This Week at CMD

The 2022 election season is heating up, and the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) is closely covering right-wing big money.

As we recently reported, looming large in the super PAC funding game are chicken magnate Ronald Cameron, who advised Trump during the early pandemic and profited from the ex-president's policy decisions, and Liz and Richard Uihlein, Illinois packaging billionaires and major Trump backers.

At the state level, a MAGA hardliner and election conspiracy theorist running to lead election administration in Arizona with Trump's endorsement is raking in campaign donations, his first campaign finance reports show.

Meanwhile, the Koch network is yet again fighting state Medicaid expansion, and, along with the Bradley Foundation's operation, is trying to eliminate Wisconsin's income tax. Plus, we've got stories on ALEC and the Republican Attorneys General Association, two right-wing groups that have enormous impact on states' laws and the enforcement of them.

Here's the latest!

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The Latest From CMD

Big Polluter is Top Donor to Koch Political Group

The CEO of Mountaire Farms, which paid out more than $200 million for environmental damages and remediation last year, is the second biggest donor to Koch’s Americans for Prosperity Action.

Koch Crusade Against Medicaid Expansion Comes to South Dakota

Faced with strong public support for a Medicaid expansion ballot measure, Charles Koch’s Americans for Prosperity is backing an end-run to require a supermajority for passage and trying to change the debate to focus on taxes.

Tea Party Backers Pour Millions into Key 2022 Senate Races

Right-wing megadonors Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein have given $12 million to super PACs during the current election cycle.

Donations Pour in for Trump’s Secretary of State Candidate in Arizona

First campaign reports from Mark Finchem, a Trump-endorsed insurrectionist, showcase the power of Trump’s disinformation campaign and national small-donor network.

Two Koch-Tied Candidates Vie for Colorado’s New 8th CD

One of the most highly contested 2022 U.S. Congressional races is in Colorado’s new 8th congressional district. The crowded race includes two candidates with strong ties to the Koch network opposing each other.

ALEC’s New Push to Protect Corporations from Damage Claims

The American Legislative Exchange Council is promoting new model legislation designed to limit awards by juries in injury lawsuits.

RAGA Revenues Continue Their Post-Insurrection Slide

Contributions to RAGA are down compared to the same period in 2019, with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce coming in as its biggest donor.

Bradley and Koch Cash Fuels Push to Eliminate Wisconsin Income Tax

With backing from a myriad of right-wing groups, the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison released a “research report” last month on the need to eliminate the income tax in the state.

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CMD Around the Web

CMD's research that uncovered $48.7 million funneled in 2020 from DonorsTrust to The 85 Fund, which also has the fictitious alias “Honest Elections Project,” was highlighted in Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse’s (D-R.I.) Senate floor speech on dark money and the right to vote.

A number of local, state, and national publications have cited CMD's work lately.

The New Yorker: Is Ginni Thomas a Threat to the Supreme Court?
The Daily Beast: New Filings Reveal Another Billionaire Behind the Big Lie
The Verge: Turning Point is Quietly Building the Next Generation of Conservative Influencers
Daily Kos: Convention of States Action: Conservative Group Aiming To Rewrite The Constitution
Bangor Daily News: A national conservative group refuses to comply with Maine ethics probe
Indiana Environmental Reporter: Indiana Lawmakers Back “Anti-Free Market” Bill Banning Contracts with Banks Shedding Fossil Fuel Investments
Arkansas Times: More cancel culture coming from the Koch bill factory to protect fossil fuel industry

Plus, investigative reporter Alex Kotch appeared on several radio shows to discuss his article, "How The Koch Network Hijacked The War On Covid," co-published with The Daily Poster.

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Arn H. Pearson

Executive Director

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!