Open in TheBrain

freedomworks for Am

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">sparked by&nbsp;</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[[<span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">oppo research:</span></font><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">The group,&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_Rising" title="America Rising" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">America Rising</a>&nbsp;<b>LLC,</b>&nbsp;was launched in 2013 by Rhoades,<sup id="cite_ref-:4_12-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Rhoades#cite_note-:4-12" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[12]</a></sup>&nbsp;former RNC spokesman Tim Miller and former RNC research director Joe Pounder.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Rhoades#cite_note-13" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[13]</a></sup>&nbsp;It was established as the Republican counterpart to the Democratic opposition research group,&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bridge_21st_Century" title="American Bridge 21st Century" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">American Bridge 21st Century</a>.</span><sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Rhoades#cite_note-14" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[14]</a></sup>&nbsp;The group is not only focused on opposition research but also engages in rapid response communications<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Rhoades#cite_note-15" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[15]</a></sup>&nbsp;and sending<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;video trackers.</span><sup id="cite_ref-:4_12-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Rhoades#cite_note-:4-12" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">[12</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">]</span></a></sup><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">&nbsp;In 2014, America Rising helped derail Iowa Democratic candidate&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Braley" title="Bruce Braley" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Bruce Braley's</a>&nbsp;Senate bid by releasing a clip of the Democrat caught disparaging Iowa farmers and Senator&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Grassley" title="Chuck Grassley" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Chuck Grassley</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Rhoades#cite_note-16" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[16]</a>&nbsp;[<b>VIDEO TRACKER?]</b></sup></span></font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><div><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></span></div><div><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">sched f neutralized public sector unions?&nbsp; note the bill does the opposite of what roy says it does; also thugswarm of action BS orgs c4??</font></span></div><div><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><p class="yiv2480537194headline3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p class="yiv2480537194headline3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">an 7 22</p><p><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Rep. Chip Roy's introduction Friday of a bill to make federal bureaucratic personnel at-will employees further stoked fears that marginalized workers will suffer discriminatory firings under a future Republican administration or even GOP-controlled Congress.</font></p><p><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The&nbsp;<a href="https://roy.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/roy.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/Roy%20Public%20Service%20Reform%20Act%20Text%20-%20FINAL.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">Public Service Reform Act</a>&nbsp;"will empower federal agencies to swiftly address misconduct and remove underperforming or ill-willed employees, creating a federal workforce focused on service to the American people," Roy (R-Texas)&nbsp;<a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-roy-introduces-bill-make-all-federal-bureaucrats-will" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">said</a>&nbsp;in a statement.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The bill "would make all federal bureaucrats at-will employees—just like private sector workers—and claw back the inordinate protections some federal employees grossly abuse," he added.</p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>The proposed legislation comes a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/07/22/authoritarianism-101-trump-plot-purge-civil-servants-if-reelected-draws-alarm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">reports</a>&nbsp;that aides to former President Donald Trump are working to revive a plan to reclassify federal civil service personnel who worked under both Democratic and Republican administrations as at-will workers subject to easier termination.</b></p><p><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Don Kettl, professor emeritus and former dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy,&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2022/07/republican-bill-would-make-feds-at-will-employees-and-chill-whistleblowing/375138/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">told</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;</span><em style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Government Executive</em><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;that "this is obviously a huge and major change, an effort to gear up a major assault on the federal employment system" that "</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">is being helped and aided unquestionably by a set of groups like</span><b style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;America First Works, Heritage Action for America, </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">FreedomWorks,</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> and Citizens for Renewing America</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">, who have endorsed the bill."</span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"Much of the debate has largely been about if Trump is reelected," he added, "but what this makes clear is the efforts to try to change the civil service aren't just Trump necessarily, and if Republicans take control of Congress following the midterms, this may very well go from idea to specific action."</p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">According to&nbsp;Government Executive:</p><blockquote style="margin: 1em 40px 1em -5px; border-left: 4px solid rgb(11, 13, 101); line-height: 32px; padding: 10px 20px 10px 24px; width: 602.542px; background: rgb(245, 245, 245);">Although the bill stands nearly zero chance of passing in the current Congress, experts say that it, combined with recent news that conservative political operatives with Trump's endorsement have devised plans to reviv<b>e Schedule F</b>, a proposal to strip the civil service protections from tens of thousands of federal employees in "policy-related" positions, indicates the civil service system as we have known it for the last 150 years will be under attack under the next Republican administration.
</blockquote><p><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Although Roy says his bill "will provide justice to federal employees who are victims of discrimination or whistleblower retaliation," Kettl warned that the measure "dramatically limits the amount of whistleblowing activity that's possible," noting that "it creates a disincentive to blow the whistle because your retirement benefits could be reduced."</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"When you put it together," he added, "it's a very big deal" and "would dramatically change the incentives for individuals who are being dismissed because of whistleblowing."</p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Author and transgender activist Brynn Tannehill worries that, should at-will employment become reality, "a purge of trans people from federal service" would follow a return of Trump or another Republican president to the White House.</p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Commenting on the&nbsp;<a href="https://48hills.org/2022/07/da-begins-mass-firings/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">mass firing&nbsp;</a>of progressive staffers by San Francisco's new tougher-on-crime district attorney following Chesa Boudin's recall, socialist organizer Julian LaRosa&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/J_LaRosa415/status/1549909357436882944" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">recently argued</a>&nbsp;for a codified employment termination standard similar to the one realized in the limited laws that labor activists led by Local 32BJ of the<b>&nbsp;Service Employees International Union&nbsp;</b><a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/just-cause-firing-bill-philadelphia-parking-lot-workers-seiu-32bj-20190516.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">helped enact&nbsp;</a>in Philadelphia and New York.</p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"Can we just get universal just cause in the workplace already?" he asked.</p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Testifying before New York City Council members in support of that city's 2021 just-cause law, former Chipotle worker Melanie Walker&nbsp;<a href="https://prospect.org/labor/firing-workers-on-the-boss-whim-new-york-just-cause-law/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">said</a>&nbsp;she was suddenly fired by her manager one day for not smiling, even though there were no customers in the store.</p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"Everyone who's working needs to have some type of stability in your life," she said. "You should be able to go to work without thinking you have to be on eggshells all day, thinking that you can be fired at any moment for any cause."</p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"I'm loyal to you as a worker and you should be loyal to me," Walker added. "People still have to feed their families."</p><div>=</div><div>ref july 2022</div><div><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/07/22/authoritarianism-101-trump-plot-purge-civil-servants-if-reelected-draws-alarm">https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/07/22/authoritarianism-101-trump-plot-purge-civil-servants-if-reelected-draws-alarm</a></div><div>
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</div><div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 800;">Government watchdogs on Friday</span>&nbsp;warned that a plan by former President Donald Trump to drastically remake the federal workforce should he win the presidency in 2024 would "utterly destroy" public service in the United States.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">As&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Axios</em>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/07/22/trump-2025-radical-plan-second-term" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(19, 128, 232); background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: 700;">reported</a>&nbsp;Friday, central to Trump's plans for a second term is the reinstatement of his executive order known as "Schedule F," which established a new category of federal employees.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Under the executive order, which Trump signed just days before losing the 2020 election, thousands of federal workers who have served under presidents from both major political parties could be reclassified as "Schedule F" employees, eliminating their employment protections.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Trump could purge as many as 50,000 members of the nonpartisan workforce who he deems to have influence over policy decisions, leaving them with no recourse, and fill their jobs with "loyalists to him and his 'America First' ideology," according to sources who spoke to<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">&nbsp;Axios.</em></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Max Berger of pro-labor media organization&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">More Perfect Union</em>&nbsp;suggested Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis would also be likely to reinstate Schedule F—which was quickly rescinded by President Joe Biden in January 2021—if he runs for president and wins.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The executive order amounts to "authoritarianism 101," Berger tweeted.</p><div class="tweet
field-media-twitter" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px auto; width: 550px; max-width: 550px; display: flex;">[twt]&nbsp;</div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Schedule F "would effectively upend the modern civil service, triggering a shock wave across the bureaucracy," wrote Jonathan Swan at&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Axios</em>. "The next president might then move to gut those pro-Trump ranks—and face the question of whether to replace them with her or his own loyalists, or revert to a traditional bureaucracy. Such pendulum swings and politicization could threaten the continuity and quality of service to taxpayers, the regulatory protections, the checks on executive power, and other aspects of American democracy."</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65);"><b style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The plan would go "beyond 'deconstructing the administrative state,'"&nbsp;</span><a href="https://twitter.com/goodregs/status/1550493493298069513" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(19, 128, 232); text-decoration-line: none;">said&nbsp;</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">the</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> Coalition for Sensible Safeguards</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, which advocates for regulatory protections for the economic system, public health, and other sectors. "It's a plan to utterly destroy it."</span></b></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">While pushing to reinstate Schedule F should he take office again, Swan reported, "Trump has reduced his circle of advisers and expunged nearly every former aide who refused to embrace his view that the 2020 election was 'stolen'"—suggesting he is likely to seek out government employees who share that view.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Although Biden rescinded Trump's order, U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) has remained concerned that Schedule F will be reintroduced in 2025 under a Republican administration. He authored an amendment to the defense spending bill that would prevent "any position in the competitive service from being reclassified to an excepted service schedule that was created after September 30, 2020, and limits federal employee reclassifications."</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>The House passed Connolly's amendment on July 14 in a 215-201 vote, but Republicans in the Senate plan to block its passage,</b>&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Axios</em>&nbsp;reported.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"Congress [must] codify protections against this evil plan to place political allies of Trump throughout the government,"<a href="https://twitter.com/FPWellman/status/1550495056028749824" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(19, 128, 232); background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: 700;">&nbsp;said&nbsp;</a>Fred Wellman, host of the podcast&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">On Democracy.</em>&nbsp;"Do not underestimate the destruction this will cause."</p><div class="tweetfield-media-twitter" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px auto; width: 550px; max-width: 550px; display: flex;">[twt]&nbsp;</div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Walter Shaub, senior ethics fellow at the Project on Government Oversight, called on the White House to go beyond simply halting Trump's executive order and work with Congress to ensure legislation is passed protecting federal employees regardless of their political beliefs.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"Administration officials are aware of the issue," said Shaub. "But as with every other needed democracy reform, this administration has time and again proven it is not up to this crucial moment in history."</p><div class="tweet__field-media-twitter" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(64, 65, 65); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px auto; width: 550px; max-width: 550px; display: flex;" /></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">[twt]</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> the reinstatement of Schedule F would result in a "reckless, lawless administration,"&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/donmoyn/status/1550498465955938306" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(19, 128, 232); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: 700;">said&nbsp;</a>Georgetown University professor Don Moynihan.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(64, 65, 65);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">"How bad could Schedule F be? The people planning to use it to take control of the executive branch have shown themselves comfortable with breaking the law in ways that undermine American democracy," said Moynihan, pointing to Trump ally Jeffrey Clark, an attorney who is being<a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/07/22/trump-2025-radical-plan-second-term" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(19, 128, 232); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: 700;">&nbsp;investigated</a>&nbsp;by the FBI and Congress and who the former president wanted to install as attorney general.</span></p></div></span></div><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">dark $ thugswarm</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Iowa state Senator Joni Ernst&nbsp;<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1304519/jodi-ernst-alec-membership-financial-disclosure.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">paid for ALEC membership with campaign funds</a>, and her&nbsp;<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2014/09/joni-ernst-republican-iowa-senate-alec" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ALEC ties became an issue</a>&nbsp;in her race against Democratic&nbsp;<b>U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley&nbsp;</b>for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Tom Harkin (D), according to&nbsp;<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Mother Jones</em>. Ernst, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2014/05/joni-ernst-from-iowa-underdog-to-favorite-of-outside-spenders/&sa=U&ei=zgJZVMiBE42BygSkvYLgDA&ved=0CAcQFjAB&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNG-8If3kQu5yHcaIGVI40w3-DT7vQ" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">underdog</a>&nbsp;early in the crowded Republican primary, soon became the darling of outside spending groups, maintaining a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/races/indexp.php?cycle=2014&id=IAS2&spec=N" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">$12 million lead in outside spending</a>&nbsp;over Braley into the final weeks of the race, according to CRP. This Senate campaign joined North Carolina's and Colorado's in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/overview/topraces.php?cycle=2014&display=allcandsout" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">top three</a>biggest spending in the country. Earnst won the election with&nbsp;<a href="http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/2014/11/04/joni-ernst-wins-iowa-us-senate-seat/18490851/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">52% of the vote</a>.</font></p><p style="margin: 1em 0px; border: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 22.4px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">Spending supporting Ernst or attacking Braley came from the Koch-tied 60 Plus Association,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Future_Fund" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">American Future Fund</a><span style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Freedom_Partners#Freedom_Partners_Action_Fund" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Freedom Partners Action Fund</a><span style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Freedomworks#Affiliated_Organizations" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Freedomworks for America</a><span style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/NFIB#Ties_to_the_Koch_Brothers" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">National Federation of Independent Business</a><span style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">, and&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tea_Party_Patriots" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund</a><span style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">; the ALEC member&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Chemistry_Council" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">American Chemistry Council</a><span style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">; Karl Rove's Super PAC&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Crossroads" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">American Crossroads</a><span style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">&nbsp;and 501(c)(4)&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Crossroads_GPS" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Crossroads GPS</a><span style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">; the Tea Party-affiliated&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Majority_Action" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">American Majority Action</a><span style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">; the Koch-founded and -funded (and ALEC-tied)&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Prosperity" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Americans for Prosperity</a><span style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">; the&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.Chamber_of_Commerce" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">U.S. Chamber of Commerce</a><span style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">, and more. (In a race that&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/opinion/sunday/frank-bruni-the-pitiful-whimper-of-2014.html?r=0" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">consistently skirted serious issues</a><span style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">, the Chamber's ad attacking Braley featured a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://twitter.com/RobEngstrom/status/524975648914169856" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">chicken dance</a><span style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">.)</span></font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">- See more at: http://www.prwatch.org/node/12654#sthash.DkN3oZ13.dpuf]]</font></span></p><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">FreedomWorks lists the following related organizations in its tax filings:<sup id="cite_ref-2012_990_64-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=FreedomWorks#cite_note-2012_990-64" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[64]</a></sup></font></p><ul style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%225%22" height="%2213%22%3E" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="%222.5%22" cy="%229%22" r="%222.5%22" fill="%22%23222%22/%3E" c="C" e="E" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data"><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FreedomWorks Foundation (501(c)(3))</font></li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FreedomWorks PAC (527 PAC)</font></li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The FreedomWorks Fund (527 PAC, dormant)</font></li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CSE FreedomWorks Inc. (501(c)(4), dormant)</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">FreedomWorks for America (527 PAC)</font></li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Citizens for a Sound Economy Inc. (dormant)</font></li></ul><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">In previous years, related organizations have included:<sup id="cite_ref-2008_990_67-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=FreedomWorks#cite_note-2008_990-67" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[67]</a></sup></font></p><ul style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%225%22" height="%2213%22%3E" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="%222.5%22" cy="%229%22" r="%222.5%22" fill="%22%23222%22/%3E" c="C" e="E" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Oregon FreedomWorks PAC</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Taxpayer_Defense_Fund&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Taxpayer Defense Fund (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Taxpayer Defense Fund</font></a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Citizens_for_PERS_Reform&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Citizens for PERS Reform (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Citizens for PERS Reform</font></a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Judicial_Integrity_Coalition&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Judicial Integrity Coalition (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Judicial Integrity Coalition</a>&nbsp;PAC</font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=League_of_Freedom_Voters&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="League of Freedom Voters (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">League of Freedom Voters</font></a></li></ul></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div></div>