Leonard Leo
Skip Navigation
The New Republic
The New Republic
LATEST
BREAKING NEWS
POLITICS
CLIMATE
CULTURE
MAGAZINE
NEWSLETTERS
PODCASTS
VIDEO
The New Republic
The New Republic
The New Republic
The New Republic
The New Republic
LATEST
BREAKING NEWS
POLITICS
CLIMATE
CULTURE
MAGAZINE
NEWSLETTERS
PODCASTS
VIDEO
The New Republic
The New Republic
The New Republic
Leonard Leo
June 3, 2025
Matt Ford
Trump’s War With Leonard Leo Could Expose a Conservative Legal Scam
The former Federalist Society power broker used the president to achieve judicial supremacy. Now all that work could get wrecked by the monster he turned loose.
June 3, 2025
Harry Litman
Why Trump Moved Leonard Leo From the Short List to the Sh*t List
Conservative legal scholars believe in things like originalism and the Second Amendment. Donald Trump’s OK with those, but he really believes in only one thing.
May 30, 2025
Edith Olmsted
Trump Rips His Own Dark Money Buddy in Bonkers Rant Over Tariff Losses
Donald Trump tore into Leonard Leo, who recommended several of Trump’s Supreme Court picks.
April 4, 2025
Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling
Trump Already Hit With Lawsuit Over Tariffs—From Unexpected Group
It appears that literally no one is happy with Donald Trump’s tariffs.
November 25, 2024
Hafiz Rashid
Trump Adviser Who Reshaped Courts Plans to “Crush Liberal Dominance”
Leonard Leo is back—and he has a plan ready for Donald Trump’s second term.
September 17, 2024
Katherine Stewart
Leonard Leo’s Extremely Revealing Letter to a Dark-Money Group
The right-wing power broker’s call to “weaponize” conservative ideas tells us everything we need to know about his twisted vision for America.
July 29, 2024
Paige Oamek
Mike Johnson Torches Biden Attempt to Rein in Corrupt Supreme Court
Mike Johnson is a big fan of the Supreme Court exactly how it is.
July 18, 2024
Hafiz Rashid
Right-Wing Billionaire Behind Bud Light Boycott Exposed in Tax Filings
How does Leonard Leo seem to have a hand in every right-wing campaign?
July 16, 2024
Edith Olmsted
J.D. Vance Caught on Video Telling Far-Right Group Alex Jones Is Right
Donald Trump’s pick for vice president also said that “the devil is real.”
November 9, 2023
Tori Otten
Democrats Back Down on Harlan Crow Subpoena After GOP Promises “Sh*tshow”
Why is Dick Durbin so afraid of doing something to upset Republicans?
July 27, 2023
Matt Ford
Leonard Leo’s Slippery Trick for Dodging the Scrutiny of Congress
The Federalist Society’s leader is hoping to pluck a “get out of jail free” card from Donald Trump’s back pocket.
June 30, 2023
Michael Tomasky
How We’ll Defeat the Federalist Society and Take Back the Supreme Court
It’s a long fight—but it has already begun, with promising results.
May 16, 2023
Magazine
Nina Burleigh
Who Is Leonard Leo’s Mysterious Dark Money King?
America needs to know who Barre Seid is, what kind of country he wants, and just how massive an impact his $1.6 billion gift can have on our political discourse.
May 8, 2023
Matt Ford
How Clarence Thomas Keeps the Influence Machine Running
The justice has consistently ruled in ways that favor political favor-traders.
July 11, 2022
Katherine Stewart
How Leonard Leo Became the Power Broker of the American Right
The Federalist Society kingpin has exerted more influence on the country’s rightward drift than almost anyone in conservative circles, including presidents. He’s not done by a long shot.
February 3, 2021
Peter Hammond Schwartz
Originalism Is Dead. Long Live Catholic Natural Law.
On the “postliberal” future of the federal courts
October 12, 2020
Magazine
Alex Shephard
Oligarch of the Month: Leonard Leo
The Washington insider has been working for decades to put conservatives on the state and federal bench.
Our Writers
Kate Aronoff
Climate & Energy
Perry Bacon
Trumpism & Its Opponents
Malcolm Ferguson
Breaking News
Matt Ford
Law & the Courts
Melissa Gira Grant
LGBTQ Rights
Heather Souvaine Horn
Climate Change
Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling
Breaking News
Jason Linkins
Power & Plutocracy
Timothy Noah
Politics & Economy
Edith Olmsted
Breaking News
Monica Potts
Politics & Class
Hafiz Rashid
Breaking News
Greg Sargent
Politics & Democracy
Grace Segers
Congress & Elections
Alex Shephard
Politics & Media
Michael Tomasky
Politics & Ideas
About
The New Republic
’s history
1