Americans for Prosperity Action

Americans for Prosperity Action
Name	Americans for Prosperity Action
Type	527 political advocacy organization
Founded	2010
Founder	David Koch, Charles Koch
Location	United States
Key people	Tim Phillips (political consultant), Drew Ryun
Area served	United States presidential election, United States Senate elections
Focus	Political advocacy

Americans for Prosperity Action is a 527 tax-exempt political advocacy group linked to the network associated with Charles Koch and David Koch. The organization engages in federal electioneering, issue advertising, and independent expenditures related to United States presidential elections, United States Senate elections, and other federal contests. It operates within a broader coalition that includes policy organizations, state groups, and national advocacy entities active in debates over Affordable Care Act, climate change policy, and tax reform.

History

The group was established in 2010 amid shifting jurisprudence after Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and the McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission landscape, emerging from activities tied to Americans for Prosperity and the political network funded by Koch Industries. Its founding followed involvement in the Tea Party movement and the 2010 United States midterm elections, and it played roles in subsequent cycles including the 2012 United States presidential election, 2016 United States presidential election, and 2020 United States presidential election. The organization expanded during debates over the Affordable Care Act repeal efforts and participated in public campaigns around Clean Power Plan rollbacks and Paris Agreement withdrawal conversations.

Organization and Leadership

Leadership has included figures drawn from conservative and libertarian networks such as Tim Phillips (political consultant), who led affiliated advocacy efforts, and other executives with ties to Koch Industries and policy groups like the Cato Institute and the Mercatus Center. The group operates alongside state-level affiliates similar to Americans for Prosperity branches active in Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Texas political landscapes. It coordinates with political consultants, law firms experienced in 501(c)(4) organizations and 527 organizations, and media strategists with pasts tied to campaigns for figures like Mitt Romney, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Scott Walker.

Mission and Policy Positions

The stated mission emphasizes promoting limited-government principles advocated by Charles Koch and libertarian thinkers associated with institutions like the Cato Institute and the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Policy priorities have included support for tax reform proposals championed during the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 debate, opposition to regulations promulgated under the Environmental Protection Agency, advocacy for free trade frameworks like Trans-Pacific Partnership (in some network discussions), and backing for deregulatory initiatives advanced by administrations such as the Trump administration. On energy policy the group has opposed elements of climate change legislation and supported positions aligned with the fossil fuel industry and critics of the Clean Power Plan. It has also engaged in criminal justice reform conversations overlapping with efforts promoted by actors like The Marshall Project and bipartisan coalitions including those aligned with Senator Rand Paul.

Political Activities and Campaign Spending

As a 527 organization, it has engaged in independent expenditures, targeted advertising, and issue advocacy during federal election cycles, deploying television, digital, and direct mail campaigns in battleground states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and North Carolina. The group has supported primary campaigns for candidates reflecting network priorities, while at times opposing nominees in intra-party contests, influencing races involving figures such as John McCain, Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz during nominating contests. Its spending patterns have paralleled activities by other outside groups like Club for Growth, Priorities USA Action, Crossroads GPS, and EMILY's List in shaping competitive United States Congress and United States Senate contests.

Funding and Donors

Funding has come from wealthy individual donors and foundations associated with the Koch network, including contributions linked to Charles Koch and David Koch as well as allied philanthropists and donors within business sectors such as energy industry executives and trade groups. The organization operates in a funding environment shared with entities like the Koch Brothers network, Donors Trust, and donor-advised funds that have supported conservative and libertarian causes. Disclosure rules for 527 groups mean some donor identities have been publicly reported in filings with the Internal Revenue Service and through campaign finance reporting to the Federal Election Commission, while others have remained opaque relative to 527 political committee practices.

Controversies and Criticism

The group has faced criticism for its role in channeling large-scale private funding into federal elections following Citizens United v. FEC, drawing scrutiny from progressive organizations such as MoveOn.org Political Action and watchdogs like Common Cause and Public Citizen. Critics have accused it of exerting undue influence on public policy to benefit fossil fuel and corporate interests, and its involvement in ballot initiative debates and voter outreach has prompted investigations and legal challenges similar to controversies surrounding Super PACs and coordination disputes addressed by the Federal Election Commission. The organization has also been a focal point in debates over transparency, donor disclosure, and the political effects of concentrated wealth cited by commentators in outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.

Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States