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About
Catherine Renee Engelbrecht is an American conservative activist and nonprofit leader, best known as the founder and chair of True the Vote, a Tea Party-affiliated organization established in 2009 that focuses on election monitoring, voter fraud allegations, and promoting 'election integrity' through volunteer training, legal challenges, and grassroots efforts often aligned with Republican causes. Emerging from the grassroots Tea Party movement in Texas, True the Vote gained prominence during the 2012 U.S. presidential election by scrutinizing voter rolls, reporting polling irregularities, and filing lawsuits against perceived election abuses. Engelbrecht's testimony before Congress in 2013 about alleged IRS targeting of conservative groups, including her own organizations, further elevated her profile in conservative circles, highlighting tensions between activist nonprofits and government oversight.
In addition to True the Vote, Engelbrecht co-founded King Street Patriots, another Texas-based Tea Party group emphasizing civic engagement and election reform. She has expanded her influence through collaborations, including co-founding The Freedom Hospital with activist Gregg Phillips in recent years, aimed at alternative healthcare initiatives, and serving as CFO of CoverMe Services Inc., a company previously known as AutoGov, Inc., involved in technology services. Her work has been controversial, with critics accusing True the Vote of baseless voter suppression efforts, particularly following unproven 2020 election fraud claims that led to legal battles and public scrutiny, while supporters view her as a defender of democratic processes.
Engelbrecht's activism reflects broader networks of conservative influence, intersecting with figures like Phillips and organizations pushing for voting restrictions. Despite facing lawsuits, investigations, and debunked allegations, she remains a vocal advocate for transparency in elections, positioning herself at the intersection of nonprofit advocacy, business, and political mobilization in the United States.