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Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin
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| Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Type: | 501(c)(4) |
| Affiliation: | Americans for Prosperity |
| Top official: | Eric Bott, Wisconsin State Director |
| Website: | Official website |
| Promoted policies | |
| Free market economics | |
Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin (AFP Wisconsin) is the Wisconsin chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization based in Arlington, Va. AFP Wisconsin represents more than 124,000 conservative activists in the state and advocates for free market economics, lower taxes and limited government.[1]
Eric Bott, the director of AFP Wisconsin, is a former Director of Environmental and Energy Policy for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce. Before his time with WMC, Bott was a staffer in the Wisconsin legislature, serving most recently as the policy director for state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, a Republican.[2]
Mission
The organization has the following mission:[1]
| “ |
Americans for Prosperity is a grassroots movement of over 2.3 million activists nation wide who advocate and promote limited government, lower taxes, and more freedom. We have over 124,000 activists across the state of Wisconsin who are taking action every day on behalf of the free market movement and influencing decision makers.[3] |
” |
Work
AFP Wisconsin has a history of supporting state Republicans. According to the progressive group One Wisconsin Now, AFP Wisconsin purchased over $150,000 in TV ad time in the Green Bay, Madison and Milwaukee areas during the 2011 recall of several Wisconsin state senators. AFP advertisements supported state Sens. Luther Olsen (of District 14) and Robert Cowles (of District 2), both Republicans. A $90,000 buy in District 12 opposed Jim Holperin, a Democrat.
Some voters reported problems with absentee ballots distributed by AFP Wisconsin during the 2011 senate recall elections. Charles Shultz, a Democrat, reportedly received an absentee ballot application from AFP that gave incorrect instructions about where and when to submit the completed application. Shultz and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin filed separate complaints with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, with DPW accusing AFP of "falsely representing the time frame" of the election in question.[4]
In 2014, during Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's campaign for reelection, AFP spent $866,000 on a statewide ad buy featuring a 30-second television spot titled "It's Working." While the advertisement, shown on the right, does not mention Walker by name, it contains a positive message about his policies. One speaker in the ad refers to Walker's collective bargaining reforms and the ensuing protests in Madison, Wis., in early 2011, saying, "Budget reform required bold leadership, and it's working."[5][6]
Noteworthy events
John Doe investigations
Two John Doe investigations, beginning in 2010 and ending in 2015, were launched by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm (D) into the activities of staff and associates of Gov. Scott Walker (R).[7] Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin was one of 29 conservative organizations that were targeted during the course of the second investigation.[8][9]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin AFP. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Americans for Prosperity
- John Doe investigations related to Scott Walker
- 501(c)(4)
- Nonprofit organization
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 AFP Wisconsin, "About AFP-Wisconsin," accessed August 3, 2015
- ↑ AFP Wisconsin, "Eric Bott, Wisconsin State Director," accessed August 3, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Huffington Post, "Americans For Prosperity Accused Of Voter Suppression In Wisconsin Recall Elections," August 3, 2011
- ↑ Talking Points Memo, "Conservative Americans For Prosperity Pours Major Cash Into Walker Race," May 27, 2014
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Conservative group runs ad touting Gov. Scott Walker's policies," May 27, 2014
- ↑ United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Milwaukee Division, "Eric O’Keefe, and Wisconsin Club for Growth, Inc.," accessed February 23, 2015
- ↑ Wisconsin Watchdog, "Wall Street Journal: GAB targeted conservative justices in John Doe defense," September 17, 2015
- ↑ Eric O'Keefe v. Francis Schmitz, et al., "Complaint," accessed September 16, 2015
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