On Thursday, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) reported that Charles Koch’s super PAC, AFP Action (AFPA), spent $347,022 in May to discredit his presidential bid in 2024. AFP joins Club for Growth as the first right-wing super PACs to openly oppose Trump’s candidacy.

The initial election spending was for digital attack ads in four states to test various political messages with GOP primary voters. One 15-second spot claims that the only way Biden can win is if Trump is the nominee, and points out that 60% of voters oppose the ex-president running again. A second AFP Action ad uses the same 60% statistic and claims that Trump “has done a lot of good things,” but that he can’t win in 2024 since swing voters won’t support him. The 15-second ads on YouTube are straightforward, making use of still photos and graphics.

All four states hold early presidential primaries—or in Iowa’s case, caucuses—and although the Koch group has not yet announced its support of any of the many GOP candidates who have announced so far, its message is clear: never Trump again.

Here’s the latest on other recent CMD investigations you may have missed:

 
 
 
 
 
 

Leonard Leo Bankrolls Former Lieutenant to Challenge GOP Incumbent in Missouri’s 2024 Race for AG

Trump’s “judge whisperer” Leonard Leo, the Christian conservative largely responsible for moving the federal court system to the far right in the past decade, is deploying his powerful network to get a friend and former employee elected as Missouri’s next attorney general.

 

Federal Covid Relief Funds Fuel Koch-Backed Flat Tax “Revolution”

A decade-long push by Koch’s political and policy network to get more states to flatten or abolish income taxes is finally beginning to pay off, thanks to billions in federal Covid relief funds flowing to the states.

 

ALEC Is Using Wolf-PAC to Help the Right Rewrite the Constitution

In spearheading far-right efforts to rewrite the U.S. Constitution, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is increasingly counting on an unexpected ally: a campaign finance reform group founded during the Occupy Wall Street protests more than a decade ago.

 
 

ALEC’s State Ratings Favor Corporate Policy Wish-List Over Quality of Life

ALEC’s annual economic survey ranks states “rich” based on how closely states track the corporate pay-to-play group’s preferred tax and labor policies as opposed to actual quality of life factors such as wages, poverty rates, and access to healthcare. 

 
 

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CMD Around the Web

 
 
 
 

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CMD is a 501(c)(3) national watchdog and media group that conducts in-depth investigations into corruption and the undue influence of corporations on media and democracy. Our work is regularly cited by news outlets, policymakers, and grassroots activists working to build a more sustainable future and just society. CMD is reader-supported. Please make your tax-deductible donation today. Thank you!

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