Politics

Koch network encourages Congress to certify election for Biden as some of the group's allies challenge results

Key Points
  • The political advocacy organization backed by the billionaire Charles Koch is encouraging Congress to certify President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory.
  • The move comes as several of the network's conservative beneficiaries in Congress plan to challenge the results.
  • In 2020, the group supported Republican David Perdue, the Georgia runoff candidate whose Senate term expired Sunday, and Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Roger Marshall, R-Kan., who are all against some form of congressional certification of Biden's win.

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In this February 26, 2007 file photograph, Charles Koch, head of Koch Industries, talks passionately about his new book on Market Based Management.
Bo Rader | Tribune News Service | Getty Images

The political advocacy organization backed by the billionaire Charles Koch is encouraging Congress to certify President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory.

The move comes as several of the network's Republican beneficiaries in Congress plan to object to the results.

"Joe Biden is the president-elect, and we support the process and certification of his election," Lo Isidro, a spokesman for the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity, said in a statement.

"Our top priority is building broad support around policies to end the pandemic and put Americans on a path to recover stronger while working against — and providing better alternatives to — destructive policies sold on empty promises that we know won't work," the statement said.

The statement comes as other business-friendly organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable, pushed back against a group of GOP senators and House members who say they plan to object to the Electoral College results.

Trump pressures Georgia's top election official to 'find' votes to overturn Biden victory in recorded call
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Trump pressures Georgia's top election official to 'find' votes to overturn Biden victory in recorded call

Congress is due to meet Wednesday to move ahead with the certification.

The network's stance coincides with Koch himself publicly congratulating Biden for his victory. Koch says he's looking forward to working with the new administration. Meanwhile, Americans for Prosperity has supported some of the lawmakers leading the crusade against the incoming president.

Though the network has supported previous policies of President Donald Trump's, the organization has had a mixed relationship with his administration and was not involved with the 2020 presidential election.

Data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics shows that AFP Action, the group's super PAC, has supported some of the Republicans leading the decertification effort. They also have previously backed lawmakers that have come out against such a move.

In 2020, the group supported Republican David Perdue of Georgia, whose Senate term expired Sunday, and Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Roger Marshall, R-Kan. The Koch-backed PAC spent over $20 million supporting them, and all three are against some form of congressional certification of Biden's win.

Perdue is up for reelection during Tuesday's Georgia Senate runoff, and the network is supporting him again in that race. Perdue and Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who is also facing a runoff challenge Tuesday, both support challenging the certification.

In 2018, AFP spent over $2 million on an ad blitz against then Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. AFP Action spent an additional $700,000 against the veteran lawmaker. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., went on to beat McCaskill in that election and was one of the first lawmakers to come out against certifying Biden's Electoral College win.

AFP Action spent over $3 million backing Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., nearly two years ago. She has said she will be against certifying certain electors.

There are also some Republicans in the House that saw support from AFP Action and are moving ahead with trying to derail the results of the presidential election.

The campaigns of Reps. Scott Franklin, R-Fla.; Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Ted Budd, R-N.C., received a total of over $550,000 from AFP. All three have said they plan to object to Biden's victory.