Established Fact
Philadelphia accepted millions in CTCL funds under agreements with claw-back provisions that, in practical effect, made noncompliance with CTCL’s specified operational model (including drop-box deployment, staffing, and outreach) “not an option.” Local officials described the terms as binding, and the grant documents empowered CTCL to demand repayment for deviations, granting a Chicago-based NGO substantial de facto control over how Philadelphia ran critical elements of the 2020 election.
Citations
Center for Tech and Civic Life, Grant Agreement with City of Philadelphia (executed Aug. 21, 2020), signed by CTCL Executive Director Tiana Epps Johnson and Philadelphia Chief Grants Officer Ashley Del Bianco, available at https://vote.phila.gov/archive/images/stories/execution_copy_philadelphia_ctcl_grant_ad_signed-082120.pdf.
Texas v. Pennsylvania, No. 22O155, Supreme Court of the United States, Appendix ยง 1 (Timeline of Electoral Policy Activities, Issues, and Litigation), at APP. 9 (Aug. 24, 2020 entry), https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22O155/163392/20201214094650555_Appendix%20section%201.pdf.
The Supreme Court appendix filing confirms the grant and its operational scope: The timeline appended to the Texas v. Pennsylvania Supreme Court filing records that on August 24, 2020, “CTCL grant to Philadelphia $10M for 15 in-person election offices, 15 drop boxes, tabulators, and poll worker pay” was finalized, noting that “$5.5M is earmarked for ‘ballot processing equipment'” and “$2.2M is earmarked for Delaware County,” and that “this deal was negotiated by the CTCL and the three city commissioners who run elections.”
Amistad Project of the Thomas More Society, Press Release (Oct. 28, 2020), https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amistad-project-time-to-fully-unmask-mark-zuckerbergs-350-million-funnelled-for-election-administration-and-the-motivation-behind-it-301161751.html; Solomon, Just the News (Oct. 20, 2020)