AFP Action

AFP Action is the Koch network's primary super PAC, spending $138.5 million in the 2024 cycle as part of a total Koch political network expenditure of $548 million — making it the largest single political operation in America, surpassing both political parties' own spending in many categories. The PAC funds the most sophisticated ground game operation in Republican politics, with paid canvassers deployed year-round in every competitive district across the country. The Koch network's 2024 cycle was marked by an extraordinary political pivot. AFP Action initially spent $10 million opposing Trump in the Republican primary, backing Nikki Haley as the Koch network's preferred candidate. After Trump secured the nomination, the Koch network reversed course and deployed its full resources behind Trump and Republican candidates. This pivot — from spending millions against a candidate to spending hundreds of millions supporting him — demonstrated both the pragmatism and the power of the Koch operation. AFP Action's ground game is its primary competitive advantage. While most super PACs spend primarily on television and digital advertising, AFP Action invests heavily in door-to-door canvassing and direct voter contact. Paid canvassers — not volunteers — knock on doors in target precincts, having personalized conversations with identified voters. This infrastructure, built over a decade, operates independently of the Republican Party and gives the Koch network influence over Republican electoral strategy that no other outside group can match. The PAC's donor list is secret — funding flows through the Koch network's 501(c)(4) structure (Americans for Prosperity and Stand Together), which is not required to disclose donors. This means that the $548 million Koch network expenditure is funded by sources the public cannot identify. The network's biannual donor summits, held at luxury resorts, bring together approximately 700 wealthy donors who collectively pledge hundreds of millions, but their identities remain anonymous unless they choose to self-identify. AFP Action's policy priorities align with Koch Industries' business interests: tax cuts, deregulation, fossil fuel-friendly energy policy, and anti-union labor policy. Critics argue that the Koch network's political spending is a form of corporate self-dealing — using dark money to elect politicians who will cut Koch Industries' taxes and reduce the environmental regulations that constrain its refining and chemical operations. The $1.4 billion annual tax savings Koch Industries reportedly gained from the 2017 TCJA illustrates the return on this political investment.