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[[Image:320x486.jpg|thumb|200px|Wisconsin billionaire Diane Hendricks - ''Source, Forbes'']]{{#badges: Koch Exposed}}'''Diane Hendricks''' is the former head chair and co-founder of Hendricks Holding Co. and [[ABC Supply]], a the largest roofing supply companyfirm in the country, based in Beloit, Wisconsin. She is the richest businesswoman wealthiest woman in Wisconsin and , but consistently fails to pay state income taxes according to news reports. She is the largest donor to Governor Scott Walker, as well as a major donor to the [[Koch Network]] and the Republican Party. As of June 2016, ''Forbes'' listed Hendricks number one on the list of "America's Richest Self-Made Women" at an estimated net worth of $4.8 billion.<ref> Forbes, [http://www.forbes.com/profile/diane-hendricks/?list=self-made-women America's Richest Self-Made Women], ''Forbes'', June 16, 2016.</ref> Diane Hendricks also serves on the board of directors for the [[Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation|Bradley Foundation]], a right-wing benefactor with financial ties to Wisconsin Governor [[Scott Walker]], the [[American Legislative Exchange Council]] and the [[Koch Network]]. She was acknowledged at the Koch seminar in June 2011 in Vail, Colorado for donating at least $1 million to Koch-related causes. <ref name="Mother Jones Exclusive"> Gavin Aronsen, [http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/09/koch-brothers-million-dollar-donor-club Exclusive: The Koch Brothers' Million-Dollar Donor Club], ''Mother Jones'', September 6, 2011.</ref>  __TOC__{{Template:KochConnection}}==Hendricks Named Vice-Chair of Trump Victory Committee== In May of 2016, Diane Hendricks was selected to chair the Trump Victory Committee by Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus.<ref name="tax"/> Hendricks served as one of Trump Victory's several vice-chairs, joining other major Republican fundraisers like [[Mel Sembler]], [[Richard Uihlein|Liz Uihlein]] and Woody Johnson, who helped with the financing of Jeb Bush's 2016 presidential bid and Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign.<ref name="wash"> David Sherfinski and Seth McLaughlin, [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/may/24/trump-rnc-roll-out-team-joint-fundraising-effort/ Donald Trump, RNC roll out team for joint fundraising effort], ''The Washington Times'', May 24, 2016.</ref> The joint committee was formed to raise money for Donald Trump's presidential campaign, the Republican National Committee, and GOP committees in 11 different states.<ref name="tax"/> ==Hendricks Paid No State Income Taxes in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014== Like Donald Trump, Hendricks has received negative publicity for failing to pay her taxes. In four of five years from 2010 through 2014 Hendricks did not pay any Wisconsin state income taxes, according to a June 2016 article from the ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.''<ref name="tax"> Cary Spivak, [http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/beloit-billionaire-posts-string-of-zeros-on-state-returns-b99740692z1-382311081.html Beloit billionaire posts string of zeroes on state returns], ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'', June 9, 2016.</ref> The billionaire businesswomen owed nothing in taxes for three consecutive years from 2012 through 2014 after she paid a $290,415 state tax bill in 2011.<ref name="tax"/> The tax director for ABC supply said that Hendricks paid $7.6 million in state taxes for 2015, but due to an extension on her 2015 return, this figure had yet to be verified.<ref name="tax"/> Joel Joyce, a partner at the oldest CPA firm in Wisconsin, commented on the news of Hendricks' returns, saying "it's unusual to go zero, zero, zero and then owe $7.6 million."<refname="tax"/>

The Center for Responsive Politics lists Hendricks as the 23rd largest donor to outside spending groups in the 2016 cycle as of September 26, 2016.<ref> Center for Responsive Politics, [https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/summ.php?cycle=2016&disp=D&type=V 2016 Top Donors to Outside Spending Groups], ''opensecrets'', accessed September 26, 2016.</ref> ===Hendricks Steps Up for Senator [[Ron Johnson]]==={{#ev:youtube|v=HendrickAAHVjrVwLqk|200|right|Reform America Fund: "Feingold Supports Iran Nuclear Deal"|frame}}{{#ev:youtube|v=zic6LYLGoOs|200|right|Reform Wisconsin Fund: "Russ Feingold Supports Partial Birth Abortions"|frame}}Two groups, Reform America Fund and Reform Wisconsin Fund began spending in Wisconsin in late September, 2016 criticizing Democrats [[Russ Feingold]] and Hillary Clinton. Reform America Fund is funded primarily through Diane Hendricks' fortune, she contributed $1.3 million to the super PAC on September 16, 2016. The Super PAC dropped a seven-figure ad buy criticizing Feingold for voting in favor of the 2009 federal stimulus bill on October 17, 2016.<ref name="new PACs"> Mark Sommerhauser, [http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/super-pacs-drop-millions-to-target-russ-feingold/article_561bd53c-ba91-5a01-9f32-1da68ff26534.html Super PACs drop millions to target Russ Feingold], ''Wisconsin State Journal'', October 18, 2016.</ref> A second ad, released October 25 shows children counting down from 10 in various languages before a bomb explodes revealing text that reads, "A nuclear Iran is a threat the world. Russ Feingold supports the Iran nuclear deal." The group, which has also spent on advertising criticizing Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, also received contributions from [[Richard Uihlein]], David Humphreys, [[Terry Kohler|Mary Kohler]] and Jere Fabick.<ref> Federal Election Commission, [http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/686/201610209034488686/201610209034488686.pdf Reform America Fund, October Monthly Filing], FEC filing, October 20, 2016.</ref> Reform Wisconsin Fund released a six-figure ad buy on September 28, 2016 attacking Feingold for "vot[ing] to allow partial birth abortions," and for spending 30 years as a "radical politician." The organization also launched the website russiswrong.com.<ref> Reform Wisconsin Fund, [http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=378985 Reform Wisconsin Fund: Launches ad against Russ Feingold for supporting partial-birth abortion], press release, September 28, 2016.</ref>{{#ev:youtube|v=OY7vkSZxD5M|200|left|Reform America Fund: "Feingold's Pushes Right Foreign Job Stimulus"|frame}} The organization was registered in September, 2016 as a separate group from [[Reform America Fund]], however both groups have the same Treasurer, [[Lorri Pickens]] and the same spokesperson, Chris Martin. Both entities are also registered to Work the same address in Black Creek, Wisconsin.<ref> Mark Sommerhauser, [http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and Union-Bustingpolitics/national-democrats-nix-wisconsin-u-s-senate-ads-say-they/article_b12dab49-f590-528a-acf3-32c011b754af.html National Democrats nix some Wisconsin U.S. Senate ads, super PAC hits Russ Feingold on abortion], ''Wisconsin State Journal'', September 29, 2016.</ref> ===Hendricks Spent Millions Backing Koch Brothers' Freedom Partners Action Fund=== Diane Hendricks gave $4 million to [[Koch Brothers|Koch network]] super PAC [[Freedom Partners Action Fund]] in the 2016 election cycle, as of September 26, 2016.<ref name="opensecrets"> Center for Responsive Politics, [https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/donor_detail.php?cycle=2016&id=U0000000074&type=I&super=N&name=Hendricks%2C+Diane+Ms Diane Hendricks: Donor Detail], ''opensecrets'', accessed September 26, 2016.</ref> Freedom Partners is heavily invested in key U.S. Senate races, propping up Republican Senate candidates in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin. As of September 26, 2016 the super PAC has spent $27,748,098 in the 2016 election cycle.<ref> Center for Responsive Politics, [https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C00564765&cycle=2016 Freedom Partners Action Fund: 2016 Cycle], ''opensecrets'', accessed September 26, 2016.</ref> See a full list of the Freedom Partners 2016 advertising [[Freedom Partners in the 2016 Election|here]. Hendricks contributed $1 million to the Koch group during the 2014 election cycle.<ref> Center for Responsive Politics, [https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/donor_detail.php?cycle=2014&id=U0000000074&type=I&super=S&name=Hendricks%2C+Diane+Ms Hendricks, Diane Ms: Donor Detail 2014], ''opensecrets'', accessed September 26, 2016.</ref> ===Backing Scott Walker in Presidential Primaries 2016=== In June of 2015, Diane Hendricks donated $5 million to Unintimidated PAC, a super PAC aligned with [[Scott Walker|Scott Walker's]] 2016 presidential bid. With her multi-million dollar contribution, Hendricks joined a handful of other seven-figure supporters that helped the PAC reach $20 million by June 30, 2016. Unintimidated PAC spent $1.8 million of the $20 million raised before Walker left the race in September 2015, Diane Hendricks was reimbursed $4 million.<ref name="unintimidated"> Will Tucker, [http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/09/walkers-exit-leaves-some-major-donors-up-for-grabs/ Walker's exit leaves some major donors up for grabs], ''Center for Responsive Politics'', September 21, 2015.</ref> ===Backing Scott Walker During Recall Period===Hendricks is the largest known political donor to a state candidate in Wisconsin history,<ref> [http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/in-film-walker-talks-of-divide-and-conquer-strategy-with-unions-8o57h6f-151049555.html In film, Walker talks of 'divide and conquer' union strategy], [http://www.youtubejsonline.comJS Online], May 10, 2012.</ref> contributing a total of $529,100 to [[Scott Walker]]'s gubernatorial campaigns, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.<ref> Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, [http://watchwww.wisdc.org/index.php?featurefrom=--&to=--&contributor_name=Hendricks%2C+Diane+M&name=player_embeddedWalker&vfilter=+Search+&module=wisdc.websiteforms&cmd=searchadvanced Hendrick's Contributions to Walker], organizational database, Accessed June 16, 2016.</ref> Her largest disbursement of funds to Walker came in the 2012 recall election when she gave $500,000 to Walker's campaign.<ref name="tax"/> ===Hendricks Pushed Right to Work, Walker "Divide and Conquer Comments Caught on Tape"===sX69a45LFLI {{#ev:youtube|y7v8f8jBrW8|200|right|"REP. GOV. SCOTT WALKER - DIANE HENDRICKS", Barrett For Wisconsin|frame}} In a video] shot on Jan. 18, 2011 - , days after Walker was sworn in as governor and shortly before he introduced his Act 10 bill ending collective bargaining rights for public sector workers, Walker's controversial budget-repair bill was introduced spoke privately about his plan to "divide and spawned mass protests - conquer" Wisconsin in a videotaped conversation with billionaire Diane Hendricks asked the governor whether he could make Wisconsin .  “Any chance we'll ever get to be a "completely red state, and work on these unions, and ....And become a right-to-work" [state]?,” Hendricks asks in the video. Walker replies: “Well, we're going to start in a couple weeks with our budget adjustment bill. The first step is we're going to deal with collective bargaining for all public employee unions, because you use divide and conquer... Hendricks That opens the door once we do that.”  The tape was referring to released by videographer Brad Lichtenstein in May 2012 and received extensive press attention. Although Walker for years insisted that "right-to-work laws" would not get to his desk, which prohibit privatehe eventually signed the ALEC-sector unions from compelling workers to pay union dues if inspired bill into law in 2015 and Wisconsin became the workers choose not 25th right to belong to the unionwork state. <ref> Jason Stein and Patrick Marley, [http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/in-film-walker-talks-of-divide-and-conquer-strategy-with-unions-8o57h6f-151049555.html In film, Walker talks of 'divide and conquer' union strategy], ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'', May 10, 2012.</ref> ===Backing Republican Party of Wisconsin and Push for Private-Sector "Right to Work"=== Over the period of January 1 to October 20, 2014, Hendricks gave a total of $1 million to the Republican Party of Wisconsin, outspending the next largest donor by a magnitude of five.<ref name="times"> Mike Ivey, [http://wwwhost.jsonlinemadison.com JS Online/ct/news/local/writers/mike_ivey/right-to-work-booster-diane-hendricks-gave-million-to-wisconsin/article_cc8e2a52-95de-11e4-8483-efad0592e8d7.html Right-to-work booster Diane Hendricks gave $1 million to Wisconsin Republicans in 2014], May 10''The Cap Times'', January 7, 2012 2015.</ref> The surge of spending by the billionaire came ahead of the expectation that GOP lawmakers would push a right-to-work bill in the following congressional session.<ref name="times"/>