Kelsey Grammer & Hollywood’s Secret 3,000-Member "Cabal" – Patricia Heaton

Summary

Patricia Heaton argues that Hollywood’s political culture often discourages conservatives from speaking freely—especially during the Obama era—creating a workplace climate where people felt they could “get in trouble” for holding non-Democratic views. She says that even with political differences among cast and crew, the professional norm on sets (e.g., show up prepared, be respectful, and don’t politicize work) should be enough to allow cooperation.

To address fear of professional repercussions, Heaton describes an “informal” conservative networking group in Hollywood called FOA (“Friends of Abe,” referencing Abraham Lincoln). She compares it to membership signaling in Alcoholics Anonymous (“friends of Bill”): the group was allegedly used to privately indicate someone was conservative/independent/libertarian (i.e., not aligned with Democrats) so conversations could happen without risking employment consequences.

Heaton claims the group grew to an estimated 2,000–3,000 members, with low membership cost focused on safe fellowship—such as regular lunches (sometimes coordinated with restaurants) and occasional larger gatherings that included food and a band. She emphasizes it was not meant to raise money for candidates or protest, but to create a space where conservatives could talk openly and know who they could safely collaborate with on set.

She says the group drew scrutiny when the Obama administration’s IRS leadership (notably Lois Lerner) allegedly slow-walked tax-exempt applications for organizations containing words like “America,” “freedom,” or “heritage,” and requested extensive member-identification information. According to Heaton, the situation became public through reporting that described the group as a “secret cabal,” though she frames it more plainly as ordinary social fellowship (e.g., people eating lunch and talking).

Heaton also addresses social consequences of political alignment, saying she has heard rumors that some people were discouraged from working with her due to her politics. She adds that she doesn’t base friendships solely on ideology; instead, she prioritizes how people treat others and whether they act kindly—while noting she would make exceptions for extreme, harmful behavior (she cites an example involving Nazi-like politics). She says her moral framework comes from Christianity, describing how “what would Jesus do” shapes how she weighs political issues.

In a brief aside, another contributor expresses skepticism about God. Heaton responds that if God doesn’t exist, justice in the face of suffering becomes meaningless. She points to humanitarian experiences and her work with World Vision in refugee-affected regions, including Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Jordan, and Sudanese refugee contexts. She concludes that justice and comfort for the suffering depend on God, and frames human suffering as an argument against a purely random universe.

Presenters / Contributors

• Patricia Heaton
• Kelsey Grammer
• Jon Voight
• Ben Shapiro
• Gary Sinise
• Lois Lerner
• Mark Ruffalo (mentioned hypothetically)
• Tilda Swinton (mentioned hypothetically)
• Wall Street Journal (referenced as reporting)
• Graham Platner (mentioned as an example)