Maine Democrats have little love for Charles and David Koch, two billionaire libertarian brothers, or the money they spend advocating for their beliefs.
But Shenna Bellows, the Democratic challenger to Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, once benefited from the Kochs’ generosity while she worked with the American Civil Liberties Union to reform the U.S. PATRIOT Act.
In 2008, reports surfaced that the Kochs had given a combined $20 million to the ACLU to defeat the most controversial parts of the PATRIOT Act. According to one analysis, the Kochs may have given more to repeal the Act than any single individual, and considerably more than they’ve spent on political campaigns.
From 2003 to 2005, Bellows worked in Washington, D.C., as a field organizer for the ACLU. According to her LinkedIn profile, Bellows “was hired to organize a nationwide field campaign to oppose the Patriot Act.”
It’s entirely reasonable to say that Bellows was the beneficiary of the Kochs’ financial support.
So the next time a Democrat bellyaches about the evil Koch brothers, ask them what this means for Shenna Bellows.
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