Americans for Prosperity Helping to Organize Tea Party Protests. The Charlotte Observer reported that Americans for Prosperity is "the organization behind this year's taxpayer tea parties."  The Roanoke Times reported "the Tea Party Patriots and Americans for Prosperity organized the Nationwide Tea Party protest day." [Charlotte Observer, 7/22/2009; Roanoke Times, 7/18/2009]

Americans for Prosperity Listed as "Freedom Coalition Partner" of Tea Party Patriots.  On the Tea Party Patriots website, Americans for Prosperity is listed as a "Health Care Freedom Coalition Partner." [Teapartypatriots.org, accessed 8/4/2009]

Americans for Prosperity Has History of Launching Front Groups to Fight Against Progressive Priorities.  In the past, Americans for Prosperity has started a host of groups to fight against legislative priorities, including the Hot Air Tour questioning global warming, Save My Ballot Tour, launched to fight against the Employee Free Choice Act, and No Stimulus, formed to attempt to derail the passage of the Recovery Act. [Hotairtour.org, accessed 8/5/2009;  Savemyballot.com, accessed 8/5/2009; Nostimulus.com, accessed 8/5/2009]

Americans for Prosperity Opposed Expansion Of Children's Health Insurance. In 2007, Americans for Prosperity opposed legislation to expand children's health insurance to cover millions of additional kids. The legislation would have provided funding to boost enrollment to 10 million children, up from 6.6 million. [Americans for Prosperity Release, 10/18/07, 7/30/2007]

Americans For Prosperity Established by Oil Magnate David Koch. In 2003, David Koch "a major contributor to the Republican Party and supporter of conservative causes...helped establish the nonprofit Americans for Prosperity Foundation...It split off from an earlier Koch-backed enterprise, now called FreedomWorks." [New York Times, 7/10/2008]

• 2000: Koch Industries Paid $30 Million In Fines For Oil Spills. In 2000, Koch Industries paid $30 million in what was at the time 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.  [EPA Press release]
  

• 2009: Koch Industries Subsidiary Paid $1.7 Million In Penalties.  In 2009, "Invista, a subsidiary of Koch Industries" paid "$1.7 million in civil penalties to the federal government and to three states after numerous violations at its chemical plants." [New York Times, 4/14/2009]
  

• Koch Admitted Releasing a Dangerous Carcinogen. In 2002, the Washington City Paper reported that a "97-count indictment against Koch Industries and Koch Petroleum Group LP for violating the Clean Air Act and hazardous-waste laws, filed in 2000, was settled last year with a $20 million assessment and an admission by the company that it had vented benzene, a carcinogen, directly into the air at its Corpus Christi, Texas, plant." [Washington City Paper, 3/14/2002]

Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips Founded Firm With Abramoff-Connected Ralph Reed.  "In 1997, Phillips and former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed founded Atlanta-based Century Strategies." [National Journal, 2/25/2006]

• Enron Paid Firm $380,000 To Deregulate Industry. Phillips' and Reed's firm, Century Strategies, was retained by Enron from 1997 until 2001 and they were paid $380,000.  Reed "offered to help Enron Corp. deregulate the electricity industry by working his 'good friends' in Washington and by mobilizing religious leaders and pro-family groups for the cause." [Washington Post, 2/17/2002]
  

• Phillips Helped Disgraced Lobbyist Jack Abramoff Funnel Money.  In 2000, Tim Phillips reportedly recruited Robin Vanderwall to run the non-profit Faith and Family Alliance. According to the Washington Post, "Faith and Family allegedly was used by Abramoff to funnel money to a campaign to defeat legislation to prohibit gambling over the Internet. Money was sent from a client of Abramoff's to Americans for Tax Reform, which kept a portion. The rest was routed to Faith and Family, records show. Vanderwall then made out a check for the identical amount and sent it to the political consulting firm where Phillips is vice president. That firm was founded by former Christian Coalition director Ralph Reed, an Abramoff friend. The money was meant to attack conservative Republicans who backed the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, a review of records shows." [Washington Post, 11/3/2005]