Who We Are
Without vigilant oversight, the power we entrust to our elected officials leads to corruption. Over time, this corruption erodes public trust in our government. Founded by a small team of lawyers and researchers, Americans for Public Trust is a nonpartisan, independent organization dedicated to ensuring that no politician or political group is above the law.
Americans for Public Trust works to restore trust in government by exposing corruption and holding the powerful accountable.
Uncovering unethical behavior begins with original research. Our in-depth, fearless investigations are the first step in shedding light on wrongdoing. Second, we take bold legal action to ensure that those who disregard the rule of law are held responsible. We ensure high impact through lawsuits and administrative complaints. Lastly, we raise awareness of our work to rebuild public trust.
Adam Paul Laxalt, Outside Counsel
Adam Paul Laxalt served as Nevada’s 33rd Attorney General from 2015-2019, entering office as the youngest Attorney General in the country at the time.
Laxalt graduated Magna Cum Laude from Georgetown University and also graduated from Georgetown University Law Center.
Laxalt is a former Naval Officer and Iraq Veteran. Laxalt served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and as an Assistant Professor of Law in the Leadership, Ethics, and the Law Department at the U.S. Naval Academy.
As Nevada’s Attorney General and top law-enforcement officer, Laxalt took a bold, results-driven approach to serving the people of Nevada, protecting the state’s most vulnerable citizens, and keeping its communities safe.
One of Laxalt’s top priorities was pursing justice for victims of sexual assault, which he did by taking on Nevada’s horrendous backlog of more than 8,000 untested sexual-assault evidence kits. He also fought for victims of human trafficking, and secured the first human-trafficking conviction in the history of his office. In addition, he led efforts to protect Nevada’s seniors, creating a financial fraud unit to address issues including abuse of the elderly and guardianship exploitation.
Today, Laxalt lives in Reno with his wife, Jaime, their daughters Sophia and Isabella, their baby boy, Jack, and their dog, Buckley.
Caitlin Sutherland, Executive Director
After spending the last decade working for nonprofits and advocacy groups, Caitlin Sutherland joins Americans for Public Trust as the founding Executive Director.
Sutherland graduated Magna Cum Laude from Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. Since, Sutherland has helped lead issue advocacy and voter education campaigns for a variety of organizations. Most recently, she served as the Deputy Research Director at the Senate Leadership Fund and the Research Director at the NRCC.
In addition to her professional experience, Sutherland has volunteered her time with grassroots voter engagement efforts for state and federal campaigns.
Sutherland resides in Arlington, Virginia with her husband, daughter, and their rescue dog Rocket.