Gov. Mike Braun and key administration officials will headline a “policy summit” Aug. 27 raising money for a nonprofit that supports his agenda.
The price to attend ranges from $2,500 for one session and lunch with the governor all the way to $100,000 as a headline partner.
The event is for Hoosiers for Opportunity, Prosperity and Enterprise (HOPE) — a social welfare nonprofit that provided support during Braun’s campaign in the form of policy briefs and polling. The group then expanded its role to helping Braun’s transition into office and ran ads against lawmakers on property taxes during session.
Nonprofit Braun transition group follows former governors’ model
Social welfare nonprofits typically have undisclosed donor lists — which is why they are often referred to as dark money.
The day-long event at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis will include sessions on energy sources and production, road funding, the future of gaming, K-12 education, health care, wage growth, maternal health, tort reform, housing and the state budget.
It begins with a VIP breakfast for partners and also includes a lunch with Braun alongside legislator awards.
Confirmed guests include Braun, his Chief of Staff Josh Kelley, Senior Policy Advisor Adam Battalio and Mitch Roob, the secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.
Other cabinet secretaries have been invited. It is unclear if those attending will be on personal time or state time.
Indiana Democrats took aim at the event in a Wednesday fundraising newsletter.
“Next week, Governor Mike Braun’s dark money group HOPE is holding a conference at a luxury Indianapolis hotel where entry costs $5K, and sponsorships to be involved in roundtable discussions cost $100,000,” the email said.
“Twenty-one years of one-party rule in Indiana has made the Republicans so corrupt that they’ll sell you out to the highest bidder without even trying to hide it.”
HOPE’s six-person board is led by Ryan Black, who works for philanthropic organization Stand Together and was previously at advocacy group Americans for Prosperity. Both organizations have ties to the Koch family — super-funders of Republican causes.
Other board members include prominent Republican attorney Jim Bopp, “school choice” advocate Betsy Wiley, retired tax attorney and former Indiana state representative Dan Dumezich, and career lobbyist Jim Purucker.
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.
