Right-wing opponents to vote-by-mail and other reforms that would expand voter participation have been busy this summer trying to whip up opposition to the states’ attempts to accommodate voters during the pandemic and undermine public confidence in mail-in ballots.
The Milwaukee-based foundation funded many of the groups behind the right-wing campaign against coronavirus public safety measures and made specific grants to support rapid reopening efforts. Since then, COVID-19 cases have soared across the U.S. and in Wisconsin.
A number of Koch-linked nonprofits that advocated against federal aid to states and cities facing crushing coronavirus budget deficits received up to $5.4 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans; additional anti-government spending groups took millions more.
At least six organizations considered hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center received as much as $5.7 million in forgivable paycheck protection loans.
The Milwaukee-based foundation pumped more than $42 million in 2019 into a network of right-wing groups dedicated to attacking unions, blocking climate action, creating obstacles to voting, and promoting the GOP’s political power and policy agenda.
National deep pockets backing GOP and corporate interests have pumped more than $9 million into the Buckeye Institute and the Freedom Foundation, the two groups leading attacks on public employee unions in Ohio.
The Koch-funded policy group calls for broad cuts to Medicaid, education, and water quality protection on top of Governor DeWine’s hiring freeze and budget cuts.
The well-funded machinery that sowed doubt about climate is now sowing seeds of doubt over the economic and public health response to COVID-19.
The IRS has falsely claimed that the well-known organizations don’t exist and resorted to other nonsensical dodges in order to withhold Form 990 tax returns of Koch network groups and other major right-wing funders.
Democrats slipped in a provision requiring medium sized businesses taking out CARES Act loans to “remain neutral” if their workers try to organize a union.
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