Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) is a conservative state-based think tank and member of the State Policy Network. The OCPA states that its mission is to "accumulate, evaluate, and disseminate public policy ideas and information for Oklahoma consistent with the principles of free enterprise, limited government, and individual initiative."

News and Controversies

OCPA President Praises President-elect Trump's Pick to Head EPA

In an interview with The Oklahoman, OCPA president Johnathan Small strongly supported President-elect Trump's nomination of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head the EPA. He stated,

"Pruitt is exactly the kind of leader we need to take on Washington, D.C. He has a track record of challenging the D.C.-knows-best mentality when it comes to protecting our environment and natural resources. The Constitution purposefully limits federal power and leaves control over local lands and businesses in the hands of state leaders. Gen. Pruitt has shown his dedication to restoring this balance between state and federal power."

President-elect Trump nominated Pruitt despite his long record of fighting the organization he will now be in charge of running, “Scott Pruitt has a record of attacking the environmental protections that EPA is charged with enforcing. He has built his political career by trying to undermine EPA’s mission of environmental protection,” said Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund.

Ties to the Bradley Foundation

Between 2013 and 2014 the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs received $400,000 from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation for its Liberty Foundation.

Bradley detailed the most recent grants in internal documents examined by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD). Below is a description of the grant prepared by CMD. The quoted text was written by Bradley staff.

2014: $250,000 to support general operations. According to the Bradley grant proposal, “Last year, Bradley awarded the Liberty Foundation $150,000 for its Competitive Federalism Project (CFP), which attempted to augment and improved state-based efforts to diffuse the influence of the federal government and impact policymaking process… The Liberty Foundation’s CFP well compliments and does not compete with IPA and SPN. SPN, in fact, also financially supports CFP. The Liberty Foundation’s CFP released its major report, Competitive Federalism: Leveraging the Constitution to Rebuild America, early last year. With some success, it then worked to further the concept in specific states and policy contexts.” “On Medicaid in particular… the Liberty Foundation says it targeted 10 states and allied itself with state-partner think tanks in each of them. In six of these states, Medicaid expansion was rejected… In most of the 10 states and with/for its partners, the Liberty Foundation nimbly commission targeted survey research that was helpful in contributing to the discourse about expansion among the public and policymakers. This year, the Liberty Foundation wants to – arguably admirably, quite ambitiously– expand its efforts, on this issue and others… If awarded, by arrangement, this grant would again be matched anonymously by (the Allen Family Charitable Foundation)."

Bradley Files

In 2017, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), publishers of SourceWatch, launched a series of articles on the Milwaukee-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, exposing the inner-workings of one of America's largest right-wing foundations. 56,000 previously undisclosed documents laid bare the Bradley Foundation's highly politicized agenda. CMD detailed Bradley's efforts to map and measure right wing infrastructure nationwide, including by dismantling and defunding unions to impact state elections; bankrolling discredited spin doctor Richard Berman and his many front groups; and more. Find the series here at ExposedbyCMD.org.

Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs has ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) through its membership in several ALEC "task forces".

Jonathan Small, president of the OCPA, won ALEC's Private Sector Member of the Year award and has represented the think tank on the Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force. He participated in a panel discussion, "Debunking Tax Myths" at the 2012 Spring Task Force Summit.

Senior Vice President Brandon Dutcher represents the organization as a member of ALEC's Education Task Force as of July 2011.

Former OCPA president, Michael Carnuccio, is a member of the Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force and Jason Sutton, former Policy Impact Director for OCPA, was also a member of the Health and Human Services Task Force.

About ALEC

ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our PRWatch.org site.

Funding

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs is not required to disclose its funders. Its major foundation funders, however, can be found through a search of the IRS filings. Here are some of the known funders of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs:

• Bradley Foundation: $400,000 (2013-2014)
• Cato Institute: $50,000 (2006)
• DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund: $1,650,835 (2010-2013)
• State Policy Network: $270,300 (2012-2015)

Core Financials

2016

• Total Revenue: $1,944,188
• Total Expenses: $2,173,852
• Net Assets: $4,030,905

2015

• Total Revenue: $2,730,203
• Total Expenses: $1,964,560
• Net Assets: $4,260,569

2014

• Total Revenue: $2,261,816
• Total Expenses: $1,811,131
• Net Assets: $3,494,926

2013

• Total Revenue: $2,133,193
• Total Expenses: $2,120,037
• Net Assets: $3,044,241

Grants Distributed

• Liberty Foundation of America: $20,000

2012

• Total Revenue: $1,428,599
• Total Expenses: $1,859,825
• Net Assets: $3,026,684

2011

• Total Revenue: $3,060,027
• Total Expenses: $1,806,961
• Net Assets: $3,456,211

2010:

• Total Revenue: $1,385,424.00
• Total Expenses: $1,412,168.00
• Net Assets:$2,205,719.00

2009:

• Total Revenue: $1,062,784.00
• Total Expenses: $1,064,986.00
• Net Assets: $2,217,243.00

Personnel

As of September 2018:

Staff

• Jonathan Small, President
• David Autry, Communications Manager
• Dave Bond, Vice President for Advocacy
• Jay Chilton, Director, Center for Investigative Journalism
• Heather Dickinson, Executive Liaison
• Brandon Dutcher, Senior Vice President
• Trent England, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives
• Estela Hernandez, Executive Vice President
• Rachel Hays, Development Director
• Alex Jones, Communications and Creative Director
• Arlesha Jones, Development Projects Manager
• Cody Ray Milner, Policy Associate
• Hallie Milner, Communications Associate
• Curtis Shelton, Policy Research Fellow
• Teresa Yoder, Vice President of Operations

Former Staff

• Dacia D. Harris, Development Projects Manager
• Sarah Andrews, Content Marketing Specialist
• Kenny Yoder, Financial Analyst
• Steven J. Anderson, MBA, CPA, Research Fellow
• Tina Korbe Dzurisin, Research Associate
• Jayson Lusk, Samuel Roberts Noble Distinguished Fellow
• J. Scott Moody, M.A., Research Fellow
• Andrew C. Spiropoulos, J.D., Milton Friedman Distinguished Fellow
• Wendy P. Warcholik, Ph.D., Research Fellow
• Michael C. Carnuccio, President
• Brian Bush, Executive Vice President
• Karma Robinson, Vice President for Development
• Tina Korbe, Policy Impact Director

Board of Directors

• Larry Parman, Chairman
• Glenn Ashmore, D.D.S.
• Robert Avery
• Lee J. Baxter
• Douglas Beall, M.D.
• Susan Bergen
• John A. Brock
• David Burrage
• Michael Carnuccio
• William Flanagan
• Josephine Freede
• Ann Felton Gilliland
• John T. Hanes
• John A. Henry, III
• Robert H. Kane
• Gene Love
• David Madigan
• Tom H. McCasland, III
• David McLaughlin
• J. Larry Nichols
• Lloyd Noble, II
• Mike O’Neal, Ph.D.
• Andrew Oster
• Bill Price
• Patrick T. Rooney
• Melissa Sandefer
• Thomas Schroedter
• RADM(R) Greg Slavonic
• Charles M. Sublett
• Robert Sullivan
• William E. Warnock, Jr.
• Dana Weber
• Molly Wehrenberg
• Daryl Woodard

Former Directors

• Blake Arnold
• Steve Beebe
• David R. Brown, M.D.
• Tom Coburn, M.D.
• Paul A. Cox
• Henry F. Kane
• Lew Meibergen
• Ronald L. Mercer
• Daniel J. Zaloudek

Contact Information

Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
1401 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
Phone: (405) 602-1667
Fax: (855) 819-0085
Email: ocpa@ocpathink.org
Website: http://www.ocpathink.org
Twitter: ocpa@ocpathink.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ocpathink

Articles and Resources

Related SourceWatch Articles

• State Policy Network:
  • SPN Portal
  • SPN Political Activity
  • SPN Funding
    • SPN 2011 Funding
    • SPN 2010 Funding
    • SPN 2009 Funding
  • SPN Agenda
  • SPN Founders, History, and Staff
  • SPN Members
  • SPN Ties to ALEC
  • Thomas A. Roe
  • Tracie Sharp
  • Byron S. Lamm
  • Roe Foundation
• American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)
  • ALEC Non-Profits
• DonorsTrust
• Donors Capital Fund
• Koch Family Foundations
• Koch Industries
• Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity
• Heritage Foundation
• Think tanks
• Whitney Ball
• Adam Meyerson
• Bridgett Wagner

Related PRWatch Articles

• Brendan Fischer, Why Are the Franklin Center's "Wisconsin Reporter" and "Watchdog.org" Attacking the John Doe?, PRWatch.org, December 19, 2013.
• Rebekah Wilce, The State Policy Network's Cozy Relationship with Big Tobacco, PRWatch.org, December 16, 2013.
• Rebekah Wilce, Did ALEC Found SPN? 1991 Report Suggests So, Exposes SPN Agenda, PRWatch.org, December 12, 2013.
• Rebekah Wilce, Guardian Documents Expose State Policy Network Groups' Intent to Lobby, PRWatch.org, December 5, 2013.
• Rebekah Wilce, State Policy Network: The Stealth Network Dramatically Influencing State Law, PRWatch.org, December 5, 2013.
• Rebekah Wilce, Tracie Sharp: Bursar of Mystery Money and "IKEA Model" Materials to Stink Tanks, PRWatch.org, November 19, 2013.
• Center for Media and Democracy, Reports Expose Extreme Pressure Groups Masquerading as Think Tanks, press release, November 13, 2013.
• Rebekah Wilce, A Reporters’ Guide to the "State Policy Network": the Right-Wing Think Tanks Spinning Disinformation and Pushing the ALEC Agenda in the States, PRWatch.org, April 4, 2013.
• Sara Jerving, ALEC and Heartland Aim to Crush Renewable Energy Standards in the States, PRWatch.org, November 27, 2012.
• Connor Gibson, Meet the Network Hiding the Koch Money: "Donors Trust" and "Donors Capital Fund", PRWatch.org, October 29, 2012.
• Brendan Fischer, Koch-Funded Mackinac Center Brings Wisconsin Act 10 Provisions to ALEC, PRWatch.org, May 2, 2012.
• Sara Jerving, Franklin Center: Right-Wing Funds State News Source, PRWatch.org, October 31, 2011.

External Articles

• Wall Street Journal, The Spoils of the Republican State Conquest, December 9, 2016, archived by CMD here.
• DeSmog Blog, Stink Tanks: Historical Records Reveal State Policy Network Was Created by ALEC, December 9, 2013.
• The Guardian, State conservative groups plan US-wide assault on education, health and tax, December 5, 2013.
• Portland Press Herald, "Washington County residents have mixed reactions to plan to eliminate taxes," December 5, 2013.
• The Texas Observer, "The Money Behind the Fight to Undermine Medicaid," December 5, 2013.
• Media Matters, North Carolina Newspapers Largely Ignore Conservative Funding Of Sham Think Tanks, December 3, 2013.
• Shepherd Express, Masters of Manipulation: Right-wing Billionaires, Corporations and the Bradley Foundation Pay for Junk Studies that Prop up Their Agenda, November 27, 2013.
• "Moyers & Company," How a Shadowy Network of Corporate Front Groups Distorts the Marketplace of Ideas, November 19, 2013.
• MSNBC "Rachel Maddow Show," November 18, 2013.
• Free Speech TV "Ring of Fire," Facebook, Microsoft, AT&T and Others Supporting Right Wing Propaganda Machine, November 18, 2013.
• Topeka Capital-Journal, Trabert dismisses report tying KPI to Koch agenda, November 16, 2013.
• The New Yorker (Jane Mayer), Is IKEA the New Model for the Conservative Movement?, November 15, 2013.
• Salon, Ted Cruz and Koch brothers embroiled in shadowy Tea Party scheme, November 15, 2013.
• St. Louis Business Journal, Beyond Sinquefield: Who else is funding the Show-Me Institute?, November 15, 2013.
• The Guardian, Facebook and Microsoft help fund rightwing lobby network, report finds, November 14, 2013.
• Huffington Post, Meet The Little-Known Network Pushing Ideas For Kochs, ALEC, November 14, 2013.
• CBS St. Louis, Show-Me Institute’s Ties Questioned in New Report, November 14, 2013.
• Talking Points Memo, Florida Conservative Group Helping Muck Up Obamacare In Alaska, November 14, 2013.
• Mint Press News, Reports Reveal SPN’s Secret Corporate Agenda Through Use ‘Expert’ Testimony, November 14, 2013.
• Media Matters, Shadowy Right-Wing Group Generates Media Coverage For Conservative Policy From Coast To Coast, November 14, 2013.
• The Institute for Southern Studies, Are conservative think tanks breaking lobbying laws?, November 14, 2013.
• Nonprofit Quarterly, Corporate Money in Network of Right-Wing State Policy Think Tanks, November 14, 2013.
• The Progressive, Right-Wing Think Tanks Push Privatization in the States, November 13, 2013.
• Politico, Report: Think tanks tied to Kochs, November 13, 2013.
• Lawrence Journal-World, Reports released by progressive groups are critical of Kansas Policy Institute, November 13, 2013.
• Maine Insights, Report: Maine Heritage Policy Center’s funding connection to Koch Brothers, November 13, 2013.
• The Florida Current, Liberal groups bemoan lobbying by conservative think tanks, November 13, 2013.
• The Oregonian, Cascade Policy Institute benefits from secretive donor group but says it operates independently, November 13, 2013.
• Center for Media and Democracy, EXPOSED: The State Policy Network, The Powerful Right-Wing Network Helping to Hijack State Politics and Government, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Arizona Working Families and CMD, A Reporter’s Guide to the Goldwater Institute: What Citizens, Policymakers, and Reporters Should Know, organizational report, updated November 13, 2013.
• Progress Florida and CMD, Lawmaking Under the Influence of Very Special Interests: Understand the role of Florida ‘think tanks’ in driving a Koch-fueled, ALEC-allied corporate agenda, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Maine's Majority Education Fund, Fooling Maine: How national conservative groups infiltrated Maine politics by founding and funding the Maine Heritage Policy Center, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Progress Michigan, Who's Running Michigan? The Far-Right Influence of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Alliance for a Better Minnesota, Who's in Charge: How Nationalized Corporate-Run Think Tanks Influence Minnesota Politics, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Progress Missouri, What Missourians Need to Know About the Show-Me Institute, organizational report, updated November 13, 2013.
• Granite State Progress, Bad Bartlett: The Josiah Bartlett Center and NH Watchdog Answer the Call of the Koch Brothers, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• ProgressOhio, Smoke Screen: The Buckeye Institute, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Keystone Progress, Think tanks or corporate lobbyist propaganda mills?, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Progress Texas, TPPF + ALEC, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• One Wisconsin Now, S is for Shill: Inside the Bradley Foundation's Attack on Public Education, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Muncie Voice, Pence and Right-Wing Are Taking Over Public Education, November 13, 2013.
• The Spokesman-Review, Shawn Vestal: Idaho Freedom Foundation pushes limits of word ‘charity’, November 2, 2013.
• AZ Central, When this ‘watchdog’ pitches, taxpayers strike out, October 12, 2013.
• IndyStar, Daniels says speech to partisan group was a mistake, October 10, 2013.
• Muncie Voice, Indiana Policy Review: Not an Independent News Source, October 2, 2013.
• The Spokesman-Review, Idaho Freedom Foundation's charitable status scrutinized, September 15, 2013.
• CounterSpin, Lee Fang on 'The Right Leans In', April 5, 2013.
• FireDogLake, State Policy Network, an umbrella coordinating ALEC, Heritage, Heartland and others, April 4, 2013.
• Thom Hartmann with Lee Fang on MSNBC, The conservative State Policy Network is sneaking into your state & will change America, March 29, 2013.
• Current TV "War Room", Lee Fang discussing the State Policy Network, March 28, 2013.
• The Nation, The Right Leans In, March 26, 2013.
• Democracy Now, Donors Trust: Little-Known Group Helps Wealthy Backers Fund Right-Wing Agenda in Secret, February 19, 2013.
• Paul Abowd, Center for Public Integrity, Donors use charity to push free-market policies in states, Consider the Source, February 14, 2013.
• John R. Mashey, Fake science, fakexperts, funny finances, free of tax 2, DeSmog Blog report, updated October 23, 2012, p. 74.
• Urban Milwaukee, Stealth Conservatives, October 11, 2012.
• Rome News-Tribune, ANALYSIS: Georgia leaders depend on the same well for ideas, October 2012.
• Andy Kroll, The Right-Wing Network Behind the War on Unions, Mother Jones, April 25, 2011.
• Guidestar, State Policy Network, IRS filings and other organizational information about SPN.
• Center for Policy Alternatives, ALEC and the Extreme Right-Wing Agenda, organizational brochure about ALEC and SPN.
• John J. Miller, Fifty Flowers Bloom: Conservative think tanks — mini–Heritage Foundations — at the state level, National Review, November 19, 2007.
• Bridge Project, State Policy Network, online resource listing grants to SPN and SPN's connections to other groups.
• People for the American Way, State Policy Network, RightWingWatch.org, organizational resource.
• Greenpeace, Koch Industries Climate Denial Front Group: State Policy Network (SPN), organizational resource.