In a clumsy rhetorical defense of North Carolina’s inherently discriminatory voter identification law, Governor Pat McCrory reasoned that since you need photo identification to buy Sudafed, you may as well have one to vote. 

McCrory’s cynical opposition to voter enfranchisement is unsurprisingly shared by the Koch brothers. A Cato Institute senior fellow accused then-attorney general Eric Holder of “playing his racial games” after Holder filed a lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s voting laws.

McCrory solidified his bond to the Koch network when he appointed Koch ally and former Americans for Prosperity board member Art Pope as his state budget director. During his tenure as budget director, Pope’s influence extended well beyond budgetary issues; he has been credited for “changing the balance in the state” and was instrumental in instituting barriers to voting in North Carolina.

Pat McCrory’s flippant dismissal of disenfranchisement and voter suppresion in North Carolina will surely be pleasing to the Kochs. McCrory has been a benefactor of plenty of Koch cash in the past, and shilling for the Kochs’ anti-voting rights agenda should keep the dollars flowing in.

Read more on the Koch’s influence on North Carolina voting rights here, and delve into the full reach of the Kochs in North Carolina here.

Background:

News & Record: Former AFP-NC State Director Dallas Woodhouse Founded Carolina Rising, A Nonprofit “Supportive Of Gov. Pat McCrory.” According to the News & Record, “Former Americans For Prosperity state director Dallas Woodhouse is the new executive director of the N.C. Republican Party, according to a number of party officials. Party leaders on Saturday named Woodhouse to replace Todd Poole, who stepped down last month to become Congressman Richard Hudson’s chief of staff. After years with AFP, Woodhouse founded Carolina Rising, a conservative political nonprofit that has been supportive of Gov. Pat McCrory and other Republican state leaders.” [News & Record, 9/27/15]

Koch Donor Art Pope Served As State Budget Director For Gov. Pat McCrory. According to the Institute for Southern Studies, “Art Pope, CEO and chairman of the North Carolina retail store chain Variety Wholesalers, gave $100,000 to FPAF in 2015 through his company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Variety Stores. Pope gave $400,000, also through Variety Stores, to FPAF in 2014, days after stepping down as state budget director for Gov. Pat McCrory (R). A close ally of the Kochs, Pope helped found their prominent social welfare nonprofit Americans for Prosperity and his family foundation has given millions to AFP’s charitable nonprofit arm.” [Institute for Southern Studies website, 2/4/16]

Koch Industries Donated A Total Of $13,100 To Pat McCrory Between 2008 And 2015

KochPAC Donated $4,000 To Pat McCrory’s Unsuccessful 2008 Gubernatorial Bid. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the Elect Pat McCrory Governor committee received a check for $4,000 from Koch Industries Inc PAC on October 14, 2008. [North Carolina State Board of Elections, “Koch”, accessed 4/26/16]

KochPAC Donated $4,000 To Pat McCrory’s 2012 Gubernatorial Bid. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the Elect Pat McCrory Governor committee received a check for $4,000 from Koch Industries Inc PAC on September 28, 2012. [North Carolina State Board of Elections, “Koch”, accessed 4/26/16]

KochPAC Donated $5,100 To Gov. Pat McCrory In 2015. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the Pat McCrory Committee received a check for $5,100 from Koch Industries Inc PAC on October 23, 2015. [North Carolina State Board of Elections, “Koch”, accessed 4/26/16]

AFP-NC Launched A Six-Figure Ad Buy Praising McCrory In 2015

Americans For Prosperity North Carolina Launched A Six Figure Ad Buy Praising Governor McCrory And The Legislature For Passing Tax Cuts. According to an AFP-North Carolina press release, “Americans for Prosperity did not pinch pennies to thank lawmakers for passing a $2.2 billion tax cut this session. Its latest six-figure ad began Sunday night in television and digital media markets across the state, urging viewers to visit NCJobsAgenda.com to sign a petition thanking Governor McCrory and the General Assembly for cutting taxes twice.” [AFP-North Carolina, 10/26/15]

AFP’s Ad Campaign Supporting Gov. McCrory Included “Mailers Sent Out And A Thank You Campaign On Social Media.” According to “Last month, Gov. Pat McCrory signed off on cuts to both personal income and corporate tax rates. Now, the conservative group Americans for Prosperity wants to say thank you. And it’s spending a lot of money to do so. What’s the best way to say thank you to a politician? With a happy television ad, of course. One with loads of smiling people and upbeat music. Why are they smiling? ‘Because Governor McCrory and the General Assembly cut income taxes again,’ says the narrator. Television ads cost money to produce and to air. This one is being broadcast in every market in North Carolina. So just how much is the conservative group spending? ‘It’s a six-figure television buy,’ says Donalyd Bryson, the director of the North Carolina chapter of Americans for Prosperity. Push him for specifics and he answers ‘that’s still in flux.’ Besides the 30-second spot, which began airing during Sunday night football, Bryson says there will also be mailers sent out and a thank you campaign on social media.” [Charlotte Observer, 10/27/15]