Americans for Prosperity
Encyclopedia
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a Washington, D.C.
–based political advocacy group. According to their literature, they promote economic policy that supports business, and restrains regulation by government. AFP was a major supporter of Republican candidates in the 2010 election cycle and is heavily involved in political activities aimed at reducing regulation of the oil and gas industry. It was formerly part of Citizens for a Sound Economy
, which split into AFP and FreedomWorks
in 2004.
(CSE) split into FreedomWorks
(formerly Citizens for a Sound Economy), for 501(c)(4) advocacy activity, and the Americans for Prosperity Foundation (formerly the Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation). Dick Armey
, who had become chair of CSE in 2003 after retiring from Congress, stayed as chairman of FreedomWorks, while David H. Koch
stayed as Chairman of Americans for Prosperity Foundation. Like CSE, AFP was founded with the support of David H. Koch
and Charles G. Koch
of Koch Industries
. Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE) had been established in 1984 by David H. Koch and Charles G. Koch. "CSE received almost $5 million from various Koch foundations between 1986 and 1990, and David Koch and several Koch Industries employees serve[d] as directors of CSE and the CSE Foundation."
before it, Americans for Prosperity consists of two separate entities: Americans for Prosperity (a 501(c)(4) organization established in 2004) and Americans for Prosperity Foundation (a 501(c)(3) organization established in 1984 as the Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation. Americans for Prosperity is led on the national level by its president, Tim Phillips, a former partner in the public affairs and public relations firm, Century Strategies with Ralph Reed
(of Christian Coalition fame).
Other national staff include: Phil Kerpen
, director of policy; and Erik Telford, director of AFP's RightOnline new media program.
Art Pope, James C. Miller, James E. Stephenson
, and Frayda Levy serve on the board of directors.
From 2003 to 2007 AFP was led by Nancy Pfotenhauer
(Koch Industries' chief lobbyist from 1996 to 2001), who left to become an adviser for the 2008 John McCain presidential campaign
.
AFP's web site lists 28 staffed state chapters.
.
Koch Industries
reports that, in 2009, less than 10 percent of AFP and AFP Foundation’s funding was Koch-related.
In its 2007 annual tax return, the AFP Foundation reported revenue of $5.7 million with expenditures of nearly $6.8 million. While the AFP Foundation ran at a loss that year, it had reserves. Of its expenditure, $2.1 million went to national office operations with just over $2.9 million allocated to the state-based chapters.
It was reported in early 2011 that AFP's budget grew to $40 million in 2010 from $7 million three years prior.
In a August 2010 article in The New Yorker
, Jane Mayer
reported that the brothers, David H. Koch
and Charles G. Koch
, and Koch Industries
are providing financial and organizational support to the tea party movement
through Americans for Prosperity.
Based on its financial operations and programs, the independent Charity Navigator
nonprofit review organization gave Americans For Prosperity Foundation a three-star rating out of four stars, and a 58 out of a possible 60 points.
, Mike Huckabee
, John McCain
, Ron Paul
, Sam Brownback
, Mitt Romney
, and Fred Thompson. Other speakers included John Stossel
, Steve Lonegan
, Dinesh D'Souza
, Art Laffer, John Fund
, Steve Moore
, Herman Cain
, Dr. Barry Poulson, and AFP founder David H. Koch
.
A second Summit was held October 11, 2008. The 2009 Summit was held October 3, in Washington, DC to address health care reform legislation, economic policy, and proposed energy legislation. Speakers included Newt Gingrich
, Jim DeMint
, Mike Pence
, Paul Ryan
, and Michele Bachmann
.
Another event related to activism against carbon emission cuts is the Hot Air Tour featuring webcast
s from the United Nations
meetings COP15 in Copenhagen 2009 and COP16 in Cancun 2010. AFP's goal at these events is to "send a message to the bureaucrats that energy rationing will kill jobs, raise taxes, and crush our freedoms.".
In July 2008, Americans for Prosperity hosted RightOnline, a conference of conservative bloggers in Austin, Texas
. Eric Telford was the impresario of the conference that ran opposite the DailyKos NetRoots
Nation conference in Austin in July 2008 and was regarded as a growing conservative answer to the online left. The conference brought together conservative activists to develop strategies to counter left-wing bloggers and develop conservative New Media techniques. The meeting was held in conjunction with the Texas AFP chapter's conference.
In 2011, Phillips helped lead a counterprotest in Madison, Wisconsin, where the governor's budget and labor-law initiatives had drawn considerable opposition in the streets. Phillips' counterprotest supported the governor's cuts saying they were necessary and "represented the start of a much-needed nationwide move to slash public-sector union benefits". The report said Phillips did not the disclose the source of AFP's funding when he addressed a crowd of counterprotesters. Phillips was quoted as saying that "his group is already working with activists and state officials in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania."
.
As of August 2010, more than 600 lawmakers and candidates, primarily Republicans, had signed the pledge. Prominent signers include Senators Pat Roberts
and Roger Wicker
; U.S. Representatives Michele Bachmann
, John Carter, Jeff Flake
, Jim Jordan
, Doug Lamborn
, Lynn Westmoreland
, Phil Gingrey
, Tom Price, Fred Upton
, Candice Miller
, Bill Huizenga
, Justin Amash
, Tim Walberg
, and Rocky Raczkowski; and candidates Jack Hoogendyk
, Dan Benishek
, Pete Olson
, and Greg Davis
.
A subsequent series of television ads opposing the Democratic health care reform proposals was launched by the Patients United Now organization. In one TV ad, a Canadian woman "Shona Holmes" is featured saying she got a runaround for brain tumor surgery and ultimately was treated in the U.S. Columnist David Lazarus
of the Los Angeles Times wrote that a single-payer Canadian style insurance system is not part of any leading reform proposal as the ad suggests. However, Amy Menefee, a spokeswoman for Patients United Now, replied, saying "The point of the ad is to show the extremes where things could go. This would be a bigger role for government than we've ever seen. It's a power grab in this area of the economy."
(R-VA). Of the six Republican members who were elected to the United States Senate for the first time, Americans for Prosperity supported five of their campaigns. Of twelve Republicans newly appointed to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, nine signed a pledge distributed by Americans for Prosperity to oppose greenhouse gas regulation.
In June 2011, Americans for Prosperity placed a handful of fake eviction notices on people's doors in the Delray
neighborhood of Detroit. The group's state director said that the intent was to get peoples' attention and to startle residents into lobbying against the building of the Detroit River International Crossing
bridge because, as the flyer stated, "their properties could be taken by the Michigan Department of Transportation to make way for the New International Trade Crossing bridge project."
According to Politico, in August 2011 Americans for Prosperity "sent absentee voter applications instructing voters to return the paperwork two days late in at least two recall elections." In addition, the PO Box that was listed on the "Ballot Application" is the address of an anti-abortion group, Wisconsin Family Action, as opposed to an official state address. AFP responded, claiming that the misleading date was the result of a mistake and "was only intended for voters in the two districts where Democrats are set to face recalls on a later date, August 16th."
In 2011, AFP said that it will review payments it had made to Mark Block
's Prosperity USA, which is alleged to have made improper payments to the Herman Cain presidential campaign, 2012
. As a tax-exempt charity, Prosperity USA is not allowed to donate money or services to a political campaign.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
–based political advocacy group. According to their literature, they promote economic policy that supports business, and restrains regulation by government. AFP was a major supporter of Republican candidates in the 2010 election cycle and is heavily involved in political activities aimed at reducing regulation of the oil and gas industry. It was formerly part of Citizens for a Sound Economy
Citizens for a Sound Economy
Citizens for a Sound Economy was a conservative political group operating in the United States, whose self-described mission was "to fight for less government, lower taxes, and less regulation." In 2004, Citizens for a Sound Economy split into two new organizations, with Citizens for a Sound...
, which split into AFP and FreedomWorks
FreedomWorks
FreedomWorks is a conservative non-profit organization based in Washington D.C., United States. FreedomWorks trains volunteers, assists in campaigns, and encourages them to mobilize, interacting with both fellow citizens and their political representatives....
in 2004.
Background
AFP was founded in 2004 when Citizens for a Sound EconomyCitizens for a Sound Economy
Citizens for a Sound Economy was a conservative political group operating in the United States, whose self-described mission was "to fight for less government, lower taxes, and less regulation." In 2004, Citizens for a Sound Economy split into two new organizations, with Citizens for a Sound...
(CSE) split into FreedomWorks
FreedomWorks
FreedomWorks is a conservative non-profit organization based in Washington D.C., United States. FreedomWorks trains volunteers, assists in campaigns, and encourages them to mobilize, interacting with both fellow citizens and their political representatives....
(formerly Citizens for a Sound Economy), for 501(c)(4) advocacy activity, and the Americans for Prosperity Foundation (formerly the Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation). Dick Armey
Dick Armey
Richard Keith "Dick" Armey is a former U.S. Representative from Texas's and House Majority Leader . He was one of the engineers of the "Republican Revolution" of the 1990s, in which Republicans were elected to majorities of both houses of Congress for the first time in four decades. Armey was...
, who had become chair of CSE in 2003 after retiring from Congress, stayed as chairman of FreedomWorks, while David H. Koch
David H. Koch
David Hamilton Koch is an American businessman, philanthropist, political activist, and chemical engineer. He is a co-owner and an executive vice president of Koch Industries, a conglomerate that is the second-largest privately held company in the U.S...
stayed as Chairman of Americans for Prosperity Foundation. Like CSE, AFP was founded with the support of David H. Koch
David H. Koch
David Hamilton Koch is an American businessman, philanthropist, political activist, and chemical engineer. He is a co-owner and an executive vice president of Koch Industries, a conglomerate that is the second-largest privately held company in the U.S...
and Charles G. Koch
Charles G. Koch
Charles de Ganahl Koch is co-owner, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Koch Industries Inc., the second-largest privately held company by revenue in the United States according to a 2010 Forbes survey...
of Koch Industries
Koch Industries
Koch Industries, Inc. , is an American private energy conglomerate based in Wichita, Kansas, with subsidiaries involved in manufacturing, trading and investments. Koch also owns Invista, Georgia-Pacific, Flint Hills Resources, Koch Pipeline, Koch Fertilizer, Koch Minerals and Matador Cattle Company...
. Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE) had been established in 1984 by David H. Koch and Charles G. Koch. "CSE received almost $5 million from various Koch foundations between 1986 and 1990, and David Koch and several Koch Industries employees serve[d] as directors of CSE and the CSE Foundation."
Leadership and structure
Like Citizens for a Sound EconomyCitizens for a Sound Economy
Citizens for a Sound Economy was a conservative political group operating in the United States, whose self-described mission was "to fight for less government, lower taxes, and less regulation." In 2004, Citizens for a Sound Economy split into two new organizations, with Citizens for a Sound...
before it, Americans for Prosperity consists of two separate entities: Americans for Prosperity (a 501(c)(4) organization established in 2004) and Americans for Prosperity Foundation (a 501(c)(3) organization established in 1984 as the Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation. Americans for Prosperity is led on the national level by its president, Tim Phillips, a former partner in the public affairs and public relations firm, Century Strategies with Ralph Reed
Ralph E. Reed, Jr.
Ralph Eugene Reed, Jr., is a conservative American political activist, best known as the first executive director of the Christian Coalition during the early 1990s. He sought the Republican nomination for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Georgia but lost the primary election on July 18, 2006,...
(of Christian Coalition fame).
Other national staff include: Phil Kerpen
Phil Kerpen
Phil Kerpen is a free-market policy analyst and a former publisher of high school and college policy debate websites.-Policy analysis:Kerpen is a vice president at Americans for Prosperity. Until June 23, 2006, he was Policy Director for the Free Enterprise Fund, a United States free market...
, director of policy; and Erik Telford, director of AFP's RightOnline new media program.
Art Pope, James C. Miller, James E. Stephenson
James E. Stephenson
James E. Stephenson was a Republican politician in the American state of Michigan. He served as mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan from 1973 to 1975.-Further reading:* , AnnArbor.com, August 29, 2009....
, and Frayda Levy serve on the board of directors.
From 2003 to 2007 AFP was led by Nancy Pfotenhauer
Nancy Pfotenhauer
Nancy Mitchell Pfotenhauer is currently the president of MediaSpeak Strategies. She was former Senior Policy Advisor and National Spokesperson with the 2008 John McCain presidential campaign and political commentator on Fox News, CNN and MSNBC She was also former Executive Vice President of...
(Koch Industries' chief lobbyist from 1996 to 2001), who left to become an adviser for the 2008 John McCain presidential campaign
John McCain presidential campaign, 2008
John McCain, the senior United States Senator from Arizona, launched his second candidacy for the presidency of the United States in an unsuccessful bid to win the 2008 presidential election. His candidacy, in the works for a number of years, was informally announced on February 28, 2007 during a...
.
AFP's web site lists 28 staffed state chapters.
Funding
Media Transparency says that Americans for Prosperity Foundation has received seven grants totaling $1,181,000 between 2004 to 2006 with $1 million coming from the Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation, one of the Koch Family FoundationsKoch Family Foundations
Koch Family Foundations is the informal name for a group of charities in the United States of America associated with the family of Fred C. Koch. The most prominent of these are the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation and the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation, created by two of Fred C...
.
Koch Industries
Koch Industries
Koch Industries, Inc. , is an American private energy conglomerate based in Wichita, Kansas, with subsidiaries involved in manufacturing, trading and investments. Koch also owns Invista, Georgia-Pacific, Flint Hills Resources, Koch Pipeline, Koch Fertilizer, Koch Minerals and Matador Cattle Company...
reports that, in 2009, less than 10 percent of AFP and AFP Foundation’s funding was Koch-related.
In its 2007 annual tax return, the AFP Foundation reported revenue of $5.7 million with expenditures of nearly $6.8 million. While the AFP Foundation ran at a loss that year, it had reserves. Of its expenditure, $2.1 million went to national office operations with just over $2.9 million allocated to the state-based chapters.
It was reported in early 2011 that AFP's budget grew to $40 million in 2010 from $7 million three years prior.
In a August 2010 article in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, Jane Mayer
Jane Mayer
Jane Mayer is an American investigative journalist who has been a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine since 1995...
reported that the brothers, David H. Koch
David H. Koch
David Hamilton Koch is an American businessman, philanthropist, political activist, and chemical engineer. He is a co-owner and an executive vice president of Koch Industries, a conglomerate that is the second-largest privately held company in the U.S...
and Charles G. Koch
Charles G. Koch
Charles de Ganahl Koch is co-owner, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Koch Industries Inc., the second-largest privately held company by revenue in the United States according to a 2010 Forbes survey...
, and Koch Industries
Koch Industries
Koch Industries, Inc. , is an American private energy conglomerate based in Wichita, Kansas, with subsidiaries involved in manufacturing, trading and investments. Koch also owns Invista, Georgia-Pacific, Flint Hills Resources, Koch Pipeline, Koch Fertilizer, Koch Minerals and Matador Cattle Company...
are providing financial and organizational support to the tea party movement
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
through Americans for Prosperity.
Based on its financial operations and programs, the independent Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator is an independent, non-profit organization that evaluates American charities. Its stated goal is "to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of America's largest charities."-About:...
nonprofit review organization gave Americans For Prosperity Foundation a three-star rating out of four stars, and a 58 out of a possible 60 points.
Events
AFP hosted an event in Washington D.C. entitled "Defending the American Dream Summit" on October 5, 2007. The topic was government spending and taxation. Presidential candidates who attended included Rudy GiulianiRudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
, Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
, John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
, Sam Brownback
Sam Brownback
Samuel Dale "Sam" Brownback is the 46th and current Governor of Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Kansas from 1996 to 2011, and as a U.S. Representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district from 1995 to 1996...
, Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
, and Fred Thompson. Other speakers included John Stossel
John Stossel
John F. Stossel is an American consumer reporter, investigative journalist, author and libertarian columnist. In October 2009 Stossel left his long time home on ABC News to join the Fox Business Channel and Fox News Channel, both owned and operated by News Corp...
, Steve Lonegan
Steve Lonegan
Steven M. Lonegan was mayor of Bogota, New Jersey from 1995–2007 and a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of New Jersey in 2005 and 2009. He is the Director of the New Jersey chapter of Americans for Prosperity....
, Dinesh D'Souza
Dinesh D'Souza
Dinesh D'Souza is an author and public speaker and a former Robert and Karen Rishwain Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He is currently the President of The King's College in New York City. D'Souza is a noted Christian apologist and conservative writer and speaker....
, Art Laffer, John Fund
John Fund
John H. Fund is an American political journalist and conservative columnist. Currently a senior editor of The American Spectator,...
, Steve Moore
Steve Moore
Steven Dean Moore is a former Canadian professional ice hockey center, best known for receiving what turned out to be a career-ending injury as a result of an illegal hit by then Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi....
, Herman Cain
Herman Cain
Herman Cain is a candidate for the 2012 U.S. Republican Party presidential nomination.Cain has a background as a business executive, syndicated columnist, and radio host from Georgia. He served as chairman and CEO of Godfather's Pizza from 1986 to 1996...
, Dr. Barry Poulson, and AFP founder David H. Koch
David H. Koch
David Hamilton Koch is an American businessman, philanthropist, political activist, and chemical engineer. He is a co-owner and an executive vice president of Koch Industries, a conglomerate that is the second-largest privately held company in the U.S...
.
A second Summit was held October 11, 2008. The 2009 Summit was held October 3, in Washington, DC to address health care reform legislation, economic policy, and proposed energy legislation. Speakers included Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
, Jim DeMint
Jim DeMint
James Warren "Jim" DeMint is the junior U.S. Senator from South Carolina, serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party and a leader in the Tea Party movement. He previously served as the U.S. Representative for from 1999 to 2005.-Early life and education:DeMint was born in...
, Mike Pence
Mike Pence
Michael Richard "Mike" Pence is the U.S. Representative for Indiana's , and previously the , serving since 2001. The 6th district covers much of Eastern Indiana. He is a member of the Republican Party....
, Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan (politician)
Paul Davis Ryan is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is a member of the Republican Party and has been ranked among the party's most influential voices on economic policy....
, and Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
.
Another event related to activism against carbon emission cuts is the Hot Air Tour featuring webcast
Webcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
s from the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
meetings COP15 in Copenhagen 2009 and COP16 in Cancun 2010. AFP's goal at these events is to "send a message to the bureaucrats that energy rationing will kill jobs, raise taxes, and crush our freedoms.".
In July 2008, Americans for Prosperity hosted RightOnline, a conference of conservative bloggers in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. Eric Telford was the impresario of the conference that ran opposite the DailyKos NetRoots
Netroots
Netroots is a term coined in 2002 by Jerome Armstrong to describe political activism organized through blogs and other online media, including wikis and social network services. The word is a portmanteau of Internet and grassroots, reflecting the technological innovations that set netroots...
Nation conference in Austin in July 2008 and was regarded as a growing conservative answer to the online left. The conference brought together conservative activists to develop strategies to counter left-wing bloggers and develop conservative New Media techniques. The meeting was held in conjunction with the Texas AFP chapter's conference.
In 2011, Phillips helped lead a counterprotest in Madison, Wisconsin, where the governor's budget and labor-law initiatives had drawn considerable opposition in the streets. Phillips' counterprotest supported the governor's cuts saying they were necessary and "represented the start of a much-needed nationwide move to slash public-sector union benefits". The report said Phillips did not the disclose the source of AFP's funding when he addressed a crowd of counterprotesters. Phillips was quoted as saying that "his group is already working with activists and state officials in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania."
No Climate Tax Pledge
Americans for Prosperity circulated a pledge to government officials that states they will not increase taxes to deal with climate changeClimate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
.
As of August 2010, more than 600 lawmakers and candidates, primarily Republicans, had signed the pledge. Prominent signers include Senators Pat Roberts
Pat Roberts
Charles Patrick "Pat" Roberts is the senior United States Senator from Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, he has served since 1997...
and Roger Wicker
Roger Wicker
Roger Frederick Wicker is the junior U.S. Senator from Mississippi and a member of the Republican Party. In December 2007 he was appointed by Governor Haley Barbour to fill the seat vacated by Trent Lott. He subsequently won the 2008 special election for the remainder of the term. Wicker served...
; U.S. Representatives Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
, John Carter, Jeff Flake
Jeff Flake
Jeffrey Lane "Jeff" Flake is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was featured in the documentary series How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories....
, Jim Jordan
Jim Jordan
James "Jim" Jordan was the actor who played Fibber McGee in Fibber McGee and Molly, and the albatross, Orville, in Disney's The Rescuers .-Biography:...
, Doug Lamborn
Doug Lamborn
Doug Lamborn is the U.S. Representative for , in office since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Colorado Springs.-Early life, education, and early career:Lamborn was born in Leavenworth, Kansas...
, Lynn Westmoreland
Lynn Westmoreland
Lynn A. Westmoreland is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district stretches from the far southern Atlanta suburbs to the suburbs of Columbus...
, Phil Gingrey
Phil Gingrey
John Phillip "Phil" Gingrey, is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is located in the northwestern suburbs of Atlanta.-Early life, education and career:...
, Tom Price, Fred Upton
Fred Upton
Frederick Stephen Upton is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1987. He is a member of the Republican Party and Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The district, based in Kalamazoo, stretches along the Michigan-Indiana border in the southwestern part of the state.-Early life,...
, Candice Miller
Candice Miller
Candice S. Miller is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. She is a member of the Republican Party.The district includes Michigan's Huron, Macomb, and Sanilac counties, plus portions of Lapeer and Oakland counties....
, Bill Huizenga
Bill Huizenga
William P. Huizenga is the member of Congress for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives.-Early life, education, and career:...
, Justin Amash
Justin Amash
Justin Amash, , is an American attorney, politician, and member of Congress. He has been the U.S. Representative for which encompasses the Grand Rapids area, since 2011....
, Tim Walberg
Tim Walberg
Timothy Lee "Tim" Walberg is the current U.S. Representative for , and was also the former Congressman for the district from 2007 to 2009.-Early life, education, and religious career:...
, and Rocky Raczkowski; and candidates Jack Hoogendyk
Jack Hoogendyk
Jacob "Jack" Hoogendyk is a Republican politician, a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives and 2008 Republican candidate for the U.S...
, Dan Benishek
Dan Benishek
Daniel Joseph Benishek is an American physician and politician currently serving as the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and medical career:...
, Pete Olson
Pete Olson
Peter Graham "Pete" Olson is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes much of southeastern Houston, as well as most of the city's southern suburbs such as Pearland, Sugar Land, and Pasadena.-Early life, education, and military...
, and Greg Davis
Greg Davis (Mississippi politician)
For other persons with these names, see Greg Davis and Charles Davis.Charles Gregory "Greg" Davis is the mayor of Southaven, Mississippi, the state's third largest city, and was the Republican Party nominee for Mississippi's 1st congressional district in the 2008 special and general elections.-...
.
Patients United Now
In May 2009, Americans for Prosperity launched Patients United Now, a website self-described as a project offering information for those opposed to "a government takeover of the United States health care system." On the site, they state their support for "health care reform focused on delivering affordable, quality choices to all Americans" and believe that a government takeover of healthcare can lead to "delaying - and denying - critical treatments."A subsequent series of television ads opposing the Democratic health care reform proposals was launched by the Patients United Now organization. In one TV ad, a Canadian woman "Shona Holmes" is featured saying she got a runaround for brain tumor surgery and ultimately was treated in the U.S. Columnist David Lazarus
David Lazarus
David Lazarus is an American business and consumer columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He joined the paper in August 2007.Before joining the LA Times staff in 2007, Lazarus worked as a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and a nightly talk radio host for San Francisco's KGO Radio...
of the Los Angeles Times wrote that a single-payer Canadian style insurance system is not part of any leading reform proposal as the ad suggests. However, Amy Menefee, a spokeswoman for Patients United Now, replied, saying "The point of the ad is to show the extremes where things could go. This would be a bigger role for government than we've ever seen. It's a power grab in this area of the economy."
Activities
During the 2010 election cycle, Americans for Prosperity claims to have spent $40 million dollars on rallies, phone banks, and canvassing. One beneficiary was Morgan GriffithMorgan Griffith
Howard Morgan Griffith is the U.S. Representative for Virginia's 9th congressional district. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was the majority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates and represented the 8th District, serving from 1994 until 2011...
(R-VA). Of the six Republican members who were elected to the United States Senate for the first time, Americans for Prosperity supported five of their campaigns. Of twelve Republicans newly appointed to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, nine signed a pledge distributed by Americans for Prosperity to oppose greenhouse gas regulation.
In June 2011, Americans for Prosperity placed a handful of fake eviction notices on people's doors in the Delray
Delray, Detroit
Delray is a neighborhood and former incorporated village, located on the south side of Detroit, Michigan. It is isolated from other areas of Detroit by industrial warehouses and Interstate 75...
neighborhood of Detroit. The group's state director said that the intent was to get peoples' attention and to startle residents into lobbying against the building of the Detroit River International Crossing
Detroit River International Crossing
The Detroit River International Crossing , alternatively New International Trade Crossing , is a multi-national construction project and committee between Canada and the United States to create a new border crossing over the Detroit River...
bridge because, as the flyer stated, "their properties could be taken by the Michigan Department of Transportation to make way for the New International Trade Crossing bridge project."
According to Politico, in August 2011 Americans for Prosperity "sent absentee voter applications instructing voters to return the paperwork two days late in at least two recall elections." In addition, the PO Box that was listed on the "Ballot Application" is the address of an anti-abortion group, Wisconsin Family Action, as opposed to an official state address. AFP responded, claiming that the misleading date was the result of a mistake and "was only intended for voters in the two districts where Democrats are set to face recalls on a later date, August 16th."
In 2011, AFP said that it will review payments it had made to Mark Block
Mark Block
Mark Block is an American political strategist who, as of 2011, is serving as chief of staff for the 2012 Republican presidential campaign for Herman Cain. Block has previously worked for Americans for Prosperity.-Background:...
's Prosperity USA, which is alleged to have made improper payments to the Herman Cain presidential campaign, 2012
Herman Cain presidential campaign, 2012
Businessman, radio host, former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, and former United States Senate candidate Herman Cain of Georgia began a campaign for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States shortly after the 2010 midterm elections.Although he was...
. As a tax-exempt charity, Prosperity USA is not allowed to donate money or services to a political campaign.
Criticism
In August 2010, the AFP and its sister foundation Americans for Prosperity Foundation were criticized by the Democratic Party and the Obama White House as a de facto political action group in violation of their tax-exempt status. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee filed a complaint against the Americans for Prosperity, a 501(c)(4) organization, for running political advertisements that allegedly constitute political campaign intervention. A spokesman for the AFPF said the DCCC complaint was a "nuisance complaint to intimidate" that was without merit.See also
- Tea party movementTea Party movementThe Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
- Political activities of the Koch familyPolitical activities of the Koch familyThe political activities of the Koch family are the political activities of the family of Fred C. Koch, a co-founder of Koch Industries, an oil, gas, and chemical conglomerate which is the second largest privately held company in the United States with annual revenues of $110 billion...
- Tito the BuilderTito the BuilderTito Muñoz, also known as Tito the Builder, is a conservative activist who has received substantial media attention for various political campaign activities. During the United States presidential election, 2008, Muñoz became notable for publicly defending Joe Wurzelbacher, and also for campaigning...
External links
- Americans for Prosperity
- Americans for Prosperity Foundation
- File at PolitiFact
- Profile at OpenSecrets.org
- Profile at MediaMatters
- Americans for Prosperity at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...