State Solutions Is a Washington, DC Nonprofit With Close Ties To The Republican Governors Association
State Solutions Is Incorporated As A Washington, DC Nonprofit Whose Officers Are All Affiliated With The Republican Governors Association
State Solutions Was Incorporated As A 501(c)(4) Organization in 2011 in Washington, D.C. [IRS, accessed 11/07/29]
The Listed Officers For State Solutions Are Paul Bennecke, Michael G. Adams, And Erim Canligil. [IRS, accessed 11/07/29]
- Paul Bennecke Was a Former Director and Political Director of the Republican Governors Association. He was the director from 2014 to 2018 and political director from 2007-2010. [Politico, 12/02/14] and [Augusta Free Press, 12/06/18]
- Erim Canligil Is The Chief Financial Officer For The Republican Governors Association. [RGA, accessed 11/07/19]
- Michael G. Adams Was Elected Secretary Of State Of Kentucky In 2019. [New York Times, 11/07/19]
State Solutions Spent Millions of Dollars Attacking Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates With The Help Of Money From Oil Companies
State Solutions Spent Millions of Dollars Attacking Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates Leading Up to the 2018 Election
State Solutions Spent $615,000 on TV and Radio Advertising Targeting Colorado Democratic Candidate for Governor Jared Polis and Promoting His GOP Opponent. It also spent $20,000 on Facebook ads. Its ads against Polis lampooned him for holding positions “more in line with ‘Radicalifornia’ than Colorado and attacked him for supporting universal health care. Another attacked Polis over his bill to reverse the 2017 tax law signed by President Donald Trump.” [Westworld, 05/01/19]
- “State Solutions, Inc, which is a non-profit advocacy group connected with the Republican Governors Association, aired an ad in Colorado in 2018 attacking Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jared Polis for voting no on the President’s tax plan in December 2017. The ad claims Polis wants to take the tax cut away, even though ‘as Governor he would no longer have any vote or control on tax plans decided by Congress.” [9NEWS, 08/23/18]
State Solutions Spent $3.7 Million in the Illinois Governors’ Race Between January 1, 2017 and May 3, 2018. This made it one of the top ten group advertisers in federal and gubernatorial races in the US. [OpenSecrets, 05/07/18]
State Solutions Spent More Than $300,000 Attacking Oregon Democratic Governor Kate Brown’s Record on Education. “State Solutions purchased ad space from August 24 to September 6, 2018 with buys ranging from almost $16,500 to $102,000.” [Oregon Public Broadcasting, 08/30/18]
State Solutions Paid for a TV and Internet Ad Buy in Rhode Island in 2017. The ad attacked Democratic Governor Gina Raimondo on Rhode Island’s bad environment for business and its declining workforce. [Providence Journal, 04/08/17]
State Solutions Is Funded By Industry. In 2018, It Received Millions Of Dollars From Anadarko, Noble Energy, And Other Extractive Industry Companies
“Anadarko and Noble Energy Contributed $1 Million and $700,000, respectively, to State Solutions, Inc., a Washington-D.C.-based nonprofit organization affiliated with the Republican Governors Association.” [Westworld, 05/01/19]
The Republican Governors Association’s Major Funders Also Include Alliance Coal And Koch Industries. In 2018, Alliance Coal donated $500,000 to the Republican Governors Association. Koch Industries contributed $800,000 in 2018. [OpenSecrets, accessed 11/07/19]
State Solutions is Closely Tied to The Republican Governors Association
Paul Bennecke, State Solutions’ Principal Officer, Is a Republican Operative And Former Director Of The Republican Governors Association
A Profile of State Solutions on Guidestar.org Lists Paul Bennecke As Its Principal Officer . [IRS, accessed 11/07/29]
Paul Bennecke Was a Former Director and Political Director of the Republican Governors Association. He was the director from 2014 to 2018 and political director from 2007-2010. [Politico, 12/02/14] and [Augusta Free Press, 12/06/18]
Paul Bennecke Has Donated Thousands of Dollars to Republicans on Both the Federal and State Level. [fec.gov, Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission]
The Republican Governors Public Policy Committee, An Organization Controlled by the Republican Governors Association, is Listed As A “Related Tax-Exempt Organization” On Multiple State Solutions’ 990s
The Republican Governors Public Policy Committee is Listed on State Solutions’s 2011, 2014, and 2015 990 filings. [State Solutions 990 2011, State Solutions 990 2014, State Solutions 990 2015]
The Republican Governors Association is Listed on Multiple State Solutions’ 990s
The Republican Governors Association is Listed As A “Related Tax-Exempt Organization” on State Solutions 2014 and 2015 990. [State Solutions 990 2014, State Solutions 990 2015]
The Republican Governors Association is Listed As Having Donated $300,000 to State Solutions in its 2014 990 Filing. [State Solutions 990 2014]
State Solutions and The Republican Governors Association Share The Same Address And Suite Number
State Solutions Is Located In Suite Number 250 At 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, DC 20006. [IRS, accessed 11/07/29]
The Republican Governors Association Is Located In Suite Number 250 At 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, DC 20006. [Republican Governors Association, accessed 11/07/19]