Drummond Pike
Pike is the wealthy donor who founded the Tides Foundation in 1976 to advance liberal causes. Just since 2000, Tides has given an estimated $400 million in grants to such efforts. He also serves on the boards of multiple liberal activist groups, including the Environmental Working Group and the Democracy Alliance.
Pike gave $1 million to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now to buy the promissory note requiring the family of Wade Rathke, ACORN’s executive director, to repay the $948,507 embezzled from the group by his brother, according to The New York Times. ACORN officials conferred with Pike, then required members to sign a “keep your yaps shut about the deal” agreement, the newspaper said.
