Chris Kromm
published How Art Pope's money brought you Amendment One in Blog
2012-05-11 12:40:48 -0400
How Art Pope's money brought you Amendment One
Republican mega-donor Art Pope once called himself a libertarian. But his money was instrumental to the success of the anti-gay marriage amendment which passed this week in North Carolina, which the state Libertarian Party called "repugnant."
New video on Koch brothers features Institute's coverage
This week Brave New Foundation hosted the world premiere of its documentary film "Koch Brothers Exposed," which shows how the billionaire brothers who head the Koch Industries oil and chemical conglomerate have built their wealth by using their money to manipulate the political process.
Chris Kromm
published Locke Foundation blogger "didn't think about racial implications" of Obama image in Blog
2012-03-22 17:44:00 -0400
Locke Foundation blogger "didn't think about racial implications" of Obama image
Tara Servatius, a leading blogger for the John Locke Foundation who resigned today over a racially offensive picture she posted to the group's Charlotte, N.C. blog, said in a statement today that she is "genuinely sorry" the photo "has caused controversy for the John Locke Foundation." Servatius also said there was "nothing offensive" about the blog post, and that she "didn't think about the racial implications of the picture," which showed President Obama sitting next to a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Chris Kromm
published Locke Foundation blog uses racist image in blog on NC's Amendment One (UPDATED) in Blog
2012-03-21 21:48:00 -0400
Locke Foundation blog uses racist image in blog on NC's Amendment One (UPDATED)
The Meck Deck, an official blog of the Art Pope-funded conservative John Locke Foundation, this week published racially-charged and homophobic imagery of President Obama in a piece this on the president's opposition to North Carolina's proposed anti-gay marriage amendment. The post, which claims Obama is merely pandering to gay voters, is accompanied by an image of Obama in apparent drag while sitting next to a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Chris Kromm
published The money behind Americans for Prosperity, by the numbers in Blog
2012-03-08 13:02:00 -0500
The money behind Americans for Prosperity, by the numbers
Amount that the conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and its affiliated foundation spent over the last two years attacking Democratic candidates and initiatives including the new health care law and climate legislation: $90 million
Amount that AFP received in 2010 from the John William Pope Foundation, headed by North Carolina discount-retail magnate and conservative benefactor Art Pope, who is one of AFP's four directors: $1.6 million
Chris Kromm
published Anti-gay marriage "values tour" launches from Pope-sponsored conservative conference in Blog
2012-03-03 10:59:00 -0500
Anti-gay marriage 'values tour' launches from Pope-sponsored conference (updated)
A "Values Bus Tour" organized by religious right leaders to mobilize for a North Carolina amendment against gay marriage kicks off Saturday, March 3 at a conference organized by the Art Pope-funded Civitas Institute. The state-wide tour, which will include education and a voter registration drive, is sponsored by two national groups, the Family Research Council and the Heritage Foundation, both of which receive money from Art Pope's foundation, as well as VoteFORMarriageNC.com.
Chris Kromm
published Art Pope investigation honored by NC Press Association in Blog
2012-03-02 12:02:29 -0500
Art Pope investigation honored by NC Press Association
A joint investigation into North Carolina multimillionaire Art Pope's political empire by Facing South and the Independent Weekly was honored by the N.C. Press Association this week. The investigation, which appeared in a special March 2011 edition of The Independent, won second place for Investigative Reporting in its division.
Chris Kromm
published Activists target national Civitas conference in Raleigh March 3 in Blog
2012-02-29 17:37:00 -0500
Activists target national conference hosted by Pope-backed Civitas Institute in Raleigh
The Civitas Institute, a Raleigh think tank that receives most of its money from Art Pope's family foundation, is hosting a national Conservative Leadership Conference in Raleigh, N.C. March 2-3. Activists are gearing up to demonstrate at the event, which features a speaker who advocates state secession and leaders of the movement for restrictive voter ID bills across the country.
Chris Kromm
published Students target Maxway store in Raleigh to protest Art Pope's 'evil empire' in Blog
2012-02-15 10:28:27 -0500
Students target Maxway store in Raleigh to protest Art Pope's 'evil empire'
A group of Raleigh, N.C. students is launching a picket of Maxway, one of the retail stores owned by Republican donor Art Pope. The grassroots group aims to bring attention to what they call Pope's "poisonous agenda," including attacks on public schools.
Chris Kromm
published Pope Factcheck: Pope peddles false information on 2010 campaign sending in Blog
2012-02-04 20:12:00 -0500
Pope Factcheck: Pope falsely claims outside money favored Democrats in 2010 NC legislative elections
In an interview on Raleigh's WRAL TV, Art Pope responded to a question about the role of outside money in North Carolina's 2010 state legislative elections -- including his groups, which spent more than $2 million in state legislative races -- with the false claim that "the Democrats and the liberals outspent the Republicans and the conservatives." But even a group where Pope is a board member agrees that 90% of outside spending in 2010 came from groups like Pope's that supported the GOP.
