American Future Fund

American Future Fund

American Future Fund logo
Founded 2007[1]
Type 501(c)(4) Nonprofit
26-0620554 (EIN)
Location
Area served
 United States
Members
 3
Key people
 Sandy Greiner, President[1]
Revenue
 $23,304,826 (2010)[2]
Employees
 0
Volunteers
 32,340[1]
Mission "To promote conservative free market principles to the citizens of America"
Website americanfuturefund.com

The American Future Fund is an Iowa based 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization[3] affiliated with the Center to Protect Patient Rights,[4][5] which in turn has reported ties to billionaires Charles G. Koch and David H. Koch[6][7]

American Future Fund was founded by individuals who worked for Mitt Romney's 2008 bid for the Republican U.S. Presidential nomination.[8] Nick Ryan, an adviser to Republican US Representative Jim Nussle, founded the organization in 2007, with Nicole Schlinger, a GOP leader in Iowa,[9] as its president. Its current president is Iowa Republican state Sen. Sandra Greiner.[10]

The fund "advocates conservative and free-market principles."[11] and energy positions that include support for drilling offshore and in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.[12] In 2010, the fund reported over 9 million dollars of independent campaign expenditures to the FEC, and 100% of its expenditures benefited Republicans.[13]

Funding and Funding Disclosure

The organization does not disclose the names of those who have provided its funding.[14]

Activities in 2012

In 2012 the organization funded ads supporting Mitt Romney's bid for the U.S. presidency.[15] In the same year, it also funded ads attacking Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster[16] and in support of California's Proposition 32, which would prevent unions from collecting political contributions as paycheck deductions.[17]

Recent Activities

Most recently, the fund has sponsored ads in support of the Libertarian candidate for the United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2014, Sean Haugh. The ads portray Haugh as the "anti-war" candidate and claim that he supports the legalization of, "weed" (i.e., marijuana). The ads also encourage voters that if they support these ideas, they should avoid voting for incumbent Democratic senator, Kay Hagan. The ads have been aired on subscription media services, including Pandora. Though the ads direct support toward Haugh, the candidate himself has stated that he "[has] a whole new reason to despise Koch brothers and their dark money," referencing the link between Charles and David Koch and the American Future Fund.[18]

In the Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2014 the American Future Fund has sponsored a pro-pot ad described by the Mary Burke campaign, as well as by some journalists and commentators, as being intended to divide or confuse the progressive liberal voting base, ineffectively or not. Though championing the candidate Robert Burke (former Republican, now running as a Libertarian), the ads do clearly state in text that they were not sponsored or approved by any candidate, but rather by the American Future Fund alone.[19]

A website domain, "supportrobertburke.com," hosts the American Future Fund's Robert Burke ads and features the, "Get Burke, Get Blazed" tagline created by the group.[20] A US magazine, The Nation, called the ads, "the most cynical political ploy of 2014," referencing both the American Future Fund's ads in Wisconsin for Robert Burke, and also those for Sean Haugh in the North Carolina senate race.[21]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "2010 IRS Form 990 Federal Tax Return" (PDF). Foundation Center. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Nonprofit Report for American Future Fund". GuideStar. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
  3. ↑ "A New GOP Player in the Soft Money World". The Washington Post. March 24, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Fine line between politics and issues spending by secretive 501(c)(4) groups". Sacramento Bee. May 31, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Center's activities provide glimpse into network of conservative advocacy groups". Boston Herald. May 29, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Fine line between politics and issues spending by secretive 501(c)(4) groups". The Sacramento Bee. September 15, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Center to Protect Patient Rights grantees". Los Angeles Times. May 27, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  8. ↑ Evans, Will (August 20, 2008). "Profile: American Future Fund". National Public Radio. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  9. ↑ Jacobs, Jennifer (May 27, 2011). "Power fundraiser Nicole Schlinger signs on with Pawlenty". Des Moines Register. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  10. ↑ Robertson, Laurie (September 18, 2011). "American Future Fund". Annenberg Public Policy Center. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Did New Mexico rep spend 1 trillion tax dollars". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  12. ↑ Evans, Will (2008-08-20). "Profile: American Future Fund". NPR. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  13. ↑ Farnam, T.W. "American Future Fund". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  14. ↑ Kevin Yamamura (November 6, 2012). "Political contributions more difficult to trace after key U.S. Supreme Court decisions". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Outside groups making play to help Romney with ads". CBS News. Associated Press. September 27, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Who's the "Imposter"? Chris Koster or Nonprofit Behind Attack Ad?". The Riverfront Times. September 25, 2012.
  17. ↑ "$4 million added to support Prop. 32". The Sacramento Bee. September 15, 2012.
  18. ↑ http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2014/10/23/358118060/outside-group-sends-blunt-message-in-n-c-senate-race
  19. ↑ "Pro-weed ads prompt blunt exchange between Walker and Burke campaigns". Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel Online. November 2, 2014.
  20. ↑ http://supportrobertburke.com/
  21. ↑ http://www.thenation.com/blog/187481/most-cynical-political-ploy-2014

External links

Coordinates: 41°32′47″N 93°38′42″W / 41.5463°N 93.6449°W