Right-leaning network plans $1.2b pre-election spend

David Koch. Photo / AP

A network of conservative advocacy groups backed by Charles and David Koch aims to spend a staggering US$889 million in advance of the next White House election, part of an expansive strategy to build on its 2014 victories that may involve jumping into the Republican primaries.

The substantial financial goal was revealed to donors yesterday during an annual winter meeting hosted by Freedom Partners, the tax-exempt business lobby that serves as the hub of the Koch-backed political operation, according to an attendee.

The amount is more than double the US$407 million that 17 allied groups in the network raised during the 2012 campaign.

The figure comes close to the US$1 billion that each of the two major parties' presidential nominees are expected to spend in 2016, and it cements the network's standing as one of America's most potent political forces.

With its resources and capabilities - including a national field operation and cutting-edge technology - it is challenging the primacy of the official parties.

In the 2012 elections, the Republican National Committee spent US$404 million, while the Democratic National Committee shelled out US$319 million.

The US$889 million ($1197 million) goal reflects the anticipated budgets of all the allied groups the network funds. Those resources will go into field operations, new data-driven technology and policy work, among other projects, with likely media campaigns aimed at shaping the congressional and White House elections.

The group - which is supported by hundreds of wealthy conservative donors, with the Kochs - is still debating whether it will spend some of that money in the Republican primaries.

Such a move could have a major impact in winnowing the field of contenders, but could also undercut the network's standing if it engaged in intraparty politics and was not successful.

Freedom Partners President Marc Short said in an interview that "2014 was nice, but there's a long way to go," noting that the group's ultimate goal is to make free-market ideals central in American society.

"Politics is a necessary means to that end," he said, but not the only one.

- Bloomberg