Charles Koch’s political operation had a rough year. Despite the billionaire’s huge investments in Americans for Prosperity, his political and advocacy organization, and its super PAC, AFP Action, scored few electoral gains in the midterms and suffered major legislative defeats in Congress.
Featured Investigations
CMD Launches Insurrection Exposed Website
New resource provides more than 250 profiles of the politicians, leaders, and dark money groups that orchestrated the Jan. 6 insurrection and are laying the groundwork to subvert future elections.
ALEC Has Half the Legislative Members It Claims
The American Legislative Exchange Council grossly overstates the number of state lawmakers who are members of the organization, internal documents obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy show.
ALEC Lawmakers and Corporate Lobbyists Meet in D.C. to Debate Rewriting the Constitution, Punishing Socially Responsible Businesses, and Protecting Misinformation
The American Legislative Exchange Council meets this week in Washington, D.C., for its annual States and Nation Policy Summit at the four-star Grand Hyatt Washington, where rewriting the U.S. Constitution, “woke” capitalism, and protecting hate speech and misinformation are at the top of the agenda.
Charles Koch Distributes $82 Million to 140 Colleges and Universities
Billionaire Charles Koch’s personal foundation disclosed $81.7 million in grants to 140 colleges and universities in its 2021 IRS filing.
“Dark Money ATM” Injected Right-Wing Groups with $123 Million in 2021
DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund, the favorite donor conduits of the Koch political network, distributed $123 million in grants in 2021 to right-wing advocacy groups, litigation centers, media outlets, climate deniers, extremists, pro-gun groups, and other tax-exempt organizations that make up America’s right-wing infrastructure, the latest tax filings from both groups detail.
ALEC Eyes Sweeping Government Blacklists
The American Legislative Exchange Council has quietly uploaded a sweeping model bill to its website that would require states to blacklist companies that consider anything other than maximizing profits when making business decisions.
Koch Group Fails to Stop Medicaid Expansion Amendment in South Dakota
Americans for Prosperity, the right-wing astroturf operation backed by billionaire Charles Koch, suffered a defeat in South Dakota on Tuesday when 56% of voters approved a constitutional amendment to expand the state’s Medicaid program.
Dispatches From the COP27 Climate Talks in Egypt
CMD guest contributor Alex Carlin reports on his observations at the United Nations climate conference.
New Documents Show ALEC Targeting School Board and Other Local Races
Recent documents acquired by the Center for Media and Democracy reveal a new initiative targeting local politicians–especially school board candidates–with right-wing messaging, policies, and financial resources.