Koch Brothers' Million-Dollar Donor Club Has State Ties

Original Link: http://www.examiner.com/progressive-in-milwaukee/koch-brothers-million-dollar-donor-club-has-state-ties

By Paul Doro

Earlier today Mother Jones published a story about the infamous Koch Brothers and an exlusive annual retreat they host for rich and extremely rich right-wing elites.

The Koch Brothers, of course, generated a lot of press during and after the protests in Madison. They were one of Governor Scott Walker's biggest campaign donors. Some might remember the story about a writer for an alternative newspaper who managed to speak with a hard-to-reach Walker after pretending to be David Koch.

The goals of the retreat are to raise money and evaluate strategies.

This year's festivities took place at a resort near Vail, Colorado. Mother Jones obtained an audio recording from the gathering that features Charles Koch thanking donors who gave more than $1 million to their cause.

Ties to Wisconsin, including a well-known state resident, can be found on the list.
One of the $1 million-plus donors is Beloit resident Diane Hendricks, the richest businesswoman in Wisconsin. She has already given Walker $10,000 in anticipation of a potential recall election.
A number of people thanked by Koch gave money to Supreme Court Justice David Prosser to support his recent recall election. Ethelmae Humphreys gave Prosser $25,000, as did Virginia James.  John Templeton Jr. and his wife each gave Prosser $50,000. None are residents of Wisconsin.
Also mentioned in the story is Eau Claire resident John Menard, founder of the hardware company.
Surely this is a group of people dedicated to the concerns of hard-working, ordinary Americans, just like Walker himself.