Hanging chads. Diebold. Bernard Madoff? Voting rights advocates have a new name on their enemies list after the trader bankrupted one of the election reform community's leading benefactors.
The Manhattan-based JEHT Foundation, whose initials stand for justice, equality, human dignity and tolerance, announced Monday that it will close in January after its only donors, Jeanne Levy-Church and Kenneth Levy-Church, were wiped out by Madoff's $50 billion fraud. The foundation's abrupt collapse has sent shock waves through voting reform circles: Just last week, JEHT made a $4.15 million pledge to "Making Voting Work," a joint initiative with the Pew Center on the States aimed at bringing the nation's electoral system into the 21st century. JEHT has already handed over $1 million of that pledge, but the rest won't be forthcoming. Since its inception in 2007, JEHT has been a junior partner in Making Voting Work, contributing $2.5 million of the $16.5 million invested so far.
The project will soldier on without JEHT, explained Rebecca Rimel, president and CEO of the Pew Charitable Trusts. But voting research will be delayed until Pew either finds new partners or digs into its own coffers to cover the $3-million-plus shortfall. "This work is too important to leave to financial crises and unfortunate situations," Rimel said. "We've got to continue this work."
The JEHT Foundation "promoted reform of the criminal and juvenile justice systems; ensured that the United States adhered to the international rule of law; and [worked] to improve the voting process." Just last week, JEHT and Pew hosted federal and state election officials, voting reformers and tech gurus at their "Voting in America" summit.
The Levy-Churches established JEHT in 2000 and funneled more than $20 million a year into the foundation in recent years. Unlike most charities, the vast majority of that money was spent directly, not saved, which made for rapid results but no cushion for rainy days. The couple reportedly had their entire fortune invested with Madoff.
JEHT Foundation President Robert Crane was not immediately available for comment.
--David Herbert
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