On July 28, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised the Florida-based nonprofit Foundation for Liberty and American Greatness (FLAG) at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., calling its civics education efforts a "singular achievement in American education." FLAG announced it had reached 2 million children since its founding in 2016.

FLAG was created by Australian-born conservative commentator and MAGA influencer Nick Adams, who has raised $7.7 million for the nonprofit over 10 years and received repeated praise from former President Donald Trump. In March 2026, Trump appointed Adams as special presidential envoy for American tourism, exceptionalism, and values after his stalled ambassador nomination.

However, financial disclosures reveal that in 2024, Adams and his mother, Angelika Adamopoulos, received a combined $587,279 in compensation and benefits from FLAG, accounting for 53% of the organization's revenue that year, according to federal filings. FLAG claims that 66% of its revenue goes toward program service expenses based on a separate report filed with Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Concerns have been raised about the transparency of these payouts. An expert named Hackney noted that any such payments should appear on the nonprofit’s public tax filings (Form 990). Additionally, legal questions emerged regarding a promised $1 million sweepstakes prize, which has not been documented as paid. Mayer, another expert, stated, "If the promise is that someone will win $1,000,000 and no one ever does, that’s fraud. That’s lying to induce people to support you."

In April 2024, the Better Business Bureau received a complaint against FLAG alleging repeated postponements of sweepstakes drawing deadlines, a practice reportedly shared by over a dozen other charities.

These revelations come amid FLAG's ongoing efforts to promote civics education, including outreach through TikTok, newsletters, and speaking engagements such as with the Shelby County Republican Women’s Club in Tennessee.

Sources