Americans for Prosperity

Basic facts
Location:| Arlington, Virginia
Type:| 501(c)(4)
Top official:| Emily Seidel, President and CEO
Year founded:| 2004
Website:| Official website

## Contents

* 1 Mission
* 2 Political activity
* 2.1 Elections
* 2.1.1 2014 elections
* 2.1.1.1 Endorsed candidates
* 2.1.1.2 West Virginia
* 2.1.1.3 Florida
* 2.1.2 2013 elections
* 2.1.2.1 South Carolina
* 2.1.3 2012 elections
* 2.1.3.1 Endorsed candidates
* 2.2 Ballot measure activity
* 2.2.1 2010
* 2.2.2 2009
* 2.3 Defending the Dream summit
* 3 Leadership
* 4 Noteworthy events
* 4.1 John Doe investigations
* 5 Recent news
* 6 See also
* 7 External links
* 8 Footnotes

Americans For Prosperity (AFP), founded in 2004 by David Koch, is a 501(c)(4) political advocacy group based in Arlington, Virginia. AFP has described itself as "an organization of grassroots leaders who engage citizens in the name of limited government and free markets on the local, state, and federal levels."[1][2]

## Mission[edit]

As of December 2021, AFP included the following statement on their website:[3]

“  |

Americans for Prosperity is dedicated to the belief that every person has a unique set of gifts and the ability to contribute to society in their own way, an idea that has inspired progress since our country’s founding.

Driven by this belief, Americans for Prosperity engages in broad-based grassroots outreach to advocate for long-term solutions to the country’s biggest problems that prevent people from realizing their incredible potential — unsustainable government spending and debt, a broken immigration system, a rigged economy, and a host of other issues you can explore.

American for Prosperity activists engage friends and neighbors on key issues and encourage them to take an active role in advancing a free and open society, where every person can realize their American dream. We recruit and unite concerned individuals in all 50 states to advance policies that will help people improve their lives.[4]

| ”

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## Political activity[edit]

### Elections[edit]

#### 2014 elections[edit]

##### Endorsed candidates[edit]

In the 2014 election cycle, Americans for Prosperity supported the following candidates:[5]

* Marilinda Garcia (R-NH)
* William O'Brien (R-NH)

##### West Virginia[edit]

See also: West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2014

Americans for Prosperity launched a $30,000 radio ad attacking incumbent Nick Rahall on February 10, 2014.[6]

##### Florida[edit]

See also: Florida's 2nd Congressional District elections, 2014

Americans for Prosperity released several ads in 2013, including one thanking Steve Southerland for opposing the Affordable Care Act, that highlighted the glitches on the new health-care exchanges Web site.[7] The ads were part of a multi-wave campaign totaling more than $2 million.[7]

The group released a second ad in February 2014, "Steve Southerland Didn't Fall for the Lie of the Year," which cast Southerland as a steadfast opponent of Obamacare. It ran for three weeks in the district and cost an estimated $160,000.[8][9]

The group released another ad on April 1, 2014, that again thanked Southerland for his opposition to Obamacare.[10] The ad asserted the law was not working, but did not mention repeal.[10]

#### 2013 elections[edit]

##### South Carolina[edit]

See also: South Carolina's 1st Congressional District special election, 2013

Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford raised $334,397 over January and February 2013 in his bid for the South Carolina House seat.[11] David Koch, who launched the conservative outside group Americans for Prosperity, gave $2,500 to Sanford’s House campaign.

#### 2012 elections[edit]

According to OpenSecrets.org, Americans for Prosperity spent $11,291 in the 2012 election cycle.[5]

##### Endorsed candidates[edit]

In the 2012 election cycle, the Americans for Prosperity supported the following candidates:[5]

* Jaime Herrera Beutler
* George Allen
* Mitt Romney
* Michael Baumgartner

### Ballot measure activity[edit]

#### 2010[edit]

* Arizona Sales Tax Increase, Proposition 100 (May 2010)
* Opposed California Proposition 21, Vehicle License Fee Increase for State Parks Initiative (2010)

#### 2009[edit]

In 2009 in Oregon, the state AFP chapter organized opposition to Ted Kulongoski's $733 million tax hike by supporting efforts to qualify the Oregon Tax Increase Vote, Ballot Measures 66 and 67 (2010) for the ballot.[12]

### Defending the Dream summit[edit]

AFP hosted an event in Washington, D.C., entitled, "Defending the American Dream Summit" on October 5, 2007. The topic of the debate was government spending and taxation. Presidential candidates attending included Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Ron Paul, Sam Brownback, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson. Other speakers included John Stossel, Dinesh D'Souza, Art Laffer, John Fund, Steve Moore, Herman Cain, Dr. Barry Poulson, and AFP founder David H. Koch.

## Leadership[edit]

As of December 2021, Americans for Prosperity listed the following leadership figures on its website:[3]

* President and CEO: Emily Seidel
* Executive Vice President: Nathan Nascimento
* Senior vice president of grassroots: Chase Downham
* Senior vice president of policy: Jorge Lima
* Chief government affairs officer: Brent Gardner
* Vice president of state operations: Derrick Sontag
* Senior Vice President of Legal and Judicial Strategy: Casey Mattox

The organization listed the following board members:[3]

* Mark Holden (chair)
* James Davis (director)

## Noteworthy events[edit]

### John Doe investigations[edit]

See also: John Doe investigations related to Scott Walker

Two John Doe investigations, beginning in 2010 and ending in 2015, were launched by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm (D) into the activities of staff and associates of Gov. Scott Walker (R).[13] Americans for Prosperity was one of 29 conservative organizations that were targeted during the course of the second investigation.[14][15]

## Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for "Americans + for + Prosperity"

All stories may not be relevant to this organization due to the nature of the search engine.

Americans for Prosperity News Feed

## See also[edit]

* Federal Election Commission

## External links[edit]

| Suggest a link

|

* Official website of Americans for Prosperity

* Social media:
* Facebook
* Flickr
* Twitter
* YouTube
* LinkedIn
* Endorsements and ratings:
* Project Vote Smart
* Fact-checking:
* FactCheck
* PolitiFact
* Financial:
* Charity Navigator
* FEC
* GuideStar
* Influence Explorer
* OpenSecrets
* Media appearances:
* C-SPAN
* Media coverage:
* Christian Science Monitor
* The Hill
* Huffington Post
* Washington Times

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ FactCheck.org, "Americans for Prosperity," February 7, 2014
2. ↑ Americans for Prosperity, "About AFP," archived November 20, 2013
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Americans for Prosperity, "About," accessed December 2, 2021
4. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Open Secrets, "Americans for Prosperity," accessed December 16, 2013
6. ↑ Politico, "Obama commits to at least 18 Democratic fundraisers—Jindal warns of ‘modern left’ at Reagan Library—FL-13 polls show Sink in the lead—Friday standings—Beyer gets a new endorsement in VA-08," accessed February 11, 2014
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Washington Post, "Conservative group launches House ads hitting Obamacare Web site glitches," accessed October 24, 2013
8. ↑ Politico, "AFP boosts vulnerable Steve Southerland," accessed February 10, 2014
9. ↑ The Hill, "http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/house-races/197430-koch-backed-group-buys-150k-in-southerland-district," accessed February 10, 2014
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Tampa Bay Times, "Americans for Prosperity launches ad thanking Southerland for Obamacare opposition," accessed April 2, 2014
11. ↑ Washington Post, "Koch brother donates to Mark Sanford" accessed March 11, 2013
12. ↑ The recession session is over
13. ↑ United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Milwaukee Division, "Eric O’Keefe, and Wisconsin Club for Growth, Inc.," accessed February 23, 2015
14. ↑ Wisconsin Watchdog, "Wall Street Journal: GAB targeted conservative justices in John Doe defense," September 17, 2015
15. ↑ Eric O'Keefe v. Francis Schmitz, et al., "Complaint," accessed September 16, 2015

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United States Congress

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Super PACs|

American Bridge 21st Century • American Crossroads • American Unity PAC • Campaign for Primary Accountability • Club for Growth Action • Congressional Leadership Fund • Cooperative of American Physicians IE Committee• Crossroads Generation • Ending Spending Action Fund • Endorse Liberty • Fair Share Action • FreedomWorks for America • Government Integrity Fund • House Majority PAC • Independence USA Fund • League of Conservation Voters • Liberty for All PAC • Senate Majority PAC • National Association of Realtors • NEA Advocacy Fund • NextGen Climate Action • Now or Never PAC • Planned Parenthood Votes • Ready for Hillary • Republican Jewish Coalition Victory Fund • Restore America's Voice PAC • SEIU Pea-Federal • Women Vote!

Personal Gain Index|

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v • e

John Doe investigations related to Scott Walker

Background|

John Doe investigations related to Scott Walker • Timeline of John Doe investigations related to Scott Walker • Wisconsin John Doe laws

* * *

Lawsuits|

State court lawsuits: • Three Unnamed Petitioners v. Gregory A. Peterson • Eric O'Keefe, et al. vs. Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, et al. • Two Unnamed Petitioners v. Gregory A. Peterson • Christopher Brekken v. Bruce J. Landgraf • Christopher L. Wiesmueller v. Neal Nettesheim • Francis D. Schmitz v. Gregory A. Peterson • Cynthia Archer v. John Chisholm, et. al. • Federal court lawsuits: • Eric O'Keefe and Wisconsin Club for Growth, Inc. v. Francis Schmitz, et. al. • Relevant rulings: • McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission • Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission • Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. v. Thomas Barland • Citizens for Responsible Government v. Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, et. al. • Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. • Wisconsin Coalition for Voter Participation Inc., et. al. v. State of Wisconsin Elections Board, et. al.

* * *

Prosecutors|

Special prosecutor: • Francis Schmitz • Personnel in Milwaukee County DA's Office: • John Chisholm • Bruce Landgraf • David Budde • David Robles • Robert Stelter • District attorneys in the five John Doe counties • John Chisholm • Ismael Ozanne • Jane Kohlwey • Larry Nelson • Kurt Klomberg

* * *

Courts|

State courts: • Waukesha County Circuit Court, Wisconsin • Wisconsin Supreme Court • Wisconsin Court of Appeals District IV • Federal courts: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin • United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit • Supreme Court of the United States

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Judges|

State court judges: • Gregory Peterson • Barbara Kluka • Neal Nettesheim • Lee Dreyfus • Shirley Abrahamson • Ann Walsh Bradley • Michael Gableman • David Prosser • Annette Ziegler • Patience Roggensack • Patrick Crooks • David Hansher • Timothy Doyle • Jeffrey Kremers • Federal court judges: • Rudolph Randa • Frank Easterbrook • Diane Wood • William Bauer • Charles N. Clevert, Jr.

* * *

Attorneys|

Attorneys of JD targets: • Steven Biskupic • Todd Graves • Michael Bresnick • Edward Meyers • Dean Strang • Matthew O'Neill • David Rivkin • Andrew Grossman • Attorneys of JD prosecutors and judges: • Patrick Fiedler • Samuel Leib • Randall Crocker • Douglas Knott • Joseph M. Russell

* * *

Supporters of JD investigations|

• American Bridge 21st Century • Lisa Graves • We Are Wisconsin • Wisconsin Democracy Campaign • Greater Wisconsin Committee • United Wisconsin • Democratic Party of Wisconsin • Center for Media and Democracy • The Campaign Legal Center • Democracy 21

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Media|

• Dan Bice • Milwaukee Journal Sentinel • M.D. Kittle • David A. French • National Review • The Wall Street Journal • Stuart Taylor • American Media Institute • Jason Stein • Patrick Marley • Vicki McKenna • Bill Glauber

* * *

Elected Officials|

• Scott Walker • Tom Barrett • Brett Davis • J.B. Van Hollen • Tom Tiffany • Dave Craig • John Weishan • Chris Abele • Kathleen Falk • David Clarke • Robin Vos • Mary Burke

* * *

Government Accountability Board|

• Wisconsin Government Accountability Board • Current board members: • Gerald Nichol • Timothy Vocke • Thomas Cane • Harold Froehlich • John Franke • Elsa Lamelas • Past board members: • Thomas Barland • Michael Brennan • Staff: • Kevin Kennedy • Dean Nickel • Jonathan Becker • Shane Falk • Nathan Judnic • Elizabeth Blackwood • J. Douglas Haag • Vendors: • Digital Intelligence

* * *

Targets of John Doe I|

Prosecuted: • Kelly Rindfleisch • Darlene Wink • Kevin Kavanaugh • Tim Russell • Brian Pierick • Wiliam Gardner • Investigated: • Friends of Scott Walker • Christopher Wiesmueller • John Hiller • Jim Villa • Cindy Archer • Jailed by prosecutors/No charges filed: • Christopher Brekken • Andrew P. Jensen, Jr. • Home or office raided: •Kelly Rindfleisch • Cindy Archer • Darlene Wink • Tim Russell • Brian Pierick • Christopher Wiesmueller • Compelled to testify: • R.J. Johnson

* * *

Targets of John Doe II|

Individuals: • Kelly Rindfleisch • Eric O'Keefe • R.J. Johnson • Deborah Jordahl • Jed Sanborn • Carol Valley • William Eisner • Keith Gilkes • Sean Hannity • Charlie Sykes • Organizations: • Wisconsin Club for Growth • Club for Growth • Wisconsin Right to Life • United Sportsmen of Wisconsin • Coalition Partners, LLC • R.J. Johnson and Associates • Nonbox • TenCAPITOL • Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce • American Federation for Children • Americans for Prosperity • Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin • Right Direction Wisconsin PAC • Republican State Leadership Committee • Committee to Elect a Republican Senate • Wisconsin Recall Action Fund • Jobs First Coalition • Ending Spending Action Fund • Mary Stitt & Associates • Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce • League of American Voters • Citizens for a Strong America • Republican Party of Wisconsin • Republican Governors Association • American Crossroads • Wisconsin Family Action

* * *

Other|

• Mike Lutz • Hans von Spakovsky • Tom Nardelli • Jeff Fleming • Chris Liebenthal • Mike Tate • Brian Hagedorn • Richard Trumka • Michael Moore • Georgia Thompson • John Voelker • Chris Kliesmet • Operation Freedom • Military Order of the Purple Heart • Heritage Guard Preservation Society • Cullen Werwie • Fran McLaughlin • Dorothy Moore • Michael D. Dean • Anthony Ostry

* * *

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