WASHINGTON (CNN) The sprawling conservative network affiliated with billionaire Charles Koch is launching four new political action committees and plans to wade into upcoming state and congressional primaries to back incumbent politicians who side with Koch and his allies on trade, immigration and other issues.

The new moves announced by Americans for Prosperity, Koch's long-standing grassroots arm, come as the vast philanthropic and political network founded by the Kansas industrialist engages in a sweeping reset of its priorities and works to distance itself from the Republican brand in the era of President Donald Trump.

As part of the new direction, Americans for Prosperity will back sitting lawmakers of any political persuasion -- including Democrats -- "who lead by uniting with others to pass principled policy and get good things done," the group's CEO, Emily Seidel, said in a letter to its staffers and activists.

The Koch network also will create four issue-specific political action committees to contribute directly to candidates. Those PACs will focus on trade, immigration, free speech issues and "economic opportunity," she wrote.

The goal of the new approach, Seidel said, is to find "nonpartisan solutions that enable people who are passionate about the issues that matter to stand more firmly on their principles rather than be forced to abandon them for the sake of helping one or the other political party win the next election." She said Americans for Prosperity will "support the primary election of lawmakers, regardless of political party, who stick their necks out to lead diverse policy coalitions."

Read More