The political donation network backed by billionaire brothers Charles
and David Koch will essentially sit out this year's presidential
election and focus on keeping the Senate in Republican hands.
When Charles Koch addressed hundreds of the nation's
most powerful polical donors at a weekend retreat in Colorado Springs
Saturday, he lamented the choice in the race for the Oval Office between
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump.
"We don't really, in some cases, don't really have good options," Koch said in describing the "current political situation."
Mark Holden, general counsel and senior vice
president of Koch Industries, told the Associated Press that the Koch
network won't spend anything to help Trump directly in 2016, even though
it may evoke Clinton in attacks on Democratic congressional candidates.
None of the presidential candidates are aligned with
the Koch network "from a values, and beliefs and policy perspective,"
Holden said, citing other determining factors such as "running a good
campaign" and talking about key issues "in a positive productive way."
"Based on that, we're focused on the Senate," Holden
said, noting that the Koch network has devoted around $42 million so far
to television and digital advertising to benefit Republican Senate
candidates.
Saturday was the first day of the three-day gathering
for donors who promise to give at least $100,000 each year to the
various groups backed by the Koch brothers' Freedom Partners -- a
network of education, policy and political entities that aim to promote a
smaller, less intrusive government.
At least three governors, four senators and four
members of the House of Representatives are also scheduled to attend,
including House Speaker Paul Ryan. Republican presidential candidates
have been featured at past Koch gatherings -- but not this one.
Neither Trump nor any Trump representatives
participated in the event, even though the White House contender
campaigned in the same city the day before. It's unclear if Trump was
invited.
"I turned down a meeting with Charles and David
Koch," Trump tweeted on Saturday. "Much better for them to meet with the
puppets of politics, they will do much better!"
Holden declined to say whether the Kochs sought a meeting with Trump.
The weekend's agenda for the estimated 400 donors
gathered in Colorado Springs featured a series of policy discussions and
appearances from several elected officials in addition to Ryan:
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, Arizona Gov. Doug
Ducey, Texas Sen. John Cornyn, Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, South
Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas.
Rep Jason Chaffetz of Utah and Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado.
Speaking Saturday night, Gardner addressed the presidential contest indirectly, although he did not mention Trump's name.
"Forty years worth of Supreme Court justices are
going to be determined this November," Gardner told donors, a reference
to the next president's ability to fill at least one existing vacancy on
the high court.
Yet Koch later told his guests that America's frustrated electorate is looking at the wrong place -- politicians -- for answers.
"And to me, the answers they're getting are
frightening," he said without naming any politicians, "because by and
large, these answers will make matters worse."
Charles and David Koch have hosted such gatherings of
donors and politicians for years, but usually in private. The weekend's
event includes a small number of reporters, including one from the
Associated Press.
Koch has put the network's budget at roughly $750 million through the end of 2016.
A significant portion was supposed to be directed at
electing a Republican to the White House. It will instead go to helping
Republican Senate candidates in at least five states: Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Nevada, Wisconsin and Florida, Holden said.
In some cases, the network may try to link Democratic
Senate candidates to Clinton, he added, but there are no plans to go
after her exclusively in paid advertising. The organization may invest
in a handful of races for governor and House of Representatives as well.
And while the network will not be a Trump ally, it won't necessarily be a Trump adversary either.
"We have no intention to go after Donald Trump," Holden said.