Name:
Robert Cohen
AIPAC Role:
Member of AIPAC's Board of Directors
Professional Profile/Associations:
AIPAC national board member, former President of AIPAC (2014–2016), and former Chair of the Board of Directors. Founder and Principal of Oglethorpe, Inc., a Tampa-based company that manages psychiatric hospitals and addiction treatment centers; holds a Master's degree in Political Science and Government from Harvard University. Former Acting President of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF); attended the 2018 FIDF National New York Gala that raised $32 million. Central figure in AIPAC's opposition to the 2015 U.S.–Iran nuclear deal, authoring an email to members (leaked via WikiLeaks and forwarded to Hillary Clinton advisor John Podesta) stating: "We have come to the unfortunate conclusion that this agreement does not achieve the minimum requirements necessary for an acceptable deal… Over the next 60 days, AIPAC will focus on one goal: engaging and convincing members of the House and Senate to oppose this deal." Led AIPAC's $20 million campaign through Citizens for a Nuclear Free Iran to defeat the agreement. Speaker at the 2014 AIPAC Policy Conference alongside Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Panelist at the 2014 AIPAC Lay Leadership Institute hosted by the Israel Democracy Institute on "Israeli Democracy in Action." Regular participant in AIPAC's Real Estate Division and high-level donor events.
Accountability:
As a member of AIPAC's Board of Directors, Robert Cohen 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.
