Thread by @ClimateConnor

I recently wrote a series on Charles #Koch's political influence machine for @EXPOSEDbyCMD.

Despite waning media scrutiny, Koch's fleet of nonprofits is spending more than ever. The branding is more sophisticated, and its political impact is still pervasive.

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@EXPOSEDbyCMD Let's start with the big numbers, from post #1:

exposedbycmd.org/2022/08/08/koc…

@EXPOSEDbyCMD From 2019 - 2020,

28 organizations controlled by Koch Ind family & execs had:

* $2.7 billion in combined net revenue

* $1.1 billion in combined net spending

@EXPOSEDbyCMD Combined assets rose from:

$1.5 billion in Jan, 2020
up to $2.8 billion in Dec, 2020.

@EXPOSEDbyCMD These sums eclipse what the affiliated company, Koch Industries, spent on campaign contributions + lobbying in the 2020 election cycle: $22.4 million.

See FEC records via @OpenSecretsDC:

opensecrets.org/political-acti…

opensecrets.org/federal-lobbyi…

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC Fine print:

"Koch-controlled organizations" is a strict definition for groups that are in the complete control of Koch Ind family + execs.

It excludes hundreds of groups financed by Koch Ind & affiliated foundations, like Cato, ALEC, TPPF, CEI, AEI, Fed-Soc, Reason & more

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC These multi-billion dollar net totals account for money exchanged between groups.

A table in the article details $190.7 million that circulated between these Koch-controlled nonprofits and super PACs in 2019 and 2020.

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC The scale is hard to imagine.

A stupendous amount of #DarkMoney that has polluted the U.S. political system for decades, especially since the 2010 "Citizens United" Supreme Court ruling.

Here are some of the returns on Mr. Koch's investments in his nonprofit fleet:

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC Koch was wildly successful during the Trump years, as @lhfang and @NickSurgey wrote in a few really important reports:

theintercept.com/2017/07/26/koc…

theintercept.com/2018/02/25/koc…

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey Koch's over-reported quibbles with Trump were superficial, as @JaneMayerNYer has repeatedly shown:

newyorker.com/news/news-desk…

msnbc.com/the-last-word/…

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey @JaneMayerNYer Many Koch alumni took jobs in Trump's cabinet, and served on his steering committee.

This was likely a factor in the many Trump-championed policies that Koch celebrated.

@Public_Citizen & @CandBP both tracked this closely:

checksandbalancesproject.org/white-house-ch…

citizen.org/news/44-trump-…

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey @JaneMayerNYer @Public_Citizen @CandBP One of the most alarming consequences of Koch's influence was its work to confirm 3 corporate activists to the U.S. Supreme Court.

As reported by @AlexGangitano, @Robillard, and @jwpetersNYT:

nytimes.com/2017/02/01/us/…

huffpost.com/entry/koch-net…

thehill.com/business-a-lob…

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey @JaneMayerNYer @Public_Citizen @CandBP @AlexGangitano @Robillard @jwpetersNYT After Trump's defeat in 2020, Koch went back into opposition mode against the priorities of the Biden administration.

From @EXPOSEDbyCMD:
exposedbycmd.org/2021/05/24/koc…

And this report by @GeoffDembicki & @AndyKroll:
rollingstone.com/politics/polit…

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey @JaneMayerNYer @Public_Citizen @CandBP @AlexGangitano @Robillard @jwpetersNYT @GeoffDembicki @AndyKroll Let's move to article #2 with @apearson15:

Something unusual happened in 2020!

One Koch-controlled organization named “CCKC4” received an injection of $1.2 billion.

It's a 501c4 nonprofit operated by Koch's son, Charles “Chase” Koch. (Hence, CCKC4).

exposedbycmd.org/2022/08/09/son…

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey @JaneMayerNYer @Public_Citizen @CandBP @AlexGangitano @Robillard @jwpetersNYT @GeoffDembicki @AndyKroll @apearson15 Chase Koch is the CEO of Koch Disruptive Technologies.

It's a newer Koch Industries subsidiary of Koch Industries, focused on venture capital investments in a wide variety of business areas.

Via @LamoneyTom @business:

bloomberg.com/news/features/…

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey @JaneMayerNYer @Public_Citizen @CandBP @AlexGangitano @Robillard @jwpetersNYT @GeoffDembicki @AndyKroll @apearson15 @LamoneyTom @business Most of the $1.2Bn cash injection was from stocks & securities.

CCKC4's assets increased from $37 million to $1.3 billion, from the beginning to the end of 2020.

That made it the largest Koch-controlled group, by assets, exceeding the Charles Koch Foundation ($464 million).

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey @JaneMayerNYer @Public_Citizen @CandBP @AlexGangitano @Robillard @jwpetersNYT @GeoffDembicki @AndyKroll @apearson15 @LamoneyTom @business And it's not just the largest Koch-controlled organization, but among the very largest 501c4 organizations in the country, as @NDNonprofitProf pointed out:

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey @JaneMayerNYer @Public_Citizen @CandBP @AlexGangitano @Robillard @jwpetersNYT @GeoffDembicki @AndyKroll @apearson15 @LamoneyTom @business @NDNonprofitProf So what does Chase Koch's obscure C4 group do?

So far, most of its expenses went toward other Koch-held entities.

It gave $10 million to the Charles Koch Foundation in 2019.

And in 2020, it disclosed a $125 million transaction to a LLC controlled by the Koch family.

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey @JaneMayerNYer @Public_Citizen @CandBP @AlexGangitano @Robillard @jwpetersNYT @GeoffDembicki @AndyKroll @apearson15 @LamoneyTom @business @NDNonprofitProf This LLC, the Non-Profit 1888 Feeder Fund, is itself a subsidiary of Koch's 1888 Investments, LLC.

1888 Investments' 2022 SEC filings disclose that it manages $16.5 billion in assets for 60 clients.

Its clients include 13 nonprofits and 41 very-rich people.

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey @JaneMayerNYer @Public_Citizen @CandBP @AlexGangitano @Robillard @jwpetersNYT @GeoffDembicki @AndyKroll @apearson15 @LamoneyTom @business @NDNonprofitProf Chase Koch's org, CCKC4, reported one other notable expense in 2020.

That brings us to article #3 with @duboo:

CCKC4 granted $12.5 million to the National Philanthropic Trust, a massive donor advised fund that is independent from the Koch family.

exposedbycmd.org/2022/08/11/koc…

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey @JaneMayerNYer @Public_Citizen @CandBP @AlexGangitano @Robillard @jwpetersNYT @GeoffDembicki @AndyKroll @apearson15 @LamoneyTom @business @NDNonprofitProf @duboo This is a trend.

Many large political donors are hiding their grants to controversial nonprofits using donor advised funds like NPT, Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard, and others.

Including #climate denial organizations, as @alexkotch recently investigated:
exposedbycmd.org/2022/03/21/the…

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey @JaneMayerNYer @Public_Citizen @CandBP @AlexGangitano @Robillard @jwpetersNYT @GeoffDembicki @AndyKroll @apearson15 @LamoneyTom @business @NDNonprofitProf @duboo @alexkotch In turn, the National Philanthropic Trust grants millions to Koch-controlled groups.

The Trust has granted $30.9 million to Koch's Stand Together Trust, which finances corporate front groups.

Plus, $80.4M to Koch's philanthropy-ish Stand Together Foundation, described here:

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey @JaneMayerNYer @Public_Citizen @CandBP @AlexGangitano @Robillard @jwpetersNYT @GeoffDembicki @AndyKroll @apearson15 @LamoneyTom @business @NDNonprofitProf @duboo @alexkotch If you're having trouble keeping track of all the different "Stand Together" groups, then it's time for article #4 in the series.

This post examined the recent shape-shifting of Charles Koch's fleet of organizations.

exposedbycmd.org/2022/08/30/cha…

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey @JaneMayerNYer @Public_Citizen @CandBP @AlexGangitano @Robillard @jwpetersNYT @GeoffDembicki @AndyKroll @apearson15 @LamoneyTom @business @NDNonprofitProf @duboo @alexkotch Koch's fleet of organizations have two primary segments:

1. the family foundations

2. the "Stand Together" political and policy influence groups.

It's a complicated web of IRS groups, FEC super PACs, and LLCs. Here's a visual map:

@EXPOSEDbyCMD @OpenSecretsDC @lhfang @NickSurgey @JaneMayerNYer @Public_Citizen @CandBP @AlexGangitano @Robillard @jwpetersNYT @GeoffDembicki @AndyKroll @apearson15 @LamoneyTom @business @NDNonprofitProf @duboo @alexkotch There are over a dozen orgs and LLCs with the name "Stand Together" in Mr. Koch's fleet.

"Stand Together" is also used to refer to the entire cluster of groups.

The top group is the 501c6 Stand Together Chamber of Commerce.

(See image in previous Tweet)