According to ''Politico'', the Koch network planned to hold its winter meeting the weekend of January 23 at a hotel in Palm Springs, California. Sources told ''Politico'' that Republican politicians including "Sens. [[Ted Cruz]] of Texas, [[Rand Paul]] of Kentucky and [[Marco Rubio]] of Florida, and Gov. [[Scott Walker]] of Wisconsin received coveted invitations to speak to the vaunted network assembled by the billionaire industrialist megadonors Charles and David Koch."<ref>Kenneth P. Vogel, "[http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/koch-brothers-ted-cruz-rand-paul-marco-rubio-scott-walker-2016-elections-114386.html?hp=rc1_4 4 GOP hopefuls expected to attend Koch event]," ''Politico'', January 21, 2015. Accessed January 21, 2015.</ref> Walker's plans to attend were confirmed by a campaign spokesperson.<ref>Matthew DeFour and Scott Bauer, "[http://lacrossetribune.com/news/state-and-regional/update-gov-scott-walker-reportedly-attending-private-koch-brothers-event/article_01d60371-5f11-5027-8143-2eabc9081df8.html Gov. Scott Walker attending private Koch brothers event]," ''LaCrosse Tribune'', January 21, 2015. Accessed January 21, 2015.</ref>
At the meeting, it was revealed that the network planned to spend $889 million on the 2016 election campaign, a goal the ''New York Times'' called "unprecedented" and which "would put it on track to spend nearly as much as the campaigns of each party’s presidential nominee."<ref name="budget on par">Nicholas Confessore, "[http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/27/us/politics/kochs-plan-to-spend-900-million-on-2016-campaign.html Koch Brothers’ Budget of $889 Million for 2016 Is on Par With Both Parties’ Spending]," ''New York Times'', January 26, 2015. Accessed January 27, 2015.</ref>
:“It’s no wonder the candidates show up when the Koch brothers call,” said [[David Axelrod]], a former senior adviser to [[Barack Obama|Mr. Obama]]. “That’s exponentially more money than any party organization will spend. In many ways, they have superseded the party.”<ref name="budget on par"/>
===June 2014, Dana Point, California===