Former House Speaker Paul Ryan departed from politics unceremoniously at the outset of 2019. But politics, it turns out, is still bankrolling the next chapter in his professional life.

Last fall, Ryan and a handful of top aides formed the American Idea Foundation, a nonprofit promoting Ryan’s thoroughly un-Trumpian vision of conservative politics, with its focus on poverty alleviation, civil society, and government by consensus.

The group hasn’t been around long enough for us to get a detailed look at its finances. But we do know, from the limited information out there, that Ryan’s formidable political operation has provided millions of dollars in seed funding for the foundation.