Roles: Past History: Work Family: Education: Current Hometown: Brief in Life PEOPLE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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CHARLIE SYKES EDITOR-AT-LARGE, THE BULWARK

Policy Positions and Areas of Focus • Supported Gov. Walker’s push to weaken Outspoken on education policy, and public employee union bargaining power in conservative principles like privacy and 2011 and provided platform for critics of personal liberty unions to express views

Reforming Secondary & Higher Education – Critiques emphasis on political correctness Core Communities and prioritizing self-esteem over knowledge “Never Trump” Conservatives – Conservative • Believes a key problem with education is figures who refuse to support Donald Trump that holistic learning and personal feelings • Features several Weekly Standard are given precedence over rigorous colleagues including Bill Kristol, John academics Podhoretz and PJ O’Rourke, on the Bulwark • Contends education system is too resistant website and podcasts to criticism and reform • Tim Miller, former communications director • Argues campus diversity doesn’t extend to for Jeb Bush and anti-Trump PAC advisor, is intellectual or political diversity a contributor to the Bulwark and frequent • Fervent proponent of school choice; major guest on his podcast role in public awareness campaign in 2006 • Rick Wilson, GOP media consultant, is a resulting in Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle friend and frequent Bulwark podcast guest reversing his opinion and supporting it Wisconsin Republicans – Close ties to Erosion of Privacy – Wrote book arguing majority of influential Wisconsin Republicans freedom from unauthorized intrusion is at risk prior to 2016 election • Believes right to privacy is being diminished • Wisconsin GOP consultant Deb Jordahl by technological change, government and knows him as a radio host and through his business intrusion, and oversharing volunteer work with local charities • Particularly critical of media invasiveness • Frequently had Paul Ryan on his radio show and infringing personal privacy rights and viewed him as the future of the GOP until his refusal to condemn President Trump Never Trump Conservatism – Leading voice • Considers Reince Priebus, a Kenosha in movement of conservatives allied against native, a friend but has been critical of his Trump support for Donald Trump • Believes traditional conservative principles • Considers Gov. Scott Walker to be a friend have been eroded by conservative leaders and influences his policy; was one of his and media elevating hard-liners with fringe most vocal supporters during recall election views (birthers, xenophobes, and alternative- and union fight

reality media); views President Trump as Wisconsin Journalists – Lifelong ties starting extension of this with father through his career as a beat • Uses the Bulwark platform to highlight other reporter and radio show host in Wisconsin like-minded voices on the right to critique • Bill Lueders is a longtime friend who wrote Trump policies and abandonment of for the Isthmus and Milwaukee Magazine conservatism by the GOP • Joel McNally, former columnist and

colleague at the Milwaukee Journal, Public Employee Unions – Gave significant considers him a friend airtime to Gov. Walker during union battle • Critical of teachers’ unions for being too political; focused more on fundraising than issues relevant to education

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CHARLIE SYKES EDITOR-AT-LARGE, THE BULWARK

u Core Communities Cont. Financial Disclosures and Donations Wisconsin Education Community – Allies in Donates seldomly to GOP candidates and PACs school choice advocacy • Radio pundit and communications consultant Wisconsin - Governor Mikel Holt worked with him to produce an ad • $500 – Friends of Scott Walker (R-WI) in support of school choice • Worked closely with members of the Bradley Federal – Select WI candidates Foundation at the time, who pushed for • $500 – Ron Johnson for Senate (R-WI) vouchers • $250 – Ribble for Congress (R-WI) • Frequently discussed school choice on his show with several local Milwaukee city and Federal - PAC county officials and members of the school • $250 – Swift Boat Vets & POWs for Truth board

Selected Publications Media Appearances Wrote books about conservative policies and Since 2016, provides commentary critical of education; has focused his work at the Republican members of Congress, conservative Bulwark on criticizing GOP in Trump era media, and President Trump

Books – Often critical of higher education, Television – Often is the conservative voice on lack of personal responsibility, and culture of cable news providing perspectives contrary to dependency ones asserted by GOP establishment • How the Right Lost Its Mind, 2017 • MSNBC – Meet the Press, spoke alongside • A Nation of Moochers: America’s Addiction to columnist George Will about how the definition Getting Something for Nothing, 2012 of patriotism has changed in the GOP, May • The End of Privacy: The Attack on Personal 2019 Rights at Home, at Work, On-Line, and in • CNN – Reliable Sources: Criticized Court, 1999 conservative media for abandoning • Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American conservative principles to embrace President Children Feel Good About Themselves but Trump, September 2017 Can’t Read, Write, or Add, 1995 • A Nation of Victims: The Decay of the Print/Online – Discusses how conservative American Character, 1992 principles no longer align with Republican • Profscam: Professors and the Demise of party, and conservative media’s role in the rise Higher Education,1988 of Donald Trump • NYTimes Magazine: In an interview, spoke Articles – Critical of President Trump and the about how President has changed the GOP future of the GOP and exposed vulnerabilities of the party, August • “The Problem with Joe Walsh,” The Bulwark, 2017 September 2019 • Politico: Discussed his long history in • “What’s the Endgame of Trumpism?”, Wisconsin politics and the conflicts he RealClearPolicy, February 2019 experienced questioning support for Donald • “Donald Trump’s Crab Bucket Moral Trump, August 2016 Universe,” The Weekly Standard, May 2018 • “A Guide for Frustrated Conservatives in the Age of Trump,” NBC News, October 2017 • “Charlie Sykes on Where the Right Went Wrong,” New York Times, December 2016

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CHARLIE SYKES EDITOR-AT-LARGE, THE BULWARK

Speaking Engagements Info From Formative Years Frequently speaks about future of Father’s career, love for politics, and conservatism post-Trump and media false- contrarian self-identity were profoundly hoods influential to development of his own career and political identity Academic Institutions • Raised in liberal household and originally • Speaker on overcoming partisan politics, identified as a Democrat University of Wisconsin-Parkside, March • Father, Jay Sykes, was biggest inspiration 2019 and influence. Described father as a • Panelist at event hosted by the Annenberg contrarian Democrat; modeled his contrarian School at UPenn discussing media and conservative approach off of this politics hosted by, April 2017 • Talked to father about politics a lot and

volunteered with him for Eugene McCarthy’s Conservative 1968 presidential campaign, igniting his • Spoke at Wisconsin Institute for Law & interest in politics Liberty about post-2016 conservatism, • Converted to Catholicism at 18, shaping pro- October 2016 life views, and ran against Assemblyman Jim • Moderated panel on political correctness in Sensenbrenner in 1974 as a pro-life higher education at Conservative Political Democrat Action Conference (CPAC), March 2016 • Alienated from Democratic Party due to his Events/Conferences stance on abortion and the violence of the • Speaker on the future of conservatism in anti-war movement during Vietnam America, Aspen Ideas Festival, 2019 • Lack of party identity has been a consistent theme throughout his career Profiles Others Have Written

Profiles tend to focus on career as radio host and, more recently, his rise as a leading conservative critic of Donald Trump Family Background

Born in Seattle, WA and moved to New York Michael Cummins, “Charlie Sykes’ inside account • of the right-wing crackup”, Isthmus, September state when he was three, then to Fox Point, 2017 WI in third grade • Local profile detailing accounts from others • Father, Jay G. Sykes, was a lawyer and about his transition out of Wisconsin politics journalist who later ran for Lieutenant Governor Kurt Chandler, “Charlie’s Bully Pulpit,” Milwaukee • Mother was Katherine B. (Kay) Sykes Magazine, July 2000 • Has daughter from his first marriage to • Comprehensive profile on rise to prominence Christine Libbey in Wisconsin and his critics • Ex-wife is Diane Schwerm Sykes, a judge on th the 7 circuit court of appeals and was on the Hobbies short list of Trump SCOTUS picks Sports • Wife, Janet Riordan, is a singer and actress • Fan of Wisconsin professional sports teams, including the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Milwaukee Brewers

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