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Charles Koch (b. 1935) and David Koch (b. 1940) are two of the four children of [[Fred Koch]] and Mary Koch. Fred Koch founded Wood River Oil and Refining Co. in 1940; it had been renamed Rock Island Oil & Refining Co. by 1961 and was renamed [[Koch Industries]] by Charles Koch in 1967.<ref>Fred and Mary Koch Foundation, [http://www.fmkfoundation.org/history.asp History], organizational website, accessed June 30, 2014.</ref> Fred Koch was also a founder and executive committee member of the far-right [[John Birch Society]], known for opposing the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and communism.<ref name="koch cartel">Lisa Graves, "The Koch Cartel: Their Reach, Their Reactionary Agenda, and Their Record," ''The Progressive'', July/August 2014.</ref>

The senior Koch's views are thought to have influenced the Koch brothers' pro-business, anti-union agenda. Lisa Graves noted that "The Kochs' mistrust of public education can be traced to their father, Fred, who declared that the National Education Association was a communist group and public-school books were filled with “communist propaganda,” paranoia that extended to all unions, President Eisenhower and the “pro-communist” Supreme Court."<ref name="graves">Lisa Graves, "[http://www.thenation.com/article/161973/alec-exposed-koch-connection ALEC Exposed: The Koch Connection]," ''The Nation'', July 2012, 2011. Accessed June 2, 2014.</ref> Echoing this anti-union fervor, David Koch has stated that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's attack on public unions was “critically important."<ref>Mary Bottari, "[httphttps://www.prwatch.org/news/2012/02/11308/anniversary-prank-call-real-david-koch-wants-stop-union-power-wisconsin On Anniversary of Prank Call the Real David Koch Wants to "Stop Union Power" in Wisconsin]," PR Watch, February 21, 2012.</ref>

Other "dark money" groups involved in the network included funding sources [[Freedom Partners]] and the [[TC4 Trust]], CSE successor [[Americans for Prosperity]], and a long list of [[Koch astroturf]] organizations like the [[60 Plus Association]], [[Generation Opportunity]], [[American Commitment]], [[Concerned Women for America]], the [[The_Libre_Initiative|Libre Initiative]], and [[Public Notice]].<ref>Al Shaw, Theodoric Meyer and Kim Barker, "[http://projects.propublica.org/graphics/koch How Dark Money Flows Through the Koch Network]," ''ProPublica'', February 14, 2014. Accessed June 30, 2014.</ref> Additional funding went to the [[Wisconsin Club for Growth]], and from there to [[Citizens for a Strong America]], both of which were later involved in a criminal investigation related to the 2012 election.<ref>Brendan Fischer, "[httphttps://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/11/12309/new-john-doe-investigation-probes-dark-money-wisconsin-recall-elections-club WI Club for Growth, Target of Walker Recall Probe, at Center of Dark Money Web]", Center for Media and Democracy, November 18, 2013. Accessed June 30, 2014.</ref>

Walker's gubernatorial campaign received $43,000 from the Koch Industries PAC during the 2010 election. The Koch PAC gave $1 million to the Republican Governors Association, which in turn spent $65,000 on independent expenditures to support Walker.<ref>Lisa Graves, "[httphttps://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/02/9964/cmd-special-report-scott-walker-runs-koch-money A CMD Special Report: Scott Walker Runs on Koch Money]," Center for Media and Democracy, February 18, 2011. Accessed July 7, 2014.</ref> The RGA also spent $3.4 million on TV ads and mailers attacking Walker's opponent, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. <ref>Andy Kroll, "[http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2011/02/wisconsin-scott-walker-koch-brothers Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker: Funded by the Koch Bros.]," ''Mother Jones'', February 18, 2011. Accessed July 7, 2014.</ref>