Koch Brothers Donations & GOP Politics: Pair Launches PAC, Plans to Spend $290M to Fund Republican Platforms
In the buildup to the 2014 and 2016 elections, the Koch brothers have launched a new super PAC that aims to spend almost $300 million to support the Republican Party.
During a private gathering of major donors at a beach resort in Southern California on Monday, the political operation spearheaded by the Koch brothers unveiled the new super PAC, the Freedom Partners Action Fund, Politico reported.
The new group, which aims to spend more than $15 million on November's midterm elections, is part of a larger spending initiative expected to reach $290 million.
The billionaire industrialist brothers, Charles and David Koch, are known for their vast network of political nonprofit groups, which have funneled unprecedented amounts of money into issue-based political campaigns that bash Democrats and big government, rather than outwardly asking voters to support GOP candidates.
However, that will all change with the Freedom Partners Action Fund, said Marc Short, the president of Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, a powerful arm in the Koch network that will operate in association with the new super PAC.
Part of the initiative will capitalize on the controversy surrounding the recent Veterans Affairs scandal and increase outreach to veterans. The effort will also target Latinos and young voters.
According to MSNBC, the billionaire brothers created the new super PAC because it will allow them to make contributions to nonprofit groups, which are tax-exempt and shielded from public scrutiny, since contributions to nonprofits do not need to be disclosed.
Plus, by financing a super PAC, the Koch brothers can more freely and explicitly back like-minded Republicans while allocating more spending to actual campaign activities.
On the other hand, the Kochs don't seem to mind that they will also have to disclose more information to the FEC and that they will be obligated to disclose super PAC donors.
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