Center for American Progress: Legalize Undocumented Immigrants (Connecting the Dots: Mitt Romney, Bain Capital, Immigration, The Brookings Institution, The Center for American Progress, The Barack Obama Administration & The Carnegie/Soros Network)

Center for American Progress: Legalize Undocumented Immigrants (Connecting the Dots: Mitt Romney, Bain Capital, Immigration, The Brookings Institution, The Center for American Progress, The Barack Obama Administration & The Carnegie/Soros Network)

If America gave citizenship to its estimated 11 million illegal immigrants, GDP would expand by an additional $1.4 trillion over 10 years, 2013-2022, according to a report.

The Epoch Times

Gary Feuerberg

3/27/2013|Updated: 10/1/2015 (And here we are 11 years later right on schedule as if it were planned)

Robert G. Lynch, Ph.D. is a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and the chair of the Department of Economics at Washington College. He spoke March 20, 2013, at CAP on the economic impacts of comprehensive immigration reform. Gary Feuerberg/The Epoch Times

https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/center-for-american-progress-legalize-undocumented-immigrants-1475807

WASHINGTON—Discussions are moving forward on comprehensive immigration reform that would provide legal status for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the country. Public opinion has moved toward granting some form of legal status for undocumented immigrants, but concerns persist that granting a pathway to legal status or to citizenship will lower wages and raise unemployment. 

The Center for American Progress (CAP) released a report on March 20, which concluded that these concerns have no basis.

“The Economic Effects of Granting Legal Status and Citizenship to Undocumented Immigrants,” by Robert Lynch, visiting senior fellow at the Center for American Progress (CAP) and Patrick Oakford, research assistant at the center, looked at various scenarios defined by legal status, citizenship, and the timing of each, to predict changes in the U.S. economy, wages, tax revenues, and number of jobs created. 

“As our study demonstrates, legal status and a road map to citizenship for the unauthorized will bring about significant economic gains in terms of growth, earnings, tax revenues, and jobs—all of which will not occur in the absence of immigration reform,” wrote Lynch and Oakford. 

The greatest economic benefit to the undocumented and to the nation as a whole would come from full citizenship this year, say the authors, who recognize that no plan is in the works for immediate amnesty for all undocumented immigrants.

More modest economic gains can be expected if reform means granting legal status short of full citizenship, in other words, “a permanent sub-citizen class of residents.” More gains also occur when citizenship becomes possible in 5 or 10 years.

There are a multitude of reasons why legalization and citizenship improves the incomes of immigrants. 

Having legal protection increases immigrants’ “bargaining power relative to their employers, which in turn lowers the likelihood of worker exploitation and suppressed wages,” the authors say. Citizenship provides greater protection than legalization; citizens, for example, cannot be deported, which is not true for legal residents, say the authors.

Legal workers and naturalized citizen immigrants are more likely to “invest in their English language skills and other forms of education and training that raise their productivity.”

Unauthorized immigrants can be deported at any moment if they are found, and so, regardless of skills and education, Lynch and Oakford say, “they tend to pursue employment in low-paying occupations, such as farming, child care, cleaning services,” where their legal status is less likely to be detected.

Legal status and citizenship foster entrepreneurship “by providing access to licenses, permits, insurance, and credit to start businesses and create jobs.” It’s a fact that immigrants, whether legal or illegal, are more likely to own a business or start a new business than nonimmigrants. 

“Immigration reform that untethers the creative potential of immigrant entrepreneurs therefore promotes economic growth, higher incomes, and more job opportunities,” says the report.

While overall, Americans would benefit from legalization of the undocumented, David Madland and Nick Bunker, who are also associated with CAP, say that some immigrants “may find themselves in more competition with newly legalized workers, and the research suggest that the wages of the former group may suffer.” 

Earned Path to Citizenship Favored Now

On March 21, the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) in partnership with the Brookings Institution released a new national survey that included queries on immigration reform. It used one of the largest sample sizes ever conducted on the issue of immigration, with nearly 4,500 respondents, which provides a great amount of precision for the estimates.

The survey found a general consensus in the country that persons residing illegally in the United States should be allowed at least legal status. A majority favored citizenship, provided certain conditions are met.

Overall, 63 percent of Americans endorse a path to citizenship for the undocumented. One in seven (14 percent) would permit them to become permanent legal residents but not citizens. One in five (21 percent) of Americans believe that the illegal immigrants should be identified and deported.

Breaking out the percentages by political party, 71 percent of Democrats were in favor of a path to citizenship for the undocumented; 64 percent of Independents agree, and a smaller majority of Republicans (53 percent) “favor an earned path to citizenship,” says the report. Nearly one-third of Republicans (32 percent) favor deportation, compared to 13 percent of Democrats and 21 percent of Independents.

The survey determined that Americans have mixed feelings about immigrants—legal and illegal. While a majority (54 percent) say that the newcomers help “strengthen American society,” a majority are concerned about adverse economic impacts. The survey report said that 56 percent of Americans believe “that illegal immigrants hurt the economy by driving down wages for many Americans.” Lynch and Oakford want to educate the public that these common notions are not borne out by their analysis.

Immigrant Scenario Modeling

Lynch and Oakford’s paper examined several options on the legalization of the undocumented, including granting a pathway to full citizenship for all 11 million, which is favored by President Obama and the senators known as the Gang of Eight. Granting permanent legal status short of full citizenship is another option being considered. 

The length of time an undocumented immigrant would have to wait to acquire either legal status or citizenship is another factor that legislators have to determine. 

The third option is to do nothing, or else round up the illegal immigrants and deport them, or make life so difficult that the undocumented “self-deport,” as 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney once put it. 

Findings

Lynch and Oakford did econometric regression forecast modeling that looked at various scenarios. In the scenario of granting immediate citizenship, the U.S. economy, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), would expand by an additional $1.4 trillion over 10 years, 2013–2022. The economy would create an additional 203,000 jobs per year. The formerly undocumented immigrants would earn 25 percent more than they do currently within five years.

Considering another scenario in which the undocumented immigrants are granted only legal status in 2013 and barred from citizenship in the next 10 years, the GDP would rise only $832 billion, the economy would add only 121,000 additional jobs per year, and the income of unauthorized immigrants would be only 15 percent higher within five years. While these economic gains are appreciably less than the immediate citizenship scenario, they show that just legalization without citizenship is better for the economy than doing nothing.

A third scenario of granting legal status in 2013 and delaying citizenship for five years would likely fall in the middle of the other two scenarios, according to the authors.

“These immigration reform scenarios illustrate that unauthorized immigrants are currently earning far less than their potential, paying less in taxes, and contributing significantly less to the U.S. economy than they potentially could,” say the authors. 

Significantly, Lynch and Oakford’s findings were consistent with the 1996 Department of Labor study of the nearly 3 million unauthorized immigrants, who were granted legal status and a pathway to citizenship under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Here was a natural experiment to see how legalization affects wages. Following legalization, “the average hourly wage of the newly legalized population increased by 15.1 percent after five years, after legalization,” noted the authors.

Connecting the Dots:

Mitt Romney was the candidate for the 2012 Mitt Romney presidential campaign and is a co-founder for Bain Capital.

Paul E. Peterson was a member, Education Policy Advisory Group for the 2012 Mitt Romney presidential campaign and a director of governmental studies for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Ted Lieu was honored with the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award, has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023 and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Astrid S. Tuminez was a program officer at the Carnegie Corporation of New York and is the 7th President of the Utah Valley University (Charlie Kirk Shooting).

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Lee H. Hamilton is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a co-chair for the Independent Task Force on Immigration and America's Future and was a co-chair for the Iraq Study Group.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP and was a member of the Iraq Study Group.

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP is the lobby firm for Bain Capital and was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Jose H. Villarreal is a senior adviser at the Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP and a director at the Center for American Progress.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and was a supporter for the Center for American Progress.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress. 

Center for American Progress Action Fund is a fund, affiliated advocacy group for the Center for American Progress.

John D. Podesta is the chairman for the Center for American Progress Action Fund and the chair & counselor for the Center for American Progress.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Center for American Progress and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Ted Lieu was honored with the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award, has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023 and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Astrid S. Tuminez was a program officer at the Carnegie Corporation of New York and is the 7th President of the Utah Valley University (Charlie Kirk Shooting).

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Center for American Progress and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Apple Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

AT&T Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Bank of America Corp. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

BMW of North America LLC was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Citigroup Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Coca-Cola Company was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Facebook was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

General Electric Company was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (Bailout Company) was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Motion Picture Association of America was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

PG&E Corporation was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Samsung Electronics Co. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Time Warner Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

T-Mobile USA, Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Toyota Motor North America was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Visa Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Wells Fargo & Co. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Carol M. Browner is a director, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and was the energy czar for the Barack Obama administration.

Tom Daschle is a director at the Center for American Progress and was the nominee for health and human services secretary for the Barack Obama administration.

Ezekiel Emanuel is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and was the health care policy adviser for the Barack Obama administration.

Lawrence H. Summers is a distinguished fellow at the Center for American Progress and was the National Economic Council chairman for the Barack Obama administration.

Cassandra Q. Butts was the SVP for the Center for American Progress and the deputy White House counsel for the Barack Obama administration.

Philip J. Crowley was the director of homeland security at the Center for American Progress and the assistant secretary of state for the Barack Obama administration.

Derek Douglas was an associate director of economic policy at the Center for American Progress and a special assistant for urban affairs for the Barack Obama administration.

Bradley J. Kiley was a VP for the Center for American Progress and the director of management and administration for the Barack Obama administration.

Karen Kornbluh was a visiting scholar at the Center for American Progress and a policy director for Barack Obama.

Jeanne Lambrew was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and the deputy assistant to the president for health policy for the Barack Obama administration.

Denis McDonough was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and the chief of staff; former deputy national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration.

Esther M. Olavarria was the director of immigration policy at the Center for American Progress and the deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the Barack Obama administration.

Dan Restrepo was the Americas Project director at the Center for American Progress and a special assistant to the president for the Barack Obama administration.

Gene B. Sperling was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and the assistant to the president for economic policy for the Barack Obama administration.

Todd Stern was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and the special envoy for climate change at the U.S. Department of State for the Barack Obama administration.

Melody C. Barnes was the EVP for the Center for American Progress, the domestic policy council, director for the Barack Obama administration and Barack Obama’s golf partner.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Center for American Progress and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Ted Lieu was honored with the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award, has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023 and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Astrid S. Tuminez was a program officer at the Carnegie Corporation of New York and is the 7th President of the Utah Valley University (Charlie Kirk Shooting).

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was the Chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and a supporter for the Center for American Progress.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress and the Brookings Institution (think tank).

PepsiCo, Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Kimberly Cheatle served as Senior Director in Global Security at PepsiCo. and was the 27^th director for the U.S. Secret Service. (President Trump was shot in Butler under her leadership). 

Michael H. Jordan was the division chairman & CEO for PepsiCo, Inc. and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Larry D. Thompson is the EVP of governmental affairs, general counsel & secretary for PepsiCo, Inc. and a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and the International Rescue Committee.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Dina Dublon is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee and a director at PepsiCo, Inc.

Indra K. Nooyi is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee and the chair & CEO for PepsiCo, Inc.

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

Morton H. Halperin is a director at the ONE Campaign, was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and served with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Ted Lieu was honored with the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award, has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023 and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Astrid S. Tuminez was a program officer at the Carnegie Corporation of New York and is the 7th President of the Utah Valley University (Charlie Kirk Shooting).

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the founder of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Center for American Progress, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for American Progress and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was the Chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and a supporter for the Center for American Progress.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and the International Rescue Committee.

Morton H. Halperin was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, served with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and is a director at the ONE Campaign.

Madeleine K. Albright was a director at the Center for American Progress and an overseer at the International Rescue Committee.

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

Michelle Obama was an advocate for the ONE Campaign and a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.

R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Newton N. Minow was a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, an honorary trustee at the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Nell Minow’s father.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Ted Lieu was honored with the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award, has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023 and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Astrid S. Tuminez was a program officer at the Carnegie Corporation of New York and is the 7th President of the Utah Valley University (Charlie Kirk Shooting).

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the founder of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Center for American Progress, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was the Chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and a supporter for the Center for American Progress.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and the International Rescue Committee.

Morton H. Halperin was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Center for American Progress Action Fund is a fund, affiliated advocacy group for the Center for American Progress.

John D. Podesta is the chair & counselor for the Center for American Progress and the chairman for the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

Christie Hefner is a director at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, married to William A. Marovitz, Hugh Hefner’s daughter, was the chair & CEO for the Playboy Enterprises and a New Trier High School graduate.

William A. Marovitz is married to Christie Hefner and was an Illinois Senate senator.

Nell Minow was a New Trier High School graduate and is Newton N. Minow’s daughter.

Newton N. Minow was Nell Minow’s father, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP and an honorary trustee at the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Center for American Progress and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Jose H. Villarreal is a director at the Center for American Progress and a senior adviser at the Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP.

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP was a funder for the Center for American Progress and is the lobby firm for Bain Capital.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and was a member of the Iraq Study Group.

Lee H. Hamilton was a co-chair for the Iraq Study Group, a co-chair for the Independent Task Force on Immigration and America's Future and is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the Chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Ted Lieu was honored with the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award, has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023 and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Astrid S. Tuminez was a program officer at the Carnegie Corporation of New York and is the 7th President of the Utah Valley University (Charlie Kirk Shooting).

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the founder of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Paul E. Peterson was a director of governmental studies for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a member, Education Policy Advisory Group for the 2012 Mitt Romney presidential campaign.

Mitt Romney was the candidate for the 2012 Mitt Romney presidential campaign and is a co-founder for Bain Capital.

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP is the lobby firm for Bain Capital and was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Jose H. Villarreal is a director at the Center for American Progress and a senior adviser at the Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and was a member of the Iraq Study Group.

Lee H. Hamilton was a co-chair for the Iraq Study Group, a co-chair for the Independent Task Force on Immigration and America's Future and is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the Chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Resources: Past Research

Smaller Bites – Connecting the Dots: Politico, Sen. Mitt Romney, Bain Capital & Soros Funding, All Networking (Past Research on Mitt Romney)

Friday, September 15, 2023

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2023/09/smaller-bites-connecting-dots-politico.html

Working Families Party (Connecting the Dots: ACORN, Sidley Austin LLP, Barack Obama, John R. Bolton, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Mario M. Cuomo, Andrew M. Cuomo, Kerry Kennedy, The Iraq Study Group, Human Rights First & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on the Iraq Study Group)

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/07/working-families-party-connecting-dots.html

Who's running for California governor in 2026? What to know about race (Connecting the Dots: Tom Steyer & The Carnegie/Soros Network) (Past Research on the Center for American Progress)

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2026/04/whos-running-for-california-governor-in.html

GE, Walmart, AT&T, Google Among Center for American Progress Donors (Past Research on the Center for American Progress)

Saturday, December 14, 2013

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2013/12/ge-walmart-at-google-among-center-for.html

Pepsi - Obama Logo Controversey (Connecting the Dots: PepsiCo, Inc., The Center for American Progress, Barack Obama administration, The Carnegie Corporation of New York & the Carnegie/Soros Network) (Past Research on the Center for American Progress, Barack Obama administration, & the Carnegie Corporation of New York)

Saturday, March 14, 2026

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2026/03/pepsi-obama-logo-controversey.html

Dr. Morton Halperin – J Street Education Fund (Connecting the Dots: J Street, Morton Halperin, The Open Society Foundations, Newsmax’s Mark Halperin, Rhonda (Randi) Weingarten, The ONE Campaign, MSNBC, ACLU, The Carnegie & Soros Funding) (Past Research on the ONE Campaign)

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/06/dr-morton-halperin-j-street-education.html

Sen. Warren Presses Amazon on Algorithmic Pricing for Schools (Connecting the Dots: Senator Elizabeth Warren, Ganesh Sitaraman, The Center for American Progress, Amazon, HUD, The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, The Urban Institute, The U.S. Department of Education & The Carnegie/Soros Network) (Past Research on the Carnegie Corporation New York)

Thursday, March 12, 2026

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2026/03/sen-warren-presses-amazon-on.html

Police: Fmr Va. Lt. Gov. Fairfax Dead in Murder-Suicide (Connecting the Dots: Justin Fairfax, Morrison & Foerster, Duke University, Columbia University, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale) & The Carnegie/Soros Network)

Police: Fmr Va. Lt. Gov. Fairfax Dead in Murder-Suicide (Connecting the Dots: Justin Fairfax, Morrison & Foerster, Duke University, Columbia University, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale) & The Carnegie/Soros Network)

Newsmax.com

Thursday, 16 April 2026 01:21 PM EDT

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/police-virginia-justin-fairfax/2026/04/16/id/1253141/

Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a rising star in the Democratic Party before his career was derailed by sexual assault allegations several years ago, killed his wife before killing himself, police said Thursday.

Fairfax, 47, and his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, 49, were found dead in their home in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Annandale after their teenage son called 911 shortly after midnight, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said.

The couple were separated and going through a divorce but living in the same house with their two children, who were home when the shootings occurred, he said. A court filing said the couple separated in 2024 and filed for divorce last year.

Justin Fairfax was served recently with paperwork telling him when next to appear in court, Davis said. In January, officers went to the home after Justin Fairfax alleged that his wife had assaulted him, he said.

“Apparently, Mrs. Fairfax, at some point during these divorce proceedings, set up a lot of cameras inside the home. We reviewed those cameras, and we corroborated that the alleged assault never occurred,” Davis said.

The couple, who met as undergraduates at Duke University, had been married since 2006. Cerina Fairfax ran a family dentistry practice. After graduating from Duke, she attended the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, which honored her in 2015 as its most outstanding alumna of the last decade.

A profile page on her dental practice’s website described her as an avid reader who liked to travel, practice yoga, go on trail runs with her Vizsla-breed dogs, and “spend time with her wonderful family.”

“It’s very sad for this community,” Davis said. “A lot of people who know the Fairfax family, everybody’s shocked. We’re shocked.”

For a brief period in 2019, Justin Fairfax seemed poised to become Virginia's second Black governor as Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam became engulfed in a scandal over a racist photo in his medical school yearbook that led to calls for his resignation.

But then two women came forward accusing Fairfax of sexually assaulting them years earlier. He adamantly denied the allegations and was never charged.

Vanessa Tyson said Fairfax — at the time a Columbia Law School student serving as an aide to Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards — forced her to perform oral sex in his hotel room during the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004.

Two days after Tyson’s statement, Meredith Watson issued her own, accusing Fairfax of raping her in 2000, when they were students at Duke University.

The Associated Press generally doesn't name people who say they are victims of sexual assault, but both women came forward publicly. Fairfax said the encounters were consensual and refused calls to resign. Fairfax later tried to run for governor in 2021, some said to clear his name, but was largely shunned by Virginia Democrats.

Fairfax said he believed voters would see through what he described as a smear campaign against him. But he was defeated in the Democratic primary.

Court filings show that Fairfax had financial challenges following the sexual assault allegations, which prompted his resignation as a partner at a prestigious law firm. The IRS filed a lien against the couple for more than $91,000 in unpaid taxes that was resolved in 2021.

A former federal prosecutor and civil litigator, Fairfax first unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for attorney general in 2013, then won the race for lieutenant governor in 2017.

The deaths stunned political leaders throughout the state.

“We are keeping Cerina and Justin Fairfax’s family — especially their two children — in our prayers as we all process this shocking and horrifying news,” Virginia’s Democratic U.S. senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, said in a joint statement.

Fairfax had served as co-chair for Warner’s 2014 reelection campaign.

Ghazala Hashmi, Virginia's current lieutenant governor, called the deaths devastating.

“My thoughts are with their children, loved ones, and numerous friends,” Hashmi said in a statement. “Along with so many in the Commonwealth, I am filled with sorrow; I await further insights from our law enforcement officials.”

                           Justin Fairfax

Fairfax in 2020

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Fairfax

Justin Edward Fairfax (February 17, 1979 – April 16, 2026) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 41st Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 2018 to 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the second African American elected statewide in Virginia, following Douglas Wilder. In 2019, he faced sexual assault allegations dating to 2000 and 2004, which he denied.

Fairfax was a Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia in the 2021 election. He finished fourth in the Democratic primary with 3.54% of the vote. On April 16, 2026, Fairfax was found dead in his home with his wife, Cerina Fairfax, in an apparent murder–suicide.

Early life and career

Justin Edward Fairfax was born on February 17, 1979, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He moved with his family from Pittsburgh to Northeast Washington, D.C., when he was five years old.[3][4] One of four children, Fairfax graduated from DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, where he was senior class president.[5] Fairfax then graduated from Duke University in 2000,[6] with a degree in public policy.[7] After serving on the staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee for two years, Fairfax earned a J.D. degree from Columbia Law School,[8] where he was a member of the Columbia Law Review.

Career

He then served as law clerk to Judge Gerald Bruce Lee of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in 2005. He worked in the Washington office of the law firm WilmerHale before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in 2010.[6] Fairfax worked for two years as a federal prosecutor in Alexandria, Virginia.[8] He served as deputy coordinator of the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force during this time.

After the race, Fairfax co-chaired the 2014 reelection campaign of U.S. Senator Mark Warner from Virginia.[14] The following year, he was recruited to work at the law firm of Venable LLP,[6] in the firm's Tysons, Virginia, office.[5] Fairfax then worked for Morrison & Foerster, a law firm where he made partner in September 2018.[15][16] In July 2019, following sexual assault allegations against him, Fairfax announced that he was resigning from Morrison & Foerster, which had accepted his resignation.

Connecting the Dots:

Justin Fairfax was the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, worked for Morrison & Foerster, received his BA at Duke University, his JD from Columbia University, and worked in the Washington office of the law firm WilmerHale before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in 2010.

John P. Carlin is a partner and chair, Global Risk & Crisis Management Group at Morrison & Foerster LLP and the Chair, Cybersecurity & Technology Program at The Aspen Institute (think tank).

David M. Rubenstein is a trustee at Duke University and was a benefactor at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

David Gergen is a trustee at Duke University, and a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Stephen Friedman was a chairman for Columbia University and is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Ted Lieu was honored with the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award, has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023 and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Astrid S. Tuminez was a program officer at the Carnegie Corporation of New York and is the 7th President of the Utah Valley University (Charlie Kirk Shooting).

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Walter Isaacson is the president & CEO for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and was the chairman & CEO for CNN.

Hisashi Owada was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Ted Turner is the founder of CNN and a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank). 

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the founder of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).  

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank). 

Jamie S. Gorelick was a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), a deputy attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice, is Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner’s attorney and a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale).

Justin Fairfax worked in the Washington office of the law firm WilmerHale (Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr) before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in 2010.

Judge Randolph D. Moss was in private practice at the Washington office of Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale & Dorr, LLP (WilmerHale) is a district judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and ruled that President Donald Trump's plan to crack down on asylum claims overstepped his authority.

Judge Theodore D. Chuang served as counsel at the law firm of Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr LLP (WilmerHale) and In March 2025, Chuang ruled that President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Robert S. Mueller III was a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale), a director at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), investigating interference with Russia in the 2016 U.S. election, special counsel investigating Russian ties in the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign, a special counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice, James Quarles III assisted him in the Russia probe, Jeannie Rhee assisted him in the Russia collusion probe and Aaron Zebley assisted him in the Russia probe.

James Quarles III was a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale) and

assisted Robert S. Mueller III in the Russia probe.

Jeannie Rhee is a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale), assisted Robert S. Mueller III in the Russia collusion probe and was a deputy assistant attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Aaron Zebley was a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale) and assisted Robert S. Mueller III in the Russia probe.

Jared Kushner’s law firm is Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale), Jamie S. Gorelick is his attorney, is the senior adviser to the president for the Donald Trump administration and Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

Cameron F. Kerry was an associate at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale), is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, John F. Kerry’s brother and is a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank). 

Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.

R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Newton N. Minow was a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and an honorary trustee at the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank), the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Ted Lieu was honored with the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award, has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023 and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Astrid S. Tuminez was a program officer at the Carnegie Corporation of New York and is the 7th President of the Utah Valley University (Charlie Kirk Shooting).

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank), the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

James S. Crown is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Lester Crown is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

John P. Carlin is the Chair, Cybersecurity & Technology Program at The Aspen Institute (think tank) and a partner and chair, Global Risk & Crisis Management Group at Morrison & Foerster LLP.

Justin Fairfax worked for Morrison & Foerster, was the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, received his BA at Duke University, his JD from Columbia University, and worked in the Washington office of the law firm WilmerHale before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in 2010.

David M. Rubenstein is a trustee at Duke University and was a benefactor at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

David Gergen is a trustee at Duke University, and a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Stephen Friedman was a chairman for Columbia University and is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Ted Lieu was honored with the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award, has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023 and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Astrid S. Tuminez was a program officer at the Carnegie Corporation of New York and is the 7th President of the Utah Valley University (Charlie Kirk Shooting).

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Resources: Past Research

John Carlin (Connecting the Dots: Aspen Institute & Soros) (Past Research on John Carlin & Morrison & Foerster LLP)

Monday, August 15, 2022

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2022/08/john-carlin-connecting-dots-aspen.html

Rep. Walberg Presses Columbia on Campus Antisemitism (Connecting the Dots: Columbia University & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Columbia University)

Thursday, February 13, 2025

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/02/rep-walberg-presses-columbia-on-campus.html

Muslim Call to Prayer to be Chanted Every Friday at Duke University (Past Research on Duke University)

Sunday, January 18, 2015

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2015/01/muslim-call-to-prayer-to-be-chanted.html

Rep. Burchett Wants Soros, Associate Before House Panel (Connecting the Dots: Jamie Gorelick, The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, Russia, Letitia James, The Committee for Economic Development, FBI, CIA, The Open Society Foundations, The Foundation to Promote Open Society & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale))

Sunday, August 3, 2025

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/08/rep-burchett-wants-soros-associate.html

TIAA Our Leadership Team (Past Research on the Carnegie Corporation New York)

Saturday, October 8, 2016

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2016/10/tiaa-our-leadership-team.html

NYC Nursing Walkout Ends as Last Striking Nurses Approve New Contract (Connecting the Dots: Mount Sinai Medical Center (New York), The New York-Presbyterian Hospital & The Carnegie/Soros Network) (Past Research on the Carnegie Corporation New York)

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2026/03/nyc-nursing-walkout-ends-as-last.html

Charleston: CNN’s Sick Pattern of Using the Dead as Political Weapons Against the Right (Past Research on CNN)

Saturday, June 20, 2015

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2015/06/charleston-cnns-sick-pattern-of-using.html

Judge: Trump's Asylum Changes Exceeded His Authority (Connecting the Dots: The Judges That Hate Trump, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, Russia, Russia, Russia, The Investigators & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale))

Thursday, July 3, 2025

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/07/judge-trumps-asylum-changes-exceeded.html