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Nonprofit Profile: Americans for Prosperity
iWatch News / News Analysis
Published: Friday 22 June 2012
The Virginia-based 501c(4) with a network of 34 state affiliates is known for drawing support from the conservative billionaire Koch brothers and for “incubating” the tea party movement.
Type of organization: 501(c)(4)
Supports: Conservative candidates
Opposes: Barack Obama, Democrats
Founded: 2004
Location: Arlington, VA.
Website: http://americansforprosperity.org/
Social media:
On Twitter:
June 11: “Proud to help! RT @FelineBengal @AFPhq Congrats on the great job you did in Wisconsin. Your hard work paid off. Thanks from all of us.”
June 11 “Looking forward to hearing from @SarahPalinUSA this week at @afphqRightOnline conference #RO12”
On Facebook
Finances (calendar year 2010):
Total revenue: $22 million
Total expenses: $24 million
Net assets: $43,000
990: 2010
Principals:
Tim Phillips, president, has made the rounds as a pundit on Fox News, MSNBC, and CBS. He co-founded the political consulting and public relations firm Century Strategies with Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed.
Art Pope, director, is an heir to a retail industry fortune and a former North Carolina state legislator who remains a major player in the state’s politics.
Profile:
The Virginia-based 501c(4) with a network of 34 state affiliates is known for drawing support from the conservative billionaire Koch brothers and for “incubating” the tea party movement. The group emerged in 2004 as a spinoff of Citizens for a Sound Economy, an organization founded in 1984 by Charles and David Koch.
AFP supports “cutting taxes and government spending in order to halt the encroachment of government in the economic lives of citizens” and “removing unnecessary barriers to entrepreneurship and opportunity by sparking citizen involvement in the regulatory process.” In 2011 Phillips bragged that AFP had cultivated “the rise of Republican candidates who question or deny climate science.”
The (c)(4) shares resources, office space, and staff with Americans for Prosperity Foundation, a 501(c)(3) — whose chairman as of 2010 was David Koch. Watchdog groups have reported that the AFP Foundation gets millions from a variety of conservative foundations including the Koch-controlled Claude R. Lambe Foundation, which gave $1 million between 2004 and 2006.
Still, as Open Secrets reported in March 2012, “the sources of roughly 75 percent of the groups’ 2010 budget remain a mystery.”
Most recently, Americans for Prosperity, launched a bus tour of the state, sent field staff to Wisconsin, and spent $3 million on issue ads in the state ahead of the recall election of Republican Gov. Scott Walker, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. At one rally, Phillips called Walker’s controversial reforms “a new model for the country.”
At the federal level, the organization reported $68,000 in spending this cycle on ads targeting President Barack Obama. In January, the group also spent a reported on an ad targeting Obama over the Solyndra scandal — though that spending does not show up on FEC filings.
In 2010, it spent $1.3 million on independent expenditures, mostly targeting Democratic candidates in 45 House races.
See more data on Americans for Prosperity at OpenSecrets.org.
Advertisements:
“Happy Birthday, President Reagan,” released Feb., 2012, depicts “two visions of America” by alternating between the sober warnings of President Barack Obama and the uplifting dictums of the late President Ronald Reagan.
An April, 2012 ad criticizes Obama’s green jobs and stimulus plan. The ad urges viewers to call the White House and tell Obama: “American tax dollars should help American taxpayers.” Its claims have come under scrutiny.
In 2010, the group’s ad blitz focused on Democratic candidates for the House. It spent the most on Arkansas’ Chad Causey (who lost), running an ad calling him a “Washington yes man,” for supporting the stimulus bill. The ad mixes its messages, also accusing him of saying “no” to an anti-tax pledge.
Reprinted by permission from iWatch News
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Top Stories
By Kiley Kroh
5 comments on "Nonprofit Profile: Americans for Prosperity"
June 22, 2012 5:58pm
Morons are spending $300 million to prove Obama is the anti-Christ but he was recently seen praying and the Lord listened! The price of gas is coming down thanks to Obama, and will stay down unless Romney and pals start blabbering again about bombing Iran.
June 22, 2012 2:40pm
CONGRESS AND WHITE HOUSE ARE OWNED BY $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
GET $$$$$ OUR OF OUR GOVERNMENT
IT IS A SHAME THAT OUR SENATOR WAS A FRESHMAN AND HAD 1.3M IN HIS CAMPAIGN PIGGY BANK ONLY A FEW MONTHS AFTER BEING ELECTED
Max Baucus—Chair Senate Finance Comm—70% poll for Public option--
Bill hit his comm--- first act—removed public option for debate
shocked me—I trusted him. Zap. Report=he had $1,900,00 in his campaign kitty from health care industry..
The millions spent by thousands of Lobbyists expect favors. Buy them.
We need a Washington revolution and kick all out
Obama lost me with Gay Marriage. Totally disgusted. I am in a position I trust no one in Washington. I know few are very good but $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ BUYS ANYONE
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ OUT OF GOVERNMENT------ QUICK
NYT had superb article on Wall Street employees going into many many many government jobs in Congress and White House
They left for a much lower paying job.
Conclusion—Wall Street biggies are placing them in positions to make decisions for Wall Street.
Pay under table or? Many have done this. Worked in Wash for few years then back to Wall street into a higher paying job
This is sad sad. RULES MUST CHANGE
NO $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IN WASHINGTON
NYT had article on Interconnectivity between Board Of Directors in WSA firms
You vote for my pay+pension I vote for yours
sickening
5 big banks own 50% of deposits in 7000 banks and 10 own 80%
Restate Glass Steagall---separate Casinos from local banks
County Banking Systems—local wealth kept local to create more local wealth and jobs
WASHINGTON SOLUTIONS (Congress + White House)
Requires overturning Corp is a person
1. fed fund election—6 mos-3 primary 3 general—free equal tv time—debate a week=12=adequate to evaluate candidates NO $$ =O
2. Since they will not need campaign funds Ban them from receiving anything of a financial value this closes K St.
3. Progressive Flat Tax by group—We have the income to pay our way-do it
We rank #2 as lowest taxed in OECD nations. We have an income of $14,00 billion yet tax 2400 and borrow 1300. Dumb?
clarence swinney Lifeaholics of America Political Historian for 21 years
June 22, 2012 12:26pm
Non-profits make huge profits, period.
June 22, 2012 11:49am
One correction:
What Walker is doing to Wisconsin can only be considered "reform" if you actually believe that the working and middle classes are responsible for all the woes suffered by his rich corporate sponsors/financiers.
Otherwise, what he is doing can be deemed "destructive and divisive," or can simply be called "being a shill for the Kochs."
You could even call it with a fair degree of accuracy "the new fascism." But "reforms?" Not so much...
June 22, 2012 11:25am
Assholes for Pigishness (AFP), a "social welfare charity" ultraconservative political action committee tax dodge for billionaire Republicans and teabaggers started by billionaire Kochroaches for their own financial benefit to replace representative democracy with plutocratic NeoNazi fascism.