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Jonathan Bechtle

COO and General Counsel

I was eager to help build a new kind of think tank—one that focuses on getting results by utilizing an innovative organizational structure and pursuing unique talent development—and it’s been a successful journey. FGA has secured a lot of real results that have made people’s lives better, and we’ve done so through a new business model that’s become a pioneer in the industry.

About Jonathan

Jonathan Bechtle is the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel at the Foundation for Government Accountability. As COO, he is responsible for building and upgrading the organizational structure and core systems of FGA through hiring and management, and as general counsel, he works to ensure FGA’s compliance with all relevant state and federal laws.

Prior to joining FGA, Jonathan served as the chief operating officer and then chief executive officer of the Freedom Foundation, a free-market think tank based in Olympia, Washington. While at the Freedom Foundation, he co-authored the book To Protect and Maintain Individual Rights: A Citizen’s Guide to the Washington Constitution, Article I, and directed the Voter Integrity Project, helping lead the fight to restore voter confidence after the razor-thin 2004 Washington gubernatorial election.

He received his Juris Doctorate from Oak Brook College of Law.

Jonathan first experienced the value of work while stocking shelves and breaking down bags of flour at a bakery. His belief in the inherent dignity of work and the industriousness of mankind sets the foundation for his work at FGA and his service as a volunteer and board member for Better Together, a nonprofit helping families in crisis in Florida. Starting in 2013, he played a key role in building FGA into the powerhouse organization it is today. His success was honored by the State Policy Network in 2018, who awarded Jonathan the Overton Award, its highest honor for COOs in the freedom movement.

A devoted family man, history buff, traveler, and fan of the Indianapolis Colts, Jonathan currently resides in Indiana with his wife and four children.

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