Law Forward
“We successfully defended voting rights for the disabled, the elderly, college students, and other vulnerable groups in multiple cases, and we helped restore the option for communities across the state to use absentee-ballot drop boxes.”
— Jeff Mandell (President & General Counsel of Law Forward)
Jeff Mandell, President and General Counsel of Law Forward
Kelly Ann Brown Foundation first gave a grant to the democracy-saving nonprofit, Law Forward, in 2021. Founded in 2020 by two attorneys, KABF was impressed by the legal work they were doing in Wisconsin to push back in the courts on Republicans’ voter suppression tactics, including gerrymandering.
In June of 2024, KABF chair Debra Hannula received an email from Law Forward’s Executive Director Jeff Mandell eager to share their latest accomplishments. Mandell’s summary of the work they’ve been doing inspired KABF to give another grant in 2024.
Law Forward fought in court for new legislative maps to stop the Republicans extreme gerrymander that had a stranglehold in Wisconsin for over a dozen years and won. Mandell shared that victory alone has revived his state’s democracy. “This past week, candidates filed paperwork to get on the ballot, and the evidence shows greater participation and more contested races in districts the length and breadth of Wisconsin than we have seen in a generation. This marked increase in contested races – based entirely on the reality that fewer district lines are drawn in ways that make a mockery of the election process – is a testament to our work repairing democracy and ensuring fair representation.”
Another victory was won by Law Forward when those involved in the Trump fake electors plot in Wisconsin were exposed for the criminals that they are. In 2020, one of the many egregious acts done to thwart the free and fair election of President Joe Biden, was what became known as the fake electors’ scheme. The plot was hatched by Trump’s cronies in Wisconsin and spread from there to other states. The goal was to keep Trump illegally in office by submitting fraudulent certificates to wrongly state that Trump had won the electoral college. Seven states followed Wisconsin’s lead.
As Mandell shared with KABF: “Our trailblazing efforts to expose the fraudulent electors and ensure accountability have continued to gain traction. Last week, the Wisconsin Department of Justice filed a criminal complaint against three lawyers who played key roles in facilitating the fraudulent-elector scheme, not just in Wisconsin, but across the nation. One defendant, Jim Troupis, has not faced accountability in any other state; in fact, his actions as the linchpin of the entire fraudulent-elector scheme flew under the radar until we uncovered and publicly released documents illuminating how the scheme began in Wisconsin and metastasized to other states.”
Law Forward took it a step further and created an “easy-to-read timeline that distills the scheme's development and execution” and published it on their website for all to see. That’s critical. We must never forget what these betraying turncoats have done. Trump’s criminal minions have operated in the shadows hoping to return him to the White House so that they can be pardoned for all their traitorous crimes.
KABF was happy to give a third grant to Law Forward and we’re grateful of their proactive approach to protecting our democracy, particularly moving into the 2024 presidential election. They’ve assured us:, “As we look forward to the fall election, we will remain vigilant against whatever scheme may arise to suppress the vote.”
KABF is happy to be a part of the Law Forward community.
For more information, visit www.lawforward.org.
In June of 2024, KABF chair Debra Hannula received an email from Law Forward’s Executive Director Jeff Mandell eager to share their latest accomplishments. Mandell’s summary of the work they’ve been doing inspired KABF to give another grant in 2024.
Law Forward fought in court for new legislative maps to stop the Republicans extreme gerrymander that had a stranglehold in Wisconsin for over a dozen years and won. Mandell shared that victory alone has revived his state’s democracy. “This past week, candidates filed paperwork to get on the ballot, and the evidence shows greater participation and more contested races in districts the length and breadth of Wisconsin than we have seen in a generation. This marked increase in contested races – based entirely on the reality that fewer district lines are drawn in ways that make a mockery of the election process – is a testament to our work repairing democracy and ensuring fair representation.”
Another victory was won by Law Forward when those involved in the Trump fake electors plot in Wisconsin were exposed for the criminals that they are. In 2020, one of the many egregious acts done to thwart the free and fair election of President Joe Biden, was what became known as the fake electors’ scheme. The plot was hatched by Trump’s cronies in Wisconsin and spread from there to other states. The goal was to keep Trump illegally in office by submitting fraudulent certificates to wrongly state that Trump had won the electoral college. Seven states followed Wisconsin’s lead.
As Mandell shared with KABF: “Our trailblazing efforts to expose the fraudulent electors and ensure accountability have continued to gain traction. Last week, the Wisconsin Department of Justice filed a criminal complaint against three lawyers who played key roles in facilitating the fraudulent-elector scheme, not just in Wisconsin, but across the nation. One defendant, Jim Troupis, has not faced accountability in any other state; in fact, his actions as the linchpin of the entire fraudulent-elector scheme flew under the radar until we uncovered and publicly released documents illuminating how the scheme began in Wisconsin and metastasized to other states.”
Law Forward took it a step further and created an “easy-to-read timeline that distills the scheme's development and execution” and published it on their website for all to see. That’s critical. We must never forget what these betraying turncoats have done. Trump’s criminal minions have operated in the shadows hoping to return him to the White House so that they can be pardoned for all their traitorous crimes.
KABF was happy to give a third grant to Law Forward and we’re grateful of their proactive approach to protecting our democracy, particularly moving into the 2024 presidential election. They’ve assured us:, “As we look forward to the fall election, we will remain vigilant against whatever scheme may arise to suppress the vote.”
KABF is happy to be a part of the Law Forward community.
For more information, visit www.lawforward.org.
