Eagle Forum, Alabama Policy Institute, and Tuberville’s office linked to conservative initiative
By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
Published July 28, 2025
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A leaked applicant database from Project 2025 is shedding light on Alabama’s role in the controversial conservative initiative.
The data, published by nonprofit whistleblower site DDoSecrets, shows how Alabama organizations and political networks encouraged individuals to apply for executive branch positions in the event of a second Trump administration.
Project 2025, led by the Heritage Foundation, aimed to recruit ideologically aligned staffers and prepare a 900-page policy handbook to guide Republican governance.
Alabama Connections
Several applicants cited Alabama groups or figures as their entry points:
- One wrote: “As a Leader of Eagle Forum Alabama, our Executive Director Becky Gerritson sent it out to our leadership.”
- Another said they first heard of the project through Stephanie Smith, President and CEO of the Alabama Policy Institute.
- A third applicant said they learned about Project 2025 while interning for Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s office.
Two Alabama-linked applicants—Christian Gentile, a former advisor to Rep. Barry Moore, and David Matthews, now serving at the U.S. Department of Agriculture—were also listed in the database.
Controversy and Response
Though Trump’s campaign distanced itself from Project 2025, several contributors, including Russell Vought, now lead federal offices. Critics argue Alabama’s deep ties show how local think tanks and political figures fed into the national conservative pipeline.
Tuberville’s office dismissed questions about the leak as “ridiculous and totally fabricated.”
With nearly 5,000 names nationwide, the database confirms that Alabama’s conservative organizations were not bystanders—they were recruiters in Project 2025.