations. As of 2025, the chairman of Smartmatic is Mark Malloch-Brown, who was previously president of the George Soros-founded Open Society Foundations (OSF). According to a July 2024 report by the Washington Post, LinkedIn founder and Democratic Party donor Reid Hoffman had previously made donations to Smartmatic, and connected with Smartmatic CEO Antonio Mugica.
• Social Impact Commons is a fiscal sponsorship network that connects sponsors, projects, and funders. As of 2025, the group claims to have over 90 members and partner organizations including Alliance for Justice, the Center for Economic Democracy, the Mellon Foundation, the Movement Strategy Center (MSC), and NEO Philanthropy. Neville Vakharia, the president and treasurer of the group’s board of directors, previously worked as the director of the Cultural Data Project at the Pew Charitable Trusts (now known as SMU DataArts).