--- title: Cleta Mitchell description: author: Cody L Hall tags: [network, cleta-mitchell, partners, checkmate, election-integrity-network, council-for-national-policy] source: entity_type: Title: Cleta Mitchell Description: None Author: Cody L. Hall Source: None Entity Type: Person --- # Cleta Mitchell Partners with the Checkmate opertion (part of the [[Ziklag Network]] network) and the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI). Leads the [[Election Integrity Network]] (EIN). Has ties to the Council for National Policy (CNP).# Hashtags: #network #cleta #mitchell #partners #checkmate Election lawyer and Bradley Foundation board member. She's leading voter suppression legal efforts and was part of Trump's 2020 election challenge team. Now at [[Conservative Partnership Institute]]. [Bradley Foundation](https://www.bradleyfdn.org/people) ## Connections - [[Ziklag Network]] ## Identifiers - **Legal Name:** Cleta B. Deatherage Mitchell[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell)​ - **Known Aliases:** Cleta Deatherage (maiden name)[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell)​ - **Date of Birth:** September 16, 1950[](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=MI048)​ - **Place of Birth:** Oklahoma City, Oklahoma[](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=MI048)​ ## Basic Information - **Citizenship:** United States[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell)​ - **Current Status:** Active[](https://www.bradleyfdn.org/our-people/cleta-mitchell)​ - **Primary Residence:** Washington, D.C. area[](https://cpi.org/staff/cleta-mitchell/)​ - **Professional Status:** Senior Legal Fellow at [[Conservative Partnership Institute]]; Founder and Chairman of [[Election Integrity Network]][](https://www.bradleyfdn.org/our-people/cleta-mitchell)​ ## Contact & Location - **Website/LinkedIn:** [www.whoscounting.us](http://www.whoscounting.us/) (podcast)[](https://cpi.org/staff/cleta-mitchell/)​ ## Professional History | Organization | Role | Start Date | End Date | Notes | | ------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------- | ---------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | [[Conservative Partnership Institute]] | Senior Legal Fellow | 2021 | Present | Founded [[Election Integrity Network]] [](https://www.bradleyfdn.org/our-people/cleta-mitchell)​ | | [[FAIR Elections Fund]] | Founder and Chairman | 2023 | Present | Foundation for Accountability and Integrity in Elections Fund [](https://www.bradleyfdn.org/our-people/cleta-mitchell)​ | | [[Foley & Lardner]] | Partner | Unknown | 2021 | Resigned after Georgia phone call [](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell)​ | | [[Galen Institute]] | Vice President | 2013 | | | | [[Term Limits Legal Institute]] | Director and General Counsel | 1991 | Unknown | Washington, D.C. [](https://www.rnla.org/cletamitchell)​ | | Private Law Practice | Attorney | 1984 | 1991 | Oklahoma City, litigation and administrative law [](https://www.rnla.org/cletamitchell)​ | | [[Oklahoma House of Representatives]] | State Representative, District 44 | 1976 | 1984 | Democratic Party member [](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell)​ | | [[Oklahoma House Appropriations and Budget Committee]] | Chairman | 1978 | 1984 | First woman in U.S. to hold this position [](https://www.rnla.org/cletamitchell)​ | | [[International Foundation For Electoral Systems]] | Director | | 2017 | | | [[National Rifle Association]] of America | Director | | 2013 | | | [[Coalitions For America]] | Secretary | 2013 | 2021 | | | [[Citizens For The Reupublic Inc]] | Secretary | 2013 | 2018 | | | [[League of American Voters]] | Secretary | 2015 | 2016 | | | [[Institute for Free Speech]] | Director | 2017 | 2023 | | | [[Unleash Prosperity Inc.]] | Director | 2017 | 2020 | | | [[National Association of Political Fundraisers]] | Director | 2018 | 2021 | | | [[Neighbors For A Better Lakeview]] | Secretary | 2018 | 2020 | | | [[Alliance of Healthcare Sharing Ministries Inc]] | Secretary | 2018 | 2020 | | | [[Citizens for the American Republic]] | Secretary | 2018 | | | | [[Freedomworks, Inc]] | Secretary | 2019 | 2020 | | | [[Frameworks Foundation]] | Secretary | 2019 | 2020 | | | [[Article III, Inc]] | Treasurer | 2019 | | | | [[Conservative Partnership Institute]] | Board Secretary | 2019 | 2020 | | | [[Public Interest Legal Foundation]] Inc | Chairman | 2020 | 2023 | | | [[Stand Up To China Inc]] | Secretary | 2020 | 2021 | | | [[1792 Exchange]] | Secretary | 2021 | | | | [[Election Integrity Network]] | President | 2022 | 2023 | | ## Education & Credentials - **University of Oklahoma:** B.A., 1973[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell)​ - **University of Oklahoma College of Law:** J.D., 1975[](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=MI048)​ - **Bar Admissions:** Oklahoma and District of Columbia[](https://cpi.org/staff/cleta-mitchell/)​ - **Additional Admissions:** U.S. Supreme Court and multiple federal district courts[](https://cpi.org/staff/cleta-mitchell/)​ - **Fellowships:** Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics Fellow, 1981 ; Shapiro Fellow at George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs, 2001[](https://www.bradleyfdn.org/our-people/cleta-mitchell)​ ## Financial Interests - **Board Positions:** [[Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation]] Board of Directors[](https://www.bradleyfdn.org/our-people/cleta-mitchell)​ - **Business Ownership:** Chairman of [[Public Interest Legal Foundation]][](https://cpi.org/staff/cleta-mitchell/)​ ## Public Records - **Court Records:** Involved in U.S. Supreme Court case on term limits for members of Congress as co-counsel with former U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell ; Co-counsel for [[National Rifle Association]] in Supreme Court case involving 2002 federal campaign finance law[](https://www.rnla.org/cletamitchell)​ - **Congressional Testimony:** Testified before Congress multiple times on election law and politics[](https://www.rnla.org/cletamitchell)​ ## Regulatory & Legal Issues - **Georgia Election Call (January 2021):** Participated in telephone call where [[Donald J. Trump]] pressured Georgia Secretary of State [[Brad Raffensperger]] to alter 2020 election results; resigned from [[Foley & Lardner]] partnership following this incident[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell)​ - **Arizona Election Audit (2021):** Set up escrow fund to funnel money to companies conducting pro-Trump "audit" into Arizona's 2020 election[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell)​ ## Political Activity - **Party Registration:** Democrat (1976-1996), Republican (1996-present)[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell)​ - **Campaign Activities:** Volunteer attorney for 2020 [[Donald J. Trump|Trump]] legal team in Georgia [](https://cpi.org/staff/cleta-mitchell/)​; Legal counsel to [[National Republican Senatorial Committee]] [](https://www.rnla.org/cletamitchell)​ - **Political Clients:** Represented numerous Republican candidates including Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Senator David Vitter (R-LA), Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR), Senator [[Jim DeMint]] (R-SC), and Representative Tom Cole (R-OK)[](https://www.rnla.org/cletamitchell)​ - **Election Advocacy:** Founded [[Election Integrity Network]], training and mobilizing citizens on election law issues ; Advocated for election law changes in Georgia to slow reporting and certification of results ; Stated belief that Democrats win elections "only by cheating" without evidence[](https://www.bradleyfdn.org/our-people/cleta-mitchell)​ - **Legislative Record (1976-1984):** Supported women's rights, Equal Rights Amendment, and progressive education reform as Oklahoma state legislator[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell)​ - **Failed Campaigns:** Ran unsuccessfully for Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor in 1986 as Democrat, losing primary to [[Robert S. Kerr III]][](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=MI048)​ ## Media Coverage - **Recognition:** Named one of Washington's 25 Most Influential Women by National Journal in 2012 ; Listed in Time as one of the most promising Democratic women in 1984 ; Named one of ten outstanding young women in America by Redbook magazine in 1979[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell)​ - **Media Presence:** Frequent speaker and guest commentator on election law and politics ; Hosts weekly podcast "Who's Counting?" on election integrity topics[](https://cpi.org/staff/cleta-mitchell/)​ - **Recent Coverage (2025):** Made statements suggesting President [[Donald J. Trump|Trump]] may declare national emergency to take control of elections using emergency powers [](https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/cleta-mitchell-thinks-trump-will-use-emergency-powers-to-take-control-of-elections/)​ - **DHS Briefing (2025):** [[Election Integrity Network]] received briefing in June from senior Department of Homeland Security official on citizenship verification database[](https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/cleta-mitchell-thinks-trump-will-use-emergency-powers-to-take-control-of-elections/)​ ## Relationships - **Family:** Married Duane Draper (fellow Oklahoman from Norman) in 1973; divorced July 1982 on grounds of incompatibility; Draper later came out as gay and died of AIDS in 1991[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell)​ - **Family:** Married Dale Mitchell in 1984, son of 1940s-1950s All-Star Cleveland Indians and Brooklyn Dodgers left-fielder (Loren) Dale Mitchell; have one daughter[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell)​ - **Professional Associates:** Connected to [[Donald J. Trump]] campaign via volunteer legal work in Georgia ; Connected to [[Conservative Partnership Institute]] as Senior Legal Fellow ; Worked with former U.S. Attorney General [[Griffin Bell]] on Supreme Court term limits case[](https://cpi.org/staff/cleta-mitchell/)​ ## Notes & Observations Mitchell underwent a significant political transformation from progressive Democrat to conservative Republican activist between the mid-1980s and 1996. Former Oklahoma Governor [[David Walters]] attributed this shift to her 1986 lieutenant governor primary loss. Mitchell has stated that her husband Dale Mitchell's 1992 conviction on five felony counts of conspiracy to defraud, misapplying bank funds, and making false statements to banks convinced her that "overreaching government regulation is one of the great scandals of our times". He was ordered to pay $3 million in restitution with a suspended five-year sentence and community service; one conviction was reversed on appeal and restitution reduced.[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell)​ Mitchell serves on advisory bodies including the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Election Law advisory council and as advisor on the American Law Institute's Election Law Project. She was elected to membership in the American Law Institute in 2016. As a student at University of Oklahoma, she was a proponent of the women's rights movement, campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment, and was one of the first women to run for student president, though she lost. She considered U.S. Senator [[Margaret Chase Smith]] of Maine her role model during this period.[](https://www.bradleyfdn.org/our-people/cleta-mitchell)​ ## Tags #individual #election-law #attorney #republican-activist #oklahoma-politics #individual #election-law #attorney #republican-activist #oklahoma-politicsen.wikipedia 1. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleta_Mitchell) 2. [https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/cleta-mitchell-thinks-trump-will-use-emergency-powers-to-take-control-of-elections/](https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/cleta-mitchell-thinks-trump-will-use-emergency-powers-to-take-control-of-elections/) 3. [https://www.bradleyfdn.org/our-people/cleta-mitchell](https://www.bradleyfdn.org/our-people/cleta-mitchell) 4. [https://www.congress.gov/118/meeting/house/117612/documents/HHRG-118-JU10-20240910-SD006.pdf](https://www.congress.gov/118/meeting/house/117612/documents/HHRG-118-JU10-20240910-SD006.pdf) 5. [https://cpi.org/staff/cleta-mitchell/](https://cpi.org/staff/cleta-mitchell/) 6. [https://www.rnla.org/cletamitchell](https://www.rnla.org/cletamitchell) 7. [https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=MI048](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=MI048) 8. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/1290242?origin=crossref](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1290242?origin=crossref) 9. [https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8532287/](https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8532287/) 10. [http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00300-015-1776-y](http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00300-015-1776-y) 11. [https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/8a877fd46d6694ce3978d097238db0b9274dd2cb](https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/8a877fd46d6694ce3978d097238db0b9274dd2cb) 12. [https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8861800/](https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8861800/) 13. [https://currents.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/currents/article/view/40313](https://currents.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/currents/article/view/40313) 14. [http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10346-017-0811-1](http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10346-017-0811-1) 15. [http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol20/iss2/art4/](http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol20/iss2/art4/) 16. [https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/10.1144/SP444.9](https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/10.1144/SP444.9) 17. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/3559427?origin=crossref](https://www.jstor.org/stable/3559427?origin=crossref) 18. [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9931338/](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9931338/) 19. [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9992266/](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9992266/) 20. [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10562529/](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10562529/)