TAMPA, Fla. - David H. Koch, the billionaire oil executive and conservative philanthropist, does not often speak publicly about his political life.
But in the shadow of the Republican convention on Thursday, Mr. Koch, whose discrete financing of conservative activist groups have made him one of the most influential men in American politics, made an appearance at a reception for Americans for Prosperity, a group he helped start and which is now spending millions of dollars to beat President Obama.
“The institution that I feel most closely attached to and most proud of is Americans for Prosperity,†Mr. Koch said. “My brother and I provided the funding to create this wonderful organization about ten years. We started very small, and we've grown enormously now to an organization that has two million grassroots activists.â€
The reception - where Mr. Koch was honored with an award - marked the growing infl uence of the Tea Party-linked group within a Republican Party that it has sought to prod to the right on spending and regulation. Several Republican lawmakers close to Mr. Koch and his brother Charles attended, including Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who credited the group with his decision to run for Senate, and Senator John Boozman of Arkansas. (Representative Paul Ryan, who has close ties to Americans for Prosperity and has been embraced by the Koch network of donors and groups, did not attend.)
Mr. Koch is a Republican delegate from New York. Art Pope, a North Carolina businessman who sits on Americans for Prosperity's board, also attended and was given an award.
“Obviously, a good many of you in this room may be here for an event going on behind me,†Mr. Pope said, drawing laughs as he gestured out the window to the nearby Tampa Bay Times Forum, where the Republican convention was being held. “I believe in the Republic an Party. But the purpose of the Republican Party is to elect Republican candidates. The Democrat Party's about the Democratic candidates. AFP is about driving home the issues to ensure freedom and future prosperity and holding the elected officials of both parties accountable how they stand on the issues.â€
Mr. Koch spent a few minutes taking questions from reporters. “We're in this for the long haul,†Mr. Koch said, regardless of whether Mitt Romney wins or loses in November. Asked whether there was too much money in politics, Mr. Koch, who with his brother donates almost exclusively to political organizations that do not disclose their donors, would have none of it.
“It's a free society,†Mr. Koch said. “People can invest what they want.â€
