aspenkoch BAK

NO MERRI

SEE TWO

this is a bak of main, but some added archive:

MOORE

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Koch_Event_2010-06_Attendees

june

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  • :{1.2:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{June 2010:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
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  • :{2.4:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Campaign contributions - $35+ million:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
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List of participants

Before June 2010 - politicians, Supreme Court justices

On Koch Industries page, see Koch strategy retreat "attendees" section, for information on politicians and Supreme Court justices who've attended earlier meetings.

June 2010

Note: the geographic locations provided below may contain inaccuracies.

The June 2010 Koch strategy meeting attendees were:^[1]

Attendees| Name(s) | Industry | Notes |

Attendees' actions

Climate confusion - silent directorships

Coal baron attendee Corbin Robertson was a silent partner in a media and web disinformation campaign involving climate disinformation groups Plants Need CO2 and CO2 Is Green.

Tea Party - airplane provided

Tea Party Patriot leaders flew around the country to rallies in an airplane owned by attendee Raymon F. Thompson of Semitool.^[4]

Americans for Prosperity - speech

"...underwear executive Debra Waller -- the Chief Executive Officer of Jockey International, Inc. -- revealed a lot about her opinions at the most recent annual convention of "Americans for Prosperity" (AFP) for its chapter in Wisconsin. ..."^[5]

Campaign contributions - $35+ million

"Invitees to the June 2010* Koch Brothers meeting of conservative donors, media, and political figures have contributed at least $35 million to federal candidates, parties, and political committees over the past 20 years, according to Campaign Money Watch analysis of data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics."^[6]

Articles and Resources

http://216.92.66.74/index.php?title=Koch_Network

aspenkoch1215

this link refers to attendees, speakers and funders of mtgs:

http://216.92.66.74/index.php?title=Koch_Network

==

lists

http://littlesis.org/groups/kochu/lists

==

8/15

koch conf:

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/why-jeb-bushs-pitch-koch-brothers-should-scare-you

At the Koch brothers’ big California confabulation last weekend, each of the invited candidates who submitted to questioning on the main stage by Politico’s Mike Allen made pointed pitches to ideological proclivities of both the multi-billionaire brothers and their deep-pocketed fellow travelers. But the winner of the pitching contest may turn out to be the one least expected to win himself some Koch-love.

When she wasn’t offering to “throw a punch” at Hillary Clinton, Carly Fiorina applauded the “patriotism” of Charles and David Koch, implying that their neo-libertarian ideology of self-enrichment was a boon to the nation.

Marco Rubio, in a smooth performance that likely persuaded some of his electability, took aim at the Obama administration’s new EPA “clean energy” regulations, suggesting they would benefit “some billionaire somewhere who is a pro-environmental cap-and-trade person” at the expense of “a single mom in Tampa.”

Reminding those assembled that he had actually rolled back environmental regulations in Wisconsin, Scott Walker also brayed about having damaged union rights there.

And Ted Cruz flat-out denied the very existence of climate change due to global warming, claiming that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was “cooking the books” when it came to measuring the earth’s temperature.

But for all the preening and posturing of the candidates whose interviews preceded his on the conference schedule, the one presidential hopeful who was by far the most awkward—and the most unnatural fit for the neo-libertarian audience at the St. Regis Hotel in Dana Point—was also the one who displayed a superior understanding the Koch network’s donor base. He is widely seen as the “establishment candidate,” a low-charisma campaigner whose views align less closely with those of the Kochs than, say, Walker or Cruz. His name is Jeb Bush.

In every campaign, liberal and conservative, Republican and Democrat, there’s a bullet point on the candidate’s position page that is a gimmick—something that no president can guarantee, but any candidate can promise. In Jeb’s case, the promise is a near-doubling of the economic growth rate to 4 percent.

When asked by Allen how he would make that happen, Jeb seemed almost to forget to ring the Koch bell, but when he remembered, he cleverly did so at a frequency that could be heard only by the brothers and their pals. The media, mainstream and progressive alike, missed it entirely.

Bush’s answer to Allen’s question was that he would take better advantage of what he called the energy revolution in fracking and crude-oil excavation. That answer was cheerful enough, one presumes, to a pair of siblings whose conglomerate was founded on a gusher of fossil fuel. But the real money quote came next, when Bush went on to list the reasons why the recent natural-gas and crude-oil boom happened.

“The one that is unique to America? Private property rights,” Bush said. “Private property rights. … And you know what the second was? Private business. Not a public company—a private business. Because a private business, by the way, through trial and error, they can do what they want. They don’t have to worry about the quarterly returns, and get on the call to listen to shareholders or analysts say why it’s stupid to be spending money on something that may be out of the ordinary.”

Koch Industries is the second-largest privately held corporation in the United States. That means that when it acquires publicly traded companies, as it did with Georgia-Pacific in 2005, the earnings and activities of those companies, too, become shielded from public view. That makes the Koch network far more threatening to democracy than the cartels of defense contractors and big pharmaceutical companies and their ilk that have traditionally held sway over Congress.

Like the Kochs themselves, most of the donors who take part in Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce—the Koch-founded umbrella group that sponsored last weekend’s conference—represent private capital and private companies.  And they’re close to having total control over one of the nation’s two major political parties—in a political system that makes the emergence of a significant third party virtually impossible.

Take, for instance, the fight inside the Republican Party for control of voter data. A company funded by the Kochs built a voter-data targeting and collection system that many GOP candidates find to be superior to the one available to them through the Republican National Committee. So they use the Koch system, and the data stay with the Koch network, which in itself is a constellation of political and policy-focused nonprofit organizations that are shielded from disclosing the identities of their donors, thanks to the 2010 Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case.

With a House of Representatives elected with Koch money, and likely to stay that way far into the future, the election of a president who is ready to make life easier for the biggest hoarders of private capital could be devastating to any shred of democracy left in our political system.

A loosening of our already poorly-enforced antitrust laws could allow the wholesale gobbling-up of large, publicly traded companies by privately held corporations. The appointment of Supreme Court justices by a president who holds the shrouded workings of private capital in such high esteem promises future decisions that will make Citizens United look like a ray of sunlight.

In his bid to become the third in his family’s dynasty of mediocrity to occupy the White House, Jeb Bush is ready to sell the nation to the most secretive corner of the 1 percent.

With masses of private capital to back him—routed through the Kochs’ opaquely funded nonprofits—he could actually win.

==

8/15

Nine news outlets, including Politico and the Washington Post, have been given access to the Koch brothers' donor fest on the condition that they not report on the identities of donors without their permission.

Notes Huffington Post's Michael Calderone:

The problem is that the ground rules could restrict journalists from reporting what's right in front of their eyes. If, say, Rupert Murdoch, or even a lesser-known billionaire, walked by, they couldn't report the person's attendance without permission. So it's possible journalists end up reporting largely what the event sponsors want, such as fiery speeches and candidate remarks criticizing Democrats, but less on the power brokers attending who play key behind-the-scenes roles in the 2016 election.

Calderone is on the money, but there is a further, perhaps bigger danger. The presence of major media companies at the retreat lends the Koch operation the appearance of transparency, essentially whitewashing activities that are corrosive to American democracy.

The Undercurrent has been on the ground in Dana Point covering the retreat, and was not granted any special access. In fact, this reporter was stalked by the Koch security team and manhandled by top Koch operative Kevin Gentry. (More on that debacle to come.) Additionally, one of Undercurrent's photographers was threatened by a guest who did not like having his picture taken. This man got out of his car and shouted angrily, "You don't know who you're f*cking with!"

To his point, no, we don't, and we need your help. The Undercurrent and its sponsor, American Family Voices, are committed to doing what the mainstream media won't: exposing Koch donors. If you know the identity of the aforementioned man below, please let us know in the comments section, and stay tuned for more -- we have well over 1,000 pictures to mine, so it will take some time to identify everyone.

Lauren Windsor is executive producer and host, The Undercurrent, part of Lady Libertine Media.

==

2014

The Nation

Published on The Nation (http://www.thenation.com)

Exclusive: Inside the Koch Brothers’ Secret Billionaire Summit

Lauren Windsor | June 17, 2014

Charles and David Koch wrapped up their annual summer seminar on June 16 in Dana Point, California, at the St. Regis Monarch Bay resort—a fitting location for two men whose combined net worth is more than $100 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index [1]. The highly secretive mega-donor conference, called “American Courage: Our Commitment to a Free Society,” featured a who’s who of Republican political elites. According to conference documents obtained through a source who was in attendance, Representatives Tom Cotton (AR), Cory Gardner (CO) and Jim Jordan (OH) were present, as were Senators Mitch McConnell (KY) and Marco Rubio (FL). Cotton, Gardner and McConnell are all running for the Senate this year; Jordan for re-election in the House. Rubio is widely considered a major contender for a 2016 presidential run. According to the documents, the conference attendees discussed strategy on campaign finance, climate change, healthcare, higher education and opportunities for taking control of the Senate. (The draft agenda is available for viewing here [2].)

According to another source who also attended the conference, 300 individuals—worth at least a billion each—were present. This source said that the explicit goal was to raise $500 million to take the Senate in the 2014 midterms and another $500 million “to make sure Hillary Clinton is never president.” Three hundred billionaires in attendance is likely an exaggeration; to put that figure in perspective, there are 492 total billionaires in the United States by Forbes’s count [3]. The Koch network raised an estimated $407 million in the 2012 presidential election, according to an analysis by The Washington Post and the Center for Responsive Politics [4].

The official conference lasted two days, Sunday and Monday, but several events for top donors occurred on Saturday. According to conference documents, Representatives Tom Cotton and Jim Jordan were to join a group of top donors for a post-golf lunch discussion. A special dinner was scheduled at La Casa Pacifica—the former home of President Richard Nixon that has come to be known as “The Western White House”—with Rich DeVos, the Amway co-founder, owner of the Orlando Magic and frequent Koch collaborator. The menu offered “oven roasted Angus natural filet mignon served in a fresh green peppercorn sauce served with braised fennel with truffle, asparagus tips, vegetable and mint quinoa” among other dishes prepared by Master Chef Maurice Brazier.

La Casa Pacifica is currently owned by Gavin Herbert, the founder of the pharmaceutical company Allergan and a Republican heavyweight. Herbert is a GOP donor and former Nixon confidant, and Allergan is a major funder of the American Legislative Exchange Council [5], the conservative powerhouse behind model legislation that would bust unions, repeal environmental protections, require voter ID and increase access to guns and justify their use in Stand Your Ground cases.

On Sunday, Representative Jordan, Senate minority leader McConnell and Koch legal operative Mark Holden held a strategy discussion titled “Free Speech: Defending First-Amendment Rights” for a small, invite-only group. McConnell was slated to address the full crowd in a talk by the same name later in the afternoon. Earlier this month, McConnell clashed with Senate majority leader Harry Reid in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Reid’s proposed constitutional amendment to get big money out of politics. The billionaire Koch brothers have been popular targets for Reid’s ire.

On the issue of campaign finance reform, Republicans argue that money equals speech and therefore regulating money in elections abridges first amendment free speech rights. The Democratic framework is that in a world where money equals speech, the rich are able to silence the poor and corrupt the political process. (Disclosure: I cover campaign finance reform extensively and work with Money Out/Voters In, a coalition of grassroots activists seeking to overturn Citizens United.)

Intriguing in its ambiguity was the “Energy: Changing the Narrative” session, presumably meant to change the narrative of climate change to one of energy independence. Panelists listed include Nancy Pfotenhauer, the president of MediaSpeak Strategies and former director of the Washington office of Koch Industries; Hubbel Relat, a former associate director of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation; and Karen Steward, the Director of Research at Freedom Partners—none of whom are scientists. According to The Daily Beast [6], the Kochs are investing large sums in “a new energy initiative with what looks like a deregulatory, pro-consumer spin” to combat President Obama’s new regulations on carbon dioxide emissions and liberal billionaire Tom Steyer’s $100 million commitment to fight climate change. It is not hard to see why the Kochs, as the owners of a large carbon-based energy conglomerate with interests in oil, natural gas and coal, are some of the most vocal climate deniers. In 2013, Forbes [7] listed Koch Industries as the second largest privately held company in the country.

Also on Sunday, conservative columnist Amity Shlaes was interviewed about her recent biography of Calvin Coolidge. Charles Murray, the libertarian political scientist and author of the controversial book The Bell Curve, gave dinner remarks. Other highlights included “Collectivism: Exploring Its Nature and Consequences” and “The Foundation for Progress,” which was broken down into several sessions, including “Part One: Drive the National Conversation,” “Part Two: Leverage Science and the Universities,” “Part Three: Advance in the States,” concluding with the aforementioned McConnell talk. Part One featured Michael Lomax, the president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund, which recently received a $25 million donation from the Kochs to create a special “Koch Scholars” program emphasizing entrepreneurialism and free markets. Lomax has faced a storm of criticism for taking the money, given the history of attacks [8] by Koch-funded organizations on voting rights, which do the most harm to underprivileged minorities who typically vote Democratic.

On Monday morning, conservative radio host and former Koch operative Jeff Crank was to interview Representatives Cotton and Gardner in a session titled “The Senate: A Window of Policy Opportunity for Principled Leaders.” Senator Rubio was to hold a small group discussion on an unnamed topic that afternoon and headline what was called internally “The Immigrant Experience” dinner, closing out the conference. Some interesting entries include “Texas: Sustaining a Culture of Freedom in the Lone Star State” and “Well-Being: What It Is and Why It’s Important.”

A special invitation-only, small group strategy discussion called “Employee Outreach: Engaging Your Workforce in the Cause of Freedom” was also scheduled for Monday, led by Koch insiders Dale Gibbens and Philip Ellender. A previous Nation story has documented [9] how Koch Industries politically pressured as many as 50,000 workers in the run-up to the 2010 elections.

All of this took place in the idyllic backdrop of Monarch Bay and the luxurious St. Regis resort, which boasts rooms ranging from $495 a night to unlisted amounts for its very best accommodations. Room rates offered to the conference ranged from $199 for staff to $2,000 for the Presidential Suites. Freedom Partners, the Kochs’ financing arm, coordinated the event with the cover name “T & R Annual Sales Conference” and bought out the hotel from noon on Saturday to noon on Tuesday. According to a source in attendance, Freedom Partners spent more than $870,000, which included large fees to shut down public access to the golf course, the Michael Mina restaurant Stonehill Tavern and Motif Restaurant. Attendees were responsible for their own room charges.

Security was tight from noon on Saturday throughout the remainder of the conference, with checkpoints at every entrance to the resort. At the front gate, security guards and multiple Koch employees brandishing iPads greeted incoming cars. Even more Koch employees, acting as escorts, met guests at the front door. Guests were asked to abide by a no-cell phone policy, and security was in place to enforce that policy at events.

St. Regis Monarch Bay also has residences in adjacent properties as part of the Monarch Bay Club. Owners normally have access to the hotel, but according to one, he was denied access under the pretense that the hotel had been bought out by a group of Obama supporters. (The president had delivered a commencement speech at nearby UC Irvine on Saturday).

The level of security leads one to wonder—why such secrecy if the Koch’s initiatives really are in the best interest of the public at large? Wouldn’t everyday Americans heartily embrace new proposals to improve the economy and their government? Maybe protecting the business interests of billionaires doesn’t quite square with an American public that is still under siege by high unemployment, stagnant wages and ongoing foreclosures. This conclave of billionaires is determined to roll back Obamacare and carbon restrictions and to render the remainder of the Obama presidency ineffectual. In an America where money equals speech, Koch is king.

The offices of Representatives Tom Cotton, Cory Gardner and Jim Jordan; Senators Mitch McConnell and Marco Rubio; and United Negro College Fund’s Michael Lomax did not respond to requests for comment.

Source URL: http://www.thenation.com/article/180267/exclusive-behind-koch-brothers-secret-billionaire-summit

Links:

[1] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-16/koch-brothers-worth-100-billion-buying-printers-to-ads.html

[2] http://www.scribd.com/doc/230108736/The-Koch-Brothers-Secret-Billionaire-Summit

[3] http://www.forbes.com/sites/luisakroll/2014/03/03/inside-the-2014-forbes-billionaires-list-facts-and-figures/

[4] http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/koch-backed-political-network-built-to-shield-donors-raised-400-million-in-2012-elections/2014/01/05/9e7cfd9a-719b-11e3-9389-09ef9944065e_story.html

[5] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=ALEC_Corporations#cite_note-HHSNOLA-15

[6] http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/13/koch-brothers-make-climate-activists-new-target.html

[7] http://www.forbes.com/companies/koch-industries/

[8] http://www.thenation.com/blog/164453/why-koch-brothers-and-alec-dont-want-you-vote

[9] http://www.thenation.com/article/160062/big-brothers-thought-control-koch

[10] http://donate.thenation.com/nb-donation-pages/donation-pages-2014/content-asks/5_062414_koch_articlelink

Last October, at an AFP summit attended by David Koch, the assembled Tea Partiers screened a climate-denial film that accused advocates like Al Gore of wanting to take civilization "back to the Dark Ages and the Black Plague." Such events, Koch proclaimed, "bring to reality the vision" of "fighting for the economic freedoms that made our nation the most prosperous society in history." Last year, seeking to defend its own prosperity against a carbon-capped future, Koch Industries spent more than $8.5 million on lobbying.

==

sw

Koch strategy retreat, 2011

See also Koch network.

On October 19, 2010, the New York Times reported on a personalized invitation signed by Charles Koch to prospective members to “develop strategies to counter the most severe threats facing our free society and outline a vision of how we can foster a renewal of American free enterprise and prosperity.” The invitation discussed meetings called “Understanding and Addressing Threats to American Free Enterprise and Prosperity” that he hosts twice a year to plan and expand its efforts “to review strategies for combating the multitude of public policies that threaten to destroy America as we know it.” Those efforts, the letter makes clear, include countering “climate change alarmism and the move to socialized health care,” as well as “the regulatory assault on energy,” and making donations to higher education and philanthropic organizations to advance the Koch agenda. The goals for the twice-yearly meetings include attracting more investors to the cause, and building institutions “to identify, educate and mobilize citizens” and “re-establish widespread belief in the benefits of a free and prosperous society.”[55]

Attendees

June 2010 participants

See Koch Event 2010-06 Attendees for the names and affiliations of roughly 200 participants from the June 2010 meeting in Aspen Colorado, including hedge fund executives, Republican donors, and free-market evangelists[55] - and for the actions some have taken.

Earlier guests included politicians and Supreme Court justices (Scalia & Thomas)

The letter from Charles Koch also noted that previous guests have included politicians and Supreme Court justices.

The politicians included Governors Haley Barbour and Bobby Jindal; Senators Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn and Representatives Mike Pence, Tom Price andPaul Ryan. [55]

Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas have attended these events. (According to Salon, "Thomas claimed he just made "a brief drop-by" at the Koch brothers' January 2008 Palm Springs political retreat to give a talk; in fact he was reimbursed for four days of “transportation, meals and accommodations” by the Federalist Society.[56]"). The attendance of Thomas and Scalia has sparked debate over judicial ethics and the 2010 Citizens United decision.[57] Common Cause filed a petition with the Justice Department in January 2011 alleging a conflict of interest for these Justices, as David and Charles Koch operate foundations that contribute to political groups, which might benefit from relaxed campaign finance rules. [58] Common Cause has also noted that the Cato Institute, which Charles Koch founded, filed an amicus brief in Citizens United opposing campaign finance. [59] The Center for Competitive Politics also filed a brief in the case; the Center is headed by Bradley Smith, who is affiliated with the Institute for Humane Studies where Charles Koch is Chair of the board and funder. [60]

Defending the American Dream Summit is AFP: ted cruz 2013 aei, malkin, rubio,

SENATOR RON JOHNSON; PAST INGRAM, MARK LEVIN,

cucc, demint, ky bob mcddonald

2012 pgm:

Progressive Practices: Exposing & Combating the Left's tactics

John Fund (Senior Editor, The American Spectator)

Anita Moncrief (Editor-in-Chief, Emerging Corruption)

James O’Keefe

(President, Project Veritas)

Moderator: Slade O’Brien (State Director,AFP Foundation – FL

Shuttle Buses to Hands Off My Health Care: Rally to Repeal Sponsored by Americans For Prosperity;bag lunch provided at destinationHands O? My Health Care: Rally to RepealHosted by Americans ?or Prosperity Featuring

?im Phillips, Congressman Jim Jordan,Congressman Paul Ryan, Jim Martin, Penny Nance & Phil Valentine

Shuttle Buses to Washington Hilton Sponsored by Americans ?or Prosperity

Reporter’s Toolbox: Practical ?ips and ?ools ?or Citizen Journalists

Dan Epstein (Executive Director, Cause of Action

Pro-Energy Policy is Crucial ?or Prosperity

Myron Ebell(Director o? Energy and Global Warming Policy,Competitive Enterprise Institute)

Dan Simmons(Director o? Regulatory and State A?airs,Institute for Energy Research)

Dave Banks(Sta? Director, Senator Inhofe on the Committee ?or Environment and Public Works)Moderator:

James Valvo(Director o? Policy,Americans ?or Prosperity Foundation)

--

Property Rights are Essential for Prosperity

Elizabeth Fox(Pro?essional Sta? Member, Senate Committee?or Environment and Public Works Committee)

Ken Ivory (Founder and President, American Lands Council)Moderator:

James O’Kee?e

(President, Project Veritas)Moderator:

Slade O’Brien

(State Director,AFP Foundation – FL

EXCLUSIVE: Read the Koch Brothers' Plans for Their Upcoming GOP Donor Retreat

Mother Jones has obtained a copy of the billionaires' agenda for their next confab.

By Andy Kroll | Tue Apr. 23, 2013 8:00 AM PDT

Next week, hundreds of business executives and wealthy conservative donors will arrive in Palm Springs, California [1], at the behest of Charles Koch, the billionaire industrialist and older half of the Koch brothers duo [2]. The occasion is the latest Koch donor retreat [3], dubbed [4] the "billionaires caucus" by some [5], an exclusive, two-day confab with a speaker list that features governors, senators, and members of the House Republican leadership. It is the first Koch retreat since the 2012 elections.

According to a previously unpublished preview of the April 28-29 gathering, the Kochs will unveil a new plan to recruit and train political candidates who will advance their free-market worldview. Another priority is improving the conservative movement's outreach to "growing demographics" such as Latinos, young people, and women. The preview, obtained by Mother Jones, was emailed to attendees in March by Kevin Gentry, a top Koch aide. (A Koch spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment about Gentry's email.)

Another big item on the Kochs' agenda is a long-awaited post-mortem on last year's elections. Charles Koch announced in December [6] that he was pushing back the winter retreat from January to late April so that an internal review of his circle's election strategies could be completed. Despite raising hundreds of millions of dollars, the Kochs, their allies, and groups they bankrolled failed to defeat President Obama, retake control of the Senate, or increase the Republican majority in the House. In his email, Gentry promises a "rigorous post-election assessment" that "must be geared toward productive next steps."

Here's Gentry's email to donors:  2

»

he Kochs held [7] their first retreat in 2003, and the size and scale of the event has grown in recent years, as the Kochs became better known and raised more money to combat the Obama administration [8]. As Mother Jones [9] has reported [9], attendees include some of the wealthiest conservative donors in the country. At the Kochs' June 2011 retreat in Vail, Colorado, private equity executives Ken Griffin and John Childs, Amway cofounder Richard DeVos, Cintas Corporation founder Dick Farmer, and North Carolina multimillionaire Art Pope [10] all showed up. Held over two or three days, these retreats feature panels with columnists, academics, think tank types, and activists; cocktail and dessert receptions; and usually remarks by Charles Koch. Those who attend are urged to pledge big money to fund the groups fighting to advance the Kochs' free-market mission.

EXCLUSIVE: Read the Koch Brothers' Plans for Their Upcoming GOP Donor Retreat [11]Spying on the Koch Brothers [12]Audio: Chris Christie Lets Loose at Secret Koch Brothers Confab [13]Exclusive Audio: Inside the Koch Brothers' Secret Seminar [3]Charts: How Much Have the Kochs Spent on the 2012 Election? [14]Here's Why the Koch Brothers Would Buy the LA Times and Chicago Tribune [15]

The Kochs and their acolytes believe it is their duty to stop what Charles Koch calls "the greatest assault on American freedom and prosperity in our lifetimes." He began a September 2010 letter [16] (PDF) outlining plans for an upcoming donor retreat by asking, "If not us, who? If not now, when?" At the Vail retreat, Koch said [3] the 2012 elections will be "the mother of all wars."The Kochs lost that war. Romney blew [17] his opportunity, and gaffe-prone Republican candidates like Todd Akin of Missouri [18] and Richard Mourdock of Indiana [19] stumbled in states where the GOP was poised to gain new Senate seats. That may explain why the Kochs want to develop their own recruiting and training operation for potential political candidates. In his email, Gentry says the Kochs are looking for "principled and effective advocates of free enterprise to run for office."

Currently, there are several conservative organizations such as American Majority [20] and FreedomWorks [21] that look to groom candidates for elected office at the local, state, and national levels. The Palm Springs preview suggests the Kochs are moving into this field, and a turf battle could ensue.

Ramping up outreach to Latinos, young people, and women is a no-brainer. Obama trounced [22] Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney at the voting booth [23] in these demographics [24]. The most diehard conservatives recognize [25] that the Republican Party needs fresh blood and a bigger tent if the party is to survive, let alone thrive. "In not too many years, Texas could switch from being all Republican to all Democrat," Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told [25] The New Yorker last year. "If that happens, no Republican will ever again win the White House." At the Palm Springs retreat, Gentry writes, Koch allies will discuss how "to more effectively communicate to these growing demographics, all of which play a critical role in advancing free enterprise."

Gentry's email also hints at what may have been the Kochs' biggest failing in 2012: They put a boatload of money behind a mediocre message that didn't reach the right people. He writes, "Understanding key customer segments—and more importantly the issues that matter to them—will be crucial to educating and mobilizing key constituencies in future educational and political battles."

Quietly, some conservative activists have complained [26] that the Kochs' big data operation, Themis [27], didn't work that well—and that their message didn't get to the right people (read: the right voters). So it's no surprise that Koch Industries, the privately-held conglomerate run by Charles Koch, is reportedly mulling a bid [15] to buy eight major newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. Those outlets would give the Kochs an audience of tens of millions of readers in the United States and abroad.

With little to show for after the 2012 elections, the Kochs have been retooling parts of their political operation. Their flagship organization, Americans for Prosperity, parted ways [28] with more than 100 field organizers and its chief operating officer, Tracy Henke. Generation Opportunity, another Koch outfit with a youth focus, got a new president as well. Clearly, the Koch brothers are thinking long and hard about what went wrong in 2012. Next week's retreat will focus on the changes they want to see in the conservative movement as it forges onward.

Source URL: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/04/koch-brothers-donor-retreat-agenda-hispanic-candidate-recruiting

Links:

[1] http://www.mydesert.com/article/20130422/NEWS01/304220010/Koch-brothers-conference-Palm-Springs-area-2013?nclick_check=1

[2] http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/02/koch-brothers-meeting-palm-springs

[3] http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/09/exclusive-audio-koch-brothers-seminar-tapes

[4] http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/01/30/thousands-converge-on-koch-brothers-billionaires-caucus-25-arrested/

[5] http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2011/01/31/inside-todays-koch-brothers-billionaires-caucus/

[6] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/11/koch-brothers-_n_2277700.html

[7] http://www.kochfacts.com/kf/koch_seminars/

[8] http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer

[9] http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2011/09/koch-brothers-million-dollar-donor-club

[10] http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/10/10/111010fa_fact_mayer

[11] http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/04/koch-brothers-donor-retreat-agenda-hispanic-candidate-recruiting

[12] http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/03/spying-koch-brothers

[13] http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/09/audio-chris-christie-koch-brothers-seminar

[14] http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/11/charts-map-koch-brothers-2012-spending

[15] http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/04/koch-brothers-newspaper-los-angeles-times-chicago-tribune

[16] http://images2.americanprogressaction.org/ThinkProgress/secretkochmeeting.pdf

[17] http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2012/president/2012/12/23/the-story-behind-mitt-romney-loss-the-presidential-campaign-president-obama/2QWkUB9pJgVIi1mAcIhQjL/story.html

[18] http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/09/todd-akin-american-bridge-oppo

[19] http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/11/indiana-senate-donnelly-mourdock

[20] http://americanmajority.org/training/candidate-training/

[21] https://twitter.com/FreedomWorks/status/310005765870067713

[22] http://www.people-press.org/2012/11/26/young-voters-supported-obama-less-but-may-have-mattered-more/

[23] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/gender-gap-2012-election-obama_n_2086004.html

[24] http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/09/politics/latino-vote-key-election

[25] http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/11/19/121119fa_fact_lizza?currentPage=2

[26] http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=B35DD05E-DE71-4E60-84C7-0557EFE18B8C

[27] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/07/koch-brothers-database-2012-election

[28] http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/02/koch-brothers-americans-for-prosperity-makeover-2012-election

politico:

update

The Koch brothers’ political operation has increasingly come to resemble its own political party — and later this month in San Diego, it will hold what amounts to its most ambitious convention to date.

Many of the dozens of rich conservative invitees are expected to write huge checks to a pool of cash distributed among Koch-approved groups, potentially boosting the Kochs’ 2012 spending plan beyond their historic $395 million goal. And it’s also a chance for the Kochs to show off their increasingly robust political machine, including a growing voter database project called Themis that played a major role in conservatives’ recent efforts in Wisconsin and in which POLITICO has learned Koch operatives have discussed investing $20 million.

Continue Reading

(Also on POLITICO: Losing faith on campaign finance)

It’s part of an ambitious expansion of the billionaire brothers’ political operation that includes the recruitment of new donors and fundraisers into their network by a development team led by summit emcee Kevin Gentry, and their recent hiring of in-house political operative Marc Short to oversee the spending of funds raised at the summits.

The expansion is also reflected in Charles and David Kochs’ bid to take over the libertarian Cato Institute as well as their operations steering cash to groups that aren’t commonly thought of as Koch affiliated. The 60 Plus Association, American Energy Alliance, American Future Fund, Americans for Limited Government and National Right to Life have all received funds through the Koch donor network...

But at last year’s summer conference, Gentry seemed to assure the donors they wouldn’t catch flak for their donations. “There is anonymity that we can protect,” he said in remarks that were surreptitiously recorded and leaked to Mother Jones.

Secrecy is the name of the game at the summits, much like at the Democracy Alliance gatherings of big liberal donors: Koch donors are required to wear name tags at all times, and security officers wearing gold lapel pins bearing Koch Industries’ “K” logo, roamed the halls at last year’s winter meeting, removing a POLITICO reporter under threat of arrest.

Attendees are warned not to “post updates or information about the meeting on blogs, social media such as Facebook and Twitter, or in traditional media articles,” according to a packet distributed to participants at the June 2010 session that was obtained and posted by the liberal blog ThinkProgress.

The summits had gone off without a peep of publicity until that packet, which included an invitation to the winter 2011 meeting in Rancho Mirage, Calif., leaked to The New York Times and ThinkProgress, paving the way for raucous protests outside the Rancho Mirage resort hosting the conference.

...

.http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=2D316FDA-68AB-4826-A61A-20A870506921

The Kochs fight back

By: Kenneth P. Vogel

February 2, 2011 04:38 AM EDT

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Faced with an avalanche of bad publicity after years of funding conservative causes in relative anonymity, the billionaire industrialist Koch brothers, Charles and David, are fighting back.

They’ve hired a team of PR pros with experience working for top Republicans including Sarah Palin and Arnold Schwarzenegger to quietly engage reporters to try to shape their Koch coverage, and commissioned sophisticated polling to monitor any collateral damage to the image of their company, Koch Industries.

At the same time, through their high-priced lawyers, private security detail and influential allies in conservative politics and media, the Kochs have played hard ball with critics and suspected foes.

Young environmental activists who pranked them have been hit with a lawsuit seeking more than $100,000 in damages, and the leak of an internal document describing their political activities resulted in an investigation – complete with document analysis and interviews of suspects – that eventually identified the mole.

Both their new openness and their aggressive – and sometimes secretive – tactics were on display before and during the Kochs’ closed-door, invitation-only four-day annual winter meeting of conservative donors and leaders that concluded Tuesday with a breakfast at the pricey resort that hosted it here in the Palm Springs suburbs.

On the one hand, the Kochs asked a handful of participants to talk to POLITICO about the conference, marking the first time the company has waived the strict confidentiality rules surrounding its donor meetings, which have been taking place twice a year since 2003, but had attracted almost no attention until this year’s.

“You know why they’re being scrutinized, don’t you?” asked Herman Cain, a former pizza company CEO and long-shot 2012 GOP presidential candidate who has attended four Koch conferences, including the one that concluded today.

“Because they’re not liberal. That’s all that’s about,” said Cain.

And, in another shift, Koch’s PR representatives reached out to reporters, largely in response to a raucous rally outside the resort gates that vilified the Kochs as personifying a corrupt political system – and that resulted in the arrests of 25 protesters.

On the other hand, the Kochs retained a heavy private security detail, which tracked resort guests deemed “suspicious,” erected a blockade Saturday to block a documentary camera crew from filming arriving guests, and removed a POLITICO reporter from the resort café under threat of arrest.

The pushback began in earnest last summer, when the brothers, longtime supporters of libertarian think tanks, started coming under intense scrutiny for their role in helping start and fund some of the deepest-pocketed groups involved in organizing the tea party movement, and for steering cash towards efforts to target President Barack Obama, his health care overhaul, and congressional Democrats in the run-up to the 2010 election.

Democrats – led by Obama, his political adviser David Axelrod and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) – singled out political spending by non-profit groups funded by the Koch brothers, namely Americans for Prosperity, as a campaign issue.

The American Tradition Institute -- a global-warming denier group that's using the Freedom of Information Act in controversial ways to discredit climate scientists -- suffered a legal loss this week when a judge allowed one of the scientists to intervene in a lawsuit against the University of Virginia.

But ATI's director of litigation is not letting that setback slow his crusade against environmental regulation.

Christopher Horner is one of the featured speakers at this weekend's Defending the American Dream Summit sponsored by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, the nonprofit sister group of Americans for Prosperity, a corporate-interest advocacy group. AFP was founded and is heavily funded by the Koch brothers, the billionaire owners of the Koch Industries oil and chemical conglomerate.

Horner is also a fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a free-market advocacy group that has been one of the main organizers in the effort to block regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. CEI has received generous funding from ExxonMobil, Texaco and the Koch Family Foundations.

Horner is scheduled to speak at 3:15 p.m. today on a panel titled "Extreme Power Abuse: The EPA's Job-Crushing Regulatory Assault." He will be joined on the panel by U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), who has close ties to Koch Industries, which is located in his district. Pompeo's chief of staff is a former lawyer for the company, and Pompeo has proposed legislation that would benefit many of Koch's business interests, according to the Washington Post. A political science professor at the University of Kansas has characterized Pompeo as "the congressman from Koch."

Also speaking on today's panel with Horner are Kathleen Hartnett White of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank that is funded by the Koch Family Foundations, and Ann McElhinney, maker of the film "Not Evil, Just Wrong: The True Cost of Global Warming Hysteria."

Another featured speaker at the conference is Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R), who's also involved in an ongoing legal action against U.Va. seeking the emails of former professor Michael Mann, one of the scientists targeted by ATI who this week was allowed to intervene in the group's FOIA suit against the school. However, Cuccinelli is not speaking about that action or his effort to challenge the Environmental Protection Agency's finding that greenhouse gas pollution endangers human health. Instead, he is speaking about his effort to challenge President Obama's health care reform law on a panel titled "Critical Care: Your Health Care After the Takeover."

The summit kicked off last evening with screenings of the documentary films "The Cartel," which attacks teachers' unions and supports vouchers, and "Free or Equal," an update of the 1980 film "Free to Choose" that featured free-market economist Milton Friedman. The gathering continues tomorrow with a "Cut Spending Now" rally and sessions on tax policy, grassroots mobilization, promoting school choice, killing collective bargaining, and how to "pimp" (their word) one's website.

In recent years, Charles and David Koch have organized semiannual seminars to promote their political beliefs. In June 2010, for example, the event was held in Aspen, Colorado, and titled "Understanding and Addressing Threats to American Free Enterprise and Prosperity". The invitation stated that "[our] prosperity is under attack by the current Administration and many of our elected officials" and "we cannot rely on politicians to [defend our free society], so it is up to us to combat what is now the greatest assault on American freedom and prosperity in our lifetimes".[31] The seminar program mentioned that "past meetings have featured such notable leaders as Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas; Governors Bobby Jindal and Haley Barbour; commentators John Stossel, Charles Krauthammer, Glenn Beck, and Rush Limbaugh; Senators Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn; and Representatives Paul Ryan, Mike Pence, and Tom Price."[38]

media:

Koch Industries describes its semiannual shindigs, which began in 2003, as an "opportunity for attendees and presenters to discuss ways of preserving and advancing economic freedom in the United States and to share ideas about the free-market principles that have made our country great." The guest list for last weekend's meeting is still under wraps, but the June 2010 event in Aspen drew a who's who of conservative media stars; Besides Beck, there were Philip Anschutz, owner of the Examiner newspapers and the Weekly Standard; Charles Krauthammer, syndicated columnist and Weekly Standard contributor; Stephen Moore, Wall Street Journal editorial board member; and Ramesh Ponnuru, senior editor for The National Review.

Andrew Breitbart, the mastermind behind the conservative news sites Breitbart.com and Breitbart.tv, made his presence at the meeting known by rollerblading out to heckle some of the 1,500 protestors who'd gathered outside of the gate.

Exclusive: The Koch Brothers' Million-Dollar Donor Club

The anonymous patrons who have given $1 million or more to the Koch dark-money machine.

By Gavin Aronsen | Tue Sep. 6, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

Read our inside account [1] of the Koch brothers' Vail seminar, and listen to the exclusive audio.

Twice a year, the billionaire industrialist brothers Charles and David Koch host secretive retreats for an exclusive list of corporate America's rich and powerful to strategize and raise money for their right-wing political agenda. Mother Jones has obtained exclusive audio recordings [1] that shed some light on the brothers' latest retreat, held at a resort near Vail, Colorado, in late June.

In a speech that is part of these recordings, Charles Koch thanks donors who gave more than $1 million to the cause. We checked the audio against a list of participants at the Kochs' 2010 seminar in Aspen that was obtained by ThinkProgress.org [2] and did additional research on these individuals. Below are the names Koch read that appeared on the previous guest list.

John Childs: Childs is the founder and CEO [3] of private equity firm JW Childs Associates. In 2006, Boston Magazine [4] placed the "notoriously media-shy" magnate—a.k.a. "the Republican ATM"—among the city's wealthiest residents, reportedly worth $1.2 billion. Childs donated $750,000 [5] to outside political expenditure groups in 2010. He's also been involved in Florida wetlands conservation [6] efforts.

The Cortopassis: Dean "Dino" Cortopassi and his wife, Joan, hail from Stockton, California. This article [7], which identifies the pair as philanthroposts, calls Dino a "wealthy self-made agribusinessman who is Stocktonian of the Year for 2005." He is suing [8] the state of California for its failure to dredge streams in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.[selenium?]

Joe Craft: Joseph Craft [9] is president, CEO, and chairman of Alliance Resource Partners [10], a coal company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that gave $2.4 million [11] to outside political expenditure groups in 2010. His family is reportedly [12] worth $1.9 billion.

Richard DeVosThe DeVoses: Rich and Helen DeVos hail from Michigan. The cofounder of Amway and owner [13] of the NBA's Orlando Magic, Rich DeVos is reportedly [14] worth in the ballpark of $4.2 billion. The Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation funds conservative Christian groups [15] such as Focus on the Family. The DeVoses are big enough political donors to have their own profile [16] at OpenSecrets.org.

The Farmers: Dick Farmer is from Ohio. The founder and former CEO of the Cintas Corporation, his story is literally rags-to-riches [17]: He turned his father's Depression-era rag-cleaning business into a $3.5 billion enterprise. Farmer and his wife, Joyce, are longtime Republican boosters; during the 2002 election cycle the couple gave about $1 million [18] to the party.

The Friesses: Foster Friess founded the investment firm Friess Associates [19] in 1974 with his wife, Lynn; in 2001, he sold a majority share [20] for $247 million. Friess is a champion [21] of conservative Christian causes and one of Wyoming's richest men. His son, Steve Friess, helps him run the family's philanthropic foundation [22]. (Steve's wife, Polly, was also on the list of Aspen Koch participants.)

The Fullinwiders: Jerry and Leah Fullinwider [23] hail from Dallas. Jerry has pursued oil exploration and development in the United States, Canada, and Russia. He now serves under Ross Perot's son [24] as vice chairman of Hillwood International Energy, which has operations in Iraq and Jordan as well as the United States and Russia. He also has ties [25] to Hilarion Alfeyev [26], an anti-abortion Russian Orthodox bishop.

The Gilliams: Richard Gilliam and wife, Leslie [27], are natives of southwest Virginia [28]. Richard founded [29] the Cumberland Resources Corporation, which was one of the nation's largest private coal mining companies when Massey Energy [30] bought it for nearly $1 billion in March 2010. He's now a director with the Vancouver-based mining corporation Endurance Gold [31].

The Griffins: Ken and Anne Dias Griffin are a hedge fund power couple from Chicago who wed in 2003 [32]. Ken is the founder and CEO of Citadel [33] and is reportedly [34] worth $2.3 billion. Anne founded one of the nation's largest woman-run hedge funds [35], Aragon Global Management. Ken bundled money [36] for both President Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain during the 2008 election.

The Haworths: Richard "Dick" Haworth is the former CEO and chairman emeritus [37] of Haworth, an international office-interiors manufacturer based in Holland, Michigan, that he took over from his father in 1975. The company reported sales [38] of $1.4 billion in 2005, the year he retired. He is married to Ethie Haworth [39] and has donated more than $100,000 to Republican causes, according to OpenSecrets.org.

Diane HendricksDiane Hendricks: Hendricks is the billionaire former head of the ABC Supply roofing company, which she took over [40] from her husband Kenneth after he died in a construction site accident in 2007. Reportedly [41] worth $2.2 billion, she is the richest businesswoman [42] in Wisconsin and a big Republican Party donor. She recently gave her state's embattled Republican governor, Scott Walker, $10,000 [43] in advance of a potential recall vote next year.

The Humphreys family: Ethelmae Humphreys is the chair of the board of Tamko Building Products [44], one of the country's largest independent roofing manufacturers. She also serves on the board of directors [45] of the Cato Institute, a Koch-funded [46] think tank. Her son David is Tamko's CEO. The two have doled out hundreds of thousands of dollars [47] to Republican candidates. That includes David's $25,000 [48] donation to the successful recount effort this year of conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser, who came under fire recently for allegations [49] that he choked a fellow justice. (He wasn't charged.)

The Levys: Kenneth Levy of Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, cofounded [50] the Jacobs Levy equity management firm and has donated about $85,000 to conservative causes, according to FEC records. His wife, Frayda Levin, is a national director [51] at the Koch brothers' advocacy group Americans for Prosperity [52] and sits on the board of the Club for Growth [53]. She also cofounded the Motion Picture Institute, which "promotes liberty through film," according to her AFP bio. FEC records show that she has given well over $100,000 to conservative causes.

The Marshall family: Elaine Marshall of Dallas is the widow of E. Pierce Marshall, a son [54] of oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall who served on the board of Koch Industries before his death. Elaine was involved in a successful effort [55] to prevent the late Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith, who married Howard when he was 89, from inheriting the family's wealth. Before Smith's death, she was investigated by the FBI but never prosecuted in a murder-for-hire plot [56] against Pierce. In the end, Pierce inherited the bulk of his father's wealth because he and his father had previously helped [57] Charles and David Koch thwart a takeover of Koch Industries; Howard's eldest son—also named Howard—sided against his father and was disinherited as a result. Meanwhile, Elaine's son, E. Pierce Marshall Jr. [58], is senior vice president and general counsel at oil exploration company MarOpCo. Another son [59], Preston Marshall of Houston, is the president [60] of MarOpCo.

The Popes: Art Pope is a millionaire Republican booster from Raleigh, North Carolina, who inherited his retail fortune from a family business. According to this article [61], he’s "one of the most trusted members of the Koch's elite circle" and a regular at the Kochs' secret seminars, as well as a "valuable junior partner in many key Koch operations." He's another national director [51] at Americans for Prosperity and is married [62] to Kathy Pope.

The Robertsons: Corbin Robertson is [63] CEO and chairman of the board of Natural Resource Partners, a Houston-based fossil fuels company. He's also been involved with [64] a number of other energy organizations and was listed as the richest US small-business owner in 2007 by CNNMoney [65]. He and wife Barbara have donated to the Baylor College of Medicine [66] and both Democratic and Republican politicians.

Karen Wright: Wright is the founder and CEO of the Ariel Foundation [67], a private philanthropy group based in Mount Vernon, Ohio. She's also CEO of the Ariel Corporation [68], a natural-gas compression company, and on the American Petroleum Institute's board of directors [69]. She has donated more than $100,000 to Republican causes, according to OpenSecrets.org.

Tom Rastin: Rastin shares [70] a Mount Vernon, Ohio, address with Karen Wright. He serves on [67] the board of directors at the Ariel Foundation and is vice president [71] of marketing and engineering at the Ariel Corporation. Last year, he gave $2,400 [72] to the failed congressional campaign of former Democratic Louisiana House Speaker Hunt Downer [73], who switched to the Republican Party after endorsing the Bush-Cheney ticket in 2000.

The principals with the Services Group of America: SGA is [74] a billion-dollar food services wholesaler; its CEO, Peter Smith of Scottsdale, Arizona, appears on the list of 2010 Koch attendees. Smith took over as CEO last year after its former head, GOP heavyweight [75] Thomas J. Stewart, died in a helicopter crash [76]. According to FEC records, Smith has donated $12,500 to Republican congressional candidates. SGA's political action committee donates heavily [77] to Republicans.

At the event, Charles Koch also read off names that did not appear on the 2010 attendees list, but that mirrored those of well-known GOP donors for whom giving $1 million or more to the Kochs would not seem out of character. You'll find these names below. We chose not to offer any details on the handful of names for which we could find no association with Koch business interests or conservative political giving. (Listen to Charles Koch reading [78] the donor list.)

The Camerons: Ron Cameron of Little Rock, Arkansas, runs [79] agribusiness giant Mountaire Corporation, which generated $1.22 billion [80] in revenue in 2009. He has donated at least $175,000 to Republicans in recent years, including $5,000 to Sarah Palin's PAC, according to FEC records. The company itself has given at least $125,000 to outside spending groups [11] over the past decade, according to OpenSecrets.org.

The Hamms: Self-made magnate Harold Hamm of Oklahoma City is reportedly [81] worth $8.2 billion. The son of sharecroppers, Hamm soared up the corporate ladder from gas station attendant [82] to CEO of "America's Oil Champion [83]," Oklahoma-based Continental Resources. According to OpenSecrets.org, he's doled out more than $100,000 to political causes and candidates, mostly Republican. Stricken with diabetes, he and wife Sue Ann founded a center [84] at the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center to help combat the disease.

The Haydens: Jerry and Marilyn Hayden of Barrington, Illinois, doled out $400,000 [5] to conservative-leaning outside spending groups in 2010 and about $250,000 [85] to Republicans in 2008. Before retirement, Jerry ran Peacock Engineering [86], a packaging company. As of September 2008 [87], he served on the board of directors at the United Republican Fund of Illinois. The Haydens recently donated $2.5 million [88] toward an alumni center at their alma matter, Bradley University.

Virginia James: James is an investor from New Jersey. She has donated handsomely to right-wing causes, including a $750,000 gift [89] to the Club for Growth in 2008 and another $350,000 last year [90]. This year, she donated $25,000 [48] to the successful recount of Wisconsin's Justice Prosser.

The Menards: John Menard of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is the founder of Menards, the country's third-largest hardware company. He's worth a reported [91] $5.2 billion and has donated about $80,000 to his state's Republican Party and federal candidates, mostly Republicans, according to FEC records. His company backed a recent anti-union program [92] that was linked to the Kochs' Americans for Prosperity and supported by Gov. Scott Walker.

John Moran: Hailing from Palm Springs, Florida, Moran is [93] the former chairman of the Dyson-Kissner-Moran Corporation, an international holding company based in New York City. He also chaired the Republican National Finance Committee from 1993 to 1995. Moran has given more than $900,000 to Republican causes since 1991, according to OpenSecrets.org, and he bundled between $250,000 and $500,000 more [94] for McCain's 2008 presidential bid. In 1997, he warned that the religious right was putting his party's future "in jeopardy [95]."

Charles SchwabThe Schwabs: Charles Schwab of San Francisco is founder and chairman of the Charles Schwab Corporation, the country's largest [96] independent brokerage firm. He is reportedly [97] worth $4.7 billion. Since 1989, Schwab has donated more than $1.6 million to political causes, mostly Republican, according to OpenSecrets.org. Part of that went to his company's lobbying arm, which has given away millions more [98].

Paul Singer: While Singer is not on the list of Aspen participants, the New York Times noted [99] that "Annie Dickerson, who also runs a foundation for Paul Singer, a hedge fund executive who like the Kochs is active in promoting libertarian causes," showed up at that seminar. Singer founded the $17 billion hedge fund Elliott Management and recently issued [100] an economic manifesto slamming the Federal Reserve as a "group of inbred academics."

The Templetons: John "Jack" Templeton Jr. and his wife, Josephine, of Pennsylvania, gave $50,000 apiece [48] to Wisconsin Justice Prosser's recount effort this year. Jack, an evangelical Christian, has donated more than $1 million to Republicans, according to state and federal records. He heads the John Templeton Foundation, an organization whose critics [101]—including prominent scientists—say it aims to apply scientific legitimacy [102] to matters of faith. The foundation was started by Jack's late father, Sir [103] John the mutual fund billionaire, and in 2009 reportedly [48] had $1.7 billion in assets.

Be sure to Read Part 1 of our two-part series: "Exclusive: The Secret Koch Brothers Tapes [1]."

And check back tomorrow for Part 2 [104], on the GOP superstar who rocked the Koch crowd on opening night.

Source URL: http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/09/koch-brothers-million-dollar-donor-club

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/polluterwatch/koch-industries/CASE-STUDY-The-Kochtopus-Media-Network/

CASE STUDY: The Kochtopus Media Network

A memo obtained by ThinkProgress.org in October, 2010 revealed an extensive guest list of business and political elites who attended Koch Brother’s secretive biannual strategy meeting in Aspen, Colorado.

The Aspen meeting occurred in June, 2010, four months before the memo was revealed. Many of the elite attendees represented at this meeting alone provide the Koch network with tremendous propaganda power through their ownership positions and ties to major media outlets.

The Koch influence on this sector of media outlets is particularly apparent in their repeated publication of articles defending Koch Industries from increased public scrutiny over the last year, especially following the Aspen meeting.

Some of the attendees with major media influence in Aspen were:

Glenn Beck -- Fox News and talk radio program host.

Beck was a featured speaker at the secret Koch Industries meeting in Aspen. Shortly afterwards, Beck credited Charles Koch during a segment of his show mocking an Al Gore presentation of climate trends. Glenn Beck has also worked in cooperation with Americans for Prosperity (AFP) to coordinate Tea Party rallies and provide material for his broadcasts.

Beck publicly defended AFP on air after President Obama’s characterized the group as a front for “a big oil company.” Americans for Prosperity has received over $5.6 million from Koch foundations in the last five years.

Stephen Moore -- Wall Street Journal editorial board member and senior economics writer and former President of the Club for Growth.

Moore has ties to the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute, two of the top Koch beneficiaries, and was a National Review magazine contributing editor.

The Wall Street Journal’s opinion section serves as a podium for prominent skeptics with ties to the Kochtopus, such as Bjorn Lomborg, Richard Lindzen and Patrick Michaels. Michaels, the champion denier of the Cato Institute and other Koch-backed institutions, used the Wall Street Journal’s opinion section to continue pushing “climategate” even after scientists were exonerated by formal investigations. Michaels himself is coming under scrutiny for being dishonest during a 2009 Congressional testimony about the funding he receives from the oil industry.

Between moving to the Wall Street Journal and being forced out of the Club for Growth, Moore founded the Free Enterprise Fund with Arthur Laffer and Mallory Factor, both former Club for Growth directors. Arthur Laffer’s Laffer Center for Global Economic Growth is tied to Koch Industries through its Vice Chairman, Richard Fink, and Executive Director Wayne Gable, both prominent Koch executives, and a $100,000 grant from the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation in 2009.

Moore is also a frequent commentator on CNBC’s Kudlow & Co and Fox News' On the Record with Greta van Susteren.

Philip Anschutz -- Owner of the Washington Examiner, the San Francisco Examiner, Examiner.com and the Weekly Standard, via Clarity Media Group.

Philip Anschutz, CEO of the Anschutz Corporation, has served on the boards of both the American Petroleum Institute and the National Petroleum Council and has ties to Union Pacific Railroad and Forest Oil. He owns the Oil & Gas Asset Clearinghouse industry auction house. Anschutz founded telecommunications company Qwest, owns the Regal Entertainment theater chain and NRC broadcasting, which operates a string of radio stations in Colorado.

Anschutz’s Clarity Media Group has played a flagship role in standing up for the billionaire Kochs over the last year. Since the Aspen meeting, pro-Koch publications from both Examiner.com and the Weekly Standard have been featured on Koch Industries’ “Koch Facts” webpage, created to dismiss allegations of Koch’s various unsavory business practices. Clarity’s outlets also published articles attacking Greenpeace after our March, 2010 release of Koch Industries: Secretly Funding the Climate Denial Movement.

The Weekly Standard, which published a lengthy defense of the Koch brothers in March, 2011, has also been a promoter of so-called “climategate” emails. The magazine has served as a platform for prominent career climate skeptics Steven Hayward and Kenneth Green of the Koch-funded American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

Forbes estimates that Anschutz is the 34th richest American, just above Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, with a net worth of seven billion dollars.

Charles Krauthammer -- Washington syndicated columnist Post, pundit and contributor to the Weekly Standard and Town Hall Magazine.

Krauthammer is a fervent climate obstructionist who refers to global warming as a “religion,” and more broadly claims that “scientists are flip floppers, constantly changing their theories.” Krauthammer focuses on vilifying environmentalists and political icon Al Gore, rather than debating actual climate scientists, in attempts to cast doubt upon the science of global warming. His disregard for accurate climate science is demonstrated by his references to Czech President Vaclav Klaus. Klaus, a notorious climate science denier, was a keynote speaker at the 2009 International Conference on Climate Change. This event, run by the Heartland Institute, was a who’s who of career skeptic scientists and pseudo-experts for hire, working for institutions heavily funded by Koch foundations and ExxonMobil, among other polluters and associated foundations.

Michael Barone -- Resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, paid Senior Political Analyst for the Washington Examiner, and Fox News commentator.

Barone was formerly a senior writer with U.S. News & World Report, an outlet that has come to the Kochs’ defense, and a member of the Washington Post editorial board. Barone is also the principal coauthor of the Almanac of American Politics, published annually by the National Journal Group. The American Enterprise Institute, which has received $150,000 from Koch foundations and over $2.8 million from ExxonMobil since 1997, has used its American blog since the Aspen meeting to defend Koch Industries.

Timothy Carney -- Lobbying editor and senior political columnist for the Washington Examiner and author of Obamanomics.

Carney has written articles specifically justifying his presence at the Koch meeting in Aspen, using them to defend the private conglomerate. Despite shielding the Koch brothers in his writing, Carney claims to have spoken at the Aspen meeting on, “the evils of corporate welfare and bailouts, and the destructive influence of the Big Business lobby in Washington.” Koch Industries has spent over $49 million on federal lobbying since 2006. Carney also disclosed that he has been paid by the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) for speaking events. The George Mason University-based IHS received over $2.4 million from the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation in 2009.  Carney’s writing often promotes Senator James DeMint (R-SC), one of the Kochs’ favorite Senators, who has also attended Koch Industries strategy meetings and has received at least $76,000 from the Kochs and company PAC since 2004 (see April 2011 Report, pg. 21). Carney’s columns have passionately discouraged environmentally sound considerations, such as outlawing energy-inefficient incandescent light bulbs.

Ramesh Ponnuru, Senior editor for National Review magazine and contributor to the Weekly Standard, Reason magazine, the New York Times, TIME and other major print and television news outlets.

The National Review Online is host to the “Planet Gore,” blog a space dedicated to climate science misinformation, spin, and slander. Contributors from Koch-funded institutions include but are not limited to:

Chris Horner and Iain Murray of the Competitive Enterprise Institute

Patrick Michaels and Jerry Taylor of the Cato Institute

Jim Manzi of the Manhattan Institute.

Jonathan Adler of the Federalist Society, with ties to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and the Property and Environment Research Center

Deroy Murdock, who has ties to the Cato and Manhattan Institutes, the Heritage Foundation, and the Institute for Humane Studies

Steven Hayward of the American Enterprise Institute, Pacific Research Foundation, Institute for Energy Research, with ties to the Cato Institute, the Heritage Foundation, the Reason Foundation and Reason magazine

Tim Phillips and Phil Kerpen of Americans for Prosperity

Nancy Pfotenhauer, President of PR firm MediaSpeak Strategies, TV pundit and former Senior Policy Advisor and spokesperson for the 2008 John McCain presidential campaign.  Pfotenhauer was a lobbyist for Koch Industries in its Washington, DC office before becoming the President, CEO and later Vice Chairwoman of the Independent Women’s Forum, which has received almost $500,000 from Koch foundations since 1997. She also was Executive Vice President of Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE), which was established by Charles Koch and affiliate Richard Fink, and was propelled by $13 million in grants from Koch foundations. After CSE split into FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity (AFP), Pfotenhauer served as President and CEO of AFP. While studying at George Mason University for a graduate degree in economics, Pfotenhauer served as a research assistant to Walter Williams. Accessed, a substitute host on the Rush Limbaugh Show. Williams is also director of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, the Cato Institute, and the Reason Foundation.

Foster Friess -- Billionaire Republican investor who spent $3 million to help launch the Daily Caller.

The Daily Caller abandoned an attempt to accuse the New Yorker’s Jane Mayer of plagiarism, including in her comprehensive expose of Koch Industries. Tucker Carlson, who runs the Daily Caller, is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, which has received over $5.5 million from Koch foundations since 1997. Charles Koch co-founded Cato, and Cato’s directors include David Koch and Kevin Gentry of the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation.

Arthur Brooks -- President and Director of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

Brooks’ influence as the head of AEI leads to frequent media exposure, including through other outlets financed by Koch Foundations (the American Spectator and the Reason Foundation) or tied to Koch through other attendees at the Aspen meeting (Washington Examiner, Wall Street Journal editorials, National Review, and Daily Caller). Also on AEI’s Board: former Vice President and ex-Halliburton CEO Dick Cheney.

Cheney’s wife, Lynne, is a senior scholar at the AEI.

Jeff Crank -- Radio pundit and Colorado State Director of Americans for Prosperity.

The Jeff Crank show on Colorado station KVOR AM 720 is promoted as a “weekly respite from socialism.” Crank led AFP Colorado at a tea party rally in early 2010 in cooperation with the Independence Institute, which has received $141,000 from Koch foundations since 1997.

Gretchen Hamel -- Former Bush administration spokesperson, Executive Director of Public Notice and founder of PR firm Endeavour Global Strategies. Through Public Notice., which is currently devoted to an anti-government spending campaign, Hamel has widespread influence through her work with “the editorial boards of all the nation’s leading daily newspapers, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal, and with specialty entertainment and news programs such as Oprah, Lou Dobbs Tonight and 60 Minutes.”

Stan S. Hubbard, chairman and CEO of Hubbard Broadcasting Inc.  Hubbard Broadcasting owns a variety of TV and radio stations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Mexico and New York. Through a $505 million purchase of 17 radio stations from Bonneville International, Hubbard is significantly expanding its radio presence in the District of Columbia, Chicago, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. This purchase includes WTOP, a major Washington, DC news station with the nation’s second highest 2010 radio station revenue, as well as WFED, which appeals primarily to federal employees and contractors.

Peter Wallison -- American Enterprise Institute scholar and pundit on economic issues.

The Kochs also gave $4,500 to the American Spectator in 2009. The American Spectator includes writing by denier Pat Michaels, the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Chris Horner, and Paul Chesser of the John Locke Foundation. The John Locke Foundation is a recipient.  of funding from the Kochs and Art Pope. Pope has contributed over $24 million to organizations that deny climate change and is on the boards of Americans for Prosperity and its associated Foundation.

greenpeace

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/polluterwatch/koch-industries/CASE-STUDY-The-Kochtopus-Media-Network/

The June 2010 Meeting of the Koch Network - aka Koch Strategy Group was held June 27&28 in Aspen, Colorado.

Contents

[hide]

1 List of participants

1.1 Before June 2010 - politicians, Supreme Court justices

1.2 June 2010

2 Attendees' actions

2.1 Climate confusion - silent directorships

2.2 Tea Party - airplane provided

2.3 Americans for Prosperity - speech

2.4 Campaign contributions - $35+ million

3 Articles and Resources

3.1 References

3.2 Related SourceWatch Articles

3.3 External resources

3.4 External articles

List of participants

Before June 2010 - politicians, Supreme Court justices

On Koch Industries page, see Koch strategy retreat "attendees" section, for information on politicians and Supreme Court justices who've attended earlier meetings.

June 2010

Note: the geographic locations provided below may contain inaccuracies.

The June 2010 Koch strategy meeting attendees were:[1]

Attendees

Name(s) Industry Notes

Jack Anderson and Rose Marie Anderson Finance Culver Corporation, Rose-Marie and Jack R. Anderson Foundation - Financial Advisor

Neil Anderson and Amy Fisher-Smith

Runs Rose-Marie and Jack R. Anderson Foundation

Phil Anschutz and Nancy Anschutz Investment Industrialist, Owner, Weekly Standard , Examiner newspapers; Denver, CO

Cliff Asness Investment AQR Capital Management

Nate Bachman and Lynda Bachman Finance The Bachman Group, Cincinnati OH - Financial Advisor

Whitney Ball Think Tank Owner of DonorsTrust, a firm that enables anonymous gifts to front groups

Michael Barone Media Fox News

Frank Baxter and Kathy Baxter Banking Ambassador Frank E. Baxter is Chairman Emeritus of NYC-based Jefferies and Company , Inc., a global investment bank focusing on mid-cap companies. Overseer, Hoover Institution. Los Angeles CA

Steve Bechtel and Betty Bechtel Engineering Owns the Bechtel Group (Corporation), Largest engineering company in United States

Glenn Beck Media Fox News

E. Bernard Blasingame and Margaret Blasingame Manufacturing President and owner of Aqua Dynamics Systems (water purification), Adamsville, TN

Alan Boeckmann and Lisa Boeckmann Oil/Engineering/Construction CEO Fluor Corporation, Orange County, CA

Boysie Bollinger Shipping/Commerce Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Bollinger Shipyards in Louisiana and Texas (builds vessels for Coast Guard)

Patrick Broe and Paula Broe Real Estate Founder and CEO of Denver-based real estate asset management firm, The Broe Group

Arthur Brooks Think Tank President, American Enterprise Institute

David Brown and Ann Brown Think Tank, funder Heritage Foundation, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

John Bryan

Bob Buford and Martha Buford Oil C. Robert Buford has been President and owner of Zenith Drilling Corporation, Wichita, KS

Tim Busch

Likely Irvine-based Timothy R. Busch, Pacific Hospitality Group CEO, Catholic University of America trustee, Legatus[1] (Catholic CEOs, Orange County & Napa chapters)

Shelby Bush and Nell Bush Energy Vice President, Legal and Administration – Hillwood Energy (a Perot company)

Tim Carney Media Political Columnist, Washington Examiner

Charlies Chandler and Marla Chandler

Likely Charles Q. Chandler IV of Wichita KS-based Intrust Bank

David Chavern Lobbyist Executive Vice President and COO at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

John Childs Investment Insurance Chairman and CEO of J.W. Childs and Associates, Boston MA

Paul Clifton and Lea Clifton

Runs Robert and Marie Hansen Family Foundation

Susie Coelhoe Media founder and CEO of Susie Coelho Enterprises Inc.

Bill Cooper and Kristin Tollefson Finance/Banking CEO of TCF Financial, Wayzata MI

Dino Cortopassi and Joan Cortopassi

Stockton businessman

Joe Craft Coal Joseph W. Craft III is president, chief executive officer and director of Tulsa OK-based Alliance Resource Partners LP

Alex Cranberg Energy Denver-based Aspect Holdings , LLC – Chairman; University of Texas regent

Jeff Crank Americans For Prosperity / Radio Pundit AFP State Director

Karl Crow Policy Analyst Capital Research Center, Washington DC; Themis

Eric Crown and Isabella King Finance (venture capital) Technology Sales (?)Sell Technology Equipment Retired CEO, Insight Enterprises, Phoenix AZ

Kevin Crutchfield Coal Kevin S. Crutchfield serves as Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Coal Sales Co., LLC, Latrobe PA near Pittsburgh

Ravenell Curry and Beth Curry

Likely Manhattan Institute trustee Ravenel Curry III.

Jim Dannenbaum and Shirley Dannenbaum Engineering Mr. Dannenbaum, Chairman of Dannenbaum Engineering Corporation, Houston, TX

Veronique de Rugy Think Tank Senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center

Rich DeVos and Helen DeVos Business Founder and CEO of Amway, near Grand Rapids, Michigan

Annie Dickerson Real Estate/Finance CB Richard Ellis analyst

Ned Diefenthal and Nancy Diefenthal

Metairie, LA-based former owner of Southern Recycling

Jim Patterson and Dorothy Patterson Oil Gulf Stream Petroleum

Dan Peters and Kellie Peters Non-for Profit Daniel S. Peters is president of the Ruth and Lovett Peters Foundation in Cincinnati, Ohio

Tom Petrie Banking Co-founder of BofA Merrill Lynch Petrie Divestiture Advisors

Dixon Doll and Carol Doll Technology Co-Founder and General Partner of Menlo Park CA-based Doll Capital Management(DCM)

Karl Eller and Stevie Eller Advertising The Eller Company billboards

Ron Erickson and Kris Erickson Retail Ronald A. Erickson is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Holiday Companies

Melvyn Estrin and Suellen Estrin Natural Gas Director of WGL Holdings INC

Dick Farmer

Richard T. "Dick" Farmer is chairman of Cintas

Peter Farrell Biomed Founder of Resmed

Jim Ferrell and Zibbie Ferrell Fuel Oil Ferrellgas Partners , L.P. engages in the distribution and sale of propane and related equipment primarily in the United States.

Dave Fettig Natural Gas Tank Craft, Duracraft Fuel energy

Bob Fettig Natural Gas Tank Craft, Duracraft Fuel energy

Steve Fettig Natural Gas Tank Craft, Duracraft Fuel energy

Jerry Finger and Nanette Finger Investment management Managing Partner, Finger Interests LTD, Houston TX

Richard Fink Koch Industries Director of Georgia-Pacific , EVP of Koch Industries

Budd Florkiewicz and Lauri Florkiewicz Manufacturing Foam Fabricators, Scottsdale, AZ

Charlie Fote and Kaye Lynn Fote Finance Founder and CEO, Fotec Group LLC, Denver, CO

Randy Foutch and Jean Foutch Oil Chairman and CEO, Laredo Petroleum , Inc., Tulsa, OK

Foster Friess Investment Mr. Foster Stephen Friess is the Founder and Chairman of Friess Associates , LLC; was Executive Committee member for the far right Council for National Policy[2]

Steve Friess and Polly Friess

Son and daughter-in-law of Foster Friess

Jerry Fullinwider and Leah Fullinwider Energy/Petroleum Vice Chairman, Hillwood International Energy, a Perot company (Ross Perot Jr. is Chairman) (in Texas, Kurdistan, Moscow, Amman)

Richard Gilliam and Leslie Gilliam Coal Richard Gilliam has been President of Norton, VA-based Cumberland Resources Corporation since 1993.

Susan Gore Think Tank Founder, Wyoming Liberty Group; her "multibillion dollar family company W.L. Gore & Associates Inc. developed the high performance fabric Gore-Tex... Her brother, David Gore, co-founded a similar think tank organization in Oregon called the Cascade Policy Institute in 1991"[2]

Oliver Jr. and Carolyn Grace Jr. Med and Telecom President and chief executive officer of Anderson Group , Inc.,

Judson Green and Joyce Green Energy and Med Mr. Judson C. Green is the President and Chief Executive Officer of NAVTEQ Corp.

Ken Griffin and Anne Griffin Investment Banking Founder and CEO of Chicago-based Citadel Investment Group

Gretchen Hamel Communications Head of 501(c)(4) Public Notice, founder of PR firm Endeavour Global Strategies; former press assistant for J.C. Watts of Oklahoma

Fred Hamilton and Jane Hamilton Oil Mr. Frederic C. Hamilton served as the President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of BHP Petroleum , Hamilton Oil Company and various Hamilton Oil Corporation subsidiaries and affiliates (Denver-based)

Bob Hawk and Mary Sue Hawk Venture capital CommunicationsTelecommunications, venture capital President of Hawk Communications (also Venture Partner at Doll Capital Management (DCM); "director of Covad Communications , Centillium Communications, and several private high-technology companies."

Dick Haworth and Ethie Haworth Retail Head of Holland, MI-based Haworth Furniture , Multi-national corporation, 3rd largest corporate furniture company in US

Robin Hayes and Barbara Hayes Government Former North Carolina Congressman

Dan Heard and Carolyn Heard Manufacturing Executive Officer of Louisiana-based John H. Carter Co.,

Diane Hendricks Manufacturing Husband of the late Ken Hendricks (ABC Supply Co., building materials)

Steve Hennessy and Regina Hennessy Auto Sales Auto Sales, Atlanta, GA

James Higgins and Heather Higgins Think Tank James Higgins is a fellow and trustee of the Claremont Institute, and a principal at NY-based investment mgmt firm New Vernon Capital LLC;

Heather Higgins is president and CEO of Independent Women's Voice, the 501(c)(4) sister organization of the Independent Women’s Forum

Paul Hill Oil Paul J. Hill serves as CEO and has been President of Harvard Developments Inc. since 1978; CEO and President of The Hill Companies; Regina, Saskatchewan

John Hotchkis and Joan Hotchkis Education, Finance Board of Directors for Teach for America UC Berkeley; Ramajal LLC, Hotchkis and Wiley

Allan Hubbard and Kathy Hubbard Chemicals and Manufacturing Founder and Chief Executive Officer, E & A Industries, Inc., Indianapolis, IN

Stan Hubbard and Karen Hubbard Communications Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, St. Paul, MI-based Hubbard Broadcasting , Inc.

Ethelmae Humphreys Think Tank Cato Institute

Manley Johnson and Mary Johnson Political Consultant Manuel H. "Manley" Johnson served as the vice chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in the mid-1980s. Co-chairman and senior partner at DC-based financial market advisory firm Johnson Smick International

Merritt Johnson

Gerry O’Shaughnessy and Priscilla O’Shaughnessy Oil Gerald Eugene O’Shaughnessy Co-founded Geopark Holding Limited in 2002; Wichita, KS

Michael O’Shaughnessy Technology Petters Consumer Brands , LLC develops consumer electronics and appliances.

Tim O’Shaughnessy Media Hungry Machine , Inc., doing business as LivingSocial.com, is a social discovery and cataloging network.

Marshall Johnson

Kyle Johnstone and Kirsten Johnstone

Mike Kasser and Beth Kasser Real Estate President, Holualoa Inc

Ken Kendrick and Randy Kendrick Education/Technology Chairman, Datatel

Phil Kerpen and Joanna Kerpen Advocacy Group/Think Tank VP of Policy, Americans for Prosperity

Gerry Kingen and Kathryn Kingen Restauranteur Red Robin, Happy Guests International, Seattle WA

Scott Kirkpatrick Investor Owner/Partner of Jackson, WY-based Teton Capital Advisors

Charles Koch and Liz Koch Koch Industries

Chase Koch and Annie Koch Koch Industries

David Koch and Julia Koch Koch Industries

Elizabeth Koch Koch Industries

Bob Koch and Cindy Koch Koch Industries

Bob Kohlhepp Manufacturing/Services Vice Chairman, Cintas Corp.

Dennis Kuester Banking, Paper Dennis J. Kuester, retired CEO of Marshall & Ilsley Bank (M&I) in Milwaukee, WI; director of Wausau Paper

Andrew Kupersmith Consultant MD, Cardiology Consultants

Andre Lacy Investment Chairman, Lacy Diversified Industries, Indianapolis IN; board member, Patterson Companies(vet,dental,rehab)

Ken Langone and Elaine Langone Retail Invemed, Home Depot

Jay Lapeyre and Sally Lapeyre Services Laitram Corp

Ken Levy and Frayda Levy Investment JLM Investment Mgmt

Tom Love Retail CEO, President, Love’s Country Stores

Bob Luddy Manufacturing President, Captive Aire Systems

Fred Malek and Marlene Malek Investment Management Thayer Capital Partners

Elaine Marshall

Homemaker

Pierce Marshall Administrative Management MAROPCO

Preston Marshall

Bill Mayer Health Care MD, Mayer & Cope Family Practice, NY

Glen Meakem and Diane Meakem Business Solutions CEO, Freemarkets Inc.

Ed Meese Think Tank Heritage Foundation

Lew Meibergen and Suzy Meibergen Goods/Services President, Johnston Enterprises/WG Johnston Grain Co

Don Meyers and Deede Meyers Attorney Self Employed

Jerry Milbank and Caroline Milbank Investment Management CEO/Principal, Milbank Winthrop & Co.

Jack Miller and Goldie Miller Retail CEO/President, Quill Corp.

Mark Mix Advocacy Group President, National Right to Work Committee

Joe Moeller and Mary Moeller Koch Industries Vice Chairman

Steve Moore Media member of the Wall Street Journal editorial board

David Murfin Energy President, Murfin Drilling Co.

Walter Negley and Suzette Negley

Director of the Brown Foundation (from George Brown of Houston's Brown & Root construction)

Mina Nguyen

Larry Nichols and Polly Nichols Energy Executive Chairman, Devon Energy Corp

Sean Noble (??)Front Group

Political consulting (??)Americans for Prosperity

Noble Associates (specializing in Campaign Management, Crisis Communications, Developing the Message, Grassroots Development & Deployment...), Phoenix AZ; Koch-supported Americans for Limited Government[3]

Tim Oelke and Teresa Oelke Advocacy Group/Construction Teresa – State Director of Americans for Prosperity , Tim – Crossland Construction Corp

Eric O’Keefe Front Group Sam Adams Alliance

Kurt Pfotenhauer and Nancy Pfotenhauer Media President of MediaSpeak Strategies/former political commentator on Fox News , CNN and MSNBC and former Senior Policy Advisor and National Spokesperson with the 2008 John McCain presidential campaign

Tim Phillips Advocacy Group president, Americans for Prosperity

Ramesh Ponnuru Media Columnist, National Review (magazine)

Art Pope and Kathy Pope Goods/Services Senior Exec, Variety Wholesaler; board member, Americans for Prosperity and John Locke Foundation; Pope Foundation

Russ Roberts Attorney? (wrong man, I think; Economist.) Roberts, Ashby & Parrish(if the attorney); George Mason University economics professor

Corbin Robertson and Barbara Robertson Energy Coal baron; President, Quintana Minerals Corp and Natural Resource Partners; director of global warming inaction front groups (& media campaign) CO2 Is Green and Plants Need CO2

Richard Roder and Karin Hsu Construction Management CEO, Cmt-Construction Management, Addison TX

Gary Rogers and Kathleen Rogers Goods Former CEO, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream

Durk Rorie Manufacturing United Air Specialists air purification systems, Cincinnati

Chris Rufer Goods/Manufacturing Morningstar Company (harvests, processes, cans, and ships most California tomatoes.)

Peter Schiff and Martha O’Brien Investor Schiff : Euro Pacific Capital Inc. (son of Irwin Schiff of the United States tax protester movement)

Steve Schwarzman and Christine Schwarzman Financial Services CEO/founder, Blackstone Group

Rick Sharp and Sherry Sharp Retail Former CEO, Circuit City

Mike Simmonds and Lin Simmonds Services CEO, Simmonds Restaurant Mgm

Peter Smith Services CEO, Services Group of America, Scottsdale AZ

Dick Strong Investment Services Strong/Corneliuson Capital Mgmt

Michael Sullivan Investment Services (???) CR Intrinsic Investors or not; since a

"Michael Quinn Sullivan is president and CEO of Empower Texans, and its premier project, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility."

Ray Thompson and Ladeline Thompson Manufacturing President/CEO, Semitool; Raymon F. Thompson owns the airplane that Tea Party Patriots Jenny-Beth Martin and Mark Meckler flew in to rallies, in 2010[4]

Lynn Tilton Investment Management CEO, Patriarch Partners LLC

Dave True and Melanie True Oil Partner, True Oil, LLC

Steve Twist Services

Consultant VP and General Counsel for Services Group of America, Scottsdale, AZ

Rose & Allyn PR Consultants

Jim Ehr and Gayla Von Ehr Research/Development CEO, Zyvex Corp

Rick Waller and Debra Waller Manufacturing Rick Waller owns Rollmeister Inc in Neenah, WI, serving the paper industry;

Debra Waller is CEO of Wisconsin-based underwear maker Jockey International, and spent five years on the Board of Directors for Marshall & Ilsley Bank[5] in Milwaukee, WI

Peter Wallison Think Tank Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

Bill Walton and Sarah Walton Real Estate Allied Capital Corp

Lew Ward and Myra Ward Oil Ward Petroleum Corporation owns and operates wells. It engages in oil and gas exploration and production. The company was founded in 1963 and is based in Enid, Oklahoma.

Dick Weekley Real Estate Weekley Properties; chairman, Texans for Lawsuit Reform

Fred Wehba and Susie Wehba Real Estate LA-based private real estate investment firm BentleyForbes

Nestor Weigand and Darcy Buehler Real Estate JP Weigand & Sons Real Estate, Wichita, KS

Dick Weiss and Mary Beth Weiss Life Insurance? Investment? Wells Fargo and Hawthorne Ranch, near Chicago IL

Howard Wilkins and Rhonda Wilkins (??) Insurance

C. Howard Wilkins Jr. founded Maverick Development Corporation (restaurant management), Wichita KS [3]; earlier, Pizza Hut, and ambassador to Netherlands

??

Diversified Insurance

Don Wills and Sue Wills Oil, Banking Partner in Wills Oil Company and Adams-Wills Oil Company, Texas

Larry Winnerman and Lorraine Winnerman Real Estate Win Win Enterprises, Aspen CO

Joe Woodford Manufacturing Woodford Manufacturing, Woodford Foundation, Colorado Springs

Earl Wright Finance AMG National Trust, Alliance for Choice and Education (ACE) trustee, Colorado

Karen Wright and Tom Rastin Energy/Manufacturing Tom Rastin, vice president of marketing and engineering, Ariel Corp (natural gas compressors, Ohio) – Karen Wright, Ariel CEO

Cliff Yonce and Susan Yonce Investment Banking Goldman Sachs

Fred Young and Sandra Young Manufacturing Services Fred Young Jr., Former Owner, Young Radiator Company of Racine, WI ; Cato Institute board member, trustee of the Reason Foundation

Diversified Search , LLC provides senior-level executive and corporate board search services in the United States and internationally. It provides recruitment services for various organizations in consumer and industrial, education, not-for-profit, arts and culture, financial and professional services, business, healthcare and human services, life sciences, media and entertainment, sports and leisure, energy and utilities, private equity, retail, and technology and communications industries.

Attendees' actions

Climate confusion - silent directorships

Coal baron attendee Corbin Robertson was a silent partner in a media and web disinformation campaign involving climate disinformation groups Plants Need CO2 and CO2 Is Green.

Tea Party - airplane provided

Tea Party Patriot leaders flew around the country to rallies in an airplane owned by attendee Raymon F. Thompson of Semitool.[4]

Americans for Prosperity - speech

"...underwear executive Debra Waller -- the Chief Executive Officer of Jockey International, Inc. -- revealed a lot about her opinions at the most recent annual convention of "Americans for Prosperity" (AFP) for its chapter in Wisconsin. ..."[5]

Campaign contributions - $35+ million

"Invitees to the June 2010* Koch Brothers meeting of conservative donors, media, and political figures have contributed at least $35 million to federal candidates, parties, and political committees over the past 20 years, according to Campaign Money Watch analysis of data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics."[6]

Articles and Resources

References...

2x

MEMO: Health Insurance, Banking, Oil Industries Met With Koch, Chamber, Glenn Beck To Plot 2010 Election

In 2006, Koch Industries owner Charles Koch revealed to the Wall Street Journal’s Stephen Moore that he coordinates the funding of the conservative infrastructure of front groups, political campaigns, think tanks, media outlets and other anti-government efforts through a twice annual meeting of wealthy right-wing donors. He also confided to Moore, who is funded through several of Koch’s ventures, that his true goal is to strengthen the “culture of prosperity” by eliminating “90%” of all laws and government regulations. Although it is difficult to quantify the exact amount Koch alone has funneled to right-wing fronts, some studies have pointed toward $50 million he has given alone to anti-environmental groups. Recently, fronts funded by Charles and his brother David have received scrutiny because they have played a pivotal role in the organizing of the anti-Obama Tea Parties and the promotion of virulent far right lawmakers like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC). (David Koch praised DeMint and gave him a “Washington Award” shortly after the senator promised to “break” Obama by making health reform his “Waterloo.”)

While the Koch brothers — each worth over $21.5 billion — have certainly underwritten much of the right, their hidden coordination with other big business money has gone largely unnoticed. ThinkProgress has obtained a memo outlining the details of the last Koch gathering held in June of this year. The memo, along with an attendee list of about 210 people, shows the titans of industry — from health insurance companies, oil executives, Wall Street investors, and real estate tycoons — working together with conservative journalists and Republican operatives to plan the 2010 election, as well as ongoing conservative efforts through 2012. According to the memo, David Chavern, the number two at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Fox News hate-talker Glenn Beck also met with these representatives of the corporate elite. In an election season with the most undisclosed secret corporate giving since the Watergate-era, the memo sheds light on the symbiotic relationship between extremely profitable, multi-billion dollar corporations and much of the conservative infrastructure. The memo describes the prospective corporate donors as “investors,” and it makes clear that many of the Republican operatives managing shadowy, undisclosed fronts running attack ads against Democrats were involved in the Koch’s election-planning event:

– Corporate “investors” at the Koch meeting included businesses with a strong profit motive in rolling back President Obama’s enacted reforms. Several companies impacted by health reform, including Allan Hubbard of A & E Industries, a manufacturer of medical devices and Judson Green, a board member of health insurance conglomerate Aon, were present at the meeting. Other businessmen at the meeting, like Omaha Burger King franchiser Mike Simmonds, are owners of fast food stores which have fought efforts to provide health insurance to their employees. Many corporate attendees of the meeting represent the financial industry impacted by Wall Street reform. For instance, attendee Bill Cooper is the CEO of TCF Financial, a corporation involved in the mortgage banking industry. Cooper recently filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Wall Street reform. Other financial industry players in the meeting hail from firms ranging from Bank of America, JLM Investment, Allied Capital Corp, AMG National Trust, the Blackstone Group and Citadel Investment. Annie Dickerson, a representative of Paul Singer, a powerful hedge fund manager who also gives tens of millions to Republican causes, was present. In addition, Koch Industries itself has a hedge fund and other financial derivative products in its portfolio of interests, which include oil pipelines, coal shipping, asphalt, refineries, consumer goods, timber, ranching, and chemicals.

– Corporate “investors” at the Koch meeting included businesses with a strong profit motive in preventing progressive reforms promised by President Obama. Several executives at the meeting have an incentive to stop Democrats and President Obama from addressing climate change and enacting clean energy reform. The meeting included oil executives from Aspect Energy, Murfin Drilling, Anschutz Company, GeoPark Holdings, Smoky Oil, and several members of Koch’s various subsidiaries. The meeting documents explicitly state that funding efforts to curb “climate change alarmism” were discussed.

– Fred Malek, Karl Rove’s top fundraiser for his $56 million attack ad campaign against Democrats, attended the meeting, along with leaders of other secret attack groups. Heather Higgins, who leads the Independent Women’s Forum, a shadowy group that has spent millions of dollars in attack ads on health reform, attended the meeting. So did Gretchen Hamel, a former Bush flak who now runs an attack ad group called “Public Notice,” which denounces spending programs.

– Participants collaborated with infamous consultants who specialize in generating fake grassroots movements, as well as experts on how corporations should take advantage of Citizens United. One session, about how to “mobilize citizens for November,” involved a discussion with Republican strategists Tim Phillips and Sean Noble, anti-union leader Mark Mix, and longtime Koch operative Karl Crow. Phillips — a veteran astroturf lobbyist who previously managed a deceptive grassroots lobbying campaign to help the Hong Kong-based Tan family maintain their forced abortion sweatshops in the Mariana Islands — now leads the day-to-day operations of Americans for Prosperity, the group ThinkProgress first reported to have helped organize many of the initial Tea Party rallies against Obama. Americans for Prosperity, founded and financed by David Koch, has a field team of over 80 campaign staffers spread out around the country, and additionally plans to spend $45 million dollars worth of attack ads against Democrats. Shortly before the planning meeting, Crow authored a campaign finance memo explaining that because of the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, he advised specifically that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s 501(c)(6) and Americans for Prosperity’s 501(c)(4) can “now use general treasury funds to produce communications materials opposing or supporting specific candidates” and corporations can aggressively pressure their employees to vote a certain way.

The memo notes that participants in the 2010 election planning meeting “committed to an unprecedented level of support.”

Interestingly, the Koch meetings are managed by Kevin Gentry, an executive who doubles as a staffer in the Koch Industries lobbying office in Washington and as the key point person who helps deliver Koch charitable foundation grants. As ThinkProgress has documented, Koch Industries has dramatically boosted its own profits by using conservative front groups to manipulate public policy. The fusion between the “intellectual” conservative movement and big businesses opposed to regulations and accountability has a history in America dating back to the New Deal. During the thirties, the Du Pont family and other wealthy interests organized an assortment of “Liberty League” front groups to try to defeat New Deal agenda items and repeal President Roosevelt’s Social Security program. Now, corporations fund groups like the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute — both had representatives at the Koch meeting — to further their lobbying agenda. The American Enterprise Institute even changed its name from the New Deal-era American Enterprise Association to try to dispel the notion that they were nothing more than a glorified business trade association.

As the memo states, Beck has addressed this regular gathering of conservative corporate executives in previous years. Past Koch meetings have included various Republican lawmakers, including DeMint, and Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia as speakers.

After ThinkProgess published its exclusive investigation of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce revealing that the Chamber has been actively fundraising from foreign corporations for its 501(c)(6) account used to run a $75 million attack ad campaign, Chamber lobbyists found common cause with Beck and many of the conservative talking heads. Shortly after our investigation, Beck hosted an on-air fundraiser, asking his audience to give to the Chamber. Casual observers might have been surprised by the Chamber’s swift alliance with Beck (Chamber executives appeared on the Beck radio program and sung Beck’s praises on the Chamber blog), who has compared Obama to Adolf Hitler and called the President a “racist” who has a “deep-seated hatred for white people.” By telling his listeners to give money to the Chamber, Beck, who owns a media company worth more than $32 million dollars and an experimental Mercedes Benz, essentially told his working class viewers to give their wages back to their employers. However, Beck never disclosed his long working history of discussing political strategy with America’s largest corporations. The Koch memo clearly shows that Beck has been collaborating with the Chamber, as well as other titans of industry, for years. In his latest appeal for support to the Chamber’s foreign-funded trade association, which already counts JP Morgan and ExxonMobil as dues-paying members, Beck yesterday told his audience that the Chamber simply “defends the little guy.”

Click below to view a letter inviting corporate executives to attend the next Koch meeting in January, along with a list of the sessions held by Koch for the last meeting in June of 2010. An attendee list of the June, 2010 meeting is attached at the bottom of the document:

Koch meeting draws protests

By: Kenneth P. Vogel

January 30, 2011 11:06 PM EDT

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Inside the walled-off resort where the billionaire Koch brothers convened their annual conference of major conservative donors, Washington Examiner columnist Tim Carney on Sunday gave a speech about the corrosive impact of “corporate welfare and bailouts, and the destructive influence of the Big Business lobby in Washington.”

Outside, though, hundreds of protesters accused David and Charles Koch and their assembled donors of being poster children for that very problem by funneling huge – and mostly undisclosed – donations into front groups pushing a political agenda intended to boost their profits at the expense of average Americans.

As participants in the invitation-only conference watched from behind a heavily guarded gate, protestors  pressed towards sheriff’s deputies guarding the entrance, waving signsreading “Koch Kills” and “Uncloak the Kochs,” and chanting “David and Charles Koch: Your corporate greed is making us broke.”

The Riverside County Sheriff’s department pegged the protest at between 800 and 1,000 people (though organizers claimed it was twice that) and said they arrested 25 protestors. They were primarily associated with the liberal activist groups Code Pink and Ruckus Society, which had planned the protests and negotiated the arrests  ahead of time with authorities, while the Federal Aviation Administration restricted air traffic over the resort - a couple days after the environmental activist group over this tony suburb of Palm Springs that was emblazoned with styliz Greenpeace flew a blimped portraits of David and Charles Koch bracketing the words “Koch Brothers; Dirty Money.”

Conservative provocateur and media entrepreneur Andrew Breitbart – who had spoken to last year’s conference but did not attend this weekend’s – rollerbladed through Sunday’s crowd of protesters, gleefully provoking arguments and hecklers.

“This is a protest against capitalism, against libertarianism, against the free market,” Breitbart asserted, calling the Koch conference goers “good and decent people … who create jobs.”

Through their oil and chemical company Koch Industries, the Koch brothers have been holding the conferences twice a year since 2003, with the winter meetings typically in the Palm Springs area, and the summer meetings in Colorado. But this was the first year the meeting attracted the attention of protesters – or really anyone at all, beyond the attendees.

The meetings bring together roughly 200 conservative business titans and dignitaries hand-picked by the Koch brothers to discuss the conservative movement and allocate millions of dollars in contributions to Koch-linked non-profit groups. Those who attend are warned not to mention the meetings publicly, and every previous meeting went off without a word in the press.

But in recent months, the Koch brothers have been on the receiving end of a blitz of intense scrutiny for their role in helping start and fund some of the deepest-pocketed groups involved in organizing the tea party movement, such as Americans for Prosperity, and for steering cash toward efforts to target President Barack Obama, his health-care overhaul, and congressional Democrats in the run-up to the 2010 election.

And liberal watchdog groups led by Common Cause pounced on the Rancho Mirage meeting as a chance to highlight the flow of corporate money into politics, after the leak of a letter from Charles Koch inviting potential participants to the meeting, which he wrote would “develop strategies to counter the most severe threats facing our free society and outline a vision of how we can foster a renewal of American free enterprise and prosperity.”

Despite the publicity, the conference drew a slew of prominent politicians and conservative donors, including House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Home Depot lead investor Ken Langone, former Attorney General Ed Meese, Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips, long-shot GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain and former Jack Abramoff associate and Bush appointee Patrick Pizzella. Other big donors, including retired Sysco chief John Woodhouse and Amway founder Rich DeVos, were expected to attend, as well.

The luxury resort was closed to everyone except Koch conference-goers and those attending a meeting of federal judges from the Ninth Circuit, who coincidentally had scheduled their gathering for the same hotel, and who were expected to bring a significant security presence as well.

Various media outlets ran items previewing the Koch conference. Yet the conference itself attracted relatively little national media, with some television news sources explaining that the organizers’ barring the press made it difficult to cover, and also citing the saturation coverage of the unrest in Egypt, as diminishing the bandwidth for stories on a secretive conservative donor conference.

NBC News was the only network to send a national camera crew, and its mission was at least partly to get footage to air Monday on the “Rachel Maddow Show,” whose host has repeatedly criticized the Kochs, suggesting they control the tea party and use it for their own interests.

Tea Party activists “were essentially instructed to rally against things like climate change legislation by” the Kochs, Maddow said last year, asserting the brothers use “dad’s money” to fund political groups that pursue an agenda “that is hard-core ideological, hard-core conservative” and also serves their bottom line.

Russia Today, a state-funded channel that airs English language programming on cable providers in major American markets, also was on the scene Sunday, shooting footage of the protests and an earlier Common Cause panel for an expose on corporate influence in government.

That was the narrative offered by speakers at the protest at a Sunday morning Common Cause event in a nearby movie theater, including activist Jim Hightower and former Obama administration official Van Jones.

The Kochs are “only interested in their own gain, only interested in their own profit,” charged Jones, “and we are here to put a stop to that kind of treachery against our country … We will not live on an economic plantation run by the Koch brothers. We will not do that. We refuse to do that.”

Hightower asserted the Kochs “are out to supplant our democracy with their plutocracy” and said “this is about the very soul of America.”

Outside the resort gate, Sophie Korn, a 24-year old teacher who had yelled “arrest Breitbart” at the conservative provocateur, said she drove the two hours from her Los Angeles home to join the protest because the Kochs “are one of the biggest funders of climate change denial and it makes me sick that they’re able to use their private wealth to corrupt our democracy.”

Korn is affiliated with the Ruckus Society, which was selling T-shirts depicting David and Charles Koch as two-headed “Kochtopus,” its tentacled arms grasping bags of cash, with the proceeds going to bail out their arrested comrades. But she said “the goal today is not to get a lot of people arrested. It’s to bring attention to the corrosive corporate power that’s had some serious consequences on the well being of Americans.”

Carney, who was introduced at the conference by Charles Koch, said his speech, which was closed to the press like the rest of the conference, cautioned the corporate titans at the Koch conference against lobbying the government for special treatment, and instead urged them to support policies that would create an even-playing field on which the free market could play out.

"You can’t tell whether they’re listening to you and watching or glaring at you,” he said after his talk, though he added that “a couple people told me they appreciated what I was saying.”

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