April 23, 2020
Washington, DC
Signatures updated: 4/24/20
As Americans shelter-in-place to avoid the spread of COVID19, disturbing examples have emerged of leaders at the state and local levels taking this “shelter-in-place” to the extreme.
From issuing citations to individuals for driving alone in cars or surfing alone on the beach, to ticketing Americans who attended socially distant church services, over-zealous enforcement has trampled on essential civil liberties.
We are also wary of any long-term plans that involve sustained federal surveillance of the population under the guise of preventing further viral spread.
Contact tracing is an important method of isolating and containing pathogens, and conversation between doctor and patient on this point should be encouraged. But any attempt to federalize this effort, or partner with private corporations to surveil the population via location tracking or cell phone data, raises serious concerns and should be heavily scrutinized.
Google is already offering aggregate user location data to governments interested in tracking compliance with social distancing around specific locations. Google and Apple have announced a partnership to develop a contact-tracing program using physical proximity data. While the program is currently “opt-in” there are few details available about privacy protections, how or if the data will be shared, and with whom.
Moreover, senior advisors in the White House have indicated their willingness to partner with these companies to create a national coronavirus surveillance system.
A pandemic should not be used as an excuse to engage in monstrous violations of privacy and basic civil rights. This sounds more like Tom Hanks’ initiative in the movie The Circle than it does a public health response. We firmly oppose any effort to use this crisis to institute national tracking of individual citizens for any reason.
The Honorable Edwin Meese III Attorney General President Ronald Reagan (1985-1988) |
Alfred S. Regnery Chairman, Conservative Action Project Chairman, Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund |
The Honorable Jim DeMint Chairman, Conservative Partnership Institute Member, US Senate (SC 2005-2013) |
Ed Corrigan Vice Chairman, Conservative Action Project President, Conservative Partnership Institute |
Rachel Bovard Senior Director of Policy Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI) |
The Honorable Morton C. Blackwell President The Leadership Institute |
Noah Wall Vice President of Advocacy FreedomWorks |
David Bozell President ForAmerica |
The Honorable Colin A. Hanna President Let Freedom Ring, Inc. |
Jenny Beth Martin Chairman Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund |
The Honorable Bob McEwen U.S. House of Representatives Former Member, Ohio |
Kelly J. Shackelford, Esq. Chairman, CNP Action, Inc. President and CEO, First Liberty Institute |
Cleta Mitchell, Esq. Partner Foley & Lardner LLP |
The Honorable David McIntosh President Club for Growth |
Scott T. Parkinson VP for Government Affairs Club for Growth |
The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. Chief Domestic Advisor President Ronald Reagan (1987-1988) |
L. Brent Bozell, III Founder and President Media Research Center |
The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop White House Advisor President Ronald Reagan (1981-1985) |
The Honorable J. Kenneth Blackwell Chairman Constitutional Congress, Inc. |
Lisa B. Nelson Chief Executive Officer American Legislative Exchange Council |
Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Ret.) Executive Vice President Family Research Council |
Adam Brandon President FreedomWorks |
William L. Walton President Council for National Policy |
Mary Vought Executive Director Senate Conservatives Fund |
The Honorable Donald Paul Hodel U.S. Secretary of Energy (1982-1985) U.S. Secretary of Interior (1985-1989) |
Mike Davis Founder & President Internet Accountability Project |
Ron Robinson President Young America’s Foundation |
Michelle Easton President Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women |
Dr. Richard Lee President There’s Hope America Inc. |
Joseph A. Morris Attorney and Partner, Morris & De La Rosa Former Assistant U.S. Attorney General (Reagan/Meese) |
Anne Schlafly Cori Chairman Eagle Forum |
Twila Brase President and Co-founder Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom |
Star Parker President Center for Urban Renewal & Education (UrbanCure) |
The Honorable Gary L. Bauer President American Values |
Mat Staver Founder and Chairman Liberty Counsel |
The Honorable James C. Miller III Budget Director for President Reagan, 1985-1988 |
Craig Shirley Reagan Biographer Presidential Historian |
Rod D. Martin Founder & CEO The Martin Organization, Inc. |
Sherri R. Martin Executive Vice President The Martin Organization, Inc. |
Haley E. Martin President The Martin Foundation |
Christina Murphy Lusk Campaign for the American Future |
Guillermo J. Aragon Chief Financial Officer Martin Imaging, Inc. |
Benjamin Nieuwsma Founder and CEO Navigo |
Shawn A. Mitchell Former National Chaplain National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA) |
Ralph Benko Chairman The Capitalist League |
Norm Singleton President Campaign for Liberty |
Dr. Frank Wright CEO D. James Kennedy Ministries |
Judson Phillips Founder Tea Party Nation |
Jeff Hunt Director Centennial Institute |
Bob Carlstrom President AMAC Action |
Lee Beaman CEO Beaman Automotive Group |
Tim LeFever Chairman Capitol Resource Institute |
Jack Park Conservative Activist and Donor Law Offices of Jack Park |
Jay Mount President MDS Communications Corporation |
Richard H. Wright Owner R& S LLC |
Gabriel Joseph Founder Joseph Holdings |
Eric Georgatos Executive Producer America Can We Talk? americacanwetalk.org |
Karen England Executive Director Nevada Family Alliance & Capitol Resource Institute |
Kay R. Daly President Coalition for a Fair Judiciary |
Dr. E. Calvin Beisner President Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation |
Richard D. Hayes Partner Hayes Berry White & Vanzant LLP |
Ron Pearson Executive Director Conservative Victory Fund |
Rob Chambers Vice President AFA Action |
The Honorable George K. Rasley Jr. Managing Editor ConservativeHQ.com |
Austin Ruse President C-Fam |
Paavo Ensio Chairman Universal Minerals Group |
Joan Holt Lindsey President Lindsey Communications |
Dr. Paige Patterson President Sandy Creek Foundation |
Dr. Mark A. Smith President Columbia International University |
Paul Gessing President Rio Grande Foundation |
Charlie Copeland President Intercollegiate Studies Institute |
Rebekah Gantner Executive Director Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund |
Senator Jason Rapert President National Association of Christian Lawmakers |
Ed Martin President Phyllis Schlafly Eagles |
Amapola Hansberger President Legal Immigrants for America |
Dr. Russell J. Kilpatrick Physician Brig Gen USAF, Retired |
Khadine Ritter President Eagle Forum of Ohio |
Sal Russo Co-Founder and Chief Strategist Tea Party Express |
Elaine Donnelly President Center for Military Readiness |
Donna Rice Hughes CEO Enough Is Enough |
Floyd Brown Publisher The Western Journal |
William Shaker CEO Washington Marketing Group |
Willes K. Lee President National Federation of Republican Assemblies |
E.C. Sykes General Partner, Aslan Ventures Republican Nominee, NC Secretary of State |
Seton Motley President Less Government |
The Honorable Peter Thomas Chairman The Conservative Caucus |
Mario Navarro da Costa Director, Washington Bureau Tradition, Family, Property, Inc. |
C. Preston Noell III President Tradition, Family, Property, Inc. |
Kielle C. Horton President The Lindsey Foundation |
The Honorable Penny Pullen Former Commissioner President Reagan’s Commission on HIV Epidemic |
Robert D. Thompson Former Administrator The Weyrich Lunch (1999 – 2016) |
Lori Roman President American Constitutional Rights Union |
Ralph A. Rebandt II Lead Pastor Oakland Hills Community Church |
Allen Hebert Chairman American-Chinese Fellowship of Houston |
James L. Martin Founder/Chairman 60 Plus Association |
Saulius “Saul” Anuzis President 60 Plus Association |
The Honorable Jake Hoffman President & CEO Rally Forge |
William W. Pascoe, III Board Member Tea Party Patriots Action |
Penna Dexter Co-host Point of View Radio |
Susan A. Carleson Chairman/CEO Carleson Center for Welfare Reform |
Tim Wildmon President American Family Association |
Chad Connelly President Faith Wins |
Gina Gleason Director Real Impact |
Randy M. Long Founder Long Business Advisors, LLC |
Dr. Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D. Founder and CEO CorsiNation.com |
Robert Keith Fischer Meeting Coordinator Conservatives of Faith |
Reverend Gregory Quinlan President The Center for Garden State Families |
Tim Macy Chairman Gun Owners of America |
Gerard Kassar State Chairman NYS Conservative Party |
Kathleen Patten President and CEO American Target Advertising |
Andresen Blom President Hawaiian Values |
Dr. Richard Rounsavelle Trustee Media Research Center |
David N. Bossie President Citizens United |
All organizations listed for IDENTIFICATION purposes only.