Indiana Gov. Mike Pence holds a news conference in Indianapolis on March 26, 2015. | AP Photo Potential Pence pick not winning over Koch network

While Mike Pence is a vigorous fundraiser who is popular with many of the right’s deepest-pocketed donors — including some in the Koch brothers’ orbit— it’s not clear whether his addition to Donald Trump’s ticket would thaw the frigid relations between the Manhattan billionaire and the GOP’s elite donor class.

The network of advocacy groups helmed by the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch has all-but foresworn big-money spending in the presidential race out of distaste for Trump, instead focusing its spending down ballot.


And an official at the network’s central group, Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, on Thursday said Pence’s potential ascension to the ticket wouldn’t change the network’s approach.

“Our efforts will remain focused on the Senate,” said James Davis, Freedom Partners’ executive vice president for communications and marketing.