Thomas F. Ellis

rdf:langString Thomas F. Ellis

rdf:langString Thomas F. Ellis (10 August 1920 – 12 July 2018) was an American lawyer and political activist involved in numerous conservative causes. His network of interests was described as "a multimillion dollar political empire of corporations, foundations, political action committees and ad hoc groups" active in the 1980s and developed by Ellis, Harry Weyher, Marion Parrott, and Jesse Helms. Ellis, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was the "backroom architect" of Senator Jesse Helms "rise to political power" as head of Helms' 1972 Republican primary campaign, but F. Clifton White, a widely respected professional campaign manager, was brought in to direct the general election campaign, providing Helms a comfortable upset victory over the favored Democrat, Congressman Nick Galifianakis. In 1973, Ellis formed a political action committee, the Congressional Club of North Carolina, later called the National Congressional Club (NCC) to cover Helms' campaign debt for the Senatorial elections of 1973. The NCC, which was controlled by Senator Helms, who served as a Republican Senator from North Carolina from 1973 to 2003, became remarkably successful at raising millions of dollars and in operating a highly sophisticated, media-driven political machine. The Congressional Club also provided a source of national standing and power for Helms." Bu 1995, the NCC was the most successful in raising funds in the United States at that time. It offered Helm's a freedom from restraints under which most politicians operated. He did not need the Republican Party to raise money nor did he depend on the media to reach voters. The NCC became known for "what critics called 'attack ads'-television ads that emphasized presumably negative aspects of an opponent's record." Ellis was an important backer of Ronald Reagan in his 1976 Presidential campaign. Ellis succeeded Tim LaHaye in 1982 as president of the Council for National Policy. He was also chair of the National Congressional Club; principal stock-holder and a board member of the tax-exempt, non-profit that in turn owns . He appointed the officers and directors of Jefferson Marketing; was a co-founder of , and chairman of the , a tax-exempt foundation whose goal is to finance conservative-oriented television programs. Because of the arrangements between the National Congressional Club, the Educational Support Foundation, and Jefferson Marketing, in 1986 he and Carter Wrenn were fined $10,000 each for violating federal election laws. He was also a director of the Pioneer Fund. He died on 12 July 2018 at the age of 97.