Koch-linked group launches 'more weed, less war' campaign in North Carolina

The American Future Fund is behind a $225,000 (and counting) ad buy in North Carolina to support Libertarian Senate candidate Sean Haugh. Though Haugh is a long shot with just 6 percent support in the latest poll, these ads have garnered significant attention, as they feature hyper-enthusiastic millennials announcing that Haugh's "progressive values" in support of "more weed, less war" should attract young people more than the race's Democratic frontrunner, Kay Hagan.

YouTube

Watch On

What's the Koch link? While Team Koch says it has no involvement in this particular initiative, the Koch brothers have a real history with American Future Fund. "In the 2012 campaign, [American Future Fund] was a major player in a network of politically active nonprofits supported by the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch and other conservative donors," says The Washington Post.

A pizza delivery man, Haugh has spent less than $8,000 on his own campaign. He says he was not aware of the ads before they launched. Though he is thankful they represent his positions on ending the drug war and overseas interventions accurately, he also recognizes that the ads are likely an attempt to spoil the race for Hagan by siphoning off young liberal voters.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up