Buck Newton

February 22, 2017 - Independent political groups broke records for spending on North Carolina state races in 2016, more than doubling the amount spent during the last election when the governor's mansion was up for grabs.

November 11, 2016 - Independent political spending groups have nearly doubled the total they spent in the state during the last presidential election, dishing out at least $28 million to help elect their preferred candidates. The race for governor, still without a declared winner, was especially costly.

May 19, 2014 - Legislation to open the state to oil and gas drilling would impose prison time for unauthorized individuals to disclose chemicals in fracking fluids that the industry wants kept secret. At the same time, it fails to address some of fracking's most serious environmental and public health risks.

August 29, 2013 - The conservative mega-donor, now the state budget director, played important but behind-the-scenes roles in the passage of one of the nation's most restrictive voting laws, from ginning up fear of voter fraud to backing politicians who fought for voting restrictions.

July 11, 2013 - More legislators in North Carolina than in any other state have signed Americans for Prosperity's pledge that discourages action on climate change. Credit for the pledge's political success goes to the billionaire brothers of Koch Industries who founded AFP -- but also to North Carolina's own Art Pope, a conservative mega-donor and longtime AFP leader.