Koch Brothers’ Budget of $889 Million for 2016 Is on Par With Both Parties’ Spending
The political network overseen by the conservative billionaires Charles G. and David H. Koch
plans to spend close to $900 million on the 2016 campaign, an
unparalleled effort by coordinated outside groups to shape a
presidential election that is already on track to be the most expensive
in history.
The
spending goal, revealed Monday at the Kochs’ annual winter donor
retreat near Palm Springs, Calif., would allow their political
organization to operate at the same financial scale as the Democratic
and Republican Parties. It would require a significant financial
commitment from the Kochs and roughly 300 other donors they have
recruited over the years, and covers both the presidential and
congressional races. In the last presidential election, the Republican
National Committee and the party’s two congressional campaign committees
spent a total of $657 million.
Hundreds
of conservative donors recruited by the Kochs gathered over the weekend
for three days of issue seminars, strategy sessions and mingling with
rising elected officials. These donors represent the largest
concentration of political money outside the party establishment, one
that has achieved enormous power in Republican circles in recent years.
Now
the Kochs’ network will embark on its largest drive ever to influence
legislation and campaigns across the country, leveraging Republican
control of Congress and the party’s dominance of state capitols to push
for deregulation, tax cuts and smaller government. In 2012, the Kochs’
network spent just under $400 million, an astonishing sum at the time.
The $889 million spending goal for 2016 would put it on track to spend
nearly as much as the campaigns of each party’s presidential nominee.
The
Kochs’ efforts will put enormous fund-raising pressure on Democrats and
liberal outside groups. Allies of Hillary Rodham Clinton, who appears
to be preparing for a likely presidential campaign in 2016, expect that
she will need to bring in more money than President Obama, the most
successful fund-raiser in presidential history, and a “super PAC” supporting her is seeking to raise as much as $300 million in the coming months.
“It’s
no wonder the candidates show up when the Koch brothers call,” said
David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to Mr. Obama. “That’s
exponentially more money than any party organization will spend. In many
ways, they have superseded the party.”
The
group’s budget, disclosed by a conference attendee, reflects the rising
ambition and expanded reach of the Koch operation, which has sought to
distinguish itself from other outside groups by emphasizing the role of
donors over consultants and political operatives.
While
the Koch’s expansive network houses groups with discretely political
functions — a data and analytics firm, a state-focused issue-advocacy
group and affinity groups aimed at young voters and Hispanics — it also
includes groups like Freedom Partners, a trade organization overseen by
Koch advisers that plans the retreat and helps corral contributions;
Americans for Prosperity, a national grass-roots group; and Concerned
Veterans for America, which organizes conservative veterans
While
almost no Republican Party leaders were invited to the Koch event, it
has become a coveted invitation for the party’s rising stars, for whom
the gathered billionaires and multimillionaires are a potential source
of financing for campaigns and super PACs. Officials said this year’s
conference was the largest ever.
At
least five potential presidential candidates were invited this year,
and four attended, including Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin. On Sunday
evening, three of them — Senators Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand Paul of
Kentucky and Ted Cruz of Texas — took part in a candidate forum on
economic issues.
The
Kochs are longtime opponents of campaign disclosure laws. Unlike the
parties, their network is constructed chiefly of nonprofit groups that
are not required to reveal donors. That makes it almost impossible to
tell how much of the money is provided by the Kochs — among the
wealthiest men in the country — and how much by other donors.
The
two brothers and their aides have begun to take steps to relax the
strict secrecy that has long surrounded much of their political efforts.
After spending the 2012 campaign as the Democrats’ favored punching
bags, Charles and David Koch have each granted a series of interviews to
explain their views and philosophy. Their privately held firm, Koch
Industries, has mounted a soft-focus advertising campaign called “We Are
Koch,” featuring the company’s employees.
Last
summer, Freedom Partners established the network’s first super PAC,
allowing it to run more openly political advertising in the run-up to
the 2014 midterm election. The move also required disclosing some of the
network’s other donors. Trusts controlled by the Kochs provided about
$4 million of the super PAC’s $25 million budget.
This
year, Koch aides also provided — for the first time — limited access to
the winter conference events and allowed reporters to view live video
of the candidate forum on Sunday night.
As
the three senators addressed the audience of rich donors — effectively
an audition for the 2016 primary — they dismissed a question about
whether the wealthy had too much influence in politics. At times they
seemed to be addressing an audience of two: the Kochs themselves, now
among the country’s most influential conservative power brokers.
Mr.
Cruz gave an impassioned defense of his hosts as job creators and the
victims of unfair attacks by Democrats, while Mr. Rubio suggested that
only liberals supported campaign finance restrictions, so as to empower
what he said were their allies in Hollywood and the news media.
Hum and all these years William you have been in denial. They have played those we are Koch bullshit commercials here in NC I guess because they put so much effort into controlling our senate election they want people to forget. Funny thing is they really don't have any major interests in NC if any.
ReplyDeleteWho do you think will populate this Third Party ric?
DeleteWhat leaders appeared at their conference this past weekend?
ric, perhaps the Tea Party is not dead?
No one ever said that the Koch’s weren’t involved in politics or politics that relate to their ability to run their present and future businesses… The problem that seems to arise is when we talk about the many organizations that the likes of Soros funds to change the social ergo political landscape in the name of philanthropy…
DeleteEveryone’s for levelling the playing field right? Some do it with inbred government and some with their own hard earned cash… Kind of like Perot… The other parties wouldn’t give him a microphone… so he bought his own… Of course no matter how many state ballots they can field a presidential candidate on; no doubt the DNC and RNC will close ranks to prevent participation of an outsider in ‘their’ debates…
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DeleteMore red bullshit. Yes George Soros has given 8 Billion yes 8 Billion to human rights causes, almost all of it went to Central and Eastern Europe to fund democratic change as they transitioned from Communism to democratic countries. And he has spent that from the 1970's until now. That puts him at about 200 million a year mostly foreign spent.
DeleteIn the United states Soros givens to the tune a couple million here and there to progressive causes. His biggest expenditure was what he gave in 2004 to try to defeat GWB 23.5 million. His average spending is 600 million a year spread over causes in 60 individual countries. So spare me the rightist rhetoric. he has never spent like a third political party as the Koch's have. They spent 27 million on a single senate campaign in a state where they have no major investments. They are buying the government but you are to blind to see it