USA TODAY International Edition
Super PAC launched by Koch in time for midterms
WASHINGTON – The powerful donor network tied to free-market billionaire Charles Koch launched a new super PAC on Monday, beefing up its political arsenal ahead of November’s crucial midterm elections.
The Americans for Prosperity Action super PAC will allow the network to directly call for voters to defeat or elect specific candidates.
The new super PAC is an arm of Koch’s long-standing grassroots wing, Americans for Prosperity, which operates in 36 states.
But that group is a nonprofit and faces restrictions on its political activity.
Super PACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to influence candidate elections, as long as they don’t coordinate their spending decisions with the politicians they support.
The move comes after Koch officials clashed with President Donald Trump over his trade and immigration policies and warned Trump-aligned Republicans up for re-election this year not to take the network’s support for granted.
Koch’s aides call Trump’s tariff’s battles with China and other countries “protectionism” they say will hurt American businesses and consumers.
The feud widened when the Republican National Committee warned Republican donors – and GOP candidates who might use the Koch network’s inhouse data program to reach voters – to stay away from the Kansas industrial magnate and his political operation.
In a statement about the new super PAC, Koch officials said they are “committed to working with anyone to advance positive policies.”