Americans United for Change (AUFC) was a left-of-center 501(c)(4) group characterized as a “dark money group” by the Sunlight Foundation for its support of left-of-center causes and Democratic candidates. ¹ The organization was headed by Democratic operative Brad Woodhouse from 2016 to 2017. ^{2 3}

As of 2025, the organization appears defunct, with its last 990 form filed in 2017. ⁴

Background

Americans United for Change (AUFC) was founded in 2005 as part of efforts to prevent then-President George W. Bush’s efforts to reform Social Security. ⁵ The group later expanded its advocacy focus towards left-of-center policy on immigration, energy, and the economy. The group would support immigration-focused executive orders passed by the Obama Administration, criticize reports that advocated against biofuel production efforts, and criticizing Republican members of Congress for supporting the Tea Party political movement. ⁶

As of 2025, the organization appears defunct, with its last 990 form filed in 2017. ⁴

Funding

Americans United for Change (AUFC) previously received funding from labor unions and left-of-center organization. Donors included the AFL-CIO; the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); the Partnership Project Action Fund; the Unity Fund; the Ploughshares Fund; and the Atlantic Philanthropies.⁷

The AUFC has received supported from the campaigns of Democratic candidates as well as political action committees (PACs). By 2017, this included both then-House Democratic Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) campaign committee and its leadership PAC. In addition, the NextGen Climate Action Committee, associated with Democracy Alliance donor Tom Steyer, also donated over $100,000 to AUFC.⁸

AUFC reportedly collected near $830,000 in union dues in 2016, according to the Center for Union Facts.⁹

Controversies

October 2016 Project Veritas Footage

For more information, see Robert Creamer | 2016 Presidential Campaign Controversy

In October 2016, Americans United for Change (AUFC) fired its then-National Field Director Scott Foval after he was caught on camera by investigative journalist group Project Veritas claiming that AUFC had paid mentally ill and homeless people to instigate violence at Trump campaign events in 2016. In the released videos, Foval discusses the tactics used by AUFC and making President Donald Trump and supporters be viewed as “anarchic.” ¹⁰ Foval further claimed on camera that AUFC used agitators to create “conflict engagement in the lines at Trump rallies” with the goal of “starting anarchy” at the events and obtaining negative media coverage for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. He was also quoted as claiming “[w]e know that Trump’s people will [tend to] freak the f*** out…,” Foval said in a video. “It is not hard to get some of these assholes to ‘pop off.'” ¹¹

Affiliated with the controversy was Robert Creamer, co-founder of Democracy Partners consulting firm and a former general consultant to AUFC. ¹² In 2016, Creamer supported then-former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign until the release of the Project Veritas video. Following the story’s release, Creamer announced he was removing himself from the Clinton campaign. ¹³ Foval described Creamer as the “kingpin” who is “diabolical, and I love him for it.” ¹¹ Creamer was allegedly shown in the Veritas camera footage. ¹³

Following this, Democracy Partners issued a statement claiming it had been the “victim of a well-funded, systematic spy operation that is the modern day equivalent of the Watergate burglars,” and the intent had been to “goad unsuspecting individuals into making careless statements on hidden cameras” that “do not reflect our values.” ¹¹

As general consultant to AUFC, Creamer credits himself with “coordinati[ing] the campaign to pass” then-President Barack Obama’s 2009 Recession stimulus package as well as the 2015 Iran Nuclear Agreement. ¹⁴ Creamer is married to House Rep. Jan Schakowsy (D-IL). ^{15 16}

1. Fenton, Jacob. “Liberal dark money group eyeing Iowa TV ads.” Sunlight Foundation. April 14, 2015. Accessed January 10, 2017. https://sunlightfoundation.com/2015/04/14/liberal-dark-money-group-eyeing-iowa-tv-ads/
2. Glueck, Katie. “DNC spokesman Woodhouse leaving.” POLITICO. June 25, 2013. Accessed January 09, 2017. http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/brad-woodhouse-exits-dnc-093322
3. LinkedIn: Brad Woodhouse. Accessed December 30, 2019. https://www.linkedin.com/in/woodhousebrad1/
4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). New Venture Fund. 2017. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/30556312/201921349349202977/full
5. “Americans United for Change.” Discover the Networks. Accessed January 09, 2017. http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/printgroupProfile.asp?grpid=7475
6. See Olsen-Phillips, Peter. “Outsiders on both sides of immigration mobilizing supporters.” Sunlight Foundation. December 2, 2014. Accessed January 10, 2017. https://sunlightfoundation.com/2014/12/02/outsiders-on-both-sides-of-immigration-mobilizing-supporters/ ; “Americans United For Change Criticizes API-Funded Report About Biofuels Emissions.” Biofuels Journal. August 26, 2016. Accessed January 10, 2017. http://www.biofuelsjournal.com/articles/Americans_United_For_Change_Criticizes_API_Funded_Report_About_Biofuels_Emissions-161082.html ; Americans United For Change. “Americans United For Change Announces “Give America A Raise” Bus Tour.” March 18, 2014. Accessed January 10, 2017. http://www.americansunitedforchange.org/press/releases/announcing_give_america_a_raise_bus_tour ; Foster, Brittany. “Americans United For Change Attack PA Congressmen.” PoliticsPA. January 22, 2014. Accessed January 10, 2017. http://www.politicspa.com/americans-united-for-change-attack-pa-congressmen/54400/
7. See the AFL-CIO and AFSCME Department of Labor Annual Reports (Forms LM-2) from FY 2015; the IRS Forms 990 for the Unity Fund in 2012, the Partnership Project Action Fund in 2010, and the Ploughshares Fund for 2014; and Atlantic Philanthropies. “Grantees: Americans United for Change.” 2009. Accessed January 11, 2017. http://www.atlanticphilanthropies.org/grantees/americans-united-for-change
8. Center for Responsive Politics. “Vendor/Recipient: Americans United for Change.” Opensecrets. October 28, 2016. Accessed January 11, 2017. https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Americans%2BUnited%2Bfor%2BChange
9. Berman, Richard. “The Two Political Faces of Big Labor.” The Wall Street Journal. August 08, 2017. Accessed October 23, 2017. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-two-political-faces-of-big-labor-1502234265.
10. Morrongiello, Gabby. “Report: Dem Fired for Bragging about Staging Violence at Trump Rallies.” Washington Examiner. October 18, 2016. Accessed October 23, 2017. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/report-dem-fired-for-bragging-about-staging-violence-at-trump-rallies/article/2604861.
11. Ludwig, Hayden. “Creamer and Foval: An Ongoing Pony Express.” Capital Research Center. January 10, 2018. Accessed June 14, 2019. https://capitalresearch.org/article/two-creamer-and-foval/
12. McBride, Jessica. “Robert Creamer “Bob”: 5 Fast Facts You Need To Know.” Heavy.com. October 21, 2016. Accessed June 12, 2019. https://heavy.com/news/2016/10/robert-creamer-bob-white-house-video-barack-obama-dnc-voter-fraud-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-democracy-partner-wife/
13. Weigel, David. “Two local Democratic operatives lose jobs after video sting on voter fraud.” Chicago Tribune. October 19, 2016. Accessed June 14, 2019. https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-video-sting-democratic-operatives-james-okeefe-20161019-story.html
14. “Robert Creamer Profile.” Democracy Partners. Accessed July 21, 2020. Original URL: https://www.democracypartners.com/partners/robert-creamer. Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/07/Robert-Creamer-Democracy-Partners-Bio.-07.21.20.pdf
15. Selby, W. Gardner. “Dewhurst Claim That Wendy Davis Raised Money for Socialists Group Unsupported and Ridiculous.” Politifact. May 9, 2014. Accessed June 25, 2019. https://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2014/may/09/david-dewhurst/dewhurst-claim-wendy-davis-raised-money-socialists/.
16. Kurtz, Stanley. RADICAL-IN-CHIEF: BARACK OBAMA AND THE UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICAN SOCIALISM. New York: Threshold Editions. 2010.