Tuesday, December 07, 2021

Influential Koch network rocked by an alleged affair scandal, donor departures and a discrimination lawsuit

 

The libertarian political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, which is backed by billionaire industrialist Charles Koch, has been rocked by an alleged extramarital affair involving a departing leader, as well as an exodus of key network donors while the organization undergoes major changes.

CNBC also has learned that Arlington, Virginia-based Americans for Prosperity, which has more than 3 million volunteers spread across 35 states, recently quietly settled a lawsuit alleging gender discrimination and retaliation in the group’s North Carolina branch.

In response to this story, the group’s spokesman Bill Riggs told CNBC that they found an “amicable resolution” in the lawsuit and defended the organization’s workplace environment as “respectful, rewarding, and inclusive.”

This week, Tim Phillips announced he was resigning as president of Americans for Prosperity after 15 years at the helm, citing what he called “challenging personal matters.”

Phillips is said to have had what’s described as an extramarital affair with a Virginia-based Republican official, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. These people declined to be named in order to speak freely about a private matter...MORE

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