Watchdog Report Says NEA and AFT Spent Over $900 Million on Political Activity Since 2016

A new report from the North American Values Institute (NAVI), a nonprofit that tracks ideological activism in education, says the two largest teachers’ unions in the United States spent a combined $930.2 million on political activity, lobbying and advocacy groups between 2016 and 2025.

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation’s largest teachers’ union with more than three million members, spent $547 million over that span, according to the report, first detailed by Fox News. Of that total, $458.9 million was filed officially as political activity and lobbying, while another $88.2 million went directly to progressive advocacy organizations.

NAVI says NEA delegates raised dues by $10 to fund a ballot measure and media fund expected to bring in more than $20 million a year.

The report also points to a May 2026 curriculum-building webinar in which NEA national education campaign manager Kyle Serrette described his work as “movement building.” A NAVI spokesperson told Fox News the session included classroom activities involving strikes, unionization, and comparisons between the Constitution and the Black Panther Party’s Ten-Point Program.

According to NAVI, much of NEA’s spending moved through intermediary groups such as the State Engagement Fund, Strategic Victory Fund and State Victory Fund LLC, which together received $80.2 million over the decade. The watchdog argues this structure makes it difficult for dues-paying members to trace where their money ultimately goes.

NEA’s own super PAC, the NEA Advocacy Fund, took in $116.9 million over ten years, the report found. It also identified $30.1 million sent to Education International, a global federation of teachers’ unions that includes the General Union of Palestinian Teachers — an organization NAVI describes as connected to the Palestine Liberation Organization.

AFT’s Spending, State by State

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the country’s second-largest teachers’ union, reported $383.2 million in political activity and lobbying expenditures over the same fiscal years, per the report.

Of $331.95 million in itemized political payments, NAVI found $123.35 million went to outside political organizations and committees, $179.99 million went to AFT affiliates and internal accounts, and $28.6 million went to vendors and consultants. The watchdog says $47.5 million from AFT went to four U.S. partisan political committees, more than a third of what the union sent to outside political committees and organizations.

NAVI’s breakdown of AFT’s spending on state-level political causes includes:

• $1 million on an Ohio redistricting measure
• $1 million on Oregon’s Measure 97
• $1 million on California’s Proposition 15
• $1.125 million across Wisconsin Supreme Court election cycles

The spokesperson added that AFT also sent more than $2 million in identifiable payments to Education International.

NAVI’s report concludes that both unions’ political activity extends well beyond traditional collective bargaining and into elections, redistricting fights, tax policy, foreign relations and broader ideological advocacy.

Neither the NEA nor the AFT responded to Fox News’ request for comment before publication.