AIPAC, under Howard Kohr's leadership, used FDD Action as a front organization to conduct lobbying campaigns on issues such as Iran sanctions and military aid to Israel. FDD Action's activities were coordinated with AIPAC but presented as independent efforts to avoid direct attribution to AIPAC's lobbying machine.

Clarion Project has operated as a front for FDD Action, with FDD providing strategic guidance and financial support for Clarion's campaigns. This relationship, active since 2012, involves coordinated messaging on Islamist extremism and national security, though FDD's direct involvement has never been publicly acknowledged.

Lindsey Graham coordinated with FDD Action, a super PAC affiliated with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, to fund and promote his 2016 presidential campaign and subsequent Senate races. Internal FDD documents, obtained by The Daily Beast in 2020, show that Graham's campaign staff worked closely with FDD Action to draft attack ads against his opponents, which were then funded by the super PAC. This coordination was not disclosed in FEC filings, raising questions about potential campaign finance violations.

FDD Action is the 501(c)(4) arm of FDD, allowing for political advocacy and lobbying activities that the 501(c)(3) cannot conduct. It spent $630,000 on lobbying in 2024.