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| Mike Pence to appear at Trump-skeptic Koch brothers' fundraiser | Mike Pence to appear at Trump-skeptic Koch brothers' fundraiser |
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| Newly selected by Donald Trump as his vice-presidential running mate, Mike Pence is expected to have a chance later this month to prod wealthy conservatives to provide financial backing for the Trump ticket at a big donor retreat hosted by the billionaire Koch brothers, who have long had close ties to the Indiana governor. | Newly selected by Donald Trump as his vice-presidential running mate, Mike Pence is expected to have a chance later this month to prod wealthy conservatives to provide financial backing for the Trump ticket at a big donor retreat hosted by the billionaire Koch brothers, who have long had close ties to the Indiana governor. |
| The Guardian has learned that Pence is slated to be a featured guest at the Koch donor network’s semiannual policy and fundraising event, which is scheduled to run from 30 July to 1 August at a posh Colorado resort. | The Guardian has learned that Pence is slated to be a featured guest at the Koch donor network’s semiannual policy and fundraising event, which is scheduled to run from 30 July to 1 August at a posh Colorado resort. |
| Pence’s name was prominent on the invitation list that was sent to a few hundred major supporters of the network, along with conservative favorites such as the House speaker, Paul Ryan, and governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona, according to a donor who has attended previous Koch events. | Pence’s name was prominent on the invitation list that was sent to a few hundred major supporters of the network, along with conservative favorites such as the House speaker, Paul Ryan, and governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona, according to a donor who has attended previous Koch events. |
| Related: Trump's VP: Mike Pence brings political and evangelical credibility to ticket | Related: Trump's VP: Mike Pence brings political and evangelical credibility to ticket |
| Pence has been a draw at Koch donor retreats before: in early 2014, he was a featured speaker at a Koch network event in Palm Springs, California, where he talked about how the states can be laboratories for implementing the small-government, low-tax and anti-regulatory views embraced by the libertarian-leaning brothers Charles and David Koch, who control the $115bn-a-year energy and industrial behemoth Koch Industries. | Pence has been a draw at Koch donor retreats before: in early 2014, he was a featured speaker at a Koch network event in Palm Springs, California, where he talked about how the states can be laboratories for implementing the small-government, low-tax and anti-regulatory views embraced by the libertarian-leaning brothers Charles and David Koch, who control the $115bn-a-year energy and industrial behemoth Koch Industries. |
| Despite Pence’s close ties to the Koch network, officials with the group’s leading fundraising arm, Freedom Brothers, which typically hosts the retreats, have repeatedly said that they will stay out of the presidential race because of concerns about both party’s nominees, and instead focus their spending heavily on ads to keep the Senate in GOP hands. | Despite Pence’s close ties to the Koch network, officials with the group’s leading fundraising arm, Freedom Brothers, which typically hosts the retreats, have repeatedly said that they will stay out of the presidential race because of concerns about both party’s nominees, and instead focus their spending heavily on ads to keep the Senate in GOP hands. |
| Earlier this year, Charles Koch publicly voiced strong disapproval of Trump’s calls for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration would “destroy our free society”. Before being given the vice-presidential nod by Trump, Pence had called the proposed ban “offensive and unconstitutional”. | |
| Marc Short, Pence’s former chief of staff who served as president of Freedom Partners for a few years, left the Koch group abruptly during the primaries partly because his efforts and those of some big donors to get the Koch network to spend funds to defeat Trump were rebuffed. | Marc Short, Pence’s former chief of staff who served as president of Freedom Partners for a few years, left the Koch group abruptly during the primaries partly because his efforts and those of some big donors to get the Koch network to spend funds to defeat Trump were rebuffed. |
| And Randy Kendrick, a leading Koch donor from Arizona, told the Guardian in March that she was “extremely disappointed” the network opted not to run ads against Trump, stressing: “This country does not believe in rule by strongmen or cult personality figures.” | And Randy Kendrick, a leading Koch donor from Arizona, told the Guardian in March that she was “extremely disappointed” the network opted not to run ads against Trump, stressing: “This country does not believe in rule by strongmen or cult personality figures.” |
| Still, some big Koch donors are backing Trump and have committed to help Super Pacs, which unlike campaign committees can accept unlimited donations. Minnesota broadcasting billionaire Stan Hubbard has donated $100,000 to the pro-Trump Great America Pac, a Super Pac that boasts veteran GOP operative Ed Rollins as a top strategist. | Still, some big Koch donors are backing Trump and have committed to help Super Pacs, which unlike campaign committees can accept unlimited donations. Minnesota broadcasting billionaire Stan Hubbard has donated $100,000 to the pro-Trump Great America Pac, a Super Pac that boasts veteran GOP operative Ed Rollins as a top strategist. |
| Further, hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer, who gave more than $10m to a Super Pac that was backing Ted Cruz, has indicated he intends to back a new pro-Trump Super Pac dubbed Make America Number One, which will solicit big checks from donors who aren’t ready to back Trump but detest Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. | Further, hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer, who gave more than $10m to a Super Pac that was backing Ted Cruz, has indicated he intends to back a new pro-Trump Super Pac dubbed Make America Number One, which will solicit big checks from donors who aren’t ready to back Trump but detest Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. |
| Meanwhile, multibillionaire Sheldon Adelson, who has indicated he would be willing to put as much as $100m into efforts to help Trump and who pushed to have his longtime close political ally Newt Gingrich named as Trump’s No2, is said by close friends to like Pence quite a lot because like Adelson he’s a fervent and hawkish supporter of Israel. Adelson’s affection for Pence was underscored when the Republican Jewish Coalition, a conservative pro-Israel advocacy group that Adelson has long been the leading financier of, quickly put out a statement on Friday hailing Pence’s addition to the ticket and calling him a “critical leader and important voice regarding Israel” both as Indiana’s governor and during several terms he served in the House as an Indiana congressman. Adelson has also been a big donor to the Koch network in recent years. | Meanwhile, multibillionaire Sheldon Adelson, who has indicated he would be willing to put as much as $100m into efforts to help Trump and who pushed to have his longtime close political ally Newt Gingrich named as Trump’s No2, is said by close friends to like Pence quite a lot because like Adelson he’s a fervent and hawkish supporter of Israel. Adelson’s affection for Pence was underscored when the Republican Jewish Coalition, a conservative pro-Israel advocacy group that Adelson has long been the leading financier of, quickly put out a statement on Friday hailing Pence’s addition to the ticket and calling him a “critical leader and important voice regarding Israel” both as Indiana’s governor and during several terms he served in the House as an Indiana congressman. Adelson has also been a big donor to the Koch network in recent years. |
| The Koch donor network has stated it will spend close to $750m this election cycle; the bulk of the funds are going to educational and nonprofit groups advocating for conservative policies, but tens of millions are slated to be spent by Koch-supported groups backing Senate candidates. | The Koch donor network has stated it will spend close to $750m this election cycle; the bulk of the funds are going to educational and nonprofit groups advocating for conservative policies, but tens of millions are slated to be spent by Koch-supported groups backing Senate candidates. |
| For most of the campaign, Trump has delighted in bashing megadonors and Super Pacs, and until recently, when he quietly shifted his stance, he insisted he didn’t need their help. | For most of the campaign, Trump has delighted in bashing megadonors and Super Pacs, and until recently, when he quietly shifted his stance, he insisted he didn’t need their help. |