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"Citizen Koch" documents the effect of money on politics

"Money is a weapon."

By Aileen Graef

NEW YORK, May 21 (UPI) -- The documentary Citizen Koch shows the effect of big money in politics and how it led to the rise of the tea party.

Academy Award nominated directors Carl Deal and Tia Lessin follow the story of how billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch of Koch Industries used their super PAC, Americans for Prosperity, to pour millions into political campaigns that advance their conservative, libertarian views.

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It focuses on the Republicans of Wisconsin, who were suddenly the target of their own party when Gov. Scott Walker (R) began to fight the labor unions. The film also shows the increase in big donor billionaires since the Citizen United ruling, which stripped many campaign contribution limits. The Supreme Court loosened that even further when they gutted campaign finance caps with the McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission ruling.

Citizen Koch will premiere in screenings across the U.S. this summer and will be a part of the Sundance Film Festival.

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