Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Koch brothers convene donor retreat as dark money spending set to soar
Source: The Guardian
Koch brothers convene donor retreat as dark money spending set to soar
Billionaire Republican backers host retreat with other super-rich conservatives as
secret donations are forecast to break records in the 2016 election
Peter Stone
Friday 29 January 2016 19.31 GMT
The billionaire Koch brothers are set to convene one of their famed retreats this weekend for several hundred of their fellow super-rich conservatives in Palm Springs, California, as observers forecast a record year for secret donations, dubbed dark money, to Koch-backed groups and other outfits from the NRA to the League of Conservation Voters.
“Given the trends we’re seeing, we wouldn’t be surprised if dark money spent on direct advocacy [in the US 2016 election] hit half a billion dollars,” said Viveca Novak, the editorial director of the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. “Spending by these groups in the 2016 cycle is way ahead of previous cycles, and (dark money groups) are more integrated into campaigns than we’ve seen in the past.”
In 2012, the center has reported, dark money groups spent over $300m, of which more than 80% came from Republican-leaning outfits.
Dark money is the name for cash given to nonprofit organizations that can receive unlimited donations from corporations, individuals and unions without disclosing their donors. Under IRS regulations these tax-exempt groups are supposed to be promoting “social welfare” and are not allowed to have politics as their primary purpose – so generally they have to spend less than half their funds directly promoting candidates. Other so-called “issue ads” paid for by these groups often look like thinly veiled campaign ads.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Billionaire Republican backers host retreat with other super-rich conservatives as
secret donations are forecast to break records in the 2016 election
Peter Stone
Friday 29 January 2016 19.31 GMT
The billionaire Koch brothers are set to convene one of their famed retreats this weekend for several hundred of their fellow super-rich conservatives in Palm Springs, California, as observers forecast a record year for secret donations, dubbed dark money, to Koch-backed groups and other outfits from the NRA to the League of Conservation Voters.
“Given the trends we’re seeing, we wouldn’t be surprised if dark money spent on direct advocacy [in the US 2016 election] hit half a billion dollars,” said Viveca Novak, the editorial director of the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. “Spending by these groups in the 2016 cycle is way ahead of previous cycles, and (dark money groups) are more integrated into campaigns than we’ve seen in the past.”
In 2012, the center has reported, dark money groups spent over $300m, of which more than 80% came from Republican-leaning outfits.
Dark money is the name for cash given to nonprofit organizations that can receive unlimited donations from corporations, individuals and unions without disclosing their donors. Under IRS regulations these tax-exempt groups are supposed to be promoting “social welfare” and are not allowed to have politics as their primary purpose – so generally they have to spend less than half their funds directly promoting candidates. Other so-called “issue ads” paid for by these groups often look like thinly veiled campaign ads.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/29/koch-brothers-donor-retreat-dark-money-2016-election
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
they feel they can control. I can see that being Rubio because he seems to like to campaign but not actually govern. They would happily relieve him of that pesky duty.
The Orange One can easily be brought down. Like all bullies, he can dish it out but can't take it.
These "shadow" groups will air his dirty laundry and he will find some reason to quit.
Next question is which one of the current ones would we want them to back - with the idea that they might actually be our next president. That one, I have no ideas 