Republican Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina will attend a high-dollar fundraiser Thursday night that includes Koch Industries PAC, a conservative megadonor that has been the subject of some high-profile magazine pieces of late.
The Koch brothers have become conservative super-villains for Democrats this year, igniting Democrats in the same way George Soros’ spending on liberal causes enrages the right.
According to the invitation for the Thursday night reception at the National Republican Senatorial Committee headquarters near Union Station, hosts — including Koch — donated $2,500. It includes a special reception for sponsors Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, NRSC Chairman John Cornyn, Sen. Jon Kyl and the 26 hosts including Koch Industries PAC. The general reception with the Senate Republican caucus follows. Sponsors paid $5,000 per PAC or $2,400 for an individual sponsorship. The plastic surgeons’ political action committee, Plastypac, also is a host.
TPM obtained a copy of the invitation, which you can view here.
Koch has a storied history. TPM has followed the brothers’ involvement in funding tea party groups, among other conservative causes.
The New Yorker recently published a 6,000-word exposé detailing the Koch brothers Charles Koch and David Koch and their involvement in conservative causes aiming to defeat President Obama and his agenda. The latest iteration comes as Koch spars with the White House over corporate donations.
In addition to their role in the conservative movement, Koch Industries has long been pegged as a top outsourcer.
Democrats have been slamming Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard, for campaigning on jobs given that she laid off thousands of HP workers during her tenure. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) said during their debate last month that Fiorina had outsourced jobs that she could have kept in California. The Democrats are likely to use any Fiorina ties to Koch, even in this run-of-the-mill fundraiser, to exploit the outsourcing critique.
Also Thursday, Fiorina will attend a morning coffee fundraiser at the Clark and Weinstock consulting firm in Northwest Washington. The listed hosts on the invitation include Becky Anderson, Sue Andres, Lindsey Dickinson Baynard, Judy Black, Marlene Colucci, Mimi Dawson, Missy Edwards, Peggy Ellis, Jenn Higgins, Ginger Loper, Katherine Lugar, Jennifer Larkin Lukawski, Julie Riccio, Rachel Robinson, Cindi Merifield Tripodi and Rep. Deb Pryce (R-OH). The minimum contribution was $250 and the co-hosts had to raise or contribute $1,000.
She’s also expected at an afternoon coffee fundraiser at lobbying firm Patton Boggs.
It’s sponsored by former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and his Patton Boggs’ colleagues Ben Ginsberg, Ed Newberry and Kevin O’Neill. The minimum donations to attend were $1,000 for a PAC and $500 for individuals, according to the invitation, also obtained by TPM.
Team Fiorina did not immediately have a comment. NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh sent us his response when we told him Democrats are likely to make a big deal of Koch supporting Fiorina:
As much as the Democrats would like to limit it to only those who agree with their big government agenda, the Constitution affords every American the right to participate in the democratic process. We appreciate the support of all those who agree that we need to restore checks and balances in Washington.
Late Update: Fiorina spokeswoman Liz Mair scoffed at Democrats criticizing the fundraiser and said Boxer is a big recipient of special interest cash.
“Forgive me for expressing amusement at the fact that Barbara Boxer and her allies might choose to engage in this particular ‘pot-calling-the-kettle-black’ exercise,” Mair said. “Barbara Boxer has been in Washington, DC, for 28 years and in that time, she has taken over $3 million in campaign contributions from finance, insurance and real estate interests and nearly $1 million from the securities and investment industry.”
Later Update: The Calbuzz blog got wind of the fundraiser last week. They have more posted here on the Koch brothers’ role in California’s Proposition 23, which proposes to halt the state’s limitations on greenhouse gases. A Koch subsidiary donated $1 million to Prop 23 last week, the same day Fiorina came out in support of it, Calbuzz reports.
