Koch network to spend $400 million during 2018 midterm election cycle

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill




BY JONATHAN EASLEY - 01/27/18 06:49 PM EST

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – The network of groups affiliated with billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch will spend more than $400 million on conservative causes and candidates in the 2018 midterm election cycle.

Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips said Saturday that the investment would be the network’s largest election-cycle investment ever – 60 percent greater than the 2016 presidential cycle - as Republicans seek to protect majorities in the House and Senate against stiff political winds.

The network notably stayed out of the 2016 presidential contest between President Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, although it spent heavily on Republican candidates and conservative causes.

Some of the $400 million for 2018 will be spent on electing GOP candidates. The network also plans to spend heavily promoting tax reform and other achievements of the GOP-controlled government, including Veterans Affairs reforms and Trump’s conservative judicial picks.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/371069-koch-network-to-spend-400-million-during-2018-midterm-election-cycle

[BigmanPigman]

1. This will make any "blue wave" into a "blue ripple"

as far as campaign financing goes. This is why we have to run for office and support any Dem who does by hitting the sidewalks, knocking on doors, calling on phones and donating in small amounts. We can not afford to get overly confident. This will be a hard fight.

[bronxiteforever]

2. A Country for sale & the Oligarchs Koch are buying it.

[bluestarone]

3. so sad that SOME people just

let these rich fuckers BUY WHATEVER THEY WANT

[BumRushDaShow]

4. I hope it becomes a waste of money.

GOTV!

[CurtEastPoint]

8. As do I. Again and again until those fuckers are dead and broke. And their heirs, too.

[Hortensis]

5. And far more indirectly. The Kochs' secret alliance

is made up of probably over 1000 politically active centimillionaire and billionaire donors or donor households. Over 700 joined when Obama was elected to organize to defeat that scary threat.

[enough]

6. Citizens United under an infinite mudslide of money. NT

[TwistOneUp]

7. They should have said...

> Charles and David Koch will spend

They should have said "throw away", not spend. After all the lying and the firings, no amount of P/R will help the GOP.

But I'm happy to hear the Kochs are throwing their money away!

[stuffmatters]

9. How much of the Koch Propagabnda Machine Dark $ comes from Russia?

Both the Kochs and Putin fundamentally against our democracy. Both "economies" dirty energy $ dependent. Both thrive in secrecy and self serving lies to promulgate their ideology.
I suspect the NRA funding from Russia is just the tip of the iceberg of the bottomless Russian slush into the RW Propaganda Infrastructure.("academic", religious, political,judicial)

[olddad56]

13. I have suspected for a long time that the Koch Bros were using dirty Russian money.

[SWBTATTReg]

10. Disgusting...

And by what means that the SCOTUS approved this hypocrisy of allowing such Citizens United into our elections like this? This is a sham, all it is, a pure sham to buy the elections of the US, and our votes become less or diminished or devalued. How is this right? How is this possibly constitutional? How?

[JDC]

11. Legalized bribery. We must get money out of politics

[Corgigal]

12. Veterans affairs reforms?

Become a veteran first, rich assholes.

No, I won't wait.

[SergeStorms]

14. That's only a fraction....

of the money they'll be getting back from the government through Trump and GOP's tax scam. A small fraction at that. I'd estimate 10-15%. So far Trump and the Republican Congress are doing everything the Kochs (pronounced COCKS!) paid for. The best government money can buy, at least for right-wing fascists.

[rockfordfile]

15. This is the kind of thing that is a threat to Democracy in our country.

[Initech]

16. Who needs Al Qaeda when you have the Heritage Foundation?