Vote.org has filed a lawsuit against its founder and former CEO Debra Cleaver. Cleaver founded Vote.org as a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to increasing voter participation. In 2019, Vote.org’s Board of Directors unanimously voted to terminate Cleaver after “a period of high turnover,” and staff complaints of “abusive behavior by Cleaver that went unaddressed,” the complaint said. After her termination, the nonprofit alleges that Cleaver engaged in defamation when she reached out to people and organizations affiliated with Vote.org and “falsely attacked Vote.org’s CEO’s professional history and work experience, disparaging her both personally and professionally.” According to the company, Cleaver “has undoubtedly caused millions of dollars of direct harm,” damaging the non-profit’s relationship with funding sources and causing them to reallocate resources to damage control, instead of its mission and operations.
Vote.org asked the court for an injunction to get Cleaver to stop impersonating the organization and its board and employees over email, infringing on the organization’s trademarks, and generally causing confusion about where information about Vote.org is coming from. The nonprofit also asked for damages, attorney fees and prejudgment interest. McCarter partner and former US Attorney for Connecticut, Vanessa Roberts Avery, who represents Vote.org told Law.com, This organization’s work is too important and vital for a personal vendetta that’s been going on for six years to get in the way of the work that has to be done,” Avery told Law.com, “There’s no reason for us to believe that [Cleaver] will stop doing what she’s doing until we secure a court order.” The McCarter team representing Vote.org also includes partner Zachary Myers, former US Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and associate Kaylin Cook.