A political nonprofit associated with conservative funders Charles and David Koch will begin airing TV ads in Colorado and Iowa, according to television station documents posted Monday.
The ad buy represents a new direction for the Arlington, Va.-based Freedom Partners. The group has played a key role in channeling more than $200 million to conservative advocacy groups like the Center to Protect Patient Rights and Americans for Prosperity.
The Daily Caller reported that the ad buy is $1.1 million split between the two states, and will run for three weeks statewide beginning Tuesday.
One spot hitting Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) attacks the senator for his support for the Affordable Care Act. Udall faces a challenge from Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) in a state crucial to Democrats maintaining their Senate majority.
"The Koch brothers are pouring millions into our state because they know Congressman Cory Gardner will fight for their interests, not Coloradans," Udall spokesman Chris Harris said in an email to The Huffington Post. "Mark Udall has a long record fighting to protect Colorado’s special way of life and working for real change without compromising his principles or our Colorado values."
Freedom Partners will also air an ad in Iowa going negative on Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa), who is running to succeed Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). The ad argues that Braley supported the Affordable Care Act because he is beholden to health insurance companies.
“The Koch brothers and their oil billionaire allies are once again attacking Bruce Braley with misleading ads because just like Bruce’s GOP opponents they support policies that would hurt Iowa’s economy, like blocking an increase in the minimum wage, undermining Medicare and Social Security, and sending us back to the days when insurance companies could kick people off their insurance when they got sick," Braley spokesman Jeff Giertz said in an emailed statement.
Paul Blumenthal contributed reporting.
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