Someone at WaPo actually committed an act of journalism; see “Koch-backed political coalition, designed to shield donors, raised $400 million in 2012.”
Matea Gold writes,
The political network spearheaded by conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch has expanded into a far-reaching operation of unrivaled complexity, built around a maze of groups that cloaks its donors, according to an analysis of new tax returns and other documents. …
…A labyrinth of tax-exempt groups and limited-liability companies helps mask the sources of the money, much of which went to voter mobilization and television ads attacking President Obama and congressional Democrats, according to tax filings and campaign finance reports.
The article goes on to describe the Koch’s several astroturf organizations are set up in a way that cloaks the donors, so there is no way to find out where money originates. The article doesn’t say this, but seems to me there could be all kinds of foreign money flooding into our election process through this labyrinth, and we’d never know about it.
For that matter, we don’t know how much of their own money the brothers Koch are pouring into this.
I liked this part:
Tracing the flow of the money is particularly challenging because many of the advocacy groups swapped funds back and forth. The tactic not only provides multiple layers of protection for the original donors but also allows the groups to claim they are spending the money on “social welfare†activities to qualify for 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status.
As sure as the night follows the day, some commenters got on WaPo and chalenged them to print an expose of George Soros and the Unions and what they are contributing. But that wouldn’t be an expose, because that appears to be public knowledge. According to Open Secrets, Soros Fund Management spent $2,775,000 during te 2012 election cycle. By comparison, Sheldon Adelson was snookered for paid out $92,796,625 during the same period. But I couldn’t find information on the Koch brothers’ donations at all. It’s like they don’t exist, or something. Very creepy.
And we thought Bond and comic book Super-Villains were evil!
The uber-wealthy Koch Brothers prove Hannah Arendt’s point about “the banality of evil.”
They are two winners of the “Lucky Sperm Meets Lucky Egg” lottery, and insipid psychopathic assholes, who are trying to forcefully bend this nation to their will.
And as I’ve said countless time before:
This – THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – is why we need a tax on upper income that’s 90+%!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is what built this country, after The Gilded Age, The Great Depression, and WWII – extremely high taxes on the top 2%.
This way, they spend their extra money, and have to scrounge around couch-cushions and car-seats for loose change, to pay-off CPA’s to find tax loopholes, and Tax Attorney’s to defend them.
Instead, they have all the money in the world to pay for commercials and rig elections, so that politicians who are in their change-purses, will continue to keep taxes low, so that the richest of the rich, can continue to undo representative democracy.
TAX THE SOB’S!!!!!!!!!!!!
Of course, we’ll need a ton of Progressive people in both houses of Congress, and all state legislatures – and Governor’s offices, of course.
And that’s exactly where the top .02%’s money is going – to put and keep Conservative Republicans in office, in local, district, state, and national elections.
TAX THE SOB’S ‘TIL THEY SHRIEK!
And then, tax them some more, and more, and more – they’re already screaming and shrieking, and the tax rate’s as low as it’s been since The Gilded Age.
If they don’t want to be taxed, break out the squeaky tumbrels and rusty guillotines, but sharpen the pikes!
For them, AND their families!
Some people just don’t know how good they have it – and so, don’t deserve a quick and merciful death.
And one clean whack, is far too merciful for the likes of these evil psychopaths.
I was reading about “the gunpowder plot” last night; the punishment for treason in jolly olde england at that time was unbelievably gruesome. I didn’t realize how barbaric being ” drawn and quartered” was.far worse than it sounds, and it sounds horrific.
Anyway, I’ll just go for tax reform and changing the laws currently allowing wealthy individuals or groups to buy our law makers.
A Constitutional Amendment is what we need – which says clearly ‘Corporations are not people.’ and do not have political rights including free speech. Allow ONLY American people to contribute to campaigns and limit how much an individual can give, say a max individual contribution (per fed election cycle) equal to 5% of the average annual income of an American worker. That’s in the neighborhood of $2500. And that’s it – the most you can give including PACs, political parties and individual campaigns.
Doug,
I love ya, but try less than $1,000 bucks.
More like $600.
The average American does not make over $100,000.
There’s something so cute about the idea of a “limited liability” company. No matter what the law says we are all vulnerable to those who consider their liability limited.
Off to my sister’s house soon – it’s Russian Orthodox Christmas!
And even though I’m not a believer, I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Orthodox Christmas.
As I used to tell the kids who used to try to mock me for our Christmas being 2 weeks late, I used to ask them, “What year is it? Really? Hmm… We have OUR Christmas 50 weeks EARLIER than you, and you’re making fun of me for OUR Christmas being late?!?!?!?!”
That usually made them stfu. 🙂