Background

CORPORATE SPECIAL INTERESTS HAVE INVESTED MILLIONS IN POLITICAL ADS AND CONTRIBUTIONS FOR AYOTTE’S CAMPAIGN

Special Interest Groups Have Spent Over $24 Million Backing Ayotte. “$24.2 million has been spent by Republican groups on behalf of Ayotte.” [WMUR, 8/31/16]

During The Course Of Her Career, Ayotte’s Campaign Has Received $416,093 In Contributions From The Oil & Gas Industry. [Center For Responsive Politics, Accessed 6/28/16]

Koch PAC And Koch Family Members Have Donated More Than $50,000 To Ayotte’s Campaign Committees. • Koch Family Members Have Donated $22,800 To Ayotte’s Campaign. [FEC, Accessed 6/28/16] • 2016 Cycle: Koch PAC Donated $6,500 To Ayotte’s Campaign. [Center For Responsive Politics, Accessed 3/15/16] • 2014 Cycle: Koch PAC Donated $3,500 To Ayotte’s Campaign. [Center For Responsive Politics, Accessed 3/15/16] • 2010 Cycle: Koch PAC Donated $10,000 To Ayotte’s Campaign. [Center For Responsive Politics, Accessed 3/15/16] • 2014 Cycle: Koch PAC Donated $10,000 To Ayotte’s Leadership PAC. [Center For Responsive Politics, Accessed 3/15/16]

Groups Linked To The Kochs Network Have Spent $3 Million Boosting Ayotte.

• Spent $1.2 Million Attacking Hassan. “The conservative issues group Americans for Prosperity on Monday will begin a more than $1 million, 20- day television advertising buy to criticize Gov. Maggie Hassan.” [WMUR, 8/6/15]

• May 2013: American Future Fund Spent $1.3 Million Defending Ayotte’s Vote Against Background Check Legislation. “American Future Fund has now spent over $1 million defending Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), thanks to a new $452, 000 ad buy in New Hampshire and Boston. The buy is part of an ongoing air war over Ayotte's opposition to expanded background checks for gun buyers. Ayotte was the only senator in the Northeast to vote against the legislation. [Washington Post, 5/21/13]

o American Future Fund Linked To Charles And . “The Iowa-based American Future Fund is a conservative nonprofit linked to the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch that since 2010 has inundated federal and state races with tens of millions of dollars.” [Center For Public Integrity, 1/28/16]

o Headline: Koch-Linked Group Blasts Kasich In Ad Buy. [Yahoo News, 1/28/16]

• Judicial Crisis Network Spent $750,000 To Prop Up Ayotte. “The new JCN ads will appear for three weeks, primarily on New Hampshire broadcast networks and cable networks, with some digital advertising, at a total cost of about $500,000. That brings JCN’s total spending on advertising in New Hampshire to about $750,000.” [WMUR, 3/21/16]

o Judicial Crisis Network Relied On Funding From Koch-Founded Nonprofit. According to Open Secrets, “To fill its own coffers, JCN has increasingly relied on funding — to the tune of nearly $4 million, according to IRS documents — from another non-disclosing group, the Wellspring Committee, that’s run by Corkery and was founded seven years ago with the help of conservative donors in the network led by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.” [OpenSecrets.org, 3/23/15]

AYOTTE VOTED WITH THE KOCH BROTHERS NEARLY 90% OF THE TIME DURING HER FIRST FOUR YEARS IN OFFICE

Ayotte Voted With Americans For Prosperity 89% Of The Time During The 112th Congress. [AFP Scorecard, Accessed 5/24/16]

Ayotte Voted With Americans For Prosperity 90% Of The Time During The 113th Congress. [AFP Scorecard, Accessed 5/24/16]

AYOTTE HAS REPEATEDLY SIDED WITH HER SPECIAL INTEREST BACKERS TO GIVE BIG CORPORATIONS A TAX BREAK

Ayotte Voted For FY 2012 Ryan Budget After AFP Urged Senators To Do So. In May 2011, Ayotte voted for a “Reid, D-Nev., motion to proceed to the concurrent resolution that would allow $2.859 trillion in new budget authority for fiscal 2012.” The motion failed 40-57. [CQ, 5/25/11; H.Con.Res. 34, Vote 77, 5/25/11; Americans For Prosperity Press Release, 5/24/11]

Washington Post: FY 2012 Ryan Budget Cut Corporate Rates To 25%. “On taxes, Ryan’s budget would consolidate brackets and lower tax rates; the top individual and corporate rates would drop to 25 percent.” [Washington Post, 4/4/11]

Ayotte Voted For FY 2013 Ryan Budget Plan After Americans For Prosperity Urged Senators To Do So. In May 2012, Ayotte voted in favor of a: “Conrad, D-N.D., motion to proceed to the concurrent resolution that would allow $2.794 trillion in new budget authority for fiscal 2013, not including off-budget accounts.” The motion was rejected 41-48. [CQ, 5/16/12; H.Con.Res. 112, Vote 98, 5/16/12; Americans For Prosperity Press Release, 5/14/12]

FY 2013 Ryan Budget Cut Corporate Income Tax Rate 10 Percent. “Ryan's proposed budget takes a number of other dramatic steps, such as creating just two income tax brackets at 10 and 25 percent, as well as bringing the corporate tax rate down from 35 percent to 25 percent.” [CBS News, 3/20/12]

AYOTTE HAS REPEATEDLY VOTED AGAINST CLOSING MORE THAN $20 BILLION IN SPECIAL TAX LOOPHOLES FOR BIG OIL COMPANIES

May 17, 2011: Ayotte Voted Against A Bill That Would Have Closed $21 Billion In Tax Loopholes For Five Biggest Oil Companies. [CQ, 5/17/11; S. 940, Vote 72, 5/17/11; New York Times, 5/17/11]

March 29, 2012: Ayotte Voted Against Closing $24 Billion In Tax Loopholes For Five Biggest Oil Companies. [CQ, 3/29/12; S. 2204, Vote 63, 3/29/12; Boston Globe, 3/30/12]

KOCH INDUSTRIES IS A BIG OIL COMPANY

Koch Industries “An Oil Industry Giant.” “The Institute has also received money from the Brown Foundation, which was started by the founders of the construction and energy company Brown & Root; the Searle Freedom Trust, funded by the late conservative philanthropist Daniel Searle; and the Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation, which is run by executives of Koch Industries, an oil industry giant.” [NPR, 9/22/08]

Koch Industries Lobbies To Protect Tax Breaks For Oil And Gas. “The lobbying efforts have not always matched Koch’s broader stance on government policies, CPI reported. For instance, the company publicly opposes U.S. subsidy programs, but its lobbyists pressed on Capitol Hill for lawmakers to maintain around $6 billion in subsidies for U.S. ethanol producers, CPI reported.” [Reuters, 4/6/11]