Charles Koch

9/12 Taxpayer March on Washington Demonstrates Koch Network Mobilization Power

| Importance: 9/10

The 9/12 Taxpayer March on Washington represented a pivotal moment in conservative political organizing, mobilizing an estimated 60,000-75,000 protesters against the Obama administration policies. Meticulously organized by Koch-affiliated groups like FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity, the …

FreedomWorks Americans for Prosperity Dick Armey Brendan Steinhauser David Koch +5 more astroturf-organizing corporate-influence koch-network political-mobilization mass-demonstrations +2 more
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Koch Network Mobilizes to Kill Waxman-Markey Cap-and-Trade Climate Bill

| Importance: 9/10

After the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act (cap-and-trade climate bill) on June 26, 2009, the Koch brothers’ network immediately launched a massive campaign to kill the legislation in the Senate. Americans for Prosperity, whose top …

Koch brothers Charles Koch David Koch Americans for Prosperity Heritage Foundation +4 more climate-denial regulatory-capture lobbying environmental corporate-corruption +1 more
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Tax Day Tea Party Protests Organized by Koch Network Groups

| Importance: 8/10

The first coordinated nationwide Tax Day Tea Party protests take place across the United States, organized primarily by Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks. These protests, while presented as grassroots citizen uprisings, were strategically orchestrated by well-funded corporate advocacy groups …

Americans for Prosperity FreedomWorks David Koch Charles Koch Brendan Steinhauser +2 more astroturf-organizing corporate-influence koch-network tax-protests political-theater +2 more
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Koch Network Prepares Tea Party Mobilization After Santelli Rant

| Importance: 9/10

Following Rick Santelli’s CNBC rant criticizing Obama’s mortgage bailout, the Koch brothers’ network immediately mobilized to create the Tea Party movement. Within hours, Americans for Prosperity registered TaxDayTeaParty.com, while other conservative organizations quickly …

Rick Santelli David Koch Charles Koch Eric Odom Americans for Prosperity +1 more koch-network astroturf tea-party political-manipulation americans-for-prosperity +1 more
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Americans for Prosperity Organizational Profile: Koch Brothers' Astroturf Empire Manufacturing Fake Grassroots Movements

| Importance: 9/10

Comprehensive organizational analysis reveals Americans for Prosperity (AFP) as the Koch brothers’ primary astroturfing operation, transforming billionaire corporate interests into fake ‘grassroots’ movements. Founded in 2004 when Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation was …

Americans for Prosperity Charles Koch David Koch Koch Industries Tea Party movement +1 more organizational-profile astroturf-organizing koch-network tea-party fake-grassroots +4 more
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Citizens for a Sound Economy Splits into FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity

| Importance: 8/10

Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE), the Koch brothers-funded lobbying organization founded in 1984, officially splits into two separate entities following internal strategic disagreements. The 501(c)(4) advocacy activities continue under FreedomWorks (formed through a merger with Empower America), …

David Koch Charles Koch Dick Armey Ron Paul Tim Phillips +4 more regulatory-capture corporate-influence astroturf-organizing koch-network political-infrastructure +2 more
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Cato Institute Organizational Profile: 'Libertarian' Cover for Corporate Deregulation Agenda

| Importance: 8/10

Comprehensive organizational analysis reveals Cato Institute as mechanism for laundering corporate deregulation agenda as ’libertarian principle.’ Founded in 1977 by Ed Crane, Murray Rothbard, and Charles Koch with $500,000 initial funding from Koch Industries, Cato packages opposition …

Cato Institute Charles Koch Ed Crane Murray Rothbard Peter Ferrara +3 more organizational-profile libertarian-cover corporate-deregulation koch-network social-security-privatization +3 more
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