Leaked tape reveals Koch brothers’ conservative donors
A list of billionaire industrialists and conservative magnates that help fund Charles and David Koch’s far-reaching empire was released by Mother Jones magazine
Jul 31, 2020124.9K Shares2.4M Views
A list of billionaire industrialists and conservative magnates that help fund Charles and David Koch’sfar-reaching empirewas released byMother Jones magazine Tuesday. The list was culled from an audio recording of Charles Koch announcing high-dollar donors at a retreat in Vail, Colo., in late June.
The recording revealed names of more than 28 individuals that have donated $1 million-plus to Koch-supported groups pushing anti-union and anti-regulation legislation all over the country.
Among the highest donors at the most recent secret retreat, guarded by private security, were:
“„The Templetons:** **John “Jack” Templeton Jr. and his wife, Josephine, of Pennsylvania, gave $50,000 apieceto Wisconsin Justice Prosser’s recount effort this year. Jack has donated more than $1 million to Republicans, according to state and federal records. He heads the conservative John Templeton Foundation, which aims to mergeevangelical Christianity with “science” and “health.” The foundation was started by Jack’s father, SirJohn the mutual fund billionaire, and in 2009 reportedlyhad $1.7 billion in assets.
“„Joe Craft:** **Joseph Craftis president, CEO, and chairman of Alliance Resource Partners, a coal company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that gave $2.4 millionto outside political expenditure groups in 2010. His family is reportedlyworth $1.9 billion.
“„The Farmers:Dick Farmer is from Ohio. The founder and former CEO of the Cintas Corporation, his story is literally rags-to-riches: He turned his father’s Depression-era rag-cleaning business into a $3.5 billion enterprise. Farmer and his wife, Joyce, are longtime Republican boosters; during the 2002 election cycle the couple gave about $1 millionto the party.
“„The Schwabs:** **Charles Schwab of San Francisco is founder and chairman of the Charles Schwab Corporation, the country’s largestindependent brokerage firm. He is reportedlyworth $4.7 billion. Since 1989, Schwab has donated more than $1.6 million to political causes, mostly Republican, according toOpenSecrets.org. Part of that went to his company’s lobbying arm, which has given away millions more.
Read the rest of the list here.
Rhyley Carney
Reviewer
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