United States Semiquincentennial Commission: Difference between revisions

On November 16, 2018,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Landon |first=Bren |date=2018-11-14 |title=Inaugural Meeting of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission |url=https://www.dar.org/national-society/media-center/news-releases/inaugural-meeting-us-semiquincentennial-commission |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812090714/https://www.dar.org/national-society/media-center/news-releases/inaugural-meeting-us-semiquincentennial-commission |archive-date=2021-08-12 |access-date=2022-04-15 |website=[[Daughters of the American Revolution]]}}</ref> the then-33 members,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Parry |first=Bill |date=2018-11-27 |title=Crowley joins national commission planning America's 250th anniversary celebration |work=QNS |url=https://qns.com/2018/11/crowley-joins-national-commission-planning-americas-250th-anniversary-celebration/#:~:text=The%20bipartisan%20official%20government%20body%20of%2033 |access-date=2022-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929044742/https://qns.com/2018/11/crowley-joins-national-commission-planning-americas-250th-anniversary-celebration/ |archive-date=2020-09-29}}</ref> of the Commission, who are referred to as Commissioners,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Swanson |first=James L. |author-link=James L. Swanson |date=2021-09-08 |title='America's Original Sin' Review: The Meaning of His Violence; John Wilkes Booth wasn't a fringe character |work=The Wall Street Journal |publisher=[[News Corp]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/americas-original-sin-review-the-meaning-of-his-violence-11631139332 |access-date=2022-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909023031/https://www.wsj.com/articles/americas-original-sin-review-the-meaning-of-his-violence-11631139332 |archive-date=2021-09-09 |issn=1042-9840}}</ref> were sworn in at [[Independence Hall]] in Philadelphia, which was chosen by Congress "to honor the historical significance of the building as the site of [[Second Continental Congress|deliberations]] and [[Signing of the United States Declaration of Independence|adoption]] of both the United States Declaration of Independence and [[Constitutional Convention (United States)|Constitution]],"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lawrence |first=Kerri |date=2018-05-10 |title=Ferriero to Serve on Semiquincentennial Commission |url=https://www.archives.gov/news/articles/ferriero-to-serve-on-semiquincentennial-commission#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20act%2C%20Independence%20Hall%20was%20chosen%20%E2%80%9Cto%20honor%20the%20historical%20significance%20of%20the%20building%20as%20the%20site%20of%20deliberations%20and%20adoption%20of%20both%20the%20United%20States%20Declaration%20of%20Independence%20and%20Constitution.%E2%80%9D |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521191621/https://www.archives.gov/news/articles/ferriero-to-serve-on-semiquincentennial-commission |archive-date=2018-05-21 |access-date=2022-04-15 |website=[[National Archives and Records Administration]]}}</ref> and convened their first organizing meeting to begin eight years of planning and organizing for the 250th national birthday celebration.<ref name=":02" /> Chairman DiLella, designated as such by then-President [[Donald Trump]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trump |first=Donald J. |author-link=Donald Trump |date=2018-02-26 |title=Press Release - President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/press-release-president-donald-j-trump-announces-intent-nominate-personnel-key-74#:~:text=The%20following%20individual,DiLella%20of%20Pennsylvania |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501214524/https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/press-release-president-donald-j-trump-announces-intent-nominate-personnel-key-74 |archive-date=2019-05-01 |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=The Presidency Project |publisher=[[University of California, Santa Barbara]]}}</ref> estimated that the group would meet three or four times a year.<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |last=American Battlefield Trust |author-link=American Battlefield Trust |date=2018-11-19 |title=Inaugural Meeting of U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission Held in Philadelphia |work=[[PR Newswire]] |publisher=[[Cision]] |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/inaugural-meeting-of-us-semiquincentennial-commission-held-in-philadelphia-300753145.html |access-date=2022-04-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119230016/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/inaugural-meeting-of-us-semiquincentennial-commission-held-in-philadelphia-300753145.html |archive-date=2018-11-19}}</ref> The new commission originally consisted of 16 private citizens, including chairman DiLella, eight members of Congress and nine federal officials.<ref>{{Cite news |last=DiStefano |first=Joseph N. |date=2018-11-21 |title=Semiquincentennial planners get their Philly start |work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |publisher=The Lenfest Institute |url=http://www2.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq-phillydeals/semiquincentennial-dilella-giordano-cohen-20181121.html |access-date=2018-11-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126221403/http://www2.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq-phillydeals/semiquincentennial-dilella-giordano-cohen-20181121.html |archive-date=2018-11-26 |issn=0885-6613}}</ref> However, in 2020, the organic law was amended to increase the number of non voting ex officio federal officials to a total of 12, including a member designated by the [[Chief Justice of the United States]],<ref name="semiquincentennial-commission-amendments-act-2020"/> increasing the overall body's membership to 36.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Bravin |first=Jess |author-link=Jess Bravin |date=2022-02-25 |title=American Revolution Anniversary Group Is Accused in Lawsuit of Running 'Boys Club' |work=The Wall Street Journal |publisher=[[News Corp]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/american-revolution-anniversary-group-is-accused-in-lawsuit-of-running-boys-club-11645822975 |url-access=limited |access-date=2022-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226005401/https://www.wsj.com/articles/american-revolution-anniversary-group-is-accused-in-lawsuit-of-running-boys-club-11645822975 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |issn=1042-9840}}</ref>

As determined by its organic law, the United States Secretary of the Interior held a competitive application process to select "the nonprofit partner that [would] serve as Administrative Secretariat for the...Commission." On May 4, 2018, the then-[[Civil War Trust]], now known as the American Battlefield Trust, was chosen. The Administrative Secretariat's responsibilities include housing the Commission, raising funds for it and preparing reports to Congress on behalf of the Commission.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-05-04 |title=Civil War Trust Selected as Nonprofit Partner for the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States |url=https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/civil-war-trust-selected-nonprofit-partner-commemoration-250th-anniversary-founding |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504202644/https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/civil-war-trust-selected-nonprofit-partner-commemoration-250th-anniversary-founding |archive-date=2018-05-04 |access-date=2022-04-15 |website=[[United States Department of the Interior]]}}</ref> Additionally, the Commission works in tandem with the America250 Foundation, "its private, nonprofit partner,"<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |last=Marks |first=John Garrison |date=2022-03-21 |title=The 250th Birthday of the U.S. Is Just a Few Years Away. Get Ready for Controversy |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |url=https://time.com/6159112/250th-anniversary-american-history/ |access-date=2022-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322184322/https://time.com/6159112/250th-anniversary-american-history/ |archive-date=2022-03-22 |issn=0040-781X}}</ref> which was founded in 2019 by the Commission and Trust themselves,<ref name=":7" /> and is "the primary service provider to the [Commission]," under a Master Service Agreement enacted in May 2020.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |date=May 2021 |title=President and CEO, America 250 Foundation |url=https://asalh.org/president-and-ceo-america-250-foundation/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415171529/https://asalh.org/president-and-ceo-america-250-foundation/ |archive-date=2022-04-15 |access-date=2022-04-15 |website=[[American Association for State and Local History]]}}</ref> The Commission and Foundation both "share a website" and work and identify themselves under ''America250'' banner, in addition to having the DiLella as chairman in both organizations.<ref name=":10">{{Cite news |last=Bravin |first=Jess |author-link=Jess Bravin |date=2022-03-07 |title=Facebook Gains Inside Role in U.S. 250th Anniversary Project With $10 Million Agreement |work=The Wall Street Journal |publisher=[[News Corp]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-gains-inside-role-in-u-s-250th-anniversary-project-with-10-million-agreement-11646661642 |url-access=limited |access-date=2022-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308024909/https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-gains-inside-role-in-u-s-250th-anniversary-project-with-10-million-agreement-11646661642 |archive-date=2022-03-08 |issn=1042-9840}}</ref> In addition, the Commission helped create a [[Congressional caucus]], the Congressional America250 Caucus to act as a liaison between Commission and Congress.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Otte |first=Emilia |date=2021-07-31 |title=States Lay Groundwork for 250-year Anniversary of 1776 |work=The Connecticut Examiner |url=https://ctexaminer.com/2021/07/03/states-lay-groundwork-for-250-year-anniversary-of-1776/#:~:text=Murphy%2C%20Sen.%20Richard%20Blumenthal%20and%20Rep.%20John%20Larson%20are%20members%20of%20the%20Congressional%20America%20250%20caucus%2C%20which%20acts%20as%20a%20liaison%20between%20the%20semiquincentennial%20commission%20and%20Congress.%C2%A0 |access-date=2022-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210704105423/https://ctexaminer.com/2021/07/03/states-lay-groundwork-for-250-year-anniversary-of-1776/ |archive-date=2021-07-04}}</ref>

| source = ''The Wall Street Journal''

In September 2021, both Anna Laymon, who had served as vice president of programs and planning, as well as Keri Potts, then-vice president of communications and publications, resigned. The former stated that, among "bouts of organizational instability and mismanagement," there was also a lack of "[[Women in positions of power|women in any of the most important positions of power]] and influence at America250," with her appointment being "[[Performative activism|used as window dressing]] with each layer of higher level leadership positions being filled with men."<ref name=":11">{{Cite news |last=Bravin |first=Jess |author-link=Jess Bravin |date=2022-02-10 |title=Nonprofit Planning U.S.’s 250th Anniversary Accused of Discrimination |work=The Wall Street Journal |publisher=[[News Corp]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/women-accuse-foundation-planning-u-s-250th-anniversary-of-discrimination-11644514646 |access-date=2022-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220403212500/https://www.wsj.com/articles/women-accuse-foundation-planning-u-s-250th-anniversary-of-discrimination-11644514646 |archive-date=2022-04-03 |issn=1042-9840}}</ref>

On February 25, the four former executives filed a lawsuit in the [[United States District Court for the District of Columbia]] against the Commission, the Foundation, and the America Battlefield Trust, "alleging mismanagement and discrimination drove them from their jobs." The suit also  alleges that both the Commission and the Trust failed in their oversight roles of the Foundation,<ref name=":7" /> with accusing leadership of "cronyism, self-dealing, mismanagement of funds, potentially unlawful contracting practices and wasteful spending."<ref name=":14">{{Cite news |last=Bravin |first=Jess |author-link=Jess Bravin |date=2022-03-19 |title=Planners Battle Over Marking U.S. 250th Anniversary |work=The Wall Street Journal |publisher=[[News Corp]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/planners-battle-over-marking-u-s-250th-anniversary-11647702001 |url-access=limited |access-date=2022-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319213536/https://www.wsj.com/articles/planners-battle-over-marking-u-s-250th-anniversary-11647702001 |archive-date=2022-03-19 |issn=1042-9840}}</ref> In addition, it states that DiLella had repeatedly named associates of him to positions of importance, some of the appointments starting off on a voluntary basis and then being transferred to being compensated, a practice, which, in turn created "a '[[wiktionary:boys' club|boys club]],' freezing out the women who were given titles and large responsibilities, but no authority or input into key decisions of the foundation," since, "[f]rom the creation of the Foundation until December 2021, only four women served in executive leadership roles," who, coincidentally, were the four plaintiffs.<ref name=":7" />