American Issues Project

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title: "American Issues Project" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["political-advocacy-groups-in-the-united-states", "501(c)(4)-nonprofit-organizations"] description: "American political action group" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Issues_Project" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American political action group ::

The American Issues Project is an American political action group organized as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, so that it can engage in limited amounts of civic campaigning, but cannot legally advocate for or against candidates. During the 2008 United States presidential election, it became known for commercials linking Barack Obama to former Weather Underground founder William Ayers.{{cite web |url= https://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2008/10/swift-boat-style-527-attacks-mccain-obama.html |date=2008-10-02 |access-date = 2008-10-29 |title = Swift Boaters Start Your Engines |publisher = Mother Jones | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081104011634/https://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2008/10/swift-boat-style-527-attacks-mccain-obama.html| archive-date= 4 November 2008 | url-status= live}} The group has received substantial media attention.{{cite news |url= http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/10/10/fec_complaint_filed_against_gr.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120224074451/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/10/10/fec_complaint_filed_against_gr.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= February 24, 2012 |date=2008-10-10 |access-date = 2008-10-29 |title = FEC Complaint Filed Against Group That Ran Ayers Ad |newspaper = The Washington Post |url= http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/10/obama_mccain_carry_negative_me.html?hpid=topnews |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120224074503/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/10/obama_mccain_carry_negative_me.html?hpid=topnews |url-status= dead |archive-date= February 24, 2012 |date=2008-10-06 |access-date = 2008-10-29 |title = Without 527s, Candidates Must Carry Negative Message |newspaper = The Washington Post |url= https://www.politico.com/story/2009/02/video-group-counters-stimulus-with-jesus-in-tv-ad-019055 |date= 2009-02-20 |access-date = 2009-02-20 |title = VIDEO: Group counters stimulus with Jesus in TV ad |publisher = The Politico | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090221121035/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/19055.html| archive-date= 21 February 2009 | url-status= live}}

The AIP was co-founded by conservative political activists Tony Feather (also a co-founder of the conservative 527 group Progress for America) and Chris LaCivita.

Funding for AIP, which spent close to $3 million for the Ayers ads, is provided by Harold Simmons, who previously gave $3 million to fund Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and another $500,000 to Progress for America.{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-cavalry-coming-for-mccain/ |date=2008-10-22 |access-date=2008-10-29 |title=No Cavalry Coming For McCain |work=CBS News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081025063346/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/22/politics/politico/main4538433.shtml |archive-date=25 October 2008 |url-status=live

References

References

1. [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/us/politics/26donor.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink New York Times (October 26, 2008) "Swift Boat Financier Finds Efforts Are Muted"]
2. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/13/AR2008091302270.html Washington Post (September 14, 2008) "Group With Swift Boat Alumni Readies Ads Attacking Obama"]

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