About
1792 Exchange describes its mission as “to develop policy and resources to protect and equip nonprofits, small businesses and philanthropy from ‘woke capitalism,’ to educate Congress and stakeholder organizations about the dangers of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) policies, and to help steer public companies in the United States back to neutral on ideological issues.” The group is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, registered under the name Constitutional Congress with the IRS.
Cleta Mitchell, a former Trump legal advisor and chair of the Conservative Partnership Institute’s Election Integrity Network, is listed as the group’s principal officer. 1792 Exchange President Paul Fitzpatrick told CNBC that Mitchell no longer has a role with the group.
In January 2023, 1792 Exchange named former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron CEO. “I’m honored to serve as the CEO of the 1792 Exchange, where I will continue meaningful work to put an end to the anti-American ESG agenda that threatens to take over our corporations and change the fabric of our country,” Cameron said in a release.
As of September 2022, 1792 Exchange is a gold-level sponsor of SFOF (which no longer lists its donors on its website).
The organization maintains an online tracking tool known as Spotlight Report, which grades companies on their “policies, practices, and other relevant criteria to determine the likelihood a company will cancel a contract or client, or boycott, divest, or deny services based on views or beliefs.”
1792 Exchange also tracks pro- and anti-ESG shareholder proposals that each state’s pension funds support, and then ranks the states “1-50 with #1 signifying lowest pro-ESG average and highest anti-ESG average.”
On April 2, 2024, 1792 Exchange launched its “Board Bias Database” to uncover “bias favoring liberal ideology.”
In August of 2024, 1792 Exchange commissioned a workplace politics survey that allowed them to state in the findings that, “a signicant portion of Americans believes that large corporations have become too
political, with most respondents urging CEOs to step back from politics and cultural issues.”
1792 Exchange prepares model contracts and shares research on its website for allies in their fight against so-called “woke capitalism.” Here are some examples obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy:
- Abortion Travel Benefits Sheet
- Addressing Vendor Contract Language in Regard to Religious Freedom
- Request for Proposal for Banking Services Template
- The Big Tech Scorecard (prepared by Napa Legal)
- What is ESG?
In 2022, 1792 Exchange contracted with Paul Watkins‘s Fusion Law for “program support.” Watkins, a senior legal fellow with Consumers’ Research, is a rightwing operative in the fight against woke capitalism and ESG.
1792 Exchange President Paul Fitzpatrick sits on SFOF’s board of directors.
Operatives
- Research Associate Banner Brock
- CEO Daniel Cameron
- Chairman and Founder Nathan Estruth
- President Paul Fitzpatrick
- Vice President Erica Moshtahedian
Top Funders
- Servant Foundation: $1,655,000 (2021-2022)
- Christian Community Foundation: $1,000,000 (2022)
- National Christian Charitable Foundation: $331,000 (2017; 2022)
- Schwab Charitable Fund: $120,000 (2022)
Note: 1792 Exchange is not required by law to disclose its donors.
Core Financials
- Total revenue: $2,295,000
- Total expenses: $1,766,677
- Net assets: $529,250
Source: 2022 IRS 990 filing
For more information, visit the 1792 Exchange page on SourceWatch.