Florida Man Buys State: Koch Impacts in the Sunshine State:
The James Madison Institute Has Very Deep Ties to the Koch Network

Citizens for a Sound Economy And James Madison Institute Shared a Board Member In L. Charles Hilton

Citizens for a Sound Economy Board Member L. Charles Hilton Was Also A Board Member of James Madison Institute. [Citizens for a Sound Economy, 11/15/03]

Koch-Affiliated Entities Donated Over $1.4 Million Directly to James Madison Institute

The Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation Donated $108,479 To The James Madison Institute Between 2007 And 2012. According to tax documents from the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation, the Koch Foundation made 6 contributions totaling $108,479 to the James Madison Institute from 2007 to 2012. [Koch Foundation Tax Documents, accessed 2/27/15]

DonorsTrust And Donors Capital Fund Donated $1,273,242 To The James Madison Institute Between 2005 And 2012. According to tax documents from DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund, the two organizations made 27 contributions totaling $1,273,242 from 2005 to 2012. [Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund Tax Documents, accessed 2/27/15]

The Cato Institute Donated $100,000 To The James Madison Institute In 2006. According to tax documents from the Cato Institute from 01/01/2006 to 03/31/2006, Cato awarded $100,000 to the James Madison Institute “to help fund like-minded 501(c)(3) orgs.” [Cato Institute Tax Documents, 3/31/06]

The James Madison Institute Is Listed As A Partner Organization For The Charles Koch Institute’s “Liberty@Work” Program. According to the Charles Koch Institute, the James Madison Institute is a Liberty@Work Partner Organization. [Charles Koch Institute, accessed 3/2/15]

The James Madison Institute Is A Member Of The State Policy Network. According to the State Policy Network’s Member Directory, the James Madison Institute is an SPN Member. [SPN.org, accessed 2/27/15]

George W. Gibbs III

Gibbs W. Gibbs III Contributed $150,000 To Freedom Partners Action Fund. According to an FEC filing from Freedom Partners Action Fund, George W. Gibbs, III contributed $150,000 on July 2, 2014. [Freedom Partners Action Fund FEC Filing via FEC.gov, Accessed 2/27/15]

Gibbs Was A Board Member Of The James Madison Institute. According to a biography published by the James Madison Institute, George W. Gibbs III served on the Board of the James Madison Institute. [James Madison Institute, viewed 10/14/14]

Gibbs Supports Several Koch-Connected Groups Including Institute for Humane Studies, Mercatus, and Cato. According to a biography published by the James Madison Institute, “Over the years, George has supported several organizations that uphold his belief that the free market system must be maintained and that the government that ‘governs least governs best’. These organizations include Institute of Humane Studies, Mercatus, American Enterprise Institute, CATO and The James Madison Institute (where he is also a board member). In 2006, Atlantic Marine was sold to a private equity group which has allowed George time to become more involved in philanthropy. In 2008 George started the Gibbs Family Foundation which supports organizations that work toward free markets, smaller government and personal freedoms.” [James Madison Institute, viewed 10/14/14]

Gibbs Attended The February 2014 Koch Brothers Summit, Where He Was Scheduled To Meet With Chase Koch, Charles Koch’s Son. According to Mother Jones, “Attendees of these summits are warned that the seminars, where the Kochs and their allies hatch strategies for electing Republicans and advancing conservative initiatives on the state and national levels, are strictly confidential; they are cautioned to keep a close eye on their meeting notes and materials. But last week, following the Kochs’ first donor gathering of 2014, one attendee left behind a sensitive document at the Renaissance Esmeralda resort outside of Palm Springs, California, where the Kochs and their comrades had spent three days focused on winning the 2014 midterm elections and more. The document lists VIP donors—including John Schnatter, the founder of the Papa John’s pizza chain—who were scheduled for one-on-one meetings with representatives of the political, corporate, and philanthropic wings of Kochworld. […] Charles Koch’s 36-year-old son, Chase, the president of Koch Fertilizer, was also scheduled to take part in a meeting with a donor named George Gibbs.” [Mother Jones, 02/05/14]

Gibbs Founded The Gibbs Family Foundation “Which Supports Organizations That Work Towards Free Markets, Smaller Government, And Personal Freedoms.” According to a biography published by the James Madison Institute, “Over the years, George has supported several organizations that uphold his belief that the free market system must be maintained and that the government that ‘governs least governs best’. These organizations include Institute of Humane Studies, Mercatus, American Enterprise Institute, CATO and The James Madison Institute (where he is also a board member). In 2006, Atlantic Marine was sold to a private equity group which has allowed George time to become more involved in philanthropy. In 2008 George started the Gibbs Family Foundation which supports organizations that work toward free markets, smaller government and personal freedoms.” [James Madison Institute, viewed 10/14/14]

In 2012, The Gibbs Family Foundation Donated To: George Mason University Foundation, James Madison Institute, Cato Institute, And The Institute for Humane Studies. According to a 990 form filed in 2012 by the Gibbs Family Foundation, the Foundation donated $5,000 each to the George Mason University Foundation, James Madison Institute, and the Cato Institute, and donated $10,000 to the Institute for Humane Studies. All donations were marked “For General Use.” [Gibbs Family Foundation 2012 990 forms, viewed 10/14/14]

In 2011, The Gibbs Family Foundation Donated To: The Reason Foundation, The James Madison Institute, The Cato Institute, The Mercatus Center, and The Institute for Humane Studies. According to a 990 form filed in 2011 by the Gibbs Family Foundation, the Foundation donated $5,000 each to the Reason Foundation, the James Madison Institute, the Cato Institute, the Mercatus Center, and the Institute for Humane Studies. All donations were marked “For General Use.” [Gibbs Family Foundation 2011 990 forms, viewed 10/14/14]

In 2010, The Gibbs Family Foundation Donated To: The Cato Institute, The Clare Booth Luce Policy Institute, The George Mason University Foundation, and the Institute for Humane Studies. According to a 990 form filed in 2010 by the Gibbs Family Foundation, the Foundation donated $5,000 to the Cato Institute, $4,000 each to the Clare Booth Luce Policy Institute and the Institute for Humane Studies, and $10,000 to the George Mason University Foundation. All donations were marked “For General Use.” [Gibbs Family Foundation 2010 990 forms, viewed 10/14/14]

National Labor Relations Board Upheld Complaint That Gibbs III Directed or Participated In Assaults Against Union Organizers

George W. Gibbs, III Was Vice President Of Gibbs Corporation. According to the National Labor Relations Board’s decision in Gibbs Corp, 709 (Case 12-CA-001153), “During the afternoon of August 10, as the day shift ceased work, three organizers for the Union stationed themselves on Flagler Avenue outside the gate in order to distribute handbills. […] While these organizers were distributing handbills to employees who were on foot or in automobiles, a group of persons came out of the shipyard. Within the group were George W. Gibbs III, vice president of Gibbs Corporation and manager of Southern; Rex Dorman, vice president of Gibbs Corporation and director of industrial relations for both Respondents; and supervisors named Deneen, Hartley, and Ingle. One or more of those persons told the organizers that the latter were on private property and directed them to get off. Polston went to a telephone and called a policeman who soon arrived. The events of the afternoon ended without violence although vulgar remarks were exchanged.” [NLRB Case 12-CA-001153 November 18, 1960, viewed 10/16/14]

National Labor Relations Board Upheld Complaint That Gibbs III “Directed … Assaults Or Otherwise Participated In Them” Against Men Passing Out Union Fliers. According to the National Labor Relations Board’s decision in Gibbs Corp, 709 (Case 12-CA-001153), “The Board has reviewed the rulings of the Trial Examiner made at the hearing and finds that no prejudicial error was committed. The rulings are hereby affirmed. The Board has considered the Intermediate Report, the exceptions and brief, and the entire record in the cases, and hereby adopts the findings,’ conclusions, and recommendations 2 of the Trial Examiner, with the additions and modifications set forth below. As indicated in the Intermediate Report, the complaint allegations involving the assaults upon the union organizers on August 10 turns crucially upon proof that Respondents’ officials or supervisors directed these assaults or otherwise participated in them. In sustaining this aspect of the complaint, the Trial Examiner relied both on: (1) circumstantial evidence tending to prove that Gibbs and/or Dorman knew of the plan of attack in advance and either instigated it or encouraged its effectuation, and (2) direct and other evidence provided by credible testimony establishing that they actively participated in acts of assault.” [NLRB Case 12-CA-001153 November 18, 1960, viewed 10/16/14]

Gibbs “Directed” Another Man To Hit A Union Organizer After The Man Hit The Organizer “With A Metal Object Attached To His Fist, Gibbs Also Did So With His Open Hand Or Arm.” According to the National Labor Relations Board’s decision in Gibbs Corp, 709 (Case 12-CA-001153), “Gibbs and Dorman admitted being present at the assault and that they both returned to the plant that evening after telephone contact with each other because they had heard that there might be some trouble. Examination of the testimony of credited witnesses indicates that : (1) earlier that afternoon, and in Gibbs’ presence, Dorman told three of the five union organizers subsequently assaulted, ‘If you continue to come over here there’s going to be trouble’; 3 (2) Dorman carried a blackjack that night; (3) one of the assaulted union organizers (McKinnon) was hit by a blackjack; (4) Gibbs and Dorman were in the group of about 15 men which included Wilson, the prime actor in the attack ; and (5 ) during the melee, Gibbs directed Wilson to ‘get’ Polston, and, after Wilson hit him with a metal object attached to his fist, Gibbs also did so with his open hand or arm.” [NLRB Case 12-CA-001153 November 18, 1960, viewed 10/16/14]

NLRB: “We Are Satisfied,” Of Gibbs’s “Participation In The Assaults Of August 10, 1959… This Conduct Was Directed To Discouraging Organizational Activity On Behalf Of The Union.” According to the National Labor Relations Board’s decision in Gibbs Corp, 709 (Case 12-CA-001153), “We are satisfied, on the basis of all the foregoing evidence, of the Respondents’ participation in the assaults of August 10, 1959. We are further convinced, as was the Trial Examiner, that this conduct was directed to discouraging organizational activity on behalf of the Union.4 We conclude, accordingly, as did the Trial Examiner, that the Respondents thereby engaged in conduct in violation of Section 8(a)(1) of the Act.” [NLRB Case 12-CA-001153 November 18, 1960, viewed 10/16/14]

NLRB: “There Is No Doubt That Brutal Assaults And Batteries Occurred.” According to the National Labor Relations Board’s decision in Gibbs Corp, 709 (Case 12-CA-001153), “The principal issue is whether, at 12:01 a.m , on August 11, 1959, at the intersection of public streets outside Southern’s shipyard, when organizers for the Union were preparing to distribute handbills to workers leaving the shipyard, representatives of the Respondents led a group of individuals in assaults and batteries upon the organizers. There is no doubt that brutal assaults and batteries occurred. The question is whether the Respondents’ representatives participated. The defense is that the organizers were attacked by a rival union group and that the representatives of the Respondent were present only during the latter stages of the attack and only for the purpose of stopping it.” [NLRB Case 12-CA-001153 November 18, 1960, viewed 10/16/14]

NLRB Documents Describe Attacks In Which One Organizer Was “Battered Severely,” Including Being Punched With Metal Knuckles, And Another Was Hit With A Blackjack. According to the National Labor Relations Board’s decision in Gibbs Corp, 709 (Case 12-CA-001153), “George, a man of 65 years, was grabbed by someone who pinned his elbows to his sides. Someone else hit George on the hand with a blackjack and slapped his face. Meanwhile, McCarthy, a man of 45 years, 5 feet 11 inches in height and weighing 170 pounds, was battered to the ground when Bill Wilson, an employee of Gibbs Corporation who works on the day shift, rushed into McCarthy in the manner of a football player blocking another. Polston, Crawford, and McKinnon, observing events from Polston’s automobile, got out and went into the street intersection. As Polston was saying that the organizers did not want trouble, Wilson, with metal knuckles on his fist, hit Polston a damaging blow to the face, knocking Polston to the ground Polston arose and someone else hit him. He tried to escape by running south on Flagler Avenue toward its intersection with Mary Street, which lies parallel with June Street about 150 feet distant. Some of the attackers followed him. When near Mary Street, Polston, a man of 44 years, 5 feet 8 inches in height, and weighing 225 pounds, decided that he could not escape. He stopped As he testified, he is ‘too fat and short … to run far.’ Again Polston was battered severely.” [NLRB Case 12-CA-001153 November 18, 1960, viewed 10/16/14]

One Of The Organizers Was Knocked Unconscious. According to the National Labor Relations Board’s decision in Gibbs Corp, 709 (Case 12-CA-001153), “As Crawford sought to reach Polston to get him into the auto, Wilson said to Crawford that Wilson had told ‘you all not to come back over here or else there was going to be trouble.’ Crawford replied that ‘we’re in our rights and we’ll be back,’ whereupon Wilson hit him in the mouth and knocked him to the ground. As McKinnon started to pick up Crawford, McKinnon was hit with a blackjack. Crawford arose, was hit on the back of the neck with a blackjack, and lost consciousness.” [NLRB Case 12-CA-001153 November 18, 1960, viewed 10/16/14]

NLRB: Before Assault, Gibbs III Threatened Union Organizers. According to the National Labor Relations Board’s decision in Gibbs Corp, 709 (Case 12-CA-001153), “The complaint alleges that Gibbs threatened the organizers if they should return to continue their organizational efforts, and the testimony of the General Counsel supports that allegation. On the other hand, the Respondents’ testimony is to the contrary. In view of my credibility determinations below, I credit the testimony for the General Counsel C.” [NLRB Case 12-CA-001153 November 18, 1960, viewed 10/16/14]

Gibbs’ And Other Respondents Defense: “This Entire Complaint Appears To Be Just A Typical Organizers Trick.” According to the National Labor Relations Board’s decision in Gibbs Corp, 709 (Case 12-CA-001153), “In their brief, the Respondents assert: This entire Complaint appears to be just a typical organizers trick.” [NLRB Case 12-CA-001153 November 18, 1960, viewed 10/16/14]

Court Of Appeals For Fifth Circuit Upheld NLRB’s Finding That Management Was Involved In The “Unprovoked Attack Made Upon The Union Men.” According to NLRB v Gibbs Corporation 297 F.2d 649, “The Board found, with substantial supporting evidence, that there was an unprovoked attack made upon the Union men which was directed and participated in by supervisory personnel of the respondents […] It is enough for our purpose to repeat that there is substantial evidence on the record as a whole to support the findings of fact, and this being so the Board’s findings are not to be disturbed.” [US Court Of Appeals, Fifth Circuit’s Decision in NLRB v. Gibbs Corporation, 01/02/62]

Former Florida Speaker Allan Bense

Allan Bense Was The Chairman Of The Board Of The James Madison Institute. According to a biography published by the James Madison Institute, Allan Bense served as chairman of the board of the James Madison Institute. [James Madison Institute, accessed 3/2/15]

  • Bense Also Served As A Board Member Of Jeb Bush’s Foundation For Florida’s Future. According to a biography published by the James Madison Institute, Allan Bense served as a member of the Board for the Foundation for Florida’s Future. [James Madison Institute, accessed 3/2/15]
  • Bense Also Served As A Member Of The Board Of Trustees Of Florida State University. According to a biography published by the James Madison Institute, Allan Bense served on the Board of Trustees of Florida State University. [James Madison Institute, accessed 3/2/15]

James Madison Institute’s Research Advisory Board Is Deeply Interconnected With Koch Network

James Madison Institute’s Research Advisory Board Members Had Wide Range of Connections to Other Koch Funded or Controlled Entities, Including The Institute for Humane Studies, Mercatus Center, Cato Institute, Americans for Prosperity, And Significantly Koch-Funded American Legislative Exchange Council And Heartland Institute

James M. Taylor – Heartland Institute

James M. Taylor, Senior Fellow Of Environmental Policy At The Heartland Institute, Served On The Research Advisory Council Of The James Madison Institute. According to the James Madison Institute, James M. Taylor, J.D., Senior fellow of Environmental Policy, Heartland Institute was a member of JMI’s Research Advisory Council. [James Madison Institute, accessed 3/2/15]

Bradley Hobbs, Institute for Humane Studies, Koch Associate Program

Bradley Hobbs, Professor Of Free Enterprise At Florida Gulf Coast University, Served On The Research Advisory Council Of The James Madison Institute. According to the James Madison Institute, Dr. Bradley K. Hobbes, Professor of Free Enterprise, Florida Gulf Coast University, was a member of JMI’s Research Advisory Council. [James Madison Institute, accessed 3/2/15]

  • Hobbs “Has Written For The Foundation For Economic Education,” Written And Taught For “The Institute For Humane Studies, And Taught For The Koch Associate Program. According to the James Madison Institute, “Bradley K. Hobbs is the BB&T Distinguished Professor of Free Enterprise at Florida Gulf Coast University. Professor Hobbs earned his undergraduate degree in history and his Ph.D. in economics from Florida State University (1991). His interests are wide in range encompassing economic history, the moral and philosophical foundations of free markets, property rights, economic freedom, and teaching methodologies. He has published in Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, The Journal of Accounting and Finance Research, Journal of Real Estate Research, Laissez-Faire, Journal of Executive Education, Financial Practice and Education, and Research in Finance, among others. He has also has written for the Foundation for Economic Education, the Institute for Humane Studies and the Florida Council on Economic Education. Professor Hobbs has been active in leading undergraduate research and was recently recruited as the founding Faculty Advisor for a new undergraduate research journal, the Journal of Liberty and Society. He has been a member of the National Teaching Faculty for the Foundation for Teaching Economics since 2001, taught for the Institute for Humane Studies, The Koch Associate Program and is active in The Liberty Fund having participated in programs as a participant, Discussion Leader, and Director. He also serves on the Executive Board of the Association for Private Enterprise.” [James Madison Institute, Accessed 3/20/15]
Barry Poulson – Americans for Prosperity

Barry Poulson Was “Associated With Americans For Prosperity” And Was “A Research Fellow Of The James Madison Institute.” According to an opinion by economist Barry Poulson in the Tallahassee Democrat, “Economist Barry W. Poulson is a research fellow of the James Madison Institute, a nonpartisan policy center based in Tallahassee. He also is on the Colorado Commission on Taxation and is associated with Americans for Prosperity. Contact him at poulson@colorado.edu” [Barry Poulson – Tallahassee Democrat, 3/6/08]

  • Poulson Was “An Advisor To The Task Force On Tax And Fiscal Policy Of The American Legislative Exchange Council” And Was An Expert With The Heartland Institute. According to Barry Poulson’s Expert Biography at the Heartland Institute, “He [Barry Poulson] is an Advisor to the Task Force on Tax and Fiscal Policy of the American Legislative Exchange Council and serves as a consultant on fiscal policy and fiscal constitutions to a number of state and national think tanks.” [Heartland Institute, 3/2/15]
Linda Raeder – Institute for Humane Studies

Linda Raeder, Associate Professor Of Political Science At Palm Beach Atlantic University, Served On The Research Advisory Council Of The James Madison Institute. According to the James Madison Institute, Dr. Linda Raeder, Associate Professor of Political Science, Palm Beach Atlantic University, was a member of JMI’s Research Advisory Council. [James Madison Institute, accessed 3/2/15]

  • Raeder Was Awarded “A Lambe Fellowship By The Institute For Humane Studies.” According to the James Madison Institute, “As a conference participant in the United States and Germany, she has presented papers such as ‘Civil Society and the Renewal of American Culture,’ ‘The Nature of Civil Society,’ ‘The Psychological Presidency,’ ‘Liberalism and the Common Good’ and ‘The Rule of Law.’ She has been awarded numerous academic fellowships, including a Lambe Fellowship by the Institute for Humane Studies, a Weaver Fellowship by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, an Earhart Foundation Fellowship, an Albright Fellowship by the University of Richmond and a Governor’s Fellowship by the University of Virginia. She also serves as a peer reviewer for scholarly journals in her field.” [James Madison Institute, accessed 3/2/15]
Dino Falaschetti – Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Dino Falaschetti, Director Of Operations, Mercatus Center At George Mason University, Served On The Research Advisory Council Of The James Madison Institute. According to the James Madison Institute, Dr. Dino Falaschetti, Director of Operations, Mercatus Center at George Mason University, was a member of JMI’s Research Advisory Council. [James Madison Institute, accessed 3/2/15]

Keith Leslie – Charles Koch Summer Fellow

Keith Leslie, Development Associate At JMI, Was A Charles Koch Summer Fellow. According to a biography from the James Madison Institute, “Keith Leslie is a Development Associate of The James Madison Institute. He graduated from Florida State University in 2012 with his B.S. in Economics, and is currently pursuing his Master’s in Applied Economics. He is also a participant of the 2013 Charles Koch Summer Fellow Program, serving as a State-Based Fellow. Prior to joining the JMI staff, Keith participated in the Institute’s internship program for two semesters. During his internship, Keith’s writings were featured in newspapers in Tallahassee and Sarasota.” [James Madison Institute, accessed 3/4/15]

Randal O-Toole – Cato Institute

Randal O’Toole Wrote “Great Rail Disasters” Attacking Rail Transit For The James Madison Institute / Foundation For Florida’s Future In 2004. [Randal O’Toole- James Madison Institute / Foundation for Florida’s Future, 2/17/04]

  • Streetsblog USA: “The Kochs…Have Plenty Of Ties To Widely Quoted, Transit-Bashing Pundits Like Randall O’Toole, Wendell Cox, And Stanley Kurtz.” According to Streetsblog USA, “The Kochs also have plenty of ties to widely quoted, transit-bashing pundits like Randall O’Toole, Wendell Cox, and Stanley Kurtz — people employed by organizations that receive Koch funding, like the Cato Institute and the Reason Foundation, and who spout the same talking points against walkability and smart growth.” [Streetsblog USA, 9/25/14]
  • Streets Blog: “Cato Dispatches O’Toole To Political Squabbles Involving Rail Transit Around The Country, From Indianapolis To Honolulu.” According to Streets Blog, “[Randal] O’Toole works for the Cato Institute, founded and funded by the Koch brothers. Cato dispatches O’Toole to political squabbles involving rail transit around the country, from Indianapolis to Honolulu. He’s so rabidly anti-rail that after Hurricane Sandy, he suggested New York City should replace its subway system with a network of underground buses.” [Streets Blog, 2/26/15]
  • Streets Blog: O’Toole Is “So Rabidly Anti-Rail That After Hurricane Sandy, He Suggested New York City Should Replace Its Subway System With A Network Of Underground Buses.” According to Streets Blog, “[Randal] O’Toole works for the Cato Institute, founded and funded by the Koch brothers. Cato dispatches O’Toole to political squabbles involving rail transit around the country, from Indianapolis to Honolulu. He’s so rabidly anti-rail that after Hurricane Sandy, he suggested New York City should replace its subway system with a network of underground buses.” [Streets Blog, 2/26/15]
James Gwartney – Cato Institute

James Gwartney, Professor Of Economics At Florida State University Served On The Research Advisory Council Of The James Madison Institute. According to the James Madison Institute, Dr. James Gwartney, Professor of Economics, Florida State University, was a member of JMI’s Research Advisory Council. [James Madison Institute, accessed 3/2/15]

JMI’s Longest Serving Staff Member, Susan Christian: “Dr. Marshall And James Gwartney Really Put Together The Skeleton Of JMI.” According to JMI’s 2013 Annual Report, “With 17 years at The James Madison Institute, Susan Christian was the longest serving staff member, other than Dr. J. Stanley Marshall, who has been with the Institute since he founded it in 1987. Christian recognizes the effective roles of the many presidents and scholars she served under at JMI. “Dr. Marshall and James Gwartney really put together the skeleton of JMI,” said Christian. ‘And Dr. John Cooper put meat on the bones.’” [JMI Annual Report, 4/12/13]

Gwartney Was An Adjunct Scholar At Cato. According to a bio on the Cato Institute website, “James D. Gwartney is professor of economics and policy sciences at Florida State University. He is an expert on such economic issues as taxation, labor policy, and the economic analysis of government. He is coauthor of What Everyone Should Know about Economics and Prosperity, Economics: Public and Private Choice, and Economic Freedom of the World.” [Cato Institute, accessed 3/4/15]

  • Gwartney Has Been A Primary Co-Author Of The Cato Institute’s And The Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom Of The World Annual Report From 2001 Through 2014. According to the Cato Institute’s Economic Freedom of the World page, “Potentially advantageous exchanges do not always occur. Their realization is dependent on the presence of sound money, rule of law, and security of property rights, among other factors. Economic Freedom of the World seeks to measure the consistency of the institutions and policies of various countries with voluntary exchange and the other dimensions of economic freedom. The report is copublished by the Cato Institute, the Fraser Institute in Canada and more than 70 think tanks around the world.” Gwartney is listed as the primary co-author in each year between 2001 and 2014. [Cato.org, accessed 3/5/14]
  • 2009 Annual Report’s Acknowledgements: “Thanks Also Go To The Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation And The Searle Freedom Trust For Their Support.” According to the Economic Freedom of the World 2009 Annual Report, “Thanks also go to the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation and the Searle Freedom Trust for their support. Very special thanks go to Joshua Hall of Beloit College for his valuable assistance again with this year’s data revisions and updates. He would like to thank the Social Philosophy and Policy Center at Bowling Green State University for the support of its Visiting Scholar program during the summer of 2009. We are pleased to have Josh involved with the project.” [Economic Freedom of The World: 2009 Annual Report, 2009]
  • The Koch-Funded “Fraser Institute” Is A Right-Wing Canadian Think-Tank. According to the Guardian, “The case studies cited from ‘expert bodies’ include a Fraser Institute report entitled ‘Opportunities for First Nations Prosperity Through Oil and Gas Development.’ The right-wing think tank has been heavily funded by the American Koch brothers, who are one of the largest owners, purchasers and refiners of the Alberta tar sands.” [Guardian, 3/3/15]
  • Gwartney Was The 2004 Recipient Of The Adam Smith Award From APEE “For His Contribution To The Advancement Of Free Market Ideals.” According to the Florida State University Department of Economics Website, “In 2004 he [James Gwartney] was the recipient of the Adam Smith Award of the Association of Private Enterprise Education for his contribution to the advancement of free market ideals. He is the current President of the Southern Economic Association.” [Florida State University Department of Economics, accessed 3/4/15]

Koch Industries’ Discovery Newsletter: “Do You Like The Idea Of Reducing Poverty And Improving Our World… If You Do” Read James Gwartney’s Book Common Sense Economics. According to a Koch Industries Discovery Newsletter from January 2008, “Common Sense Economics: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity by James Gwartney, Richard Stroup and Dwight Lee. Do you like the idea of reducing bpoverty and improving our world (two ideas that seem near and dear to most presidential candidates)? If you do, then Nobel Prizewinning economist Vernon Smith has a suggestion: read this book. The authors, notes Smith, provide a simple and straightforward explanation of how economic freedom benefits us all.” [Koch Industries’ Discovery Newsletter, January 2008]

Lora Holcomboe – Koch-Created Association of Private Enterprise Education

FSU Faculty Lora Holcombe Is “A Member Of The Association Of Private Enterprise Education (APEE), An Organization Created By Koch Family Foundations.” According to the Gainesville Scene, “Lora Holcombe teaches ‘introduction to principles of macroeconomics,”’ which is a required course for all business and economics majors. Holcombe is a member of the Association of Private Enterprise Education (APEE), an organization created by Koch Family Foundations.” [Gainesville Scene, 1/9/15]

  • The Required Textbook For Holcombe’s Class Was Written By James Gwartney Of APEE And Cato, Richard Stroup, Of Cato And The Institute For Energy Research, And Russell Sobel, Of APEE And Cato. According to the Gainesville Scene, “The required textbook for her introductory class, ‘Macroeconomics: Private and Public Choice,’ was written by authors with Koch ties. Among these authors is: James Gwartney, the president, vice president and executive board member of APEE and adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, which was founded by Charles Koch; Richard Stroup, a fellow at the Cato Institute and the director of the Koch-founded Institute for Energy Research; Russell Sobel, executive board member of the Association of Private Enterprise Education and affiliate of the Cato Institute.” [Gainesville Scene, 1/9/15]
James Madison Institute and Ties to Koch-Funded Florida State University

JMI Senior Fellow Randall Holcombe Was A Professor Of Economics At FSU Since 1988. According to Randall Holcombe’s CV via his website, “Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306 DeVoe Moore Professor of Economics, since 1996; Professor of Economics, 1988 to 1996. […] Senior Fellow, The James Madison Institute, Tallahassee, Florida, 2004 to present, Chairman, Research Advisory Council, 1991 to 2004; Research Advisory Council Member, 1987 to 2004.” [RandallHolcombe.com, accessed 3/4/15]

FSU Associate Teaching Professor Lora Holcombe “Worked As An Independent Contractor With The James Madison Institute, Specializing In Research On Various School Choice Issues” From 1994-1997. According to a biography of Lora Holcombe on the FSU Department of Economics Website, “Dr. Holcombe began her teaching career at the University of Montevallo, a small liberal arts university located just south of Birmingham, AL. From Montevallo, she moved back to Auburn to teach for a few years before moving to Tallahassee to earn her Ph.D. She taught at FSU from 1988 – 1999 and then returned to teaching at FSU in the fall of 2006. From 1994-97, she worked as an independent contractor with the James Madison Institute, specializing in research on various school choice issues. Dr. Holcombe is published in various economics journals including the Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics, Public Finance Quarterly, and the International Journal of Manpower. Her research interests are school choice and teaching effectiveness. She is a member of Association of Private Enterprise Education.” [FSU Department of Economics, accessed 3/4/15]

Keith Leslie, Development Associate At JMI, Was An FSU Economics Graduate And Charles Koch Summer Fellow. According to a biography from the James Madison Institute, “Keith Leslie is a Development Associate of The James Madison Institute. He graduated from Florida State University in 2012 with his B.S. in Economics, and is currently pursuing his Master’s in Applied Economics. He is also a participant of the 2013 Charles Koch Summer Fellow Program, serving as a State-Based Fellow. Prior to joining the JMI staff, Keith participated in the Institute’s internship program for two semesters. During his internship, Keith’s writings were featured in newspapers in Tallahassee and Sarasota.” [James Madison Institute, accessed 3/4/15]

Andrea Castillo Was A JMI Intern And A FSU Economics Graduate. According to an opinion by Andrea Castillo in the Gainesville Sun, “Andrea Castillo is an undergraduate majoring in economics at Florida State University. She is also an intern at The James Madison Institute, a non-partisan think tank based in Tallahassee.” [Andrea Castillo – Gainesville Sun, 5/27/11]

Jeb Bush Appointed J. Stanley Marshall, Founder Of JMI, To Be A Florida State University Trustee. According to the Miami Herald, “Gov. Jeb Bush looked to the history of Florida State University and the University of Florida when he appointed 24 people Wednesday to serve on the schools’ new boards of trustees. At UF, former President Marshall Criser will serve on the new policymaking board of the university he ran from 1984 to 1989. Cynthia O’Connell, the widow of former President Stephen O’Connell, will also serve on UF’s board. Florida State’s new board of trustees includes former state House of Representatives Speaker John Thrasher and J. Stanley Marshall, a former FSU president and founding chairman of the James Madison Institute, a conservative think tank. Former state university Regent Steven Uhlfelder will also serve as an FSU trustee.” [Miami Herald, 6/28/01]

  • Free Expression Policy Project: Koch-Funded Economics Professors Are “Misrepresenting Climate Science, ‘A Field Well Outside Of Their Credentialed Expertise.’” According to the Free Expression Policy Project, “A primary concern of Greenpeace is that the Koch funds are supporting professors and programs that are impeding attempts to stop or slow climate change. Greenpeace reports that Florida State’s economics department, heavily financed by Koch, appears to host professors who are misrepresenting climate science, ‘a field well outside of their credentialed expertise.’ Three of the four authors of a notorious economics textbook containing misinformation about climate science have ties to FSU.” [Free Expression Policy Project, 11/13/14]

The James Madison Institute Published Articles Defending The Koch Foundation Grant To FSU

JMI Development Director Francisco Gonzalez: “Private Philanthropy Under Attack At FSU.” [Francisco Gonzalez – James Madison Institute, accessed 3/4/15]

JMI Intern And FSU Economics Senior Andrea Castillo: Controversy Over Koch Funding Of FSU Is “Bizarre.” According to an opinion by JMI Intern and Florida State University Economics Senior Andrea Castillo for the Gainesville Sun, “Bizarre: It’s the word that I believe best describes brouhaha over the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation’s controversial grant to Florida State University (FSU), where I’m an undergraduate majoring in economics. This controversy seems even more bizarre if you lean toward a free-market school of thought, as I do. That’s the perspective from which I have viewed the publicity and unfair criticism that FSU and its Economics Department have endured in recent weeks.” [Gainesville Sun, 5/27/11]

  • The Opinion Was Published On The James Madison Institute’s Website Under Headline “FSU, Koch, And A Student.” According to the James Madison Institute website, “FSU, Koch, and a Student By Andrea Castillo, JMI Intern & Florida State University Senior Majoring in Economics Originally Printed in The Gainesville Sun as “FSU’s Bizarre Koch ‘Scandal’” on May 27, 2011.” [Andrea Castillo – James Madison Institute, 5/27/11]