Big Oil is once again rewarding Senator Elizabeth Dole for her loyalty. First they gave her $266,456 in campaign cash, and today they came to her rescue again as she struggles to in her reelection efforts. Americans for Progress, a group founded and funded by Oilman David Koch, today began running a statewide radio ad trying to rewrite Elizabeth Dole’s history of advocating for Big Oil and Gas over working families every chance she gets.

“Elizabeth Dole’s hypocrisy knows no bounds,” said Hagan Campaign Communications Director Colleen Flanagan. “She campaigns across North Carolina pledging to stop outside groups from running ads in North Carolina, but now that her campaign’s in trouble, her Big Oil backers are rushing to her defense. It’s no surprise that Big Oil and Gas would ante up for their favorite Senator – they know when Kay gets to the Senate, they won’t be able to use her as their puppet, pull her strings or use her to do their bidding.”

Americans for Progress, a conservative group which has tried to convince Americans that global warming doesn’t exist, was founded and is funded by David Koch. Koch is the Executive Vice President for the multi-national Koch Industries, which owns a group of companies invested in refineries, chemicals and minerals.

According to Koch Industries’ own publication, Petroleum and Chemicals, “Koch companies have been involved in the petroleum business since 1940, growing refining capacity more than 80-fold in six decades.” In 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency imposed the “largest civil fine ever imposed on a company under any federal environmental law” to resolve claims related to more than 300 oil spills in Koch’s pipelines and oil facilities in six states. Koch was order to pay $30 million as a civil penalty, one which was severely reduced when President Bush took office.

In addition, Koch Industries is believed to have formed dummy groups to funnel money to organizations to influence elections, including setting up the Economic Education Trust to funnel money to federal elections in amounts more than was legally allowed. As a result of a Senate investigation, it is believed that the Economic Education Trust funneled as much as $3 million to Triad Management, which in turn distributed that money to its non-profit arms to spend running ads in key federal races. Tom DeLay also helped a friend circumvent federal contribution limits by funneling money through Triad Management.

The North Carolina state chapter of Americans for Prosperity is run by North Carolinian Arthur Pope, who has spent millions to move North Carolina politics to the right. Former Representative David Miner, who was driven from office by Pope, said, “It’s him and his own personal agenda and he is throwing his money around big time…Art Pope wants to control North Carolina politics.”

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David Koch Founded & Funds Americans For Prosperity. “Americans for Prosperity (AFP) — which is trying to persuade Americans that global warming is a hoax - is such a weed. The group isn’t just funded by an industry CEO, it was planted by one. David Koch, Executive Vice-President of family-founded multi-national conglomerate Koch Industries, is a founder of AFP and a financial supporter through the family-controlled and company-financed Claude R. Lambe Foundation. Koch Industries, Inc. and its sister company, Koch Holdings, LLC, own a group of companies invested in refineries, chemicals, minerals and so on.” [The Wonk Room, Think Progress, Center for American Progress, 7/27/08]

David Koch Is Chairman Of The American For Prosperity Foundation. “David Koch is the executive vice president and a member of the board of directors for Koch Industries, Inc., based in Wichita, Kansas. He helped found Americans For Prosperity, and also serves on the board of directors for the Reason Foundation and the CATO Institute. David was the Libertarian Party candidate for vice president of the United States in 1980. He received his bachelor's and master's degree in chemical engineering from MIT.” [American For Prosperity, Directors]

Koch Industries Has Been Involved In The Petroleum Business Since 1940. “Koch companies have been involved in the petroleum business since 1940, growing refining capacity more than 80-fold in six decades.” [Koch Industries, Petroleum & Chemicals]

EPA Imposed “Largest Civil Fine Ever” On Koch Industries For Oil Spills in Six States Including Louisiana. In January 2000, the EPA imposed “the largest civil fine ever imposed on a company under any federal environmental law to resolve claims related to more than 300 oil spills from its pipelines and oil facilities in six states,” according to a Justice Department press release. Koch was required to pay $30 million as a civil penalty and to spend $5 million on environmental projects. The fine was severely reduced after Bush was elected. [IPS, 1/4/06; Bangor Daily News, 11/16/05]

Koch Industries Formed Dummy Groups To Funnel Money To Organizations To Influence Elections. It is widely believed that Koch Industries set up the Economic Education Trust to funnel money to federal elections in amounts more than was legally allowed. As a result of a Senate investigation, it is believed that the Economic Education Trust funneled as much as $3 million to Triad Management, which in turn distributed that money to its non-profit arms to spend running advertisements in key federal races. Over $1 million was spent in Kansas alone, where Koch Industries is based. [PBS Interview with Elizabeth Stein]

Tom DeLay Also Accused of Funneling Money Through Triad In 1996 Elections. In September 1998, the Justice Department announced that it was opening a probe into allegations that disgraced former Majority Leader Tom DeLay conspired to launder campaign money to a GOP House candidate Bruce Babin. DeLay was accused of asking donors to donate money to various organizations who would then turn around and donate that exact amount to the Babin campaign. According to The Hill, Triad was at the center of the alleged scheme. [The Hill, 9/30/98; 8/5/98]

Pope Spent Millions To Move North Carolina Politics To The Right. Arthur Pope, a North Carolina state representative, retail executive and founder of the conservative think tank, the John Locke Foundation, has his hands in a variety political organizations attempting to “sway public opinion, monitor the legislature, develop grassroots political efforts and bring court challenges.” While the Pope family has donated at least $700,000 in recent years to the state Republican Party, many in North Carolina feel that he has “gained too much power” in his attempt to “purge Republican moderates in the state House of Representatives.” One Republican who Pope helped drive from office is former state Rep. David Miner. Miner said, “What is scary about Art Pope is that it is one person. There is not any committee. There is no oversight. There is no elected official involved to face the voters every two years or every six years. It’s him and his own personal agenda, and he is throwing his money around big time…Art Pope wants to control North Carolina politics.” [News & Observer, 1/29/06]