POLITICAL INSIDER

Gov. Doug Ducey heading to Koch brothers' network summit in Palm Springs

Yvonne Wingett Sanchez
The Republic | azcentral.com
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey

Gov. Doug Ducey, a beneficiary of "dark-money" non-profits linked to the billionaire Koch brothers, is headed to California for a weekend with the Kochs and their wealthy allies. 

The winter retreat near Palm Springs will focus on a prisoner re-entry initiative, a priority for the libertarian-leaning Kochs.

The initiative continues the Koch network's efforts to help prisoners successfully transition back into their communities and be self-sufficient. Prisoner re-entry has been a theme of Ducey's administration, particularly during the past two years. 

The Republican governor, who is running for re-election, will travel to the summit on Sunday and return Monday, his spokesman wrote in an email. Ducey is paying his own costs for the trip.

The gathering is expected to draw hundreds of wealthy conservatives.

During his 2014 gubernatorial campaign, Ducey touted his candidacy at a retreat hosted by the prominent financiers and applauded “the power of organizations” backed by the Koch brothers.

During his tenure, Ducey has pushed other policies aligned with the Koch network, including a reduction of occupational licensing and promoting school choice. 

New campaign-finance reports show Charles Koch, one of the world's richest people and chairman and CEO of Koch Industries, gave Ducey's re-election campaign $5,100.

Follow the reporter on Twitter and Facebook and email her at yvonne.wingett@arizonarepublic.com.

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