Services

Republic Affairs protects those who protect democracy. One of the most common tactics used to discredit and chill civil society organizations is reputational attack. Crisis communications training involves a suite of tactics to defend reputations while staying on message and not allowing democracy’s enemies to distract, change the subject, and muddy the waters. Republic Affairs can work with a client’s legal team to coordinate responses that minimize liability while maintaining message discipline and clarity of purpose.

Communicating with and through the media during a crisis is a specialized skill. Republic Affairs can train democracy advocates in message discipline, presentation for TV/video, and techniques for handling friendly and hostile interviews. Our full-service media training can help with everything from preparing talking points to media research to practice interviews in a TV-style studio to maximize the feeling and realism, preparing democracy advocates to use their media appearances to their greatest advantage.

The anti-democratic media ecosystem is an efficient echo chamber, especially for creating new villains and enemies. Obscure researchers or poll workers can find themselves “famous” overnight, flooded with social media attacks, doxxed, and under intense scrutiny. Crisis communications support can help navigate the public fallout. By tailoring availability with reporters as well as guest submissions in mainstream publications, Republic Affairs can help clients mute the echo chamber and pursue strategic avenues to elevate the truth.

The IRS has been accused of beginning investigations into individuals or tax-exempt organizations since the 1930s. The first step to passing an IRS audit is to maintain painstakingly correct and detailed financial records. Republic Affairs specializes in helping pro-democracy organizations comply with—and record their compliance with—IRS requirements for tax-exempt organizations. Accurate and detailed accounting also protects organizations against allegations of foreign influence, wrongdoing, malfeasance, and untrustworthiness.

The regulatory environment faced by pro-democracy organizations is complex and onerous, with multiple layers of oversight and requirements from the IRS, FEC, state regulators, and other agencies. Knowing which requirements apply to what kinds of speech and advocacy and what disclosures need to be filed when, where, and with whom requires specialized experience, and can distract from an organization’s core mission. Republic Affairs can help pro-democracy organizations navigate the maze of regulations with confidence, ensuring they are complying with all applicable laws while maximizing their reach and salience.