Political leanings: Conservative/libertarian
2024 total spending: $178.6 million for the hybrid PAC alone
Americans for Prosperity, a “social welfare” organization, along with Americans for Prosperity Action and Americans for Prosperity Foundation are conservative/libertarian groups heavily financed by Koch Industries, which is owned largely by billionaire Charles Koch.
The company, originally an oil refinery, expanded into energy, finance, agriculture and technology. In 2025, it had estimated revenue of $125 billion, according to Forbes.
Americans for Prosperity says it “believes freedom and opportunity are the keys to unleashing prosperity for all.” The issues it focuses on are economic progress, healthcare, education, criminal justice, free speech and immigration.
Since 2017, Emily Seidel, the former director of special projects at Koch Companies Public Sector, has been the chief executive officer of AFP, which is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. That means it can operate for the “promotion of social welfare” and its spending can’t be primarily on political activities. It does not have to disclose its donors.
AFP Foundation, a related public charity, is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3). Meanwhile, AFP Action, which was established in September 2018, is registered with the Federal Election Commission as a hybrid political committee.
Hybrid PACs can operate as a traditional political action committee, contributing money to candidates directly, and as a super PAC, which can collect unlimited donations for the purpose of funding independent expenditures. There must be separate bank accounts for each function.
The hybrid PAC has raised about $87.3 million as of June 30 in the 2026 cycle. Its two biggest donors are Koch Industries and Stand Together, another nonprofit connected to Charles Koch. Stand Together donated $26.5 million while Koch Industries contributed $30 million. Other large donors include brothers Rob and Jim Walton, who are part of the family that owns a large stake in Walmart.
In early August, AFP Action announced the launch of a $5.6 million ad campaign spanning seven U.S. Senate races in North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire, Alaska, Montana and Iowa. It has already released ads in support of former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan, former Sen. John Sununu in New Hampshire, Kurt Alme in Montana, Rep. Ashley Hinson in Iowa and Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio.
The group has also announced endorsements of several Republican candidates in the House, including Tom Barrett in Michigan, Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa, Young Kim for California, Mark Teixeira and Eric Flores for Texas, and Jeff Crank and Gabe Evans for Colorado.
According to its most recent FEC report filed in July, the group has put at least $18.2 million into independent expenditures — such as digital ads — mostly in support of their endorsed congressional candidates. But it also has spent seven-figure sums on expenditures opposing Democratic Senate candidates Roy Cooper in North Carolina and Sherrod Brown in Ohio.
In the 2024 presidential election, AFP Action spent roughly $138.5 million on independent expenditures that expressly advocated for or against congressional candidates, according to OpenSecrets. The PAC spent $92.8 million supporting Republicans and almost $35.7 million opposing Democrats. AFP Action notably endorsed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for the Republican presidential nomination over Donald Trump.
FactCheck.org Undergraduate Fellow Christine Sung contributed to this article.
Editor’s note: FactCheck.org does not accept advertising. We rely on grants and individual donations from people like you. Please consider a donation. Credit card donations may be made through our “Donate” page. If you prefer to give by check, send to: FactCheck.org, Annenberg Public Policy Center, P.O. Box 58100, Philadelphia, PA 19102.
