Empower Wisconsin
Empower Wisconsin is a right-wing blog self-described as "Wisconsin's premier information hub" launched on September 9, 2019.[1] It is registered as a 501(c)(4) with the IRS.
Empower Wisconsin will also launch a 501(c)(3) foundation, according to its website that says news of it is "coming soon."[2]
Contents
News and Controversies
Matt Kittle Named Executive Director
Former Wisconsin Bureau Chief and Reporter for Watchdog.org and investigative reporter for the MacIver Institute Matt Kittle was name Executive Director of Empower Wisconsin.[3]
“Empower Wisconsin will educate, advocate and mobilize conservative voices with a strong and well-defined issue agenda. In addition, it will develop a network of like-minded organizations at the state and federal levels to maximize the power of our collective efforts,” Kittle said in a press release on the announcement.[3]
Ties to the Koch Brothers
Empower Wisconsin's Director Eric O'Keefe has deep ties to the Koch brothers.
According to the Washington Post:
- "Early in his libertarian days, O’Keefe became friendly with the Koch brothers, with whom he has joined in many battles, mainly through independent groups that the courts have empowered to raise unlimited money, often without having to identify their donors."[4]
O'Keefe was listed as a presenter at the June 2010 Koch network meeting in Aspen, Colorado. He sat on the board of the Koch's Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) and was also on the board of directors of the Cato Institute, a Koch-founded libertarian think tank.[5] SAM's internship recruitment page was connected to Koch Industries through the Charles G. Koch Summer Fellow Program. The program was administered through the IHS and the State Policy Network and featured on the IHS website.[6]
O'Keefe was invited to present at a meeting of conservative donors plotting a campaign against Democrats and climate change organized by the Koch brothers at Rancho Las Palmas Resort in Ranch Mirage, California in January 2011, according to a list obtained by Lee Fang and published by ThinkProgress.[7]
O'Keefe previously worked for Citizens for Congressional Reform, a project of David Koch's Citizens for a Sound Economy (the predecessor to Americans for Prosperity). He has also been featured at events funded by David Koch's Americans for Prosperity group.[8]
| Koch Wiki |
|---|
The Koch brothers -- David and Charles -- are the right-wing billionaire co-owners of Koch Industries. As two of the richest people in the world, they are key funders of the right-wing infrastructure, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the State Policy Network (SPN). In SourceWatch, key articles on the Kochs include: Koch Brothers, Koch Industries, Americans for Prosperity, American Encore, and Freedom Partners. |
Funding
As of September 2019, Empower Wisconsin's funding is unknown because it has not disclosed its funders and 2019 IRS filings have not been submitted.
Core Financials
As of September 2019, Empower Wisconsin's financials are unknown because it has not filed a 2019 IRS form nor has it disclosed its finances.
Personnel
Staff
As of September 2019:[1]
- Adam Jarcow, President
- Eric O'Keefe, Director
- Valerie Johnson, Secretary/Treasurer
- Matt Kittle, Executive Director[3]
Featured Columnists
As of September 2019:
- Scott Walker, former Governor of Wisconsin
- Vicki McKenna, right-wing talk show host
- Eric O'Keefe, Director, Empower Wisconsin
Contact Information
Empower Wisconsin
Phone:(608) 441-5110
Email: info@empowerwisconsin.org
Website: https://empowerwisconsin.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/empowerwi/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empowerwisconsin/
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Empower Wisconsin, about us, Empower Wisconsin, accessed September 23, 2019.
- ↑ Empower Wisconsin, Empower Wisconsin Foundation, Empower Wisconsin, accessed September 23, 2019.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Matt Kittle, Empower Wisconsin: Wisconsin’s New conservative information hub, WisPolitics, September 9, 2019.
- ↑ Marc Fischer, "Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s recall: Big money fuels small-government fight," Washington Post, March 25, 2012. Accessed June 12, 2014.
- ↑ Eric O'Keefe, Past Experience, personal website, accessed June 12, 2014.
- ↑ Alex Brant-Zawadzki and Dawn Teo, Anatomy of the Tea Party Movement: Sam Adams Alliance, Huffington Post, Dec. 11, 2009
- ↑ Charles G. Koch, Invitation Letter, September 24, 2010, obtained by Lee Fang and published by Think Progress, October 20, 2010.
- ↑ Alex Brant-Zawadzki and Dawn Teo, Anatomy of the Tea Party Movement: Sam Adams Alliance, Huffington Post, Dec. 11, 2009.
