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'''Robert (Bob) Williams''' is the Founder and Senior Fellow of the [[Freedom Foundation]], previously known as the [[Evergreen Freedom Foundation]], a libertarian organization whose mission "is to advance individual liberty, free enterprise, and limited, accountable government."<ref>[http://myfreedomfoundation.com/index.php/about/mission/ Mission Statement], "Freedom Foundation"</ref>
Williams also serves on the board of the [[State Policy Network]] and is a "visiting fellow" at the [[Mercatus Center]].
ALEC, the Freedom Foundation, the [[Mercatus Center]] and the [[State Policy Network]] have all received funding or assistance from [[Koch]]-related funds.
==Support for Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council== Williams is listed as an [[American Legislative Exchange Council]] (ALEC) "[[ALEC Board of Scholars|scholar]]" and has worked on several ALEC Task Forces, including the [[Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force]] in 2011.<ref>American Legislative Exchange Council [http://www.alec.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Tax_and_Fiscal_Policy1&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=12999 Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force], organization website, accessed May 28, 2011</ref>
{{about_ALEC}}
==Background==
Williams is also a visiting fellow with George Mason University’s [[Mercatus Center ]] State and Local Policy Project, a Charles [[Koch]]-funded project. He is also the president of [[State Budget Solutions]], which partners with the Koch-funded [[Evergreen Foundation]]. He previously worked as an auditor for the [[Pentagon]] and Post Office. He served five terms in the Washington State Legislature and was the unsuccessful 1988 Republican nomination for governor in Washington state.<ref>Freedom Foundation, "[http://www.myfreedomfoundation.com/index.php/site/fellow_profile/bob_williams Bob Williams]," organizational biography, accessed June 30, 2011</ref>
The Mercatus Center was founded and is funded by the [[Koch Family Foundations]]. According to financial records, the Koch family has contributed more than $30 million to George Mason, much of which has gone to the Mercatus Center, a nonprofit organization. Democratic strategist Rob Stein described the Mercatus Center as "ground zero for deregulation policy in Washington.” The Wall Street Journal has called the Mercatus Center “the most important think tank you’ve never heard of,” <ref>Jane Mayer [http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=7#ixzz1448GFjDT Covert Operations: The billionaire brothers who are waging a war against Obama] The New Yorker, August 30 2010, at page 7</ref>