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"It's not like you'll find a direct link there," says ProPublica reporter Kim Barker. "If you do that would be a huge story. But you definitely can find that these outside groups will support a particular candidate."



Since 2010 a flood of hard-to-trace money has all but torpedoed transparency and accountability, hallmarks of open democracy.



Between mid-2011 and October 2012 two organisations, TC4 Trust and Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, "handed out almost US$264 million" to some 30 nonprofits, part of "a constellation of dark money groups", ProPublica revealed. One Koch operative, Sean Noble, divvied out some US$137 million in 2012 alone via the Centre to Protect Patient Rights, run from a Phoenix, Arizona, post box.



The Kochtopus allows politicians to stay pure while nonprofits sling mud at opponents, either directly or via issues campaigns, says Sheila Krumholz, director of the Centre for Responsive Politics. "Wisconsin is a natural target for a national network like the Koch brothers. Because it was such a rare opportunity to have a friendly politician like Scott Walker willing to take on the unions. It created a lot of excitement on the right. And it might engender a national campaign for Walker."



During the 2012 election the left proved adept at raising direct money, via street teams and the internet. The right focused on dark money, contributed anonymously. "In the 2012 election 85 per cent of the so-called dark money came from the conservative side," says Barker. "Liberals had only 15 per cent."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/international-politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503226&objectid=11216035 Light thrown on world of 'dark money' and the Kochtopus........................"It's not like you'll find a direct link there," says ProPublica reporter Kim Barker. "If you do that would be a huge story. But you definitely can find that these outside groups will support a particular candidate."Since 2010 a flood of hard-to-trace money has all but torpedoed transparency and accountability, hallmarks of open democracy.Between mid-2011 and October 2012 two organisations, TC4 Trust and Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, "handed out almost US$264 million" to some 30 nonprofits, part of "a constellation of dark money groups", ProPublica revealed. One Koch operative, Sean Noble, divvied out some US$137 million in 2012 alone via the Centre to Protect Patient Rights, run from a Phoenix, Arizona, post box.The Kochtopus allows politicians to stay pure while nonprofits sling mud at opponents, either directly or via issues campaigns, says Sheila Krumholz, director of the Centre for Responsive Politics. "Wisconsin is a natural target for a national network like the Koch brothers. Because it was such a rare opportunity to have a friendly politician like Scott Walker willing to take on the unions. It created a lot of excitement on the right. And it might engender a national campaign for Walker."During the 2012 election the left proved adept at raising direct money, via street teams and the internet. The right focused on dark money, contributed anonymously. "."