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Outlet profile

The Federalist (Opinion)

U.S. right

Owned byFDRLST Media, LLC — a private Delaware limited liability company co-founded by Ben Domenech and Sean Davis
FundingMix of advertising revenue and donations channeled through the FDRLST Media Foundation (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit); known donors include DonorsTrust (a major conservative donor-advised fund) and the Ed Uihlein Family Foundation (tied to GOP megadonor Richard Uihlein)
On the administrationbroadly supportive

Background

The Federalist launched in September 2013, co-founded by Ben Domenech—previously a co-founder of the conservative blog RedState and a Heartland Institute fellow—and Sean Davis, a former GOP political operative who worked for Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Tom Coburn. The site quickly established itself as a prominent voice in right-wing media, covering politics, policy, culture, and religion with an unapologetically conservative editorial line. Its parent company, FDRLST Media LLC, was incorporated in Delaware in 2016, and a companion nonprofit, the FDRLST Media Foundation, was formed in 2018; both have largely obscured their funding sources. Investigations by the Center for Media and Democracy revealed that DonorsTrust and the Ed Uihlein Family Foundation were among the earliest major funders. In 2020, a high-profile dispute arose when NBC News reported that Google had demonetized The Federalist over content concerns; Google clarified it had warned the site about ad-placement policy violations rather than fully removing its ads. Sean Davis was elevated to CEO in March 2022 while Domenech continued as publisher. The Federalist was initially skeptical of Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign but shifted to strong support once he took office, a posture it has maintained through his second term.

Sources

  1. The Federalist (website) — Wikipedia
  2. Who Funds The Federalist? Finally, We Know. — EXPOSEDbyCMD
  3. The Federalist — SourceWatch
  4. The Federalist — Bias and Credibility — Media Bias/Fact Check
  5. The Federalist Media Bias — AllSides
  6. The Federalist Names Sean Davis As CEO
  7. The flare-up between Google and The Federalist — NetChoice
  8. REVEALED: The Federalist Foundation's Tax Records — EXPOSEDbyCMD

Profile compiled 2026-08-03; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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