TMCnet News
Alaska Dems: Koch Brothers and AKGOP Coordinate Through Voter Database(Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Oct. 30 -- The Alaska Democratic Party issued the following news release: The Koch Brothers and the Republican Party have entered into an unprecedented data sharing agreement (http://news.yahoo.com/two-years-after-2012-elections--gop-tech-efforts-show-mixed-results-012608178.html) that allows nominally independent Outside groups to share key information through a coordinated voter database. This data sharing may violate federal prohibitions on coordination between candidates and "independent" expenditure groups like the Koch Brothers' organization AFP. The Koch Brothers and Republicans have been sharing data since August. Dan Sullivan also has paid over $5,200 to the Koch Brothers' voter database company, indicating that he is sharing the voter file information as well. "The data flows would go both ways, and the RNC would for the first time have access to the outside groups' data," reports Yahoo News, and notes that the "RNC's deal with Koch political operation raises questions about illegal coordination." Political parties' voter databases are the foundation of modern political campaigns, as they enable targeted outreach to voters through direct mail, phone banking, and door to door canvassing. The Koch Brothers and Republican Party's shared voter file means that they are coordinating on the most fundamental aspects of voter outreach. Dan Sullivan has claimed that his campaign is separate from the Koch Brothers' multi-million dollar campaign apparatus. The Koch Brothers have created nearly a dozen front groups to influence the Alaska election while they have spent untold millions of dollars on television, radio, digital ads, robocalls, text messages, and field staff. Sullivan's campaign and the "independent" expenditure groups supporting his campaign already admitted that they obtain opposition research from the same source, and Alaska journalists have noted that the "independent" groups and Sullivan issue press releases and talking points in a manner that appears synchronized. TNS 24KuanRap-101031 30FurigayJof-4919799 30FurigayJof (c) 2014 Targeted News Service |