You are going to LOVE this! I figured out how to find KOCH CABAL DARK MONEY funneled to fund BALLOT MEASURES in every state. Now you can find the dark money, too. I tossed and turned all night wondering how the California Attorney General caught the Koch Cabal dark money reported in this diary yesterday.
A VICTORY: Koch Cabal Caught Red Handed by CA AG! Fined $16Million
Use these instructions below to look for out-of-state dark money in your state.
FIND THE IMPROVED INSTRUCTIONS HERE:
Koch Cabal Exposé Bonanza: Follow the Money
California would not have reaped $16,000,000 for its General Fund from the Koch Cabal if it didn't look and demand information.
Perhaps your AG and others responsible for campaign and ballot measure financing compliance could use your help.
I use an iMac so my instructions will be limited to how I work. My apologies to PC users. I am PC illiterate but I am sure you will be able to translate.
I am going to use the Calfornia case in the demonstration.
You will find short instruction youtube videos by clicking the designated links.
For some crazy reason I am no longer able to dependably embed them. Half way through this presentation youtube stopped offering the old embed code and the videos I had inserted below using the new embed code simply stopped working. Gremlins!!
Undeterred, please know that there are a series of short videos on youtube, providing instructions on how to use Follow the Money. I will link each beneath the instructions for each step you will use to find the out-of-state money in your ballot measures.
I recommend watching this presentation on a desktop. I also recommend having two open screens, one for the instructions and one to track down a ballot measure in your state.
Instructions on how to navigate Follow the Money, BALLOT MEASURES:
Before I begin any diary, I create a new bookmark so I won't loose any links to information I gather.
Each number below is a step and a youtube video. I have placed written instructions in blocks.
Create a new bookmark and save the url for every page you open which will capture the steps you took to find information. You can use the sequenced Bookmarks if you choose to write a report. I actually rename each page to remind me of what I find.
1. Open the
Follow The Money website
Video: STATE BALLOT MEASURES: How you can Follow the Dark Money Step 1
Click on National Overview
Then click on the state you are interested in
Click on Ballot Measures at the top of the screen, not on the left.
You will see a list of State Ballot Measures
2. Choose a Proposition
Video: BALLOT MEASURES: Follow the Dark Money Step 2
Double click on the Proposition/Ballot Measure of your choice to open page for details.
Scroll down to see two listings: one listing for those FOR and one listing for those AGAINST the Ballot Measure.
Most of the out-of-state money might be under the Other/Single Groups, click on this
You will see the contributers and their addresses
Look for any contributors from out of state.
3. To find others from out-of-state if there are multiple contributors to the organization at the top of the screen for an organization
Video: Follow the Money Step 3 Who else from out of state donated
Click on SEE ALL RECORDS
Look for addresses from other states.
4. Dig a little deeper
Video: BALLOT MEASURES Find the Dark Money Step 4
Look in upper left hand corner, and
Click on SUMMARIZE BY CONTRIBUTOR
Look for SEE RECORDS to the right of some of the contributers
Click on SEE RECORDS to see how much and when contributions were made.
I have to run. I hope the above helps. If I lost you or missed a step, let me know and I will redo tomorrow.
What should have taken about an hour to produce has taken a few hours because the first, nearly complete diary erased the entire Introduction portion somehow. And then youtube and/or DKos decided not to cooperate with the youtube embed codes from my youtube account. Whatever.
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FOR THOSE SERIOUSLY WANTING TO DIG DEEPER, may I suggest
Reading and or using the following.
Koch Cabal Can't Hide - Searchable IRS Forms Online! w/Instructions
I FOLLOWED THE MONEY and so can you! -- I will show you how below. It's so easy!!! I found a new, free, easy-to-use, searchable non-profit IRS 990 Tax Return source we can use to see who the Kochs funnel their money to.
If you find an organization and can't find them listed
here the do a google search for - "The name of the organization" EIN -I have found EIN numbers this way. EIN numbers are like social security numbers, only for companies and organizations. Within many of the foundations tax returns are lists of who they gave money to which include EIN numbers of Koch Cabal organizations. I look at
this tax return to find EIN numbers for other Koch Cabal 501(c)(3)s.
In this tax return for Americans for Prosperity you will find a list of states where we could assume money was used.
Some tax returns are found at GuideStar that are not found on the Foundation website. You might have to join (for free) to view tax returns.
Bookmarkthis link to find 990 tax returns when you have an EIN number.
SearchSourceWatch for information
OpenSecrets is a great resource for information.
Koch Watch has good information.
Searchable Muckety maps are a great way to see who is connected.
Wikipedia is also a good resource to use with a grain of salt.
HAPPY DARK MONEY HUNTING!