Facebook has been discreetly helping launch a new advocacy group that will use targeted ads and political spending to combat the negative narrative surrounding the tech industry. The end game? To gear up for the fight with Washington as government officials attempt to rein in and break up big tech, reports The Washington Post.  

The American Edge Project, which has not yet launched, argues that Silicon Valley is essential for the U.S. economy and the future of free speech. The group’s splash page, which went live on Tuesday night, defines the project as: “...a newly formed bipartisan coalition dedicated to the proposition that American innovators are an essential part of the U.S. economic health, national security and individual freedoms.”

Sources who have direct involvement in the group say that Facebook’s role in the group is critical role. “The U.S. leads the world in technology and we should be proud of that fact and promote it,” said Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone. “We’re working with a diverse group of stakeholders to help build support for our industry, and while we’re leading an effort to start this coalition, it’s one of many we are contributing to and supporting.”  

On the board is Susana Martinez, former Republican governor of New Mexico; Chris Carney, a former Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania; and Bradley Smith, a former Republican commissioner on the federal Election Commission, according to a consultant for the group. In December, American Edge formed as a nonprofit in Virginia, and registered an accompanying foundation last month, a similar setup to the National Rifle Association. “This setup essentially allows it to navigate a thicket of tax laws in such a way that it can raise money, and blitz the airwaves with ads, without the obligation of disclosing all of its donors,” writes WaPo.

Two people working with the advocacy group said that its aim is to tell the good stories of technology. “In the current political environment, all industries have critics, so it’s important for the tech industry to tell their own story, both in D.C. and around the country,” said Joe Lockhart, a consultant for the group and former White House press secretary during Bill Clinton’s administration. “There is no one specific issue the group will focus on, but the goal is to be an important voice in issues that involve technology and our economy.”

Read the full article on Forbes.