After Jeb Bush’s tepid performance at the Koch’s American for Prosperity summit yesterday, Koch road show regular Ted Cruz is sure to get David Koch and other Koch network donors on their feet today with his fiery endorsement of the Koch agenda and his passionate commitment to moving it forward.
One of the Kochs’ chosen five, Cruz is a favorite at Koch events — for years he’s taken center stage at AFP, Concerned Veterans for America, Freedom Partners, and other Koch network donor confabs.
And in the Senate, Cruz is one of the loudest advocates and defenders of the Koch agenda — putting special interests and billionaires like the Kochs ahead of middle class and working families.
So, in comparison to Jeb’s smattering of “polite applause,” will Ted Cruz’s deep allegiance to the Kochs and his audition today win him a piece of the $900 million the Kochs said they will spend on this election?
In conjunction with this weekend’s Americans for Prosperity Defending the American Dream conference in Columbus, Bridge Project 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.
The Kochs And Ted Cruz
The Koch Brothers
Sen. Ted Cruz Met With Charles Koch In October And Told Him “The Republican Party Needed A Grass-Roots Conservative Such As Himself To Take Back The White House.” According to the New York Times, “Similarly, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas popped through Wichita in October for an audience he had requested, and he told the elder Mr. [Charles] Koch that the Republican Party needed a grass-roots conservative such as himself to take back the White House.” [New York Times, 1/20/15]
The Kochs “Identified Five Candidates Who Have The Right Message And ‘A Good Chance Of Getting Elected’”: Scott Walker, Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, And Marco Rubio. According to USA Today, “[Charles] Koch, his brother David and their team have identified five candidates who have the right message and ‘a good chance of getting elected,’ he told USA TODAY in an exclusive interview at Koch Industries’ headquarters. They are Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Marco Rubio of Florida.” [USA Today, 4/21/15]]
Funding for Cruz
David Koch Attended A Fundraiser For Senator Ted Cruz Of Texas At The Home Of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP Partner Robert Giuffra. According to Bloomberg, “Koch is known for sending a lot of money politicians’ way, through political action committees and by hosting fundraisers. On Aug. 15, he attended a fundraiser for Senator Ted Cruz of Texas at the home of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP partner Robert Giuffra. Koch noted that Giuffra, a friend, and Cruz both served as clerks for Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist.” [Bloomberg, 8/25/14]
David Koch: “Ted Cruz, He’s A Brilliant Guy, I Like Him Immensely.” According to Bloomberg, “‘Ted Cruz, he’s a brilliant guy, I like him immensely,’ Koch said. At the fundraiser he sat next to Cruz’s wife, Heidi, a managing director at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. ‘She was great, a very smart woman.’” [Bloomberg, 8/25/14]
Koch Industries Donated $26,000 To Ted Cruz. According to Yahoo Finance, “Other big corporate names on [Ted] Cruz’s donor list include Credit Suisse (CS) ($33,000 from 2011 to 2014), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) ($33,000), Anadarko Petroleum (APC) ($30,000), Valero Energy (VLO) ($27,000), Koch Industries and Wells Fargo (WFC) ($26,000 each). Each of those firms gave to many other candidates, with Cruz typically snagging a middling amount.” [Yahoo Finance, 3/23/15]
Huffington Post: Randy Kendrick, The Wife Of Arizona Diamondbacks Owner Ken Kendrick, And “A Member Of The Billionaire Koch Brothers’ Donor Network,” Is As A Major Donor To Ted Cruz. According to the Huffington Post, “[Sen. Ted] Cruz also counts Randy Kendrick, the wife of Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick, as a major donor. Kendrick is a member of the billionaire Koch brothers’ donor network.” [Huffington Post, 4/15/15]
John W. Childs, Who Gave $700,000 To Freedom Partners, Gave The “Maximum Donation” To Ted Cruz’s Primary Campaign. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, “They include Robert McNair, the owner of the NFL’s Houston Texans franchise, who, along with several members of his family, made the maximum donation to Cruz’s primary campaign. In each of the last two election cycles, McNair has given more than $3m to conservative super PACs, including $2m to the super PAC that backed Mitt Romney. Another name lit in neon in the Republican fundraising world that showed up with a maximum donation for [Ted] Cruz is John W. Childs, a billionaire private equity investor. He has given millions to conservative super PACs, including $700,000 to Freedom Partners Action Fund, which is linked to the star billionaire Koch brother donors.” [Center for Responsive Politics, 4/16/15]
Cruz Defended The Kochs
Sen. Ted Cruz Called Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s Attack On The Koch Brothers “An Embarrassment To This Institution.” According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Tuesday called the repeated Democratic attacks on the Koch brothers ‘an embarrassment to this institution,’ lashing out at Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid during a heated speech on the Senate floor. […] ‘The majority leader has launched an unprecedented slander campaign against two private citizens,’ Cruz said, describing Reid’s regular broadsides of the Kochs ‘reprehensible.’” [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 9/9/14]
Cruz: “I Admire Charles And David Koch…They Are Businessmen Who Have Created Hundreds Of Thousands Of Jobs And They Have Stood Up For Free Market Principles.” “There are a bunch of Democrats who have taken as their talking point that the Koch brothers are the nexus of all evil in the world,” Cruz said, acknowledging the event’s organizers. ‘I admire Charles and David Koch,’ Cruz continued. ‘They are businessmen who have created hundreds of thousands of jobs and they have stood up for free market principles.” [Associated Press, 1/26/15]
Americans For Prosperity
Former AFP-New Jersey State Director Steve Lonegan Was Named New Jersey Chairman Of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s Presidential Campaign. According to NorthJersey.com, “Former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, a conservative activist who ran unsuccessfully for governor, House and Senate, will be New Jersey chairman of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign. In a news release, Cruz called Lonegan ‘a tireless advocate for taxpayers’ and said he knows New Jersey politics. Lonegan, a former state director for Americans for Prosperity, said his duties include raising money and putting together a slate of delegates who would run in the 2016 primary pledged to Cruz.” [NorthJersey.com, 6/8/15]
Cruz, A Longtime Beneficiary Of Koch Support, Scored A Perfect 100 On Americans For Prosperity’s Scorecard And Was Named A “Leader Of Liberty” By Them In 2014. According to the Huffington Post, “Cruz has been a longtime recipient of praise and support from the Kochs [sic] and their network. In 2014 Cruz was named a ‘Leader of Liberty’ by the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity, receiving that group’s highest score, a perfect 100 on its ‘AFP Scorecard.’ He was previously a fellow at the Koch-backed Texas Public Policy Foundation, affiliated with the Koch-funded State Policy Network.” [Huffington Post, 7/13/15]
Cruz Attended Multiple AFP Summits
“Gov. Rick Perry, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz And Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul All Had Prime Speaking Slots At This Year’s Summit.” According to the Texas Observer, “The organization hosts plenty of star power—GOPers eagerly line up to receive the AFP blessing. Gov. Rick Perry, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul all had prime speaking slots at this year’s summit, while other Republican notables simply came to pay their respects, from Indiana governor and future 2016 also-ran Mike Pence, through Texas lt. governor nominee Dan Patrick, all the way down to state Rep. Bill Zedler.” [Texas Observer, 9/8/14]
Support For Keystone XL Pipeline Act
AFP Letter From VP Of Government Affairs Brent Gardner To Sen. Ted Cruz: “I Write In Strong Support Of Your Proposed Amendment To S.1, The Keystone XL Pipeline Act.” According to an open letter by AFP Vice President of Government Affairs Brent Gardner to Sen. Ted Cruz, “On behalf of more than 2.5 million Americans for Prosperity activists in all 50 states, I write in strong support of your proposed amendment to S.1, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act. This amendment would accelerate the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by building on previous bi-partisan efforts.” [Brent Gardner – AFP Open Letter , 1/22/15]
Gardner Letter: Keystone XL Amendment: Would “Get Rid Of Delays That Are Brought On By The Department Of Energy’s (DOE) Permitting Process.” According to an open letter by AFP Vice President of Government Affairs Brent Gardner to Sen. Ted Cruz, “This proposed amendment would further fuel the country’s current energy boom. Specifically the amendment would expedite LNG exports to World Trade Organization (WTO) members. Furthermore, it would also get rid of delays that are brought on by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) permitting process while also preserving the standards that projects go through with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC[Brent Gardner – AFP Open Letter , 1/22/15]
Gardner Letter On Cruz Keystone XL Amendment: “Numerous Studies Back Up The Fact That Exporting LNG Would Have A Positive Impact On The U.S. Economy.” According to an open letter by AFP Vice President of Government Affairs Brent Gardner to Sen. Ted Cruz, “The benefits that this proposed amendment would bring are real. Numerous studies back up the fact that exporting LNG would have a positive impact on the U.S. economy. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) has said, ‘added U.S. LNG exports result in higher economic output, as measured by real gross domestic product (GDP).” Meanwhile according to a study commissioned by the Department of Energy “the U.S was projected to gain net economic benefits from allowing LNG exports.’” [Brent Gardner – AFP Open Letter , 1/22/15]
Concerned Veterans For America
Ted Cruz Will Keynote A Concerned Veterans Of America Event December 2nd. According to a press release from Concerned Veterans for America, “On Tuesday, December 2, Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) and The Weekly Standard will host a national security policy forum, ‘What Should Modern American Foreign Policy Look Like?’ at the historic Willard Hotel in downtown Washington. With turmoil and ISIS on the rise in the Middle East, the specter of a new Cold War between Russia and the West, and an increasingly adversarial relationship with China, this symposium will explore and debate the proper orientation of U.S. national security and foreign policy priorities in the 21st Century. The event, part of CVA’s Strength and Security Project, features a keynote address by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and panel discussions with leading lawmakers and foreign policy experts, moderated by Pete Hegseth and Bill Kristol.” [Concerned Veterans for America Press Release, 11/17/14]
CVA And The Weekly Standard Announced That They Will Host A National Security Policy Forum Called, “What Should Modern American Foreign Policy Look Like?” Featuring A Keynote Address By Sen. Ted Cruz.” According to a press release from Concerned Veterans for America and the Weekly Standard, “On Tuesday, December 2, Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) and The Weekly Standard will host a national security policy forum, “What Should Modern American Foreign Policy Look Like?” at the historic Willard Hotel in downtown Washington. With turmoil and ISIS on the rise in the Middle East, the specter of a new Cold War between Russia and the West, and an increasingly adversarial relationship with China, this symposium will explore and debate the proper orientation of U.S. national security and foreign policy priorities in the 21st Century. The event, part of CVA’s Strength and Security Project, features a keynote address by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and panel discussions with leading lawmakers and foreign policy experts, moderated by Pete Hegseth and Bill Kristol.” [Weekly Standard & Concerned Veterans for America Press Release, 12/1/14]
LIBRE Initiative
Garza: “Ted Cruz, Has A Lot Of Conviction, Is A Principled Person. I Think He Needs To Be A Bit More Pragmatic Or Practical In His Approach To Policy,” But “He’s Going To Run A Hell Of A Campaign.” According to Latin Post, “Garza acknowledged there is a similar narrative between Rubio and fellow presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, specifically the family upbringing and shared struggles. ‘I think Ted Cruz has a lot of conviction, is a principled person. I think he needs to be a bit more pragmatic or practical in his approach to policy, making sure that he is able to persuade and that means sometimes he has to give in a little bit under his positions, but other than that, I think Ted Cruz is strong. Texas loves him. He’s been a strong senator. He has a strong voice, and I think he’s going to run a hell of a campaign.’” [Latin Post, 4/28/15]
Freedom Partners
Four Leading Republican Presidential Prospects Are Expected To Appear At The Annual Winter Gathering Of Freedom Partners Chamber Of Commerce. According to Politico, “Four leading Republican presidential prospects are expected to appear this weekend in the California desert before an exclusive gathering of rich conservatives convened by the Koch brothers’ political operation, several sources tell POLITICO. Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Marco Rubio of Florida, and Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin received coveted invitations to speak to the vaunted network assembled by the billionaire industrialist megadonors Charles and David Koch, the sources said. The meeting, set to be held at a Palm Springs hotel, is the annual winter gathering of Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, the nonprofit group that oversees the network of fiscally conservative groups formed with help from the Kochs and their operatives.” [Politico, 1/19/15]
Cruz Attacked Minimum Wage
Ted Cruz At The Discussion Hosted By Freedom Partners: “I Think The Minimum Wage Constantly Hurts The Most Vulnerable.” According to Reuters, “On Sunday night, Republican senators Rubio, Paul and Cruz discussed domestic and foreign policy. They were being hosted by Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit organization backed by the Koch brothers. An internet feed of the three senators’ discussion was also provided. Lifting people out of poverty, and whether a federal minimum wage was a potential solution, particularly animated them. ‘I think the minimum wage constantly hurts the most vulnerable,’ Cruz said.” [Reuters, 1/26/15]
Cruz Criticized The Iran Deal
Cruz At The Discussion Hosted By Freedom Partners On Talks With Iran Said “This Is The Worst Negotiation In The History Of Mankind” And Predicted An Iranian Nuclear Strike In “Tel Aviv, New York Or Los Angeles.” According to the Associated Press, “Cruz and Rubio were sharply critical of negotiations, backed by President Barack Obama. ‘This is the worst negotiation in the history of mankind,’ Cruz said, predicting an Iranian nuclear strike in ‘Tel Aviv, New York or Los Angeles.’ Added Rubio: ‘At this pace, in five years, we’re going to build the bomb for them.’” [Associated Press, 1/26/15]
Cruz: “The Problem With Iran Is Khomeini And The Mullahs Are Radical Islamic Nutcases.” According to the Associated Press, “Paul urged his colleagues to have patience. “Are you ready to send ground troops into Iran?” Cruz was having none of it. ‘The problem with Iran is Khomeini and the mullahs are radical Islamic nutcases,’ he said.” [Associated Press, 1/26/15]
Freedom Partners Praised Cruz For Opposing The Ex-Im Bank
Freedom Partners Praised Gov. Jeb Bush, Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Rand Paul, and Sen. Marco Rubio For Their Opposition To Reauthorizing The Export-Import Bank. According to the Washington Times, “Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, a nonprofit group with ties to the billionaire philanthropists Charles and David Koch, applauded four potential GOP presidential contenders on Tuesday for supporting the end of the Export-Import Bank. ‘Former Governor Jeb Bush, Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Rand Paul and Senator Marco Rubio’s opposition to reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank is a clear sign that opposition to the bank extends from the grassroots all the way to some of the most prominent figures in national politics,’ Freedom Partners President Marc Short said in a statement.” [Washington Times, 3/3/15]
The Statement From Freedom Partners Came After Bush, Cruz And Rubio “ Voiced Their Opposition To The Bank At A Retreat In Florida Held By The Club For Growth” According to the Washington Times, “The statement from the group comes after Mr. Bush, Mr. Cruz and Mr. Rubio all recently voiced their opposition to the bank at a retreat in Florida held by the Club for Growth, an influential anti-tax advocacy group. Other potential presidential contenders — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence — also said at the gathering that they, too, would eliminate the bank.” [Washington Times, 3/3/15]
Gov. Scott Walker, Gov. Bobby Jindal And Gov. Mike Pence Said At The Club For Growth Event “That They, Too, Would Eliminate The Bank.” According to the Washington Times, “The statement from the group comes after Mr. Bush, Mr. Cruz and Mr. Rubio all recently voiced their opposition to the bank at a retreat in Florida held by the Club for Growth, an influential anti-tax advocacy group. Other potential presidential contenders — Wisconsin Gov. Scott