1 on OpenSecrets donor list. According to The New York Times, groups tied to Charles Koch gave $50 million of that sum. And if you take a look at the group that Charles Koch and his brother gather around him, it includes a number of very important people - Supreme Court justices, well-known members of the media on the right, people like Glenn Beck and a number of intellectuals on the right too. U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The Cato Institute is a key thinktank co-founded by the Kochs and supporting much of the brothers rightwing and libertarian agenda, including lowering or abolishing taxes and the privatization of numerous government agencies and social welfare programs. The Smithsonian countered by stating both exhibits in question did examine in great detail the impacts of climate change. The legislation's chief proponent, Republican state Representative J.D. Forbes magazine got that number after tallying lifetime donations for the first time as part of its annual list of the worlds richest individuals, published Wednesday. His feeling is, to put it in a sort of virtuous way that he thinks of it, he's a job creator. As of 2013, Koch had sent money to over 300 schools. Koch Industries, at No. The case was argued in the midst of a tumultuous era for the nation's civil rights movement. Has it become a rightwing mouthpiece? Here's a look at how the Koch brothers realigned the nation's politics with their libertarian brand of conservatism. Charles Koch is in the news after he shared lines from his newest book in a Wall Street Journal interview published Friday. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. [8][9], The Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation granted Willie Soon, a researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics who says that most global warming is driven by the sun, at least $230,000 over 14 years, according to documents obtained by Greenpeace under the US Freedom of Information Act. The recent book Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America offered a detailed account of power the Kochs exerted to cripple government action on the climate crisis, including their role in a 1991 conference of climate crisis deniers who opposed George HW Bushs support of a treaty limiting carbon emissions. Covert Operations: The billionaire brothers who are waging a war against Obama. ", Read more: Billionaire industrialist and conservative mega-donor David Koch has died at age 79, The Koch brothers also funded initiatives that undercut climate science, and both "vehemently opposed the government taking any action on climate change that would hurt their fossil fuel profits," author Jane Mayer wrote in her book "Dark Money.". Groups Linked to Koch Brothers Plot $70M Push to Sink Trump "[27], Between 2011 and 2018, the foundation gave $300,000 to the online magazine Spiked, which has written articles against those in opposition to Koch brothers' interests. In other words, the six biggest union donors in American politics gave 15 times more to mostly Democrats than the Evil Koch Bros. Poor Koch brothers. Billionaire brothers Charles Koch and David Koch have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into various philanthropic efforts during recent years, including higher education. Also funding the work? He's a creative force in the economy and that the free market is what makes America great. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. So while some elections they win and some elections they lose, what they're aiming at is changing the conversation in the country. The Indiana University Foundation ($30,000) and University of North Carolina ($22,500) received direct Charles Koch Institute grants in 2013. Koch Industries gave $1,519,500 to federal candidates in the 2019-2020 election cycle. In 2013, the Center for Media and Democracy released a special report on SPN. The foundation is slated submit its 2014 tax return in November. "What a mess! [28], David H. Koch established the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation, which, according to its website, "has given nearly $200 million to support diverse causes nationwide including science and medical research, education, the arts, and more". Magazines, Digital Its an illustration of the power of diverse ideas coming together around shared vision, Ruger said. 59, donated almost $18.1 million to political causes, with 90 percent of the money going to Republicans. 7 on that list, tied with his brother, David. As one of the richest people in the world, he is a key funder of the right-wing infrastructure, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the State Policy Network (SPN). [10] Very little was known about DonorsTrust until late 2012 and early 2013, when the Guardian and others published extensive reports on what Mother Jones called "the dark-money ATM of the conservative movement. But it encompasses both charitable groups and more political groups. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. It has also turned its fire on public transit, opposing the construction of light rail trains and new bus routes in many cities across the US. In 2015, an open letter to museums from 36 members of the scientific community demanded that the Smithsonian and other museums cut any ties with the Kochs, because of worries that they would remove information on climate change. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a 501(c)(6) trade organization, pays for ads but does not reveal its donors and has used the NAACP case argument to block attempts at disclosure, like the DISCLOSE Act, which would have required increased disclosure for corporations and labor unions. INSKEEP: How long has he been politically engaged? Officials insist they do not fund projects based on politics but do look for proposals that can help their communities. 'Dark Money': Koch Brothers' Donations Push Their Political Agenda he wrote. . Alston D. Correll: A former CEO and chairman of Atlanta-based paper and building materials manufacturer Georgia Pacific. "Dark money" groups have become highly influential in statewide elections, spending $25 million in 2014, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis. In the statement, Koch specifically highlighted an addiction recovery program that blends counseling with Crossfit-styled exercise programs and a separate program in New Yorks Sing Sing Prison that works with inmates to reduce recidivism. The largest of these went to The Catholic University of America ($860,000), Clemson University ($498,000), Baylor University ($444,000), Florida Southern College ($400,000), Southern Methodist University ($333,000), Florida State University ($310,594) and Ohio State University and its nonprofit foundation ($300,000). It's not just campaign money. That's where most of it is collected, and it's in the hands of the Koch network because they've built something that, as they tell their own donors, is unique. Koch Family Foundations - SourceWatch The libertarians had their own word for it long ago. ", "Obama, Koch Brothers in Unlikely Alliance to Overhaul Criminal Justice", "Colleges and Universities with Programs Supported by the Charles Koch Foundation April 2014", "Koch brothers donate $25 million to United Negro College Fund", "Union halts support for United Negro College Fund over Koch brothers' grant", "How US billionaires are fuelling the hard-right cause in Britain", "About Julia F. Koch | David H. Koch Foundation", "David H. Koch Charitable Foundation and Personal Philanthropy", "Scientists to Smithsonian: Cut ties with Koch brothers", "Museums' Ties To The Koch Brothers Are Not OK, Scientists Say", "The Starfish and the Tea Party, Part II", "The Koch Brothers Left a Confidential Document at Their Donor Conference", "Koch Industries Climate Denial Front Group American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)", "Tracking Koch Money and Americans for Prosperity", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Koch_family_foundations&oldid=1110941486, This page was last edited on 18 September 2022, at 13:33. During 2013, Charles Koch personally fueled his namesake foundation with more than $168.3 million. The big money men and women will determine how close each of the two. The Koch brothers' influence on college campus is spreading Donors Trust is primarily used by conservative foundations and individuals to pass money to a vast network of think tanks and media outlets that push free-market ideology in the states. To that end, and in particular with the financing of the Tea Party revolution, the Kochs spent in excess of $100m to promote conservative candidates and causes. [15][20], The Charles Koch Foundation was established in 2011, and is focused on grants and supporting higher education programs that analyze how free societies advance the well-being of mankind. There are three government interests: enhancement of voters' knowledge about a candidate's possible allegiances and interests, deterrence of corruption and the enforcement of contribution limits. He expressed regret for his role powering a conservative crusade that forever changed American politics. MAYER: What people need to understand is the Kochs have been playing a very long game. So far in 2016, legislatures have considered a whopping 350 bills in 46 states related to campaign finance disclosure, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures's database. Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America. Among the biggest and most active of the "dark money" groups is Crossroads GPS, a 501(c)(4) social welfare nonprofit co-founded by Karl Rove, once an adviser to former President George W. Bush. WASHINGTON -- Charles and David Koch have finally disclosed at least a small portion of the large contributions given to their political empire. Donate Now Open Secrets following the money in politics Menu. In 1955, NAACP member Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus, sparking the Montgomery bus boycott. More than you might think, according to a federal judge's recent ruling. Last year, 95% of his personal giving went to educational programs and community groups that deal with persistent poverty. Ask an election lawyer to name an example and the attorney will invariably point to the same case: Brown v. American Socialist Workers Party, decided in 1982 by the U.S. Supreme Court. David Koch, billionaire industrialist and Republican mega donor, dies aged 79 Read more The source of this confrontation, in the early hours of February 2011, was an unprecedented push by. as well as other partner offers and accept our, Bo Rader/Wichita Eagle/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories, Billionaire industrialist and conservative mega-donor David Koch has died at age 79. One beneficiary is the nonprofit Reason Foundation, which operates Reason magazine and received $60,000. The Koch Family Foundations contributed $125,000 to DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund between 2010 and 2013 (see links to the foundation's IRS forms 990 below). [26] Strassel wrote that the campaigns' website directs student activists to a list of universities Koch foundations have donated to and provides instructions for how to "expose and undermine" any college thought that works against "progressive values. Six of the top 10 are wait for it unions. The civil rights group argued that it withheld the list for good reason. The state requires such disclosures by all charities to help it guard against fraud. Boy, did we screw up!" In the four years preceding the trial, Socialist Workers Party members and supporters experienced threatening phone calls, hate mail, the burning of literature, destruction of property, police harassment of a party candidate and the firing of shots at a Socialist Workers Party office, according to the trial court's findings. All of the following contributions were listed as for "General Operating Support" unless otherwise noted: In 2012, the Charles Koch Foundation reported revenue of $71,149,554 and expenses of $17,571,425 with assets of $267,770,453. But there is a lot going on in the states. The Daily Caller News Foundation, the nonprofit sister entity of the Daily Caller that describes itself as producing original investigative reporting from a team of professional reporters that operates for the public benefit, received $50,000. In your FREE copy of The Ultimate Privacy Guide you'll discover how to: We will not sell or rent your email address to anyone for any reason. A report by the Center for Public Integrity exposes a number of DonorsTrust funders, many of which have ties to the Koch brothers. Among them are the American Enterprise Institute ($910,000); Liberty Source, known now as Strata ($653,000); the Bill of Rights Institute ($350,000) and the Heritage Foundation ($300,000). "I think it's a sign of their fear of democracy. The Charles Koch Foundation spent more than $23 million during 2013, with most of the money going directly to colleges and universities or programs housed on college campuses. Donate today during our Summer Donor Drive and help us defend democratic integrity. "[16] The website also notes that "the Charles Koch Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is a private foundation within the meaning of Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. [57] The entirety of its $2.3 million in assets was transferred to the Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, a donor-advised fund. ), Northeastern State University: $8,400 for "Educational Programs", Northern Illinois Research Foundation: $3,000 for "Educational Programs", Northwest Oklahoma State University: $4,250 for "Educational Programs", Northwood University: $40,000 for "Educational Programs", Novim Group: $150,000 for "Educational Programs", Oglethorpe: $5,000 for "Educational Programs", Ohio University: $5,000 for "Educational Programs", Pepperdine University: $18,950 for "Educational Programs", Phillips Foundation: $25,000 for "Educational Programs", Phillips School of Business: $2,000 for "Educational Programs", Presbyterian College: $2,200 for "Educational Programs", Providence College: $5,250 for "Educational Programs", Regent University: $7,500 for "Educational Programs", Research Foundation of the State University of New York: $12,000 for "Educational Programs", Rhodes College: $28,000 for "Educational Programs", Rob Morris University: $1,500 for "Educational Programs", Rockford College: $7,500 for "Educational Programs", Roosevelt: $7,950 for "Educational Programs", Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning: $6,000 for "Educational Programs", Ryan Foundation: $4,500 for "Educational Programs", Saginaw Valley State: $4,940 for "Educational Programs", Salvation Army: $50,000 for "Educational Programs", Sarah Lawrence College: $9,000 for "Educational Programs", Seton Hall University: $10,131 for "Educational Programs", Skidmoore College: $3,800 for "Educational Programs", Southern Illinois University: $14,974 for "Educational Programs", Southern Methodist University: $800 for "Educational Programs", St. More documentation of Koch academic freedom concerns is available on the Koch Universities page. She says a group of people gathered on the weekend of Obama's inauguration in 2009. Weve become deeply concerned with the degree to which society has become polarized, said Sarah Ruger, the director of free expression at the Charles Koch Institute. Reported net assets through Dec. 31, 2013: $18.1 million. At one speech at the unpublicized retreat, Charles Koch thanks a list of donors who gave more than $1 million. In the color-coded legend that accompanies OpenSecrets list of top, politically-tilted all-time donors, little blue donkeys dominate the top 50. During 2013, the Fred C. & Mary R. Koch Foundation spent about $1.71 million, and Koch Industries Inc. was its largest single contributor, giving $410,000. (modern). As their network poured money into recent election cycles, critics assailed it as the "Kochtopus. [2] Charles and David Koch lead Koch Industries, one of the richest privately held corporations in the world, and they are two of the twenty wealthiest people in the world. And what they've said is, in the coming 2016 election cycle, of the $889 million that they hope their group will raise, they hope to spend about $300 million of that directly on elections. The group regularly ran candidates for office, without much success. The groups are also orchestrating a grassroots door-knocking effort to sway voters away from the former president. The NAACP was held in contempt and fined $100,000 for failure to produce the list. Comparing the travails of billionaires to the violent threats endured by civil rights workers in the 1950s is more than a stretch, say some of those familiar with the case; in fact, it's offensive. ), Northwestern University: $750 for "Educational Programs", Northwood University-Florida: $6,000 for "Educational Programs", Ohio University Foundation: $14,000 for "Educational Programs", Oklahoma State University Foundation: $36,400 for "Educational Programs", Patrick Henry College: $8,000 for "Educational Programs", Presbyterian College: $2,043 for "Educational Programs", Providence College: $8,400 for "Educational Programs", Randolph-Macon College: $9,000 for "Educational Programs", Regent University: $10,000 for "Educational Programs", Rhodes College: $15,000 for "Educational Programs", Robert Morris University: $5,500 for "Educational Programs", Rockford College: $11,700 for "Educational Programs", Roosevelt University: $8,400 for "Educational Programs", Ryan Foundation: $15,000 for "Educational Programs", Saginaw Valley State University: $3,650 for "Educational Programs", Salisbury University: $12,000 for "Educational Programs", San Diego State University Research Foundation: $5,500 for "Educational Programs", Sarah Lawrence College: $8,000 for "Educational Programs", Seton Hall University: $10,780 for "Educational Programs", Skidmore College: $4,200 for "Educational Programs", Southeast Idaho Research Institute: $7,500 for "Educational Programs", Southern Illinois University-Carbondale: $17,000 for "Educational Programs", Southern Utah University: $9,200 for "Educational Programs", St. Ambrose University: $5,400 for "Educational Programs", St. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), select colleges and educational organizations, Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, What is home? ", Kaatsbaan International Dance Center: $10,000 for "General Operating Support", Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital: $100,000 for "General Operating Support", Metropolitan Museum of Art: $500,000 for "conservation laboratory"and $150,000 for "special Exhibition project", Museum of Television and Radio: $1,000 for "General Operating Support", Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis: $10,000 for "Program Support", Prevent Blindness America, NYC Division: $10,000 for "Program Support", Rockefeller University: $250,000 for "Biochemistry and Structural Biology Project" $100,000 for "Program Support". All rights reserved. [4] The foundation's environmental aid includes support for science education,[5] and donations to organizations such as The Nature Conservancy to help preserve the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, as well as the creation of the Koch Wetlands Exhibit in the Cheyenne Bottoms wetlands in Kansas. What a mess!" The Koch Foundation responded they "have pledged or contributed more than $1.2 billion dollars to educational institutions and cultural institutions, cancer research, medical centers, and to assist public policy organizations. As such, the use by "dark money" groups of the NAACP case as an argument for continued secrecy has been of far greater interest to campaign finance reformers and donors alike. Originally run by the Foundation, these programs are now administered by the Charles Koch Institute. In SourceWatch, key articles on Charles Koch and his late brother David include: Koch Brothers, Americans for Prosperity, Stand Together Chamber of Commerce, Stand Together, Koch Family Foundations, Koch Universities, and I360. Twelve of them get donkeys, and four get little fence icons, which indicate donors that give relatively equal money to candidates from both parties. ), Ohio State University and Foundation: $130,000, Research Foundation for the State University of New York: $5,000, Rogers State University Foundation: $8,000, San Diego State University Research Foundation: $6,200, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale: $5,500, Southern Illinois University Foundation: $15,000, St. Mary's College of Maryland Foundation: $6,000, Stephen F. Austin State University: $13,500, Texas A&M University Foundation: $230,000, The Catholic University of Americas: $215,000, The Educational Reviewer Foundation: $17,900 (The address listed matches that of the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal. 7 Companies Owned by the Koch Brothers Those around Charles Koch say his greater interest has long been changing the culture of the country. Chopp Harden - Curitiba, Paran - Brewery Beer Beer List | Untappd In 2012, the Koch foundations sent six- or seven-figure donations to 12 colleges and universities, including big-name schools such as George Mason University in Virginia, Southern Methodist . Long criticized from the left for their work building and funding organizations like Americans for Prosperity that promote small-government ideas, Charles and David Koch have started inching away from politics. John Dunbar writes that dark money groups like the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity Foundation have been using the NAACP v. Alabama case in arguments designed to keep their donors hidden from view. Who are the Koch brothers? | PBS NewsHour The charitable groups create position papers. Over half of this $68 million figure went to George Mason University alone. . We need to raise $390,000 in online donations by June 30 to finish our fiscal year . The death of David Koch on Friday - and the broader retreat he and his brother made from politics since the 2016 election - brings an end (if not the end) to one of the most . And it's interesting that they have antecedents, and those antecedents are a bunch of segregationist attorney generals trying to shut down the NAACP.". But theyre not your only enemy. How the Koch brothers built the most powerful rightwing group you've Copyright 2016 NPR. Charles G. (born 1935) and David H. Koch (1940-2019), commonly referred to as the Koch brothers, [1] have become famous for their financial and political influence in United States politics with a libertarian, more so, right-libertarian or American-style libertarian political stance. [14] According to the organization's tax documents, in 2011, DonorsTrust contributed a total of $86 million to conservative organizations. With a $53.5 billion fortune, Koch was at No. And so he's achieved a surprising amount of what he set out to do long ago, when he was just dreaming about it in Wichita, Kan. INSKEEP: So in describing this 2009 meeting and other meetings, you've given us an idea of where the money comes from. Claim The Ultimate Privacy Guide (a $79.95 value) FREE when you subscribe to Personal Liberty Digest today. Koch Industries PAC Contributions to Federal Candidates Wealthy as they are, theyre still on the outside of the National political machine, looking in and hated, even so, for daring to fly so high. We must build a positive reputation based on reality, or others will create one for us based on speculation or animus and we wont like what they create, Charles Koch wrote in 2007s The Science of Success. The unconstitutional assault on America's civil liberties is continuing with fanatical vigor thanks to the government's gross misuse of power, including transgressions by the NSA and IRS. [39][pageneeded], The Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation, and David H. Koch Charitable Foundation, were among the funders of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a non-profit, libertarian think tank. And they were organized by Charles Koch, who is one of the two brothers known these days as the Koch brothers, who owns Koch Industry, which is the second-largest private company in America. When the Kochs gave to Dems - POLITICO David and Charles Koch became a colossal political force in recent decades. National Chamber Foundation: $100,000 for "Campaign for Free Enterprise".
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