Real Koch Facts: New Jersey

Using Another Boilerplate, Kochs Spread More Misinformation About ACA

March 17, 2016

Another week, another spate of formulaic, inaccurate op-eds disseminating from the Koch network.

The Kochs have a well-documented history of pushing boilerplate-style op-eds and letters to the editor to deceive readers into the belief that local, grassroots support exists for Koch policies. The Koch network has previously used this tactic to attack occupational licensing–a campaign which saw editorials in 36 states–and earlier this month used the same tactic in an attempt to undermine carbon regulations.

No longer content limiting its scope to funneling millions into far-right groups and causes, the Koch’s are now deploying Freedom Partners to manipulate opinion more directly. Nathan Nascimento, Director Of State Initiatives at Freedom Partners, has penned nearly identical criticisms of the Affordable Care Act in major publications targeting voters in eight states.

The Koch Network continued to endanger the lives of Americans by launching a series of copy-and-paste op-eds to spread misinformation about the ACA under such […]

Kochs (Yet Again) Caught Placing A Generic, Misleading Op-ed

March 2, 2016

Not for the first time, the Kochs just got caught placing the same misleading and formulaic op-ed in multiple papers, across multiple states.

A formulaic opinion column, (most commonly titled) “[X state] Should Put Carbon Regulation On Ice,” by American Energy Alliance President Thomas Pyle has appeared in 10 outlets across 7 states over the last week-and-a-half. The Kochs opted for 35+ states last time this happened, but they’re being understandably cautious after getting caught and called out.

American Energy Alliance’s Koch connection comes in the form of a whopping $5 million that Koch front groups sent the organization between 2010 and 2014. But that’s not all: Thomas Pyle, the group’s president and op-ed’s author, is also a former lobbyist for Koch Industries.

It isn’t surprising that the Kochs are trying to impose their selfish policy agenda at the state level. That’s what they do with ALEC and their policy campaigns executed through Americans For Prosperity and […]

“Torrid Courtship”: A Story Of Budding Koch-Christie Loving In The Garden State

February 4, 2016

Jane Mayer’s new book Dark Money brought us some pretty mind-blowing revelations about Charles and David Koch and their family history — like that their father, Fred Koch, helped build a Hitler-approved oil refinery in Nazi Germany that was later bombed by the Allies and rebuilt using concentration camp slave labor.

Here’s another more recent, but nonetheless fascinating, blast from the Kochs’ past: Back in 2011, Charles and David Koch aggressively courted New Jersey governor Chris Christie to run for president as an “empathetic,” Koch-friendly alternative to Mitt Romney.

Chris Christie has gone on the record to throw some love the Kochs’ way, defending the brothers and the influence of their and others’ dark money spending and negative ads back in 2014. But Mayer’s new book reveals that the Koch-Christie affinity and admiration was mutual — and that it goes back even further.

In 2011, with polls showing Mitt Romney struggling with a perceived lack […]

Chris Christie’s environmental flip flop brought to you by the Koch brothers

March 30, 2015

Chris Christie once bragged that he would be “New Jersey’s No. 1 clean-energy advocate,” according to the Washington Post. But once he had a series of meetings with the Koch brothers and other Republican donors, he changed his mind and went to work on behalf of the Koch’s fossil fuel interests rather than the people of New Jersey.

Christie went back on a pledge he made to his state so he could remain in good graces with the Koch brothers. In 2010, he touted plans to build a wind farm off the Atlantic City coast. Soon after, the Koch brothers came calling and Christie began fighting wind energy proposals. Unfortunately for Christie, ignoring New Jersey has left him in “political free fall” back home – and unpopular on the national stage as his pre-presidential campaign sputters.

The Koch brothers have a long history with Chris Christie. Last year, his Board […]

Chris Christie’s Board Again Rejects Windmill Plan, Receives Praise From AFP

November 24, 2014

The third time isn’t always the charm. For a third time, Chris Christie’s Board of Public Utilities has rejected a proposal to build windmills near Atlantic City in order to generate renewable energy. It turns out that the infinite checkbooks of the Koch brothers are more charming than the proverbial ‘third time.’

Immediately after Christie’s Board of Public Utilities once again shot down the promising project, the Koch brothers’ Americans For Prosperity issued a press release praising the energy regulators for their decision. In said press release, they do their best to dress the energy plan up in scary clothes, applauding the BPU for “rejecting this misguided offshore wind scheme.” Amazingly, later in the release, they point out that New Jersey’s job market continues to be lackluster, losing 4,500 jobs in October, while disregarding the renewable energy jobs this project would create.

AFP’s crusade against alternative energy forms is […]

Pursuit of Koch, Chapter Infinity: Chris Christie’s Climate Stunt

In the ongoing Pursuit of Koch race being run by 2016 GOP presidential hopefuls, it appears Chris Christie is making his move. Already in recent weeks, we’ve seen Rick Perry traversing the country to court their favor. Ted Cruz joined them for a national chat session. Mike Pence got his own POLITICO story on his love affair with the Kochs. And the three of them were joined with fellow 2016 wannabes Rand Paul, Bobby Jindal and Ben Carson to “defend the American Dream” with the Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity.

Well Chris Christie, being the insanely ambitious lackluster governor he is, isn’t going to miss out on the opportunity to get a crack at the new power brokers of the GOP and their treasure chest. In a piece about Christie’s utter and proud refusal to tackle climate change, Coral Davenport at the New York Times reveals that Christie […]

Opposing the Same Tax Credit in Two Different States, Does Not an Interesting Plot Line Make

June 16, 2014

Americans for Prosperity’s New Jersey chapter is pressuring lawmakers in the state to vote down Senate Bills S1952 and S779, which would create tax incentives for the film and television industries to do business in the state.

If you’re wondering, “where have I heard this before…?” the answer is North Carolina. The Koch brothers-backed group recently launched an ad campaign opposing the renewal of the Tarheel state’s existing film tax incentive program. Proponents of the tax credits in both states point to the jobs and economic benefits created by the film industry.

About New Jersey’s proposed tax incentives, AFP laments that they’ve “seen this movie before, and it’s a flop.” Interesting choice of metaphor from a political outfit that is mounting the same exact campaign in at least two different states at the same time. At this rate, AFP and the Koch brothers’ tirade against film tax credits is poised to have more […]