Thread: The Koch network says it wants to pivot to bipartisansh

David McCabe 6 hours ago


The Koch network says it wants to pivot to bipartisanship



Koch network executive Brian Hooks (L) and Charles Koch on Saturday night. Photo: The Seminar Network

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Top staffers for billionaire Charles Koch's conservative influence operation say it can leave its past political brawling behind to build bipartisan coalitions attacking major policy problems.

Why it matters: They offered very little about their political targets for the next two years — and didn’t engage in much criticism of President Trump — as the network tries to reinvent itself in a changing political landscape.


Details: Hundreds of the network’s top donors have gathered at a resort in this Coachella Valley town, which is bisected by a highway with opulent gated communities on either side, to hear from network staff about the work they’re funding.

• Three Republican elected officials are at the California gathering: Sen. Mike Lee (Utah), Sen. Ben Sasse (Neb.) and Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin.
• Reporters who attend the event agree not to identify donors without their permission.

What they’re saying: Koch, a Kansas industrialist whose last name became synonymous with right-wing political giving during the last administration, told donors at a Saturday night reception that the network had been successful in part because it had "learned how to unite with people across the whole spectrum of viewpoints, different ideas, including those who have been adversaries in the past."

• "This attitude of holding against others who have different beliefs is tearing our country apart," Koch said.
• An evening event focused on the problem of political polarization featured Lee and Charles Koch's son Chase, viewed as a rising star in the network.

Earlier in the day, officials said that they remained interested in many of the network’s long-term policy goals, including aiding DREAMers and criminal justice reform.

• But they declined to offer specific targets or plans. "As we look at the broad work uniting different coalitions, we recognize it’s a lot of work, and we’re going to have to identify those opportunities as they come along," said James Davis, a spokesperson for the network.
• Koch network chief Brian Hooks said that it was "in a position to take the next big step forward in our evolution," which in some cases would "mean some pretty big changes" to its approach.

The big picture: The changes come as the Koch groups, which vary from political to philanthropic, sometimes find themselves out of step with Trump on issues like trade.

• The group didn't back Trump as a candidate in 2016, and it will do the same in 2020, according to the Washington Post. It will continue to be involved in races for other federal offices.

Some of the network's donors, who for years funded a crusade against liberal policies like the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, reportedly wish it would back the president.

• Davis said that the Indian Wells event had record attendance this year, including 643 donors in total and 181 first-time contributors.

Yes, but: The network's plans for bipartisanship may face other headwinds.

• Although the groups have partnered with left-leaning organizations on issues like criminal justice and tech policy, many liberals have long pointed to the Koch operation as a negative example of money in politics.

https://www.axios.com/charles-koch-network-bipartisanship-indian-wells-meeting-0274b333-39b1-4ab1-9f93-1542041e2a61.html

Go deeper: Koch network reportedly plans to stay out of 2020 presidential race

This billionaire can move to Central America and take all his "dreamers" with him.

No amnesty, no path to stay, no asylum.

Take Hollywood and their money with you.

We need to identify who the big fish are in the Koch Brothers money cabal so we know which industries are hiring illegal aliens and trying to pass Amnesty for illegals.

This would be very interesting information for American conservatives who would, in turn, stop using the services of these companies if they find out who is backing Dream Act Amnesty for millions of socialist illegal aliens with the Koch Brothers.

It is very disappointing to see the names of Matt Bevin and Mike Lee on this guest list for those evil Koch Brothers.

Koch network unveils new super PAC as Republicans fight to hold majorities in Congress

• The influential conservative Koch political network adds another campaign finance weapon to its arsenal, a new super PAC.
• Americans for Prosperity Action is a sister organization to the nonprofit Americans for Prosperity, which describes its mission as fighting for less regulation, lower taxes and "economic prosperity for all."
• "Americans for Prosperity has been a difference-maker supporting policy champions in tight races, and AFP Action is a new tool that will allow us to expand those efforts and make an even larger impact," said Bill Riggs, a spokesman for the PAC.

Brian Schwartz | @schwartzbCNBC
Published 9:04 AM ET Mon, 10 Sept 2018 Updated 10:11 AM ET Mon, 10 Sept 2018 CNBC.com

Here's why the Koch brothers are at odds with President Trump 2:13 PM ET Tue, 28 Aug 2018 | 02:25


With the balance of power in Congress at stake in just under two months, the influential conservative Koch political network has added another campaign finance weapon to its arsenal, a new super PAC.

The latest entity, called Americans for Prosperity Action, is a sister organization to the Koch-backed nonprofit Americans for Prosperity, which describes its mission as fighting for less regulation, lower taxes and "economic prosperity for all."

"Americans for Prosperity has been a difference-maker supporting policy champions in tight races, and AFP Action is a new tool that will allow us to expand those efforts and make an even larger impact," said Bill Riggs, a spokesman for the PAC.

A super PAC is a type of independent political action committee that can spend and raise unlimited amounts of money from corporations and mega-donors from across the country. It is not permitted to contribute or coordinate directly with a campaign.

Some of the Koch-supported initiatives, such as eliminating trade barriers and protecting immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, contrast directly with policies implemented by President Donald Trump. The Koch network has typically backed Republican candidates and initiatives. Yet, the official super PAC announcement does not mention any party affiliation for AFP Action. Nor does it mention any particular candidates it might support.

Still, even though AFP leadership said at its last seminar in July that it is open to backing Democrats, the nonprofit has since advocated only for Republican candidates. That push included eight endorsements for GOP lawmakers running for re-election to the House. Election analysts have pegged Democrats as favorites to seize the House majority from Republicans this fall.

The Koch network, which is led by billionaire industrialist and philanthropist Charles Koch, has also targeted Democrats in key Senate races. The group recently spent nearly $6 million on attack ads against three Democratic candidates, including Sens. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Claire McCaskill of Missouri. Republicans hold a 51-49 advantage in the Senate, and are expected to pick up some seats as 10 Democrats from states Trump won are up for re-election.

Riggs said Koch network officials have been working on rolling out the new super PAC since a January seminar in Palm Springs, California. At that meeting, groups in the network umbrella announced they were planning to spend $400 million on pushing for their preferred policies and the upcoming congressional elections.

"It's a new tool that's been in the discussion for a while. We think it will help us build those broad policy coalitions we need in Washington to make an even larger impact," Riggs said in an email. In January, he added, "we did an audit of everything to see how we could significantly increase our impact. This stemmed from those discussions."

The PAC's creation is also an indirect clapback against Trump and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who took on the Koch brothers after they left open the possibility of aiding Democrats during their most recent donor meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

At the time, Trump called them a "total joke." Bannon, in an interview with CNBC, threatened to unmask the network's donors – and warned GOP candidates against taking Koch money.

"We are going to find out who they [the donors] are. We are going to identify people who the Kochs back. We're not just going to sit there and allow them to destroy the Trump presidency," Bannon said at the time.

Since then, Bannon has announced a political nonprofit group of his own, Citizens of the American Republic. Yet he has consistently refused to reveal his own donor pool.

AFP Action may be able to disclose their first round of donors by the end of the month as the next Federal Election Commission filing deadline is Sept. 20.

Koch-aligned PACs have raked in loads of money during the 2018 election cycle, making it more likely that AFP Action will have an immediate impact.

Freedom Partners Action Fund, a super PAC associated with Koch-backed nonprofit Freedom Partners, has raised a notch over $14 million so far this cycle, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

The PAC's top donor has been Charles Koch himself, who gave $3 million to the PAC through his trust fund in 2017, records show. The group has spent $3.1 million in total, with almost half that amount going toward media placements and survey research through Koch-backed data gathering firm i360.

However, FEC records show Freedom Partners Action Fund has yet to spend in support of any particular candidate.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/10/koch...-heats-up.html

Who in Congress got Koch money in 2018