FOR RELEASE: 9/16/2014
The Koch brothers, through their firm Koch Industries, are providing significant funding to a major supporter of Measure 90, the top two primary proposal.
The political committee of Associated Oregon Industries (AOI PAC, ID #10) reported on September 3 receiving a $10,000 contribution from Koch Industries. The AOI PAC on September 2 reported giving a $50,000 contribution to Vote Yes on Measure 90 (ID #17001), making it at that time the largest financial backer of the measure. It was later topped by the $60,000 contribution from the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Administrators.
Koch Industries, at $25,000, is the third largest aggregate contributor to the AOI PAC, behind only Daimler Trucks LLC and ESCO Corp.
"The Koch brothers join a parade of corporations, corporate executives, and big-time financiers in bankrolling Measure 90," said Seth Woolley of the Pacific Green Party. "They correctly perceive Measure 90 as a way for the corporations to control Oregon."
The largest contributors to the Yes on Measure 90 PAC are:
| Amount | Donor | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 60,000 | Oregon Assn Hospitals & Health Administrators | medical care corporations |
| 50,000 | AOI Prosperity PAC | various corporations |
| 25,000 | Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Assn | hotels and restaurants |
| 25,000 | The Standard | insurance company |
| 25,000 | Ron Tonkin Management | car dealerships |
| 20,000 | Donald Tykeson | cable TV executive |
| 15,000 | Greg Goodman | parking & real estate executive |
| 10,000 | Henry Ritz | Oregon Title Insurance executive, retired |
| 10,000 | Roderick Wendt | forest products executive |
| 10,000 | Irving Levin | Genesis Financial Solutions |
| 10,000 | Harsch Investment Group | private investment company |
| 10,000 | Susan Schnitzer | part owner, Schnitzer Steel Corp. and others |
| 7,500 | Edward Meletis | Columbia Distributing Co. executive (beverages) |
| 7,500 | William Swindells | retired chair of Willamette Industries (timber) and Oregon Steel Mills |
| 7,500 | Keith Barnes | chair of Barnes Capital Management, private financier |
| 7,000 | Richard Parker, Jr. | United Finance Co. executive |
As of 30 days ago, the Vote Yes on Measure 90 Committee had raised $382,836. This is in addition to the $623,830 raised and spent by the Every Oregon Voter Counts Committee (ID #16892), which paid circulators to collect the signatures to put Measure 90 on the ballot. Virtually all of that money was also obtained from corporations and corporate executives (current or retired). The Protect Our Vote Committee (ID #17013), the only committee dedicated to opposing Measure 90, had raised $20,604, as of 30 days ago.