The Koch Brothers Left a Confidential Document at Their Last Donor Conference—Read It Here

[hue]

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/02/koch-brothers-palm-springs-donor-list

A list of one-on-one meetings between VIP conservative donors and the Kochs and their operatives offers a revealing look into their mighty political machine.

There's one main rule at the conservative donor conclaves held twice a year by Charles and David Koch at luxury resorts: What happens there stays there.

The billionaire industrialists and their political operatives strive to ensure the anonymity of the wealthy conservatives who fund their sprawling political operation—which funneled more than $400 million into the 2012 elections—and to keep their plans private. Attendees of these summits are warned that the seminars, where the Kochs and their allies hatch strategies for electing Republicans and advancing conservative initiatives on the state and national levels, are strictly confidential; they are cautioned to keep a close eye on their meeting notes and materials. But last week, following the Kochs' first donor gathering of 2014, one attendee left behind a sensitive document at the Renaissance Esmeralda resort outside of Palm Springs, California, where the Kochs and their comrades had spent three days focused on winning the 2014 midterm elections and more. The document lists VIP donors—including John Schnatter, the founder of the Papa John's pizza chain—who were scheduled for one-on-one meetings with representatives of the political, corporate, and philanthropic wings of Kochworld. The one-page document, provided to Mother Jones by a hotel guest who discovered it, offers a fascinating glimpse into the Kochs' political machine and shows how closely intertwined it is with Koch Industries, their $115 billion conglomerate.


The more than 40 donors courted by the Kochs include hedge fund and private-equity billionaires, real estate tycoons, and executives of top corporations, including Jockey International and TRT Holdings, owner of Omni Hotels and Gold's Gym. A number of them have never been identified as members of the Koch donor network, including Schnatter, one of the more prominent names on the list. An outspoken opponent of the Affordable Care Act, he is a longtime Republican donor who hosted a fundraiser for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. The document notes that the pizza mogul was scheduled to meet with Ryan Stowers, the director of higher education at the Charles G. Koch Foundation. (Schnatter did not respond to requests for comment.)

[Gothmog]

1. WOW, this list is very important

It is important to shine a light on the groups who give the Koch brother's entities and fundraising groups.

[loudsue]

2. Fuck george bush and the GOP and the dems that voted for our supreme court rightwingers.

This court and their fucking "citizens united" is turning this country into a third world trash dump.

[world wide wally]

9. THIS ^

Third world says it all

[russspeakeasy]

20. + 1

[Loudly]

27. The Amendment:

It shall not be an infringement of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution for Congress to limit by law the raising and expenditure of money in public elections.

[aggiesal]

30. Go to movetoamend.org

It basically says money is not speech.
This will over turn the Citizens United decision, where all this money stems from.

MoveToAmend.org

[loudsue]

31. I didn't know about this! Has this been highlighted on DU previously?

If not, someone needs to get on this! Thanks!

[aggiesal]

34. Thom Hartmann promotes it all the time . . .

I'm sure it has been mentioned here in DU, but not as a specific topic.

[loudsue]

35. I don't usually watch him. All the links are about 10 minutes, and I have to study.

So I only hit & run until late at night....and then I'm ready for bed....like right now. 9:30pm on a Wednesday & I've been up since forever.

[aggiesal]

36. It's called Podcast.

Sign the petition at MoveToAmend.org
Then get your state legislature to ratify this amendment so that there is
a constitutional convention.

[2naSalit]

3. K&R!!!

[meow2u3]

4. K & R for exposure

[global1]

5. Why Do The Kochs And The People On This List Want To Keep All This Confidential?......

Are they embarrassed to be identified as an 'evil cabal' that is working to bring down the government and this Country as we know it?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

37. Like in the movie The Campaign

they want to bring in 'Chinese' workers.

Seriously, they don't care about America - they are the 'epiphany of greed'

[Heather MC]

42. What the hayle makes them think Chinese people will not revolt and eventally demand better????

It is just a matter of time before people in other countries who are being used and exploited will fight against this BS

[Sunlei]

55. because china always crushes 'trouble makers'

[calimary]

71. Because they like the darkness and the shadows. Just like the cockroaches they are.

Can't function out in the sunlight. Too many people looking and noticing. Which should tell you all you need to know. If they feel they must operate in utter secrecy, then it is completely reasonable to conclude that they're UP TO SOMETHING.

After all, remember what their side told us during the bush/cheney era: "if you're not doing anything wrong, then you shouldn't have anything to hide! And certainly NOTHING to worry about!"

[bvar22]

6. It is important to understand the origins of corruption in our system,

...but it is a mistake to conclude that Koch Brothers Money buys influence in the Republican Party ONLY.


Koch Brothers money was influential in the "Centrist" (DLC) take over of the Democratic Party in the early 90s too.

Koch Industries gave funding to the DLC and served on its Executive Council
http://americablog.com/2010/08/koch-industries-gave-funding-to-the-dlc-and-served-on-its-executive-council.html

Koch Brothers money helped get Bill Clinton elected in 1992.

[tblue]

11. RFK Jr. said 75% of Dems are corrupt, and 100% of Repubs.

Doesn't that explain a lot?

[Cal33]

23. I'm not surprised. With such high figures of corruption among our so-called "leaders," where

can anyone expect our nation to land? Where else?

[A Simple Game]

12. I wouldn't be surprised if there was Koch Brothers money trying to buy influence on DU. n/t

[FSogol]

17. WOOT!

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

41. Not just trying.

[Sunlei]

56. anyplace there is public comment is infested. Major media can also be bought.

There can always be an offer to buy that is so very high, it won't be refused. What if this was your message board, if someone offered 50 million, would you refuse?

[A Simple Game]

58. I don't really think the owners are a problem, at least not on DU. There are a few

posters that I wouldn't be surprised to learn something nefarious about. They seem to have an obvious agenda that doesn't fit in that well.

I do wish the owners would renew their commitment to liberalism. The liberal bashing on DU is getting to be a little too blatant.

[Sunlei]

59. I agree with you but there is always a price that can't be refused.

I think any buyers would wait until it makes a difference in a major election. Like the timing when digg was bought out and changed. That place was a major thorn in Romneys' and the paid media shills asses

There aren't many media places left where the general public can post and discuss without censure.

I wish the President and his people, would open a general message board for discussions. He could even stop by and post once in a while. He was registered on Digg, not sure if the White House is registered here. I hope he reads here once in a while.

It would be so very cool if the President reads here on DU and posts something in one of these topics Would be a great way for him to have some freedom without the press dogging him everywhere.

[2banon]

14. that explains a lot.. thanks bvar22..

[loudsue]

16. Koch/DLC/Clintons....now tell me again why everyone is pushing Hillary for 2016?

Let me guess.

[Blue State Bandit]

18. Political blindness.

They don't know what they can't see. Stuff like this is the cure.

[Cleita]

26. My thinking is that if Thom Hartmann is right and we have

a huge crash in 2016 because of the policies and actions of these players, it's going to upend whatever plans both parties had for 2016. It won't be whatever candidate was planned for ahead of time. It will be too chaotic.

[loudsue]

32. All it will do is allow the bush crime family to install whomever they so choose.

And I can only guess who that might be!

[Cleita]

46. I don't think Jebbers has a chance even if there is no crash.

[dreamnightwind]

48. They'll pull the rug out right at the end of the election cycle

Just like last time, after the primaries, when the choice is between Thing 1 and Thing 2.

Better contest the primary, progressives need to go for it now!

"Let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late."

[Auntie Bush]

29. That wasn't nice Sue! Some of us are insulted.

[loudsue]

33. So sorry antie...but Hillary is part of the problem.

She has done SOME good work....especially with women's issues....but she is part & parcel of the power brokers that turned the democratic party into republicans. Hell! She was Barry Goldwater's aide, for chrissake. No!!! We have to throw out the entire crowd that has kept things moving to the right.

[Auntie Bush]

38. That was in her youth. People change their opinions with time and experience.

Hell, I voted for Nixon, Raygun and Bush 1. Regret it to this day...but I was under my Father's influence as he was a small businessman and hated unions. I also didn't like those Republicans toward the end of their terms.

I became a Democrat when Clinton ran and have never looked back and NEVER will. I am enlightened now. Hillary became enlightened early too. People have to learn to forgive and forget and move on.

[dreamnightwind]

49. Sorry, it just isn't true

Hillary is nothing like you say, my mouth is still wide open from reading your post. DLC/third way to the core. If that's your idea of enlightened, says a lot.

edit to add: apologies if your post was sarcasm or parody, I sometimes get fooled, have no idea of your posting history. I think Manny fooled me once or twice before I caught on.

[Enthusiast]

53. For all her "enlightenment" Hillary remains a Third Way DLC bad actor.

Forgive and forget? Have you looked at the state of the nation recently? This is a crisis.

[Enthusiast]

52. Hillary is the wrong choice by far.

I refuse to support more of the same disastrous policies.

[Cleita]

67. I believe 90% of the 99% feel as you do and our DLC & Tea Party overlords

are probably going to be in for a big surprise.

[GoneFishin]

7. K & R

[oldandhappy]

8. Thank you to the person who found the list and did not destroy it. Yippee!!

[tblue]

10. ORGANIZED CRIME!

Those are BAD PEOPLE.

[aggiesal]

13. Here are my calculations . . .

[Font color=Red]Another top conservative contributor on the list is TRT Holdings' cofounder Robert Rowling, whose net worth is estimated at $4.9 billion. During the 2012 election, Rowling directed $3.5 million to American Crossroads, the super-PAC spearheaded by Karl Rove, and he cut a $100,000 check to the pro-Romney super-PAC Restore Our Future.[/font]

In this article, Mr. Rowling gave $3.6M. That's less than 1/10th of 1%.

If your net worth is $100, that would be like you donating a little more than 7¢.

Doesn't seem like much does it?
But when your worth $4.9B, . . .

Starting to understand the picture?

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

43. I am hopeless at math, but if you are correct--holy shit. it should not be that

fking easy to have such immense influence.

[aggiesal]

44. Take out a calculator and enter the following . . .

$3,600,000 (amount donated) / $4,900,000,000 (his net worth)= 0.0007346939
0.0007346939 x $100 (your net worth) = 0.0734 a little over 7¢.

[dreamnightwind]

51. Or $73 for a net worth of $100,000! - eom

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

73. Thanks. That's closer to reality for me. I'd be donating a hellovalot

more frequently if my 73 bucks bought me that kind of influence.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

72. Thanks. I know it's a simple calculation, but for some reason my brain

freezes and I'm never confident I'm not making some obvious error in math. My Math score on the. SATs was about a third lower than my Language score. It's a terrible weakness.

[RainDog]

15. k&r n/t

[SorellaLaBefana]

19. Boycott of Pappa John's would be more meaningful

if we ordered take-out from there more than once a year.

But boycott them we will.

About as useful as anything else that we can think of doing, in light of the current political climate in the country. At least it will deprive Schnatter of 12 bucks that he might otherwise have given the Kocks.

I am reminded of a quote by Aristotle, my third favourite philospher (after Socrates and Hume), which, tragically, has somehow become a meme of motivational speakers - but which, none-the-less, has value: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” This applies as well to his concept of virtue ethics and the developement of ethical behaviour.

Jockey (I assume the underwear kings) and Gold's are also on our new not to be patronized list. This latter being somewhat of a foot-shot, as the most convient gym was Spectrum, bought out by Gold's about a year ago.

Looking at the transistion from Spectrum to Gold's should have given us a hint of the political leanings of the new management: Immediatly most outside lighting was extinguished, grounds care mostly abandonded, the gym lights turned down, the floors cleaned less often and new and frequent outages of antispectic wipes for the gym. After multiple complaints, things have marginally improved (at least one dispenser in the gym usually has antiseptic wipes now) and now I have enough of an impetus to cancel my membership and go elsewhere.

Just as we do not support Hobby-Lobby, so we will not support any known Kock doners.

[ladywnch]

28. our boycott of Papa Johns started in 08

and I do love their pizza but havne't had slice of it since his threats of hours/jobs cuts due to the ACA........he and all his kind can go straight to hell....

Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Hobby Lobby....the list of businesses I have ceased to do business with is growing but I remain resolute in my boycott of them all.

[dreamnightwind]

50. Buycott!

Just download this, iOS or Android phones, and take your phone shopping with you. Seriously.

http://buycott.com/

[CFLDem]

57. Papa Johns is good

but lately I've found Domino's to be a better as far as chain pizza goes.

Of course nothing beats a deep dish pie from Giordano's! 🍕😍

[BlancheSplanchnik]

66. domino's was outed before p.j.'s!

They're deep in the anti woman, anti women's health movement. (Fetus fetishers)

[CFLDem]

74. I guess more for me, then.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

75. suit y'self. be sure not to patronize your local family owned small business.

I'm so glad there's a small local place that makes the best pizza ever. Real pleased to support them.

[dinger130]

21. My Blacklist

Waffle House
White Castle
Chick-fil-A
Cracker Barrel
Brawny paper towels
Mardi Gras paper products
Northern toilet tissue
Sparkle Paper Towels
Dixie cups/plates
Vanity Fair napkins

[kairos12]

24. Exxon for the Valdez. I have boycotted them since 1989.

[bravenak]

76. +1

[merrily]

54. Thanks! I thought the Koch's made

Bounty paper towels. Glad they make Brawny. Been using Scott, but I prefer Bounty!

Guess I need a hearing check.

[Fiendish Thingy]

60. Anything by Georgia-Pacific is Koch connected n/t

[merrily]

65. Thank you.

GP got an award from the EPA in 2009!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia-Pacific
Handy product info.

Georgia-Pacific operates under many different brand names.

Angel Soft, Quilted Northern, and Soft n' Gentle are toilet paper and facial tissue brands.
Blue Ribbon, Clutter Cutter, DensArmor Plus, DensDeck, DensGlass, DensShield, DryPly, FireGuard, GP Lam, Hushboard, Nautilus, Ply-Bead, Plytanium, Southern Gold, Sta-Strait, Thermostat, ToughRock, Wood I Beam, and XJ 85 are building and remodeling brands.
Brawny, Dixie, Insulair, Mardi Gras, PerfecTouch, Sparkle, Ultra, and Vanity Fair are tableware, paper towel and napkin brands.
Advantage, Image Plus, and Spectrum are office paper brands.

I already knew about Angel Soft and Quilted Northern. I don't use any of the others anyway. And I can go back to Bounty. All is well in my paper world.

[Zambero]

62. Same list here +1

Home Depot. For years all HD political contributions have been directed to right-wing causes and candidates.

[calimary]

68. Welcome to DU, dinger130!

Glad you're here, and thank you for this simplified list! We avoid those products, too, but it's really helpful to have a reminder. I appreciate every one of these threads and posts. Especially with new DUers coming aboard all the time. Maybe some of them haven't seen this yet. It's not exactly being emblazoned across the mainstream media...

[dinger130]

22. Whoops

I forgot to add

Angel Soft t.p.

and Soft n Gentle

Looks like the Koch Bros. have the toilet paper industry about wiped up. I think I will stay with Cottonelle or Charmin unless someone tells me differently.

[Auntie Bush]

39. That's why I buy Charmin too and use Viva paper towels.

I would be so disappointed to find that either of those products were produced by the Koch Bros.

[kairos12]

25. Talk about a conclave of 1 percent terrorists dedicated to destroying every

safety net this country has to offer. I need a shower after just reading this list.

[Hekate]

40. This will be a very useful list to have. Any cell-phone recordings?

[blkmusclmachine]

45. ,

,

[Cha]

47. K&R!!

[DeeDeeNY]

61. K & R

[dinger130]

63. Two more to avoid.....

Blue Bell Ice Cream - they gave about $40,000 to Boehner's group

and

Marriott Hotels

[BodieTown]

64. A Clawback Is Needed

ALL BILLIONAIRES should realize that if they abuse the country that allowed them to steal, consequences are the peoples' option.

I don't believe that a single one of them "earned" their billions honestly, not with the kinds of laws and politicians they purchased.

They worship $. What would they do if they faced a clawback?

Certain billionaire names are code for theft, treason, pollution, death. Why these people are even allowed to live among us is sanity-defying.

[Ccarmona]

69. GEE

Anyone else think that Public Financing of ALL elections might be the answer?

[dinger130]

70. If you inadvertently buy a right wing product,

send your proof of purchase and receipt ( if you have it) to the company asking for your money back. The reason for the return is that it's defective. That's all you need to say. To me, it is defective.....politically defective. That keeps them busy. I don't want them to have one red cent of my money, plain and simple.

[freshwest]

77. Koch brothers donor list - now what to do with it? IDK. n/t