Investigating Power
Democracy, Economy, Environment, Extremism, SFOF
Another leading element in the anti-ESG movement that has recently come to light is the nonprofit organization State Financial Officers Foundation. The group reportedly claims that it is not involved in advocating for elected officials. However, its financial “team” is staffed exclusively with Republicans, many of whom hold elected office, according to research by David […]
Climate, Economy, Environment, Koch, SPN
Fossil fuels, in turn, give TPPF a lot of support. Like many SPN affiliates, TPPF’s largest known donor is Charles Koch. The fossil fuel billionaire has given at least $7.6 million to TPPF, including a $1.3 million donation in 2020 and a $1.5 million donationin 2019. TPPF has also received money from ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, […]
ALEC, Climate, Democracy, Environment, SFOF
Among the groups that stand to benefit the most from the ESG attacks is the oil and gas industry, says David Armiak, research director at the Center for Media and Democracy, a nonprofit watchdog in Madison, Wisconsin. “Laws protecting the fossil-fuel industry will ensure their businesses won’t be negatively impacted by Wall Street’s climate measures,” […]
Climate, Economy, Environment, Koch
“Who was it, and what did they buy?” Whitehouse asked. “Let me make a guess: the money was fossil fuel-related, and will buy continued Republican obstruction of obviously necessary climate measures. That’s the pattern.” Whitehouse’s guess may not be far off, given DonorsTrust’s record. The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) points out that the Koch network, a […]
Climate, Economy, Environment, SFOF
However, according to the Centre for Media and Democracy (CMD), four representatives of Federated Hermes had signed up to attend SFOF’s Fall National Meeting in Washington, DC, along with one employee from JPMorgan and another from Wells Fargo. Federated Hermes had not responded to a request for comment at publication time. JPMorgan and Wells Fargo […]
The Center for Media and Democracy has written about ALEC and presents a different view. It states that “ALEC is not a lobby; it is not a front group. It is much more powerful than that.” [emphasis in original] “Secretive meetings” of “corporate lobbyists and state legislators” work to craft “‘model bills’ to change our […]
“ALEC Eyes Sweeping Government Blacklists” (The Center for Media and Democracy)
Campaign Finance, Democracy, Koch
No billionaire has done more to exploit the political manipulation of rich people-friendly not-for-profits than Charles Koch, a deep pocket who, the Center for Media and Democracy notes, “controls a multibillion-dollar fleet of nonprofits that he and other wealthy business people have built into a massive influence machine over the past 20 years.” In the […]
ALEC, Climate, Democracy, Economy, Environment, SFOF
“Republican State Financial Officers Bring ESG Fight to Washington” (The Center for Media and Democracy)
To this day, it’s unclear who funds the magazine—although, according to the Center for Media and Democracy’s Alex Kotch, 2019 tax returns reveal that at least some of its money comes from shipping supply billionaire and Republican mega-donor Richard Uihlein, and some from the Koch-linked DonorsTrust, which has been dubbed the “dark money ATM” of […]