Jeb Bush and the Koch brothers’ roots run deep.
Though he may claim the contrary, Jeb’s attendance and role as a keynote speaker at today’s Koch-sponsored Defending the American Dream Summit is no coincidence. His relationship with the Kochs is far past budding — it’s been blossoming for years.
Jeb Bush’s association with Koch-linked groups goes back decades, and even predates his first gubernatorial election — continuing through his tenure as governor and to this day. Jeb’s even hired Koch network staffers to work on his presidential campaign.
So, protest as he might that he’s a stranger in Koch Country, rest assured: Jeb’s a native son.
In conjunction with this weekend’s Americans for Prosperity Defending the American Dream conference in Columbus, Bridge Project today also released a new report, “O-H-I-O Koch! Koch! Koch!: How The Kochs Have Polluted Ohio With Their Business & Politics,” detailing the extensive damage done by the Kochs’ subversive Ohio operations. Read more here.
Background:
The Kochs And Jeb Bush
Bush’s Recent Attempts To Woo The Koch Network
March 2015: David Koch Was Set To Host A Fundraiser For The Republican Governor’s Association At His Palm Beach Mansion Featuring Scott Walker, Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, And Potentially Jeb Bush. According to the Washington Post, “One of the next stops on the 2016 trail: David Koch’s 30,050-square-foot Palm Beach mansion. A group of White House hopefuls, including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, are scheduled to make a pilgrimage to the oceanfront estate of the billionaire industrialist on Sunday afternoon. The occasion is a lunchtime fundraiser for the Republican Governors Association, of which Koch is a major supporter. The event will also give presidential aspirants face-time with some of the party’s most influential and generous contributors. Former governors Jeb Bush of Florida and Rick Perry of Texas were also invited to the event; Perry aides said he would not be able to attend.” [Washington Post, 3/20/15]
April 2015: Bush Called The Koch Network An “Important Part Of Any Coalition To Win The Primary.” According to MSNBC, “‘If I go beyond the consideration to be an active candidate, my hope is to garner as much support across the whole spectrum of the Republican party,’ [Jeb] Bush told msnbc after a meet-and-greet with the Manhattan Republican Party on the Upper East Side. He called the Koch brothers’ network an ‘important part of any coalition to win the primary, so I don’t view it as auditioning for sure. But my intention is, if I’m a candidate, I will reach out to every sector of the party.’” [MSNBC, 4/23/15]
July 2015: Jeb Bush Appealed To The Koch Brothers At Their Summer Meeting By Attributing The Natural-Gas And Crude-Oil Boom To Private Business. According to American Prospect, “Bush’s answer to Allen’s question was that he would take better advantage of what he called the energy revolution in fracking and crude-oil excavation. That answer was cheerful enough, one presumes, to a pair of siblings whose conglomerate was founded on a gusher of fossil fuel. But the real money quote came next, when Bush went on to list the reasons why the recent natural-gas and crude-oil boom happened. ‘The one that is unique to America? Private property rights,’ Bush said. ‘Private property rights. … And you know what the second was? Private business. Not a public company—a private business.’” [American Prospect, 8/5/15]
- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich: Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, And Marco Rubio Are “On Bended Knee Before ‘Oligarchs’ Like The Koch Brothers.’” According to Politico, “Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he’s frightened by the prospect of his party’s top candidates – from Jeb Bush to Scott Walker to Marco Rubio — appearing on bended knee before “oligarchs” like the Koch Brothers.” [Politico, 8/3/15]
July 2015: Jeb Bush Announced He Will Be Joining A Concerned Veterans For America Veterans And Military Town Hall In Columbia South Carolina. According to an article from WLTZ, “Republican Presidential hopeful Jeb Bush will be joining a Veterans and Military Town Hall to be held in August here. The town hall forum series is being conducted by a group called Concerned Veterans For America, which focuses on federal spending reform, and Veterans-related issues including reform of the VA.” [WLTZ, 7/28/15]
July 2015: Americans For Prosperity Hosted Gov. Jeb Bush For The Second Meeting Of Its “Road To Reform” Series. According to WMUR, “In the second meeting of its ‘Road to Reform’ series, the conservative issues advocacy group Americans for Prosperity will host former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wmur.com has learned […]The event will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester at 7 p.m. on July 22.” [WMUR, 7/1/15]
August 2015: Jeb Bush Was Scheduled To Give The Keynote Address Of AFP’s “Defending The American Dream” Summit. According to Mother Jones, “In a matter of weeks, that opportunity will come. Bush, it was announced on Monday, will give the keynote address on August 21 at the ‘Defending the American Dream’ summit organized by Americans for Prosperity, the advocacy group founded and partly funded by the Kochs. At this event, Bush will have his shot to impress the Kochs and their inner circle. He won’t be singing for his supper; he’ll just be auditioning for millions of dollars—perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars—in support.” [Mother Jones, 6/22/15]
Koch Industries Invited Bush To Their Conference In 2006
Matt Schlapp Of Koch Industries Personally Invited Gov. Jeb Bush On Behalf of Charles Koch to a Koch Conference On January 17, 2006. According to an email from Matt Schlapp of Koch Industries to Jeb Bush on January 17, 2006, “Subject: Koch Industries Governor Bush, Sorry to bother you with a request that is so timely, but the Chairman of Koch Industries, Charles Koch, would love for you to be his guest at this conference. Following all ethical guidelines, we can discuss transportation, lodging, etc. I will follow up with your assistant to see if this may be possible. Sincerely, Matt Schlapp Executive Director Federal Government Affairs Koch Industries, Inc. 655 15th Street, NW Washington, DC 20005.” [Matt Schlapp Email to Jeb Bush, 1/17/06]
- “From 2001 To 2005,” Matt Schlapp Served As PresidentBush’s Political Director For His Re-Election Campaign, ‘Schlapp Left The White House To Run The Washington, DC Offices Of Koch Industries.” According to a biography of Matt Schlapp from the American Conservative Union, “On June 19, 2014 the board of the American Conservative Union unanimously voted to elect Matt Schlapp as the ninth Chairman of the nation’s oldest and largest conservative grassroots organization. From 2001 to 2005, Schlapp served as President Bush’s political director during the re-election and previously as his deputy political director. During the 2000 presidential campaign he was a Regional Political Director with oversight of Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Schlapp left the White House to run the Washington, DC offices of Koch Industries, a company headquartered in his hometown and known for their philanthropy to free market causes.” [American Conservative Union, accessed 2/24/15]
Gov. Jeb Bush Responded To Schlapp’s Invitation: “I Will Check Matt But It Might Be Difficult. It Is Good Hearing From You.” According to an email from Gov. Jeb Bush to Matt Schlapp of Koch Industries on January 17, 2006, “I will check Matt but it might be difficult. It is good hearing from you. Jeb.” [Jeb Bush Email to Matt Schlapp, 1/17/06]
Bush Policy Alignment with Koch Brothers
LA Times: “Republican Presidential Hopefuls, Anxious To Curry Favor With The Kochs, Have Made Ending The Bank Part Of Their Campaign Platforms.” According to the Los Angeles Times, “Republican presidential hopefuls, anxious to curry favor with the Kochs, have made ending the bank part of their campaign platforms. Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and other leading GOP candidates have all come out against it.” [LA Times, 7/2/15]
Jeb Bush “Voiced Support” For “The Effort To Privatize Parts Of The VA System,” Which Was “A Priority Of The Koch Brothers-Backed Group, Concerned Veterans For America.” According to the Wall Street Journal, “Last month in New Hampshire, Mr. Bush voiced support for 2014 legislation that allows veterans to see doctors outside the VA system if they experience long wait times or live more than 40 miles from the closest VA hospital. ‘I know it has a pejorative for some, but I’m all in on the voucher thing,’ he said at a March house party in Dover. ‘No one’s suggesting we shut down the VA system. But the simple fact is the VA doesn’t look like it’s made any effort to [let] veterans know that this is available to them. And the number of people taking advantage of this is very, very low.’ The effort to privatize elements of the VA system is a priority of the Koch brothers-backed group, Concerned Veterans for America, which in February called for creating a ‘premium-support private insurance option’ for current veterans and limiting eligibility requirements for future veterans.” [Wall Street Journal, 4/8/15]
Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, And Ted Cruz Have Followed The Kochs’ Lead On The Ethanol Mandate. According to the LA Times, “[Jeb] Bush said in March that he wants to phase it out. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has hedged his position, saying he might do the same. [Ted] Cruz has sponsored a bill to eliminate it. Those three candidates, along with [Marco] Rubio and [Rand] Paul, were named by Charles Koch as being on a shortlist of candidates he might support, though that is unlikely to discourage others from courting the Kochs.” [LA Times, 6/9/15]
At An AFP Event In New Hampshire, Jeb Bush Told The Crowd That He Wanted To “Phase Out” Medicare In Its Current Form For Future Beneficiaries. According to Wall Street Journal’s Washington Wire blog, ‘At a forum Wednesday in Manchester, N.H., organized by Americans for Prosperity, a leading conservative group, Mr. [Jeb] Bush said he wanted to ‘phase out’ Medicare in its current form for the entitlement program’s future beneficiaries, while protecting it for people receiving benefits now. He said: ‘I think a lot of people recognize that we need to make sure we fulfill the commitment to people that already received the benefits, that are receiving the benefits. But then we need to figure out a way to phase out this program for others and move to a new system that allows them to have something because they’re not going to have anything.’” [Wall Street Journal, 7/23/15]
Jeb Bush Hired Former Koch Network Staffers For His Campaign
Larry McCarthy
One Of Jeb Bush’s Potential Super PAC Hires, Larry McCarthy, Has Previously Made Ads For AFP. According to The Washington Post, “Some of the Republican Party’s top strategists are in serious discussions to work for Jeb Bush’s super PAC, Right to Rise, a well-funded group that will operate independent of Bush’s official campaign but will work to promote his candidacy and tear down his opponents. Veteran pollster Neil Newhouse and ad-maker Larry McCarthy are among the advisers in talks to work on the outside effort, according to Republicans with knowledge of the conversations. […] McCarthy has been a leading Republican media strategist for decades and has considerable experience navigating the super PAC world. In 2012, he made ads for Restore Our Future, the pro-Romney super PAC, as well as American Crossroads and Americans for Prosperity.” [Washington Post, 3/17/15]
Jose Mallea
Politico: LIBRE National Strategic Director And Former Marco Rubio Campaign Manager, Jose Mallea, Will Be Hired As Jeb Bush’s Hispanic-Outreach Adviser. According to Politico, “Marco Rubio’s longtime friend and 2010 Senate campaign manager is about to be hired as a Hispanic-outreach adviser for the senator’s likely Republican 2016 rival, Jeb Bush, sources familiar with the decision tell POLITICO. Jose Mallea’s hiring by Bush’s Right to Rise political committee is a one-two punch for the former governor: It underscores the depth of loyalty Florida Republicans have for Bush and it shows his intense interest in turning out the Latino vote.[…] Mallea, who refused comment, plans Friday to resign his post as the national strategic director for the LIBRE Initiative, a Latino-outreach organization tied to the influential Koch brothers. He was hired after the initiative was founded nearly four years ago.” [Politico, 5/1/15]
Jeb Bush’s Longstanding Ties To The Koch-Backed James Madison Institute
BUSH SERVED ON BOARD OF JAMES MADISON INSTITUTE FROM 1990-1993, UNTIL HIS FIRST RUN FOR GOVERNOR
Gov. Jeb Bush Was A Member Of The JMI Board Of Directors From 1990-1993. According to JMI’s 2013 Annual Report, The Honorable Jeb Bush, Miami served on the JMI Board of Directors from 1990 to 1993. [JMI Annual Report, 4/12/13]
BUSH PERSONALLY APPROVED MERGER OF HIS OWN THINK TANK WITH JAMES MADISON INSTITUTE DURING HIS GUBERNATORIAL TENURE, JMI SPUN BUSH’S FOUNDATION BACK OFF FOR HIM AFTER END OF SECOND TERM
After Bush Was Elected In 1998, Bush Approved a Merger of Foundation for Florida’s Future With The James Madison Institute
After Bush Left FFF To Run For Governor, JMI And FFF “With Jeb’s Encouragement, Discussed More Seriously A Possible Merger.” According to JMI’s 2013 Annual Report, “When Jeb [Bush] announced his campaign for Governor in 1997, he was succeeded as FFF chairman by Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney. Shortly after, Mayor Delaney and Dr. Marshall, with Jeb’s encouragement, discussed more seriously a possible merger.” [JMI Annual Report, 4/12/13]
Gov. Jeb Bush: “The Foundation And JMI Have Worked Together For Years To Promote Sound Public Policy In Florida…The New Organization Will Have An Even Greater Impact Throughout The State.” According to JMI’s 2013 Annual Report, “This merger took place only weeks after Jeb [Bush] became Governor and he expressed his endorsement of the merger. ‘The Foundation and JMI have worked together for years to promote sound public policy in Florida,’ he said. ‘“I am proud of what both of these groups have accomplished and know that by combining staff and resources, the new organization will have an even greater impact throughout the state.’” [JMI Annual Report, 4/12/13]
After Bush’s Term Ended, The James Madison Institute “Released” The Foundation for Florida’s Future, And Bush Returned to Serve as Chairman
After Bush’s Term As Governor Ended, JMI “Released” FFF, Where Bush Returned To Serve As Chair. According to JMI’s 2013 Annual Report, “After Jeb left the Governor’s mansion in January 2007, JMI ‘released’ the Foundation and Jeb returned to serve as its chairman. JMI and FFF have both grown substantially since that time and continue to work together to promote education reform in Florida and beyond.” [JMI Annual Report, 4/12/13]
BUSH-FOUNDED FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION WORKED REPEATEDLY WITH JAMES MADISON INSTITUTE TO ISSUE “REPORT CARDS FOR ALEC
The Foundation For Excellence In Education Is An Associate Member Of The State Policy Network. According to the State Policy Network’s Member Directory, The Foundation for Excellence In Education is an Associate Member of SPN. [SPN.org, accessed 2/27/15]
The Foundation For Excellence In Education Was Founded By Jeb Bush In 2008. According to the Foundation for Excellence in Education’s website, “Founded by former Governor Jeb Bush in 2008, the Foundation for Excellence in Education’s (ExcelinEd) unique contribution is working with decision makers on developing and implementing reform policies. We are a hands-on, how-to organization that provides model legislation, rule-making expertise, implementation strategies, and public outreach. Our staff has years of experience working with state and local governments, legislative bodies, in the classroom, and with the media.” [excelined.org, accessed 2/27/15]
Bush Spoke At ALEC’s 40th Annual Meeting In August 2013 On Education Reform
Gov. Jeb Bush Spoke At ALEC’s 40th Annual Meeting In August 2013. According to the Guardian, “Ex-Florida governor Jeb Bush speaks at Alec’s 40th annual meeting in August. Alec has identified more than 40 lapsed corporate members.” [Guardian, 12/3/13]
Bush’s Speech Focused On Education Reform. According to a press release from the Foundation for Excellence in Education, “Governor Jeb Bush Delivers Education Reform Address to the American Legislative Exchange Council.” [Foundation for Excellence in Education, 8/9/13]
Foundation for Excellence In Education, ALEC, and JMI Issued “Report Card” On Education; Staffer Employed By Bush At Foundation for Excellence in Education “Wrote The Past Two ALEC Report Cards.”
Orlando Sentinel: “Jeb Bush Group, ALEC, And James Madison Institute To Present Report Card, Briefing On ‘Student Learning Options.’” According to the Orlando Sentinel via the James Madison Institute website, “Jeb Bush group, ALEC and James Madison Institute to present report card, briefing on ‘student learning options.’” [Orlando Sentinel via James Madison Institute, 1/30/13]
KOCH-AFFILIATED ENTITIES DONATED OVER $1.4 MILLION DIRECTLY TO JAMES MADISON INSTITUTE IN RECENT YEARS
The Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation Donated $108,479 To The James Madison Institute Between 2007 And 2012. According to tax documents from the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation, the Koch Foundation made 6 contributions totaling $108,479 to the James Madison Institute from 2007 to 2012. [Koch Foundation Tax Documents, accessed 2/27/15]
DonorsTrust And Donors Capital Fund Donated $1,273,242 To The James Madison Institute Between 2005 And 2012. According to tax documents from DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund, the two organizations made 27 contributions totaling $1,273,242 from 2005 to 2012. [Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund Tax Documents, accessed 2/27/15]
The Cato Institute Donated $100,000 To The James Madison Institute In 2006. According to tax documents from the Cato Institute from 01/01/2006 to 03/31/2006, Cato awarded $100,000 to the James Madison Institute “to help fund like-minded 501(c)(3) orgs.” [Cato Institute Tax Documents, 3/31/06]
The James Madison Institute Is Listed As A Partner Organization For The Charles Koch Institute’s “Liberty@Work” Program. According to the Charles Koch Institute, the James Madison Institute is a Liberty@Work Partner Organization. [Charles Koch Institute, accessed 3/2/15]
The James Madison Institute Is A Member Of The State Policy Network. According to the State Policy Network’s Member Directory, the James Madison Institute is an SPN Member. [SPN.org, accessed 2/27/15]