Have you seen the school choice ads circulating on social media, or received a flyer in the mail or a visit from an Americans for Prosperity door knocker? AFP is the lobbying group behind the expansive propaganda push for school choice in Tennessee.

Who exactly is AFP? A deep dive into the key players proved interesting.

The Koch brothers (David and Charles) are the founders of AFP. The Koch family made their money in the oil industry and, according to Forbes, “Charles Koch remains chairman and co-CEO of Koch Industries . . . David Koch was executive vice president until about a year before his death in 2019; his family and Charles each have 42% voting stakes in the firm.” Charles Koch is listed as the 16th richest man on the Forbes 400 Richest People in America list. 

As you can see, Americans for Prosperity is well funded, and in Tennessee that money seems to be behind the push for voucher legislation.

AFP has two key lobbyists on Capitol Hill who have been at the center of media firestorms for quite some time. First let’s start with Michael Lotfi. Glen Casada hired Lotfi in 2019, and even though he wasn’t required to work 40 hours a week, show up at the office, or submit time cards, taxpayers were paying his $48,000 a year salary.

Interestingly enough, Lotfi also owns Red Ivory Strategies, LLC. Who are his clients? None other than a number of our Republican lawmakers. Though just recently, the website won’t pull up and the Facebook page now seems to be locked down. In 2019 Michael Lotfi and Red Ivory Strategies made the Montgomery County News. According to an article on mocotnnews.com, this was in regard to a threat made against a government-appointed commission member.

AFPTN State Director Tori Venable, Deputy Director Michael Lotfi, and Ambassador Robby Starbuck

Then there is AFP lobbyist Tori Venable, who was recently recorded telling Representative Todd Warner, who has voted against the voucher legislation, “I can’t protect you if you ain’t on the right side of this.”

Venable recently approached me and several other individuals with Free YOUR Children at the Capitol after the voucher committee meeting. She wanted to know how she could work with me and what would make us happy. My response was that the only thing that would make me happy would be to see the bill killed as I am fundamentally opposed to their version of school choice. She assured me that wasn’t going to happen and, as the conversation progressed, she mentioned that a lot could be done with money and door knockers. No kidding, Tori, we see evidence of that happening in our legislature, but I digress. She also informed us that if we wanted someone voted out of office, AFP would pay for us to make that happen as long as we did the work. (No thanks, Tori. I have no interest in partnering with AFP.) She also mentioned what had happened in Texas to the Republicans that were opposed to school choice.

Have I painted a clear picture of what is happening in Tennessee?

If not, you need to understand that AFP’s tentacles run even deeper. Did you know that the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) second-largest donor is Charles Koch? He’s the same Koch brother who founded Americans for Prosperity.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the industry’s primary trade association, topped all trade group contributions to ALEC with $504,000 (2017–21) in funding. Like Koch Industries, PhRMA has held a seat on ALEC’s Private Enterprise Advisory Council for decades.

ALEC is a corporate funded charity that pays for lawmakers’ lucrative trips taken to do the business of passing bills.

Watch the video:

One of their main goals is to privatize education.

Then there is Alliance Defending Freedom.

Did you know Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is behind the dangerous parental rights bills in Tennessee? They have been a private member of ALEC since 2018. They also support school choice. Charles Koch and Betsy Devos have been major donors. It appears to me that AFP owns the vast majority of our legislature. Legislators aren’t listening to their constituents. They are listening to lobbyists with big money behind them. It isn’t just the legislature, though. They also appear to be buying up multiple platforms in order to promote their agenda.

From local radio shows to “conservative publications,” AFP is running ads and controlling the narrative. It is up to the citizens to weed through the propaganda and research the truth about school choice.

I encourage everyone reading this to get engaged. Contact your legislators and, most importantly, show up at the Capitol.

Do we really want our state being run by lobbyists and wealthy special interest groups?

This legislative session has been a great example of political theater and a complete waste of taxpayer dollars. There is no need for committees, agendas or calendars if our legislators have already made their minds up before the vote is taken, or oftentimes before the bill is even filed. If representatives aren’t listening to the people who elected them, why continue the charade of a Constitutional Republic? When will the citizens of Tennessee finally have enough?

Home schooling and private schooling families hold signs in opposition to vouchers at the House Government Operations Committee hearing on March 18.

This legislative session is a tipping point for this state. Most are blissfully unaware that they have been sold out and that the state is being run largely by those who care more about their future political aspirations and their wallets than about those they were elected to serve. They are blissfully unaware that the vast majority of our legislators haven’t read through the mountains of bills and amendments that they are voting on. Buried deep in those pages are plans to take away your rights, your children and your freedoms.

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