GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — A board member of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation says he's resigned from his position. According to reporting from Politico, he did so over a decision involving former Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming), who is a fierce critic of former president Donald Trump.
David Hume Kennerly, who was the chief White House photographer during the Ford administration, took to the social media platform X to say that he'd left the board.
"It was a painful decision to resign from the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, but necessary," Kennerly wrote on X. "I hope more people around the country will follow @Liz_Cheney's example and speak out about the threat to our democracy. Time to step up."
Kennerly linked Politico's reporting to his post.
According to that reporting, Kennerly sent a letter to others in the foundation, claiming the decision not to choose Cheney for one of the foundation's top awards after she was under consideration was made out of fear that Trump might seek retribution.
The Ford Foundation released a statement saying that, because it was reported that Cheney was considering a presidential run as they were making their decision, giving her the award may have been seen as a political statement that could cost them their non-profit status.
13 ON YOUR SIDE has reached out to Kennerly for further comment but has not yet heard back.
The full statement from the Foundation, released on behalf of its Executive Committee through Executive Director Gleaves Whitney, reads as follows:
"The Ford family has been close to the Cheney family for five decades. So when the Ford Presidential Foundation asked Liz Cheney to serve on our Board of Trustees, we were honored that she joined our team in 2021. She continues to serve in good standing.
Not only that, Liz Cheney meets all the criteria the Ford Presidential Foundation medal signifies—courage, integrity, and passion to serve the American people.
The Foundation’s decision not to give Congresswoman Liz Cheney the 2024 Gerald R. Ford Medal for Distinguished Public Service is not a reflection on her but on the law governing nonprofits. The Foundation’s action this year in no way precludes her from serious consideration to receive the medal in a future year.
The Foundation’s executive committee, guided by its legal counsel, concluded that it was not prudent to award the 2024 Ford medal to Liz Cheney. At the time the award was being discussed, it was publicly reported that Liz was under active consideration for a presidential run. Exercising its fiduciary responsibility, the executive committee concluded that giving the Ford medal to Liz in the 2024 election cycle might be construed as a political statement and thus expose the Foundation to the legal risk of losing its nonprofit status with the Internal Revenue Service.
As stated by the IRS in its publication, 'The Restriction of Political Campaign Intervention by Section 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Organizations':
Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Contributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position (verbal or written) made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity. Violating this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise taxes."
