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{{Show badges| Koch Exposed}}'''Aegis Strategic''' is a Koch-backed political consulting firm that seeks to "help electable advocates of the freedom and opportunity agenda who will be forceful at both the policy and political levels."<ref>Aegis Strategic, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160331002249/http://aegis-strategic.com/what-we-do/ What We Do], ''Aegis Strategic'', 2016.</ref> According to ''Politico'', Aegis Strategic was founded "with the Kochs’ blessing after an analysis concluded that their network’s efforts in the run-up to the 2012 election suffered from flawed GOP candidates."<ref name="kvpo">Kenneth P. Vogel, [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/the-kochs-vs-the-gop-215672 How the Kochs launched Joni Ernst], ''Politico'', November 12, 2015.</ref> Aegis Strategic states that it will help with every aspect of a campaign, including in building a team, strategizing, and advertising.<ref>Aegis Strategic, [http://aegis-strategic.com/what-we-do/ What We Do], ''Aegis Strategic'', 2016.</ref>
Aegis Strategic is owned and run by [[Jeff Crank]], a Koch operative who previously served as state director for the Colorado chapter of [[Americans for Prosperity]].<ref>Lynn Bartels, [http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2013/08/13/jeff-crank/99280/ Jeff Crank leaves AFP Colorado to form GOP candidate recruitment firm], ''The Denver Post'', August 13, 2013.</ref> ''Mother Jones'' reported that "People who've spoken with Crank about Aegis say he told them that the firm has access to the Kochs' formidable donor network."<ref name="ak"/> [[Brad Stevens]], another known Koch associate and former state director for [[Americans for Prosperity]]-Nebraska, is in charge of candidate identification.<ref name="ak">Andy Kroll, [http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/01/koch-brothers-candidate-training-recruiting-aegis-strategic New Koch-Linked Political Firm Aims to Handpick "Electable" Candidates], ''Mother Jones'', January 17, 2014.</ref>
