Hailing from Wichita, Kansas, Charles and David KOCH - two of the wealthiest businessmen in the world - had a net worth of approximately $99 billion in 2016 and are among the largest contributors to Conservative and Tea Party candidates through their various political organizations. In 2010, the KOCH's, through Citizens United, succeeded in getting the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the bipartisan McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law, signed by President George W Bush in 2002, limiting how much money corporate and special interest groups could give to political campaigns.
Arguing that the law violated their 1st Amendment Right to Free Speech, the Court agreed and ended the limits on corporate and union political spending limits that had existed for decades. They could also now spend unlimited amounts of money on judicial elections, as well. The KOCH's are also major players in the push for a Title V Amendment Convention. Their personal and business wealth is separate from what their PACs raise and spend.
Why the KOCH's don't have to disclose their worth or their political donations
Investopedia cites that because Koch Industries is a private company or a conglomerate of companies, the brothers are not required to publish the same financial information as publically traded companies.
Their top businesses and the ones with the greatest revenue are Flint Hills Resources, KOCH Pipeline, KOCH AG-Energy Solutions, Georgia-Pacific that makes Quilted Northern tissue, Brawny paper towels, and Dixie cups, and construction products, Guardian Industries, Invista, and Molex. And those are only the top seven out of nearly two dozen businesses in the U.S.
and worldwide. With the majority of the KOCH's fundraising done through their nonprofits organized under Section 501(c)(4) of the tax code as promoting 'social welfare', they are exempt from having to name their individual, political, and corporate donors or how much is donated.
Citizens United accused the IRS of targeting Conservative Religious and non-profit political organizations several years ago which helped get more Conservative Senators elected.
A recent Center for Public Integrity analysis found evidence that the IRS, suffering from crippling budget cuts rarely audited nonprofits engaged in the excessive political activity, regardless of what the KOCHs said.
Names of KOCH political organizations
The brothers created additional PACs with each one targeting different groups of voters, not to mention the Koch Industries political lobbying arm the Public Sector LLC. With many voters unaware of groups like the 60+ Association, American Commitment, Americans for Prosperity, and the Freedom Partners, the KOCH brothers can more easily influence state and federal elections without appearing to do so. The groups are famous for Attack Ads that lie about moderate candidates and Liberals while promoting Tea Party and Conservative candidates.
They and other corporate billionaires are behind Trump's executive orders and Conservative-led legislation to cut EPA and other regulations, merge or cut government agencies, give states more control over the lives of their citizens, and preparations for re-writing the tax code to benefit corporations supporting supply-side economics. ALEC has also been accused of voter suppression.
What KOCH Super PACS spent on the 2016 election and what they will spend for 2018
The KOCH PACS spent nearly a billion dollars on the 2016 elections and the Charles KOCH Foundation was also a major sponsor of the 2017 Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to the Majority Conference held on June 8th through June 10th.
Officials from the KOCH network known as the Freedom Partners signaled they may spend up to $300-$400 million in 2017-2018 to shape public and government policy, and maybe even more on the campaigns of Conservatives hoping to unseat (D) Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Progressive Bernie Sanders, Democrat Chuch Schumer, and other Democrats up for re-election. Although the KOCH's contributed very little overall on the Trump Campaign and none on Hillary Clinton, they were pleased by the increase in the number of Conservatives in the U.S. Senate and Congress thanks to their PACs and other donors. But until Democrats and Progressives can find a way to work together and get more moderates and leftists elected to the U.S. Congress and Senate or help current members retain their seats, Dark money will continue to erode our Democracy.
