Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Koch machine budgets $400M for midterms

Tax Cuts Help Trump Win Fans at Conservative Koch Donor Network - Bloomberg - John McCormick, Politics:

January 29, 2018 - "At this weekend’s gathering of Koch donors at a desert resort in southern California, Trump’s stock, like the U.S. market, was up, even if members of the libertarian-leaning group remain nervous about his restrictive views on trade and immigration.

"The network founded by billionaires Charles and David Koch didn’t support Trump’s insurgent 2016 campaign....  Before the election, Charles Koch compared a contest between Trump and Clinton to a choice between 'cancer or a heart attack.'

"Even as some donors and Koch officials praised Trump for passage of the tax bill, Charles Koch, 82, made no mention of him when he welcomed donors Saturday evening or when he appeared on a panel discussion that reporters were allowed to monitor on Sunday.

"With more than 700 donors who give a minimum of $100,000 per year and more than 100,000 donors overall, the network has convened similar gatherings twice annually since 2003. Throughout the weekend, reporters were prohibited from approaching donors, except during a hour-long window Sunday evening when a small group agreed to interviews.

"The network used the weekend to reinforce its commitment to help Republicans keep control of Congress and statehouses nationwide. Leaders said plans call for spending close to $400 million on policy and politics during the two-year election cycle that culminates with November’s midterm elections, a roughly 60 percent increase over 2015-16.... The spending will include about $20 million in 2018 to sell voters on the merits of the new tax law, about the same amount Koch-affiliated groups spent in 2017 promoting the legislation....

"Americans for Tax Fairness, a left-leaning advocacy group, released a rough estimate last week that said the changes could be worth $1 billion or more a year in reduced taxes for the conglomerate.

"Koch officials pushed back against the study. 'The report should be met with skepticism,' said David Dziok, a Koch corporate spokesman. 'Its methodology is questionable, and the group responsible for it makes no secret of its political leanings. Koch is a strong proponent of comprehensive tax reform because we’re confident that it’ll lead to stronger economic growth, more jobs, and more money in the pockets of American families.'"

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-29/tax-cuts-help-trump-win-fans-at-conservative-koch-donor-network
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