Charles Koch contributed $52.6 million in grants to colleges and universities through his Charles Koch Foundation in 2022, an analysis of the personal foundation’s latest IRS filing obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy found.
Economy
Louisiana Environmental Justice Groups Oppose $6 Million Subsidy for Koch Methanol Plant Expansion
On October 11, St. James Parish in Louisiana approved giving Koch Industries an 80% property tax break on a $150-million expansion of its local methanol plant, which will save the company $5.9 million over the next decade.
DonorsTrust Funneled $134 Million to Right-Wing Groups in 2022
To hide their identities from public scrutiny, megadonors used the Koch political network’s favorite conduit, DonorsTrust, to funnel $134 million to groups promoting the Right’s culture wars and spreading climate misinformation, Trump’s big lie, and hate, as indicated in IRS filings obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy.
Koch Industries Forced to Pay $1.2 Million for its Latest Lies
On September 13, 2023, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) fined Georgia-Pacific, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, $1.2 million for abandoning a natural gas pipeline without notifying federal regulators and lying about work already completed once it did notify them.
Parent Company of Taco Bell & KFC Pivots to Funding Right-Wing Causes
The fast food giant Yum! Brands has reversed its 2012 decision to stop funding the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and started paying annual dues to an association of right-wing attorneys general, according to its most recent voluntary financial disclosure.
After 50 Years, This Right-Wing Law Factory Is Crazier Than Ever
The American Legislative Exchange Council is where corporations and far-right groups go to buy government policy.
Software Giant Oracle Joins American Legislative Exchange Council
Oracle, the fifth largest tech company in the U.S., has voluntarily disclosed that it has joined the American Legislative Exchange Council.
Investment Firm Cofounded by Vivek Ramaswamy Holds Shares in BlackRock
Ramaswamy’s own conflict of interest in attacking BlackRock shows just how difficult it is for public pension managers to avoid ESG investments if they own any ETFs — as do most pension funds — since they represent the most significant stocks bought and sold on the market every day.
Vulnerable House GOP Freshmen Voted to Kill Funding for Clean Energy Projects in Their Own Districts
Six of the most vulnerable first-term congressional Republicans represent districts that are benefitting from new renewable energy facilities made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, one of President Biden’s most significant legislative achievements to date.
Fossil Fuel Consultant and Leonard Leo Lieutenant Lobby ALEC Lawmakers on “Stopping ESG”
At last week’s annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a fossil fuel industry consultant teamed up with a right-wing culture warrior to lobby ALEC lawmakers to move legislation that punishes companies embracing sustainable business practices.