Name:
Phil Roberts
AIPAC Role:
Member of AIPAC's Board of Directors
Professional Profile/Associations:
AIPAC national board member and former Washington State Council Chair of AIPAC. Attorney at Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland PLLC, a Seattle law firm, where he maintains a business and real estate practice representing clients on complex real estate transactions. Recipient of the Dr. Samuel Belkin Scholars Award, which recognizes students who exemplify excellence in leadership, scholarship, and exceptional contribution to the growth and development of the law school. J.D. from Yeshiva University's Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Former Board Member of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle (2010–2015), the central umbrella institution representing the interests of the approximately 40,000 Jews in the greater King County area. Originally from New York City.
Accountability:
As a member of AIPAC's Board of Directors, Phil Roberts bears individual legal responsibility for the organization's conduct. Under U.S. nonprofit law, board members hold fiduciary duties to ensure organizational compliance with applicable legal standards, implement oversight systems for core activities, and respond to credible information about organizational wrongdoing. In Stern v. Lucy Webb Hayes (1974), the federal district court held that nonprofit directors who fail to supervise organizational decisions breach their fiduciary obligations. In In re Lemington Home for the Aged (3d Cir. 2015), the Third Circuit upheld $2.25 million in damages against nonprofit directors who ignored red flags and failed to exercise reasonable oversight. The information in these profiles is drawn primarily from AIPAC's most recent IRS Form 990, supplemented by publicly available sources including news reports, official announcements, and public records. As a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, AIPAC is legally required to file Form 990 annually with the Internal Revenue Service, and these filings are public documents.
However, IRS regulations allow organizations up to eleven months after their fiscal year ends to submit these forms, meaning publicly available data typically lags by approximately one year. This inherent delay underscores why AIPAC—like most major organizations of its size and influence—should maintain a current, public-facing leadership page identifying its board members and senior executives. The absence of such transparency from AIPAC necessitates this project. We are committed to accuracy and will update these profiles as new information becomes available. If you have corrections, updates, or additional sourced information, please contact us at advocacy@dawnmena.org.
