Who were the members of Turning Point USA’s Advisory Council in 2025 and where are they listed?
Executive summary
Turning Point USA’s Advisory Council in 2025 consisted of a roster of donors, conservative activists, faith leaders and allied figures that the group lists on its governance pages and in organizational press materials; the organization publishes the council roster on its website under “Governance” and has announced individual additions by press release [1] [2] [3]. Independent and investigative outlets have repeatedly identified specific council members — including donor families and conservative figures such as Ginni Thomas, Foster Friess, and Adam Brandon — and note that the council has been documented both on TPUSA’s site and in archival reporting [4] [5] [6].
1. The official source: TPUSA’s Governance page and related site pages
The clearest, up-to-date public listing of Advisory Council members in 2025 is the organization’s own “Governance” page, which names dozens of individuals — for example Adam Brandon, Al and Lisa Hartman, Alfredo J. Molina, Allie Hanley, Barry Russell, Bill Scrogins, Bishop Aubrey Shines, Blake Saunders, Bob McEwen, Cameron Powell, Craig Jensen, Darren Blanton, David Blumberg and David Duval — and presents the council as a formal part of TPUSA’s governance structure [1]. The TPUSA team and news pages also reference council membership for individuals profiled on the site (for instance, a staff/team biography noting that a person “is on the Advisory Board of Turning Point USA”) and the organization has used press releases to announce additions to the council [7] [3].
2. Announcements and named additions: Bishop Aubrey Shines as an example
TPUSA publicly announced Bishop Aubrey Shines as a new Advisory Council member in an April 2025 press release, and that release is available as a TPUSA PDF/announcement on the organization’s site, providing a dated, named example of how the group adds and publicizes council members [2] [3]. That single announcement illustrates two reporting facts: TPUSA both maintains a living roster on its governance page and issues discrete press materials for notable additions to the council [1] [2].
3. Corroboration from independent and archival reporting
Independent outlets and watchdogs have corroborated specific names and historical membership ties: investigative and watchdog reporting has documented long-standing advisory ties between TPUSA and figures such as Ginni Thomas and Foster Friess, and contemporary reporting and archives note other council members and donor-family connections referenced in TPUSA materials [4] [6]. Other third-party sites and archival video libraries listing TPUSA contributors or members — for example C-SPAN’s organization entries that show named contributors and “member, Advisory Council” credits — additionally corroborate that specific individuals appear in external records as TPUSA advisory members [8].
4. What is confirmed and what remains limited by available sourcing
What is firmly confirmed in the reporting provided: TPUSA publishes a named Advisory Council roster on its governance page, issues press releases announcing new council members (e.g., Bishop Aubrey Shines in April 2025), and outside reporting has repeatedly named several advisory figures including donors and conservative activists [1] [2] [3] [4]. What cannot be exhaustively asserted from the supplied sources is a complete, immutable list of every single member as of a particular day in 2025 beyond what the governance page snapshots and press releases show; archival snapshots and independent databases indicate many recurring names but researchers should consult TPUSA’s governance page and the organization’s press archive for the canonical roster and dated additions [1] [2] [3].
5. Context, competing perspectives and potential agendas
Reporting and watchdog analysis emphasize that TPUSA’s advisory council blends donors, conservative policy figures and faith leaders — a composition that critics argue reflects political and donor influence on a 501(c) youth organization, while TPUSA frames the council as a governance and advisory resource [4] [5] [9]. Sources such as DeSmog and SourceWatch present critical historical context about advisory ties and political coordination allegations, while TPUSA’s own site frames the council positively and publishes its roster and announcements; readers should weigh both the organization’s primary documentation (governance page and press releases) and independent reporting when assessing membership and motives [1] [2] [4] [9].