Aegis Strategic comes across as an effort by the Koch brothers'
allies to bring in-house the business of campaigns. On its website,
Aegis bills itself as
a one-stop shop for candidates who are "committed to freedom and
economic opportunity," offering candidates such services as opposition
research, fundraising, direct mail, TV/radio/cable advertisements, phone
banking, data management, and social media. The company's office is
located just blocks from Americans for Prosperity's national
headquarters, the offices of various Koch-funded foundations, and Freedom Partners, the primary vehicle for anonymous money raised by the Koch donor network.
Pledging to identify and train budding conservative and libertarian
candidates, Aegis potentially fills a gap that the Kochs have previously
identified in their political operation. Donors and activists who are
active in the Koch network say there was widespread frustration
following the 2012 elections, during which the GOP had fielded so many
lackluster candidates. "You can spend all the money on a candidate you
want, but if they're talking about self-deportation, or betting $10,000, or 47 percent,
you're gonna lose," says Stan Hubbard, a Minnesota-based radio and TV
magnate who attends the Koch seminars. "You have a bad candidate, you're
gonna lose."
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/01/koch-brothers-candidate-training-recruiting-aegis-strategic
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