60 Plus Association

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This article is part of the Center for Media & Democracy's spotlight on front groups and corporate spin.

The 60 Plus Association describes itself as "a non-partisan seniors advocacy group with a free enterprise, less government, less taxes approach to seniors issues" and lists ending the federal estate tax and saving Social Security for the young as its top priorities.[1] It was founded in 1992 and is registered as a 501(c)(4) non-profit with the Internal Revenue Service.[2] Between 2010 and 2012, it received more than $42 million from organizations, most of which are affiliated with the Koch brothers, including Freedom Partners and American Encore.[3]

F.E.C. Fines 60 Plus Association

The F.E.C. fined the 60 Plus Association for breaking federal disclosure rules.[4] According to the New York Times,

"The F.E.C. found that Sean Noble, a political consultant then working with the Kochs, had closely directed the spending of the grants by the other organizations, even picking the races where ads were to be run. That violated federal rules requiring organizations to identity the source of any money earmarked for a political expenditure, the commission determined."[4]

The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, the organization that filed the complaint which resulted in the fine, reported that the 60 Plus Association will have to pay $50,000 in penalties.[5] The other "former" Koch groups fined are Americans for Job Security and American Future Fund.[4]

Koch Wiki

Charles Koch is the right-wing billionaire owner of Koch Industries. As one of the richest people in the world, he is a key funder of the right-wing infrastructure, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the State Policy Network (SPN). In SourceWatch, key articles on Charles Koch and his late brother David include: Koch Brothers, Americans for Prosperity, Stand Together Chamber of Commerce, Stand Together, Koch Family Foundations, Koch Universities, and I360.

Ties to the Koch Brothers

The Koch network was one of the biggest political operations in 2012 and worked largely outside the campaign finance system, raising at least $407 million. Source: Robert Maguire with the Center for Responsive Politics.

As a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, the 60 Plus Association is not required to disclose its donors. However, 60 Plus has received funding from organizations with links to the Koch brothers. According to its own tax filings, Freedom Partners reported giving $15.7 million to 60 Plus in 2012. The Koch-linked organization American Encore (formerly known as the Center to Protect Patient Rights) reported giving $2,6 million to 60 Plus in 2012, $2.4 million in 2011 and $9 million in 2010.[3]

The New York Times reported on July 13, 2016 that the Koch brothers have cut ties with the 60 Plus Association.[4]

2014 Election Activity

"Obamacare for the Mortgage Industry (Hagan)"

In April 2014, the 60 Plus Association made a $1.6 million TV and radio ad purchase attacking seven senators on the Senate Banking Committee for supporting a measure to scrap Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac, including Joe Manchin (D-WV), Mark Warner (D-VA), Kay Hagan (D-NC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Dean Heller (R-NV), Mark Kirk (R-IL), and Jerry Moran (R-KS).[6] While the ad stated the plan amounted to a "takeover of the mortgage industry", Politico reported that the plan "represents a centrist approach in which the government will still play a role in supporting the mortgage market but less of one than it does today."[7]

Despite 60 Plus receiving funding from the Koch brothers, an anonymous official with the Koch-funded Freedom Partners group admitted to Politico that they were not informed about the ad and were frustrated by it.[8]

Influencing the 2012 Election

"Urge Senator Brown to Support Real Health Care Reform"

While the 60 Plus Association claims to be non-partisan, it endorses almost exclusively Republican candidates, and generally runs attack ads aimed at Democrats. During the 2012 Election cycle, the 60 Plus Association focused mostly on Senate races, attacking Tim Kaine of Virginia with a $770,000 ad campaign in late August.[9] The group also made ad buys totaling $1 million against Democrats Sherrod Brown in Ohio, and $1.1 million against Bill Nelson in Florida. The group also ran a $545,000 ad campaign against Democrat Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin.[10] Their ads generally target the candidate for supporting the Affordable Care Act, which they claim robs medicare of hundreds of billions of dollars, putting seniors at risk (when in fact the medicare "cuts" are a cost-saving measure supported by many Republicans, including the 2012 Republican ticket of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan). [11]

"Good Look"

Finances

Funding Sources

The $400 million Koch network.
The $400 million Koch network uses a maze of nonprofit groups and LLCs to conceal donations and campaign activity
Source: Robert Maguire with the Center for Responsive Poliics. Matea Gold and Cristina Rivero/The Washington Post.

The 60 Plus Association is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization, meaning it does not have to disclose its donors despite spending millions to influence elections. Some of its donors have been discovered by analyzing their IRS filings. The organization has received millions from organizations linked to the billionaire industrialist Koch brothers.

Out of the disclosed contributions to the group in the 2011-2012 fiscal year, $2.4 million came from the Koch-backed Center to Protect Patient Rights (now known as American Encore), and $15.7 million from Freedom Partners.[12][3]

In 2010, its largest known donor was the Center to Protect Patient Rights, another 501(c)4 that acted as a conduit for around $55 million in secret funding distributed to other nonprofit groups that attacked Democrats in the 2010 elections. The CPPR gave the 60 Plus Association $8.9 million in 2010, well over half the group's 2010 operating budget.[13]

Other known donors to the 60 Plus Association include the American Petroleum Institute ($25,000 in 2011) and the Karl Rove's political vehicle Crossroads GPS ($50,000 in 2012).[14]

In a segment on her August 10, 2009 show, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow discussed the 60 Plus Association's ties to the GOP, disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and the lobbying group Bonner & Associates"[15]

Budget

The 60 Plus Association has grown considerably in recent years:

For fiscal year 2011 (July 2011-June 2012), the 60 Plus Association reported $11.8 million in revenue and $11.6 million in expenses, with assets totaling $1.2 million.[16] It paid Mentzer Media $6.1 million for media services.

For fiscal year 2010, 60 Plus reported $16,009,993 in revenue and $15,532,676 in expenses. They listed their largest single program expense as $13,444,014 toward "Providing Educational Awareness about the effect of Health Care Reform for seniors" [17]

For fiscal year 2008, 60 Plus reported $1,919,575 in revenue and $2,624,432 for expenses (including $441,180 for administrative costs).[18]

For fiscal year 2006, 60 Plus reported $303,275 in assets, $1,897,258 in income and $1,811,895 in expenses. The organization's single biggest expense was "postage and shipping," at $473,996. The same year, 60 Plus reported $15,196 in income from list rental.[2]

Pharmaceutical Industry Money

The 60 Plus Association is described in an article posted November 1, 2009 on FireDogLake.com as a Big Pharma front group. FireDogLake reported that the group has "ties to the national GOP" and is heavily "funded by the pharmaceutical industry." The 60 Plus Association is reported to have been a front for Big Pharma since its inception.[19] The 60 Plus Association has championed the pharmaceutical industry in mass mailings, press releases, lobbying and law suits since its inception. It was one of three associations that backed the "astroturf" issue ads of Citizens for Better Medicare (a drug industry front group) during the 2000 elections.

In 2002, 60 Plus fought state legislation that would create formularies, or lists of preferred, lower-cost prescription drugs for Medicaid patients. 60 Plus fought "such legislation in Minnesota and New Mexico," with assistance from the Bonner & Associates firm, which specializes in astroturf lobbying. "The firm's paid callers, reading from scripts that identified them as representatives of 60 Plus, urged residents to ask their governors to veto the legislation. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. later said it had paid Bonner & Associates to make the calls," reported AARP.[20] At the time, 60 Plus president Jim Martin denied "anyone was misled. 'The callers had an outline,' said Martin. 'This is an important issue that impacts people's health.'" [20]

"In its 2001 fiscal year, 60 Plus got a total of $275,000 from PhRMA (the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America), CBM (Citizens for Better Medicare) and three drug companies (Merck, Pfizer and Wyeth-Ayerst) plus another $300,000 from Hanwha International Corp., the U.S. subsidiary of a Korean conglomerate with chemical and pharmaceutical interests -- amounts that made up about 29 percent of its revenue," reported AARP.[20]

60 Plus supported a lawsuit by PHARMA against the state of Maine (in a "friend of the court" brief) for daring to try to pass a law that will authentically reduce prices for Medicare drugs by allowing the state to buy in bulk directly from manufacturers. It has also joined a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission regarding campaign reform (specifically in support of soft money for issue ads).

In the 2002 election campaigns, 60 Plus paid for issue ads on local radio and TV stations across the country saying that local Republican candidates "care for seniors" so much that they "passed a prescription drug bill" that "saved us from an inept government bureaucracy meddling with health plan benefits."

Opposing 2010 Healthcare Reform

Television ads claiming that the Obama administration plans to fund healthcare reform on the "backs of seniors" started appearing in August 2009 in California markets, including Los Angeles. The televised ad makes the following claims among others: "Congress plans to cut 500 Billion from Medicare," "Seniors May Lose Their Own Doctors," and "The Government, Not Doctors Will Decide if Older Patients are Worth the Cost," The ad ends by saying "Tell Congress, Don't pay for Health Care Reform on the backs of Our Seniors. They've sacrificed enough." The ads clearly state "Paid for by 60 Plus Association" and display the www.60Plus.org website at the end.[21]

The ads claims that the Affordable care act makes massive cuts to Medicare and weaken the institution, a claim that has become a favorite line of attack for the organization, and the Republican Party as a whole. It has been refuted by numerous fact-checking organizations including Media Matters and Politifact

"Don't Pay for Health Care Reform on the Backs of Our Seniors"

In 2009, 60 Plus also sent out mailings warning "that the proposed Medicare changes will mean 'longer wait times at hospitals and doctors offices, less money for new treatments, restrictions on care, prescriptions and what's best for you -- the patient!'"[22]

60 Plus has rallied against previous healthcare reform efforts. In 1999, it claimed that the Clinton Administration's effort to provide a prescription drug benefit to Medicare beneficiaries" was "socialized medicine." 60 Plus' Roger Zion told the National Journal, "We have the best Medicare system in the world, and these people want to destroy it." He also claimed that the "prescription drug benefit would cripple pharmaceutical research and ultimately undermine the quality of health care in the United States."[23]

60 Plus was a member of "Citizens for Better Medicare," an industry-backed effort opposing Medicare reform that spent tens of millions of dollars on ad campaigns in 1999 and 2000. Other "Citizens" members included the Seniors Coalition, United Seniors Association, PHARMA, National Association of Manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. A "Citizens" press release from September 2000 stressed "the need to add a private sector-based prescription drug benefit to Medicare," rather than a public -- or, as the press release called it -- a "big government plan" that would supposedly cause "many patients and senior citizens [to] lose their current private prescription drug coverage, have their access to the life saving medicine jeopardized by bureaucrats and see important drug research reduced."[24]

Positions on Energy and the Environment

The 60 Plus association is a member of the "Cooler Heads" coalition, a network of climate change denial groups that includes Americans for Prosperity, the George C. Marshall Institute, and the Heartland Institute. [25] The coalition is managed and financed by the Competitive Enterprise Institute. The 60 Plus Association has spoken out against EPA efforts to regulate greenhouse gas producers numerous times: "going forward all nominees to the EPA will be thoroughly vetted on their views," Jim Martin, chairman of the organization suggested in 2012, "to ensure that environmental extremists and disciples of the phony global warming agenda do not serve within its walls." [26]. The 60 Plus association also opposes any attempt to regulate offshore drilling [27] or decrease energy subsidies. [28]

In 2010 and 2012, the 60 Plus Association received $25,000 in donations from the American Petroleum Institute, a powerful consortium of American fossil fuel companies and lobbies [29]

Response to Hurricane Katrina

In September 2005, 60 Plus was part of a consortium of conservative groups -- along with the National Tax Limitation Committee, American Conservative Union and Americans for Tax Reform -- to call for "a measured response to [Hurricane] Katrina ... and a continuation of sound tax and regulatory policies."[30] Under the banner of the "Tax Cut Working Group coalition," the groups "urged President Bush and Congress to emphasize private sector initiatives in the hurricane relief effort, and not abandon his agenda of tax relief in the wake of the disaster caused by Hurricane Katrina." The coalition's open letter on the matter stated, "While Katrina's effects have been vivid and widespread, this event should not serve as an excuse to change national policy priorities, nor to further dissipate the federal treasury. ... On-going tax rate reductions and Social Security reform should not be sacrificed on the altar of Katrina or 'deficit reduction.'"[31]

Ties to Right-Wing Direct Mail Firm

60 Plus chair James L. Martin worked for Republican direct mail guru Richard Viguerie. "It has been reported that the group's contract with Viguerie's firm allows it to use 60 Plus's contributor list 'in any manner, for any purpose, for its own account,' at least until 2003," reported AARP. In 1994, Viguerie "helped 60 Plus raise $1.3 million, but the organization was left with less than $93,000 after paying fees and expenses (including postage) to Viguerie's operation."[20]

"The Seniors Coalition, 60/Plus and USA all have faced controversy because of their connections to Viguerie," the National Journal reported in 1995. "The Virginia-based direct-mail impresario helped launch all three groups, securing unusually tight control over their mailing lists. ... A federal grand jury in New York City began a probe of Viguerie in 1993, after The New York Times ran an article detailing how he had profited from his work for seniors' groups. ... Why set up three seniors' groups that share much of the same conservative philosophy? Critics say it was for one reason: to put more money in Viguerie's pockets. But leaders of USA and 60/Plus say they are proud of their association with Viguerie, who continues to handle their mailings. ... 'He's the finest, most decent human being I've ever known,' [60 Plus' James] Martin said of Viguerie. Martin proudly points to a passage in Viguerie's 1980 book, The New Right: We're Ready to Lead, that cites Martin as 'one of the conservative movement's foremost direct-mail copywriters.'"[32]

Yet, according to Target Marketing, the "main provisions of an agreement between the charity 60/Plus Association and direct marketing" meant that, "[u]nder the terms of the contract, Viguerie, a for-profit agency, took in money while the non-profit 60/Plus went deeper into debt, presumably with most of that debt accruing to Viguerie & Associates." [33]

Public Relations

Hugh C. Newton served as a public relations consultant to 60 Plus. Newton -- who ran his own PR firm, Hugh C. Newton & Associates Inc., also worked for the National Right to Work Committee, Heritage Foundation, Liberty Foundation, Reader's Digest, Amway Corp. and the predecessor of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. [34]

Lobbying and Political Donations

As of July 7, 2014, the political action committee associated with 60 Plus had donated $8,500 to congressional campaigns for the 2014 midterms, entirely to Republican candidates or organizations.[35] It had also spent $247,723 on independent expenditures, most of it against Republican candidates. During the 2012 election cycle, it made $26,000 in campaign contributions, all to Republicans and spent $4,615,892 on outside spending, with about 70% going toward Republicans and the remainder attacking Democrats.

The group spent $4.4 million in the 2012 election cycle. More than half of that, $2.7 million, went to support Mitt Romney. [36]

60 Plus used to have a different PAC called the Senior Power Campaign Committee.[37] That PAC, also called "Gray PAC," last reported financial activity in the 2004 election cycle. [37] It was most active in the 2000 election cycle, when it reported raising $246,514 and spending $231,203. The PAC donated $46,666 to federal candidates, 98% of which went to Republicans. It contributed more than $2,000 to Republican Senate candidates Rick Santorum, Rod Grams, and Slade Gorton; and to Republican House candidates E. Clay Shaw Jr., James E. Rogan, and Steven T. Kuykendall.[38]

Personnel

The 60 Plus Association disclosed the following officers and directors in its 2011-2012 IRS 990 filing:[39]

The group's national spokesperson is singer Pat Boone. [42]

Contact Information

60 Plus Association
515 King Street
Suite 315
Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Phone: (703) 807-2070
Fax: (703) 807-2073

Website: http://www.60plus.org
Email: info AT 60plus.org

Articles and Resources

Related SourceWatch articles

References

  1. ↑ 60 Plus Association, "About Us," organization website, accessed May 13, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 GuideStar, "60-Plus Association," IRS 990, accessed May 23, 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Conservative Transparency, "60 Plus," IRS documents 2010-2012, accessed July 7, 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Nicholas Confessore, Three Nonprofits, Former Koch Brothers’ Associates, Fined by F.E.C., New York Times, July 13, 2016.
  5. ↑ The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, Koch Brothers Groups Hit With Massive Fines From CREW Complaint, The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, July 13, 2016.
  6. ↑ Annenberg Public Policy Center, "Obamacare for the mortgage industry?," Factcheck.org, April 4, 2014.
  7. ↑ Jon Pryor and Kevin Cirilli, "Senate Banking leaders reach housing finance deal," Politico, March 11, 2014.
  8. ↑ Philip Elliott, "Koch brothers weren't consulted before seniors group criticized senators," Christian Science Monitor, April 4, 2014.
  9. ↑ 60 Plus Association, Virginia Seniors tell Tim Kaine the Health Care Law he Supported is bad for Seniors, organizational website, Accessed september 4th, 2012.
  10. ↑ 60 Plus Association, Wisconsin Seniors tell Tammy Baldwin to stop Wasteful Spending, organizational website, Accessed September 4th, 2012.
  11. ↑ Jake Tapper, Devin Dwyer, and Shushannah Walshe, FACT CHECK: Obama, Romney, Ryan backed Medicare Cuts, ABC News, August 14, 2012.
  12. ↑ Mike Allen and Jim Vandehei, The Koch Brothers Secret Bank, Politico, September 11, 2013.
  13. ↑ Center for Responsive Politics, Top Organizations disclosing donations to the 60 Plus Association, organizational profile, Accessed September 4th, 2012.
  14. ↑ Center for Responsive Politics: Top Organizations disclosing donations to the 60 Plus Association, organizational profile, Accessed September 30th, 2012.
  15. ↑ Rachel Maddow 'The Rachel Maddow Show' for Monday, August 10, 2009, MSNBC.com, accessed September 13, 2010
  16. ↑ GuideStar, "[file:///C:/Users/Jacob/Downloads/60%20Plus%20Association%202011%20990.pdf 2011 IRS 990]," organization website, accessed May 13, 2014.
  17. ↑ Guidestar, 60 Plus Association 2010 Form 99, organizational profile - accessed via Guidestar, September 2012.
  18. ↑ GuideStar, 60 Plus Association 2008 form 990, organizational profile, accessed September 2009.
  19. ↑ David Dayen, Big Pharma Front Group 60 Plus Scaring Seniors with $2M Ad Buy, FireDogLake.com, November 1, 2009.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Theresa Agovino, Pharmaceutical lobbying effort sparks controversy and pledge of change, Associated Press, March 29, 2002.
  21. ↑ 60 Plus Association, "Sacrifice Ad - 60+ Plus", YouTube, August 2009.
  22. ↑ Ceci Connolly, Seniors Remain Wary of Health-Care Reform: Administration Aims to Reassure Older Americans Fearful of Losing Access to Care, Washington Post, August 9, 2009.
  23. ↑ Marilyn Werber Serafini and Shawn Zeller, "Say It Ain't So, Flo," The National Journal, October 9, 1999.
  24. ↑ Press release, "Government-Run Drug Plan is a Bad Prescription For Patients: Citizens for Better Medicare Seeks Private-Sector Prescription Drug Coverage for Seniors," Citizens for Better Medicare via PR Newswire, September 12, 2000.
  25. ↑ Globalwarming.org, about, organizational website, accessed September 4th, 2012.
  26. ↑ 60 Plus Association, Time to End EPA's crucifixion of America's Energy Producers, organizational website, Accessed September 4th, 2012.
  27. ↑ 60 Plus Association: Democrats Celebrate 10 years of Blocking Energy Exploration, Accessed September 4th, 2012
  28. ↑ 60 Plus Association, Energy Tax Bill Hurts Seniors, organizational website, Accessed September 4th, 2012.
  29. ↑ Center for Responsive Politics, Top Organizations disclosing Donations to the 60 Plus Association, organzational profile, accessed September 4th, 2012.
  30. ↑ Diane Farsetta, The Wave of the Future: From Tragedy to Far-Reaching Policy, in Less Than a Month, Center for Media and Democracy, September 22, 2005.
  31. ↑ The National Tax Limitation Committee, "Bush and Congress Urged Not to Abandon Tax Relief," sent from Lew Uhler / info@limittaxes.org, September 20, 2005.
  32. ↑ Marilyn Werber Serafini, "Senior Schism," The National Journal, May 6, 1995.
  33. ↑ Denison Hatch, "Suspect until proven otherwise," Target Marketing, October 1995.
  34. ↑ Obituaries: Hugh C. Newton Public Relations Executive, Washington Post, June 26, 2007.
  35. ↑ Center for Responsive Politics, "Profile for 2014 Election Cycle," OpenSecrets.org, accessed July 7, 2014.
  36. ↑ Viveca Novak, Center to Protect Patient Rights Gave Millions in 2011 to Outside Spenders in Election, Center for Responsive Politics, Accessed 12/17/2012.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Center for Responsive Politics, Senior Power Campaign Committee: 2004 cycle, organizational profile, accessed September 2009.
  38. ↑ Center for Responsive Politics, Senior Power Campaign Committee: 2000 cycle, organizational profile, accessed September 2009.
  39. ↑ GuideStar, "60 Plus Association, IRS 990 for 2011-2012, accessed July 7, 2014.
  40. ↑ John McCaslin, "Inside the Beltway," The Washington Times, May 26, 2000.
  41. ↑ Chuck Collins and Rosie Hunter, "'Death tax' deception," Dollars & Sense, January 2003 - February 2003.
  42. ↑ 60 Plus Association, Pat Boone, organizational website, accessed May 13, 2014.

External Resources

External Articles

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