AMERICAN ACTION NETWORK

Founded: 2009

Location: Washington, DC

Associations: American Action Forum; Norm Coleman; Fred Malek; Brian Walsh; Vin Weber;

Congressional Leadership Fund

Mission: To “create, encourage and promote center-right policies based on the principles of

freedom, limited government, American exceptionalism, and strong national security.”

Election Spending (since 2010 cycle): $15,721,376

Election Cycle American Action Network

2010 $ 18,945,602

2012 $11,689,399

2014 N/A

Top Known Donors (total since 2010):

PhRMA $6,075,000

Republican Jewish Coalition $4,000,000

Aetna $3,000,000

Crossroads GPS $500,000

Wellspring Committee $305,500

American Petroleum Institute $250,000

Revenue

Year Contributions and Grants Total Revenue

2012 $22,556,387 $22,578,115

2011 $27,479,380 $27,479,384

2010 $2,750,351 $2,750,372

Summary:

The American Action Network (AAN) is a center-right “action tank” founded by former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman and former Nixon aide Fred Malek. Brian Walsh serves as AAN’s president,and a sister nonprofit organization, the American Action Forum, is run by former Congressional Budget Office director Douglas Holtz-Eakin. AAN carries out its mission to “create, encourage and promote center-right policies” largely by spending money on ads targeting Democrats. In 2012, thevast majority of AAN’s spending total went toward attacks on Democratic candidates for the House.Unlike similar outside spending groups, AAN’s spending actually decreased from the 2010 midtermsto 2012, likely due to the emergence of similar organizations such as the Congressional Leadership Fund, a related super PAC that is also led by Coleman, Malek, and Walsh.

Notable Facts:

· In its application to the IRS seeking tax-exempt status, AAN said that only “a minor portion

of its activities may be classified as political campaign intervention.”

· In 2012, AAN waded into the Republican Senate primary in Indiana, spending more than

$645,000 against eventual nominee Richard Mourdock, who defeated longtime incumbent

Sen. Richard Lugar before losing in the general election.

· The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) asked the IRS to “investigate whether the American Action Network (AAN) has violated tax law” after AAN spent millions attempting to defeat Democratic candidates.

· American Action Network used to share office space with Crossroads GPS.