But it’s what he said about Republican nominee Donald Trump that came as a shock.
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“We are going to tie the Democrat candidates to Hillary Clinton and the failed policies that she supports, and highlight the differences with the Republican candidates that we favor and that we’re supporting”, said Mark Holden, chairman of the board of Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, the network’s funding arm.
“At this point, I can’t support either candidate but I’m certainly not going to support Hillary”, he said on Sunday. Koch’s team barely mentioned Trump’s name when asked repeatedly by the handful of reporters permitted to cover the exclusive weekend retreat. “It gets back to what we look at to engage in any electoral contest”.
The Koch brothers have never been known to support a Democrat for president in their political donor history.
After originally aiming to spend $889 million in the 2016 cycle, the network is now on track to invest $750 million, with roughly a third – $250 million – financing the policy and political campaigns of groups such as Americans for Prosperity, Freedom Partners Action Fund, Concerned Veterans for America, the Libre Initiative and Generation Opportunity, officials said. The network planned to invest heavily in the 2016 presidential contest, but sharply changed its course after the brash billionaire became the Republican standard-bearer.
The Kochs’ primary concern now is “to preserve the country’s financial future, and to eliminate corporate welfare”, Charles said on Sunday. “Since it appears that neither presidential candidate is likely to support us in these efforts…we’re focused on maximizing the number of principled leaders in the House and Senate who will”.
Koch, who together with his billionaire brother David helms the most powerful donor network in conservative politics, laid out in more detail his rationale for refusing to support either Donald TrumpDonald TrumpClinton walks fine line on carbon tax Pence: Trump immigration plan will stop others feeling Khans’s “enduring heartbreak” Top Muslim group urges women to speak out against Trump MORE or Clinton in the general election.
Trump’s dire warnings of growing crime in America, Holden said, simply aren’t accurate. “That’s what the data shows”.
The day before, Trump thumbed his nose at the Koch gathering from Twitter.
Another Trump donor who participates in Koch summits, Doug Deason, told Reuters that he was also pushing for a meeting, explaining, “We think it’s really important that Donald convince Charles he’s the right guy, and for Charles to influence Donald’s policies”.
Among the “puppets of politics” who did address the estimated 400 donors gathered in Colorado Springs were at least three governors, four senators and four members of the House of Representatives, including the House speaker, Paul Ryan. John Cornyn, Texas, Cory Gardner, Colo., Mike Lee, Utah, and Tim Scott, S.C.; Reps. Tim Scott, Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas. The weekend’s event includes a small number of reporters, including one from The Associated Press.
A significant portion was supposed to be directed at electing a Republican to the White House. “Based on that, we’re focused on the Senate”, he says, noting that Koch Industries has thus far dropped $42 million on advertising for GOP Senate candidates.
Network officials sought to defuse some of the frustration by announcing that Koch-backed groups would feature the Democratic presidential nominee, Clinton, in Senate campaign ads, tying her policy stances to those of Democratic contenders in battlegrounds states such as Ohio.
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In the same interview, Koch hinted that he could in fact support Clinton in the race for the White House.
