Barrett ads tied to interest groups funded by donors

WASHINGTON — The expected confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday is the culmination of a decadeslong coordinated effort by a constellation of conservative groups, fueled by tens of millions of dollars from wealthy anonymous donors, to tilt the high court farther to the right.

At the forefront has been Judicial Crisis Network, which has spent at least $6.3 million in five weeks on national television spots supporting the Republican effort to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee a week before the election. The group spent an additional $2.9 million on digital ads, direct mail and text messages supporting Barrett as of Oct. 26, according to data obtained by The Associated Press from a conservative advertising firm.

The Judicial Crisis Network ads have touted her background as a law professor turned judge, who is also a mother of seven who models conservative family values. The ads have also sought to frame any questions about her involvement in a charismatic religious community that opposes abortion and same-sex marriage as attacks on her Christian faith.

“Democrats and liberal activists are attacking Amy Coney Barrett for her Christian faith. It’s shameful bigotry,” says the female narrator of the 30-second spot, which includes clips of Democratic senators questioning Barrett about her beliefs in her 2017 confirmation hearing for the federal appeals bench. “Democrats know she’s brilliant and principled. So their attacks on her faith will only get worse. Stand with Amy.”

The president has made it a priority to appoint conservative justices who appeal to conservative voters, especially white Christian evangelicals.

“This was a major factor in President Trump’s successful election in 2016, and it’s an issue that has long been incredibly motivating for conservatives,” Carrie Severino, the president of the Judicial Crisis Network, told the AP last month. “They realize the significance of the Supreme Court, that this is someone who is going to serve for a generation.”

Overall, the Judicial Crisis Network, which was founded in 2005 to promote President George W. Bush’s nominees, said it would spend at least $10 million to support Barrett’s confirmation — roughly the same amount it spent to successfully advocate for Trump’s prior picks for the high court, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.