Koch-Backed Group Breaks Up Its Intelligence Unit

[TomCADem]

Source: NY Times

The conservative political network created by the billionaire brothers Charles G. and David H. Koch has broken up its opposition-research unit in the last few weeks, a spokesman for the group confirmed on Thursday, describing it as an efficiency measure.

The majority of the researchers in what was known as the intelligence unit have been absorbed elsewhere in the Koch network. The unit was the subject of an extensive story in Politico last year.

“We are constantly looking for ways to increase efficiency, optimize our efforts, and to ensure we have an operation that will help us build a movement of millions to advance our issues and reverse the trajectory of what is quickly becoming a two-tiered society,” said James Davis, a spokesman for the Koch-backed Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce.

The unit’s main role was to gather intelligence on other political groups, notably liberal ones such as the Democracy Alliance donor network. The unit had been run by Mike Roman, a veteran of opposition research, the deep investigative efforts that many political campaigns employ to try to uncover problems in their rivals’ pasts, or to keep track of their activities.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/04/21/koch-backed-group-disbands-its-intelligence-unit/?_r=0

---

Amazing how a two billionaires even had their own private intelligence group to spy on liberal political groups.

[angstlessk]

1. They broke it up cause all the presidential candidates are those they love

they cheated Bernie out of his shot

[JonLeibowitz]

2. Good news! David Brock is hiring!

[cprise]

12. The Dems became the new party of Reaganism; The Reaganites moved in

and basically run things now. They latched right on to that Clinton fund raising machine, leaving even DLC'ers like Al Gore in the dust.

[blue neen]

3. Hmmm. Interesting.

"Those attacks have stuck over the last six years, and the Kochs have sought to highlight their charitable work and efforts at overhauling the criminal justice system."

No one believes that for even one second.

[oldandhappy]

4. this title made me laugh

[bhikkhu]

5. an image something like this comes to mind

[Eugene]

6. ...absorbed elsewhere in the Koch network.

Cockroaches scatter when you turn the lights on.

I suspect that another Koch-backed intelligence unit exists
in another, perhaps more diffuse, form. I don't expect them
to change their ways.

[yardwork]

14. I noticed that too and I agree.

[drm604]

7. "reverse the trajectory of what is quickly becoming a two-tiered society"

I wonder what exactly they mean by that. Surely they're not concerned about income inequality, although I suspect that they want it to sound like they are.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. They want a 3 tiered one - Inner Party, Party, and Proles (nt)

[sofa king]

11. The society is quickly becoming two-tiered, but...

The society is quickly becoming two-tiered, but... the trajectory is now in the other direction.

[kimbutgar]

9. Maybe that the book by Ari Melber, Lies. Inc that is coming out which exposed them more

Could be another reason. And Jane Mayers book is also putting light on the kochroaches.

[Red Knight]

15. That Jane Mayer book is must reading

"Dark Money" is one of the most enlightening books about how money infiltrates politics in so many ways and deeper than I ever imagined. I thought I knew--but I just saw the tip of the iceberg. Amazing read.

[tclambert]

10. Isn't that a euphemism for "Dirty Tricks Squad?"

[ucrdem]

13. Remarkable timing isn't it?

So many coincidences this season.