Investigating Power
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may claim he will be “the best environmental president in American history,” but the Republican industrialist bankrolling the super PAC behind his longshot bid for the White House has a long history of violating environmental laws.
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is using his efforts to curtail ESG investing in his bid for the GOP nomination for governor, which will be determined through the Republican primary on August 6.
In December, the Dutch chemical company OCI Global announced plans to sell its nitrogen fertilizer operation in Wever, Iowa to Koch Ag & Energy Solutions, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, for $3.6 billion.
Georgia-Pacific, announced on September 18 that it would shutter its cellulose factory, known as the Foley mill. The company claimed that the closing had been planned before Hurricane Idalia—for “strategic” reasons—and did not reflect “the hard work and effort of the Foley team.”
The State Financial Officers Foundation, a membership group of 37 Republican state treasurers, auditors, and financial executives weaponized to fight “woke” capitalism, more than doubled its revenue in 2022 — to over $2 million — according to its latest IRS filing obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy.
In 2022, Stand Together Trust and Stand Together Chamber of Commerce contributed over $176 million to groups in Charles Koch’s “Stand Together” constellation of nonprofits as well as to higher education and right-wing policy, advocacy, litigation and media groups, the Center for Media and Democracy has found.
The Milwaukee-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and its “aligned” donor advised fund funneled a total of $86.4 million to right-wing litigation outlets, national and state policy groups, media outlets, youth groups, and higher education in 2022, according to an analysis of its most recent IRS filings obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy.
State lawmakers, corporate lobbyists, and right-wing operatives got together in Scottsdale, Arizona last week for the 2023 States and Nation Policy Summit hosted by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The summit — one of the largest annual gatherings of the ALEC faithful, along with the summer meeting — caps off ALEC’s 50th anniversary year.
CMD guest contributor Alex Carlin reports on his observations at the United Nations climate conference.
On October 11, St. James Parish in Louisiana approved giving Koch Industries an 80% property tax break on a $150-million expansion of its local methanol plant, which will save the company $5.9 million over the next decade.