WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th June, 2023) The political fundraising network linked to US businessmen Charles and David Koch has raised more than $70 million as part of an effort to block former President Donald Trump's 2024 presidential bid, the New York Times reported on Thursday.
A Federal Election Commission filing from Koch-linked political action committee Americans for Prosperity Action (AFP Action) will soon reveal the extent of their fundraising effort, the report said, citing an AFP Action official.
Major donors listed on the filing include North Carolina businessman Art Pope, Chicago businessman Craig Duchossois and Walmart fortune heirs Jim and Rob Walton, the report said.
A majority of the funds raised by the network, $50 million, came from two groups tied to Charles Koch, the report said. Koch Industries contributed $25 million to AFP Action and another $25 million to Stand Together, a separate nonprofit group Koch founded, the report said.
The political activism network intends to use the funds to stop Trump from winning the Republican Party's 2024 presidential nomination, the report said. The Koch network continues to seek a candidate whom donors trust to beat Trump, the report said.
Some in the Koch fundraising network and other major Republican donors have given support to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is seen as the main challenger to Trump in the primaries, according to the report. However, other donors have been reluctant to provide funds to DeSantis until polling numbers improve, the report also said.
AFP Action is set to soon release its first round of congressional endorsements, as well as send out its first direct mail in the coming days, the report added.
Moreover, the group will launch a new digital advertising campaign focused on Trump's electability, according to the report.
