Jump to content

Art Pope: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
overall partisan spending in 2010 is not exactly relevant to the article
Original restored and insert removed because contentious issue in Wiki:BLP, Wiki:Synth and as further discussed in Talk
Line 44: Line 44:
In 2005, Pope was a founding member of the NC Coalition for Lobbying & Government Reform.<ref>http://www.nclobbyreform.org/about/members.php NC Coalition for Lobbying & Government Reform: Coalition Members</ref> He joined former Democratic state Senator [[Wib Gulley]] from Durham, NC, in calling for reform of the state’s lobbying laws.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lobbyist and legislators: How N.C. can do better | url=http://www.nclobbyreform.org/press/articles.php?id=587 | newspaper= News & Observer, March 22, 2005, by Art Pope and Wib Gulley }}</ref>
In 2005, Pope was a founding member of the NC Coalition for Lobbying & Government Reform.<ref>http://www.nclobbyreform.org/about/members.php NC Coalition for Lobbying & Government Reform: Coalition Members</ref> He joined former Democratic state Senator [[Wib Gulley]] from Durham, NC, in calling for reform of the state’s lobbying laws.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lobbyist and legislators: How N.C. can do better | url=http://www.nclobbyreform.org/press/articles.php?id=587 | newspaper= News & Observer, March 22, 2005, by Art Pope and Wib Gulley }}</ref>


Through personal campaign donations, John William Pope Foundation donations to think tanks and corporate donations to [[independent expenditure]] efforts, Pope supported Republican candidates in the 2010 elections for the [[North Carolina General Assembly]] in [[North Carolina elections, 2010|2010]].<ref name="Equalizer">{{cite news|title=Art Pope: a one-man Republican equalizer | url=http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/10/27/762445/art-pope-a-one-man-republican.html | newspaper=The News and Observer, October 27, 2010 by Rob Christensen}}</ref> Of the $30 million spent on North Carolina legislative races during the 2010 election,<ref>{{cite news|title=N.C. isn’t in Pope’s pocket | url=http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/10/09/v-print/1551327/nc-isnt-in-popes-pocket.html | newspaper=The News and Observer | date=October 9, 2011 |author=Rob Christensen}}</ref> it was reported that Art Pope’s company donated approximately $425,000 as independent expenditures that favored Republicans.<ref name="Equalizer"/> Additionally, during the same year, the John William Pope Foundation donated $1.35 million to the [[Americans for Prosperity Foundation]],<ref name=Bennett>{{cite news |first=Laurie |last=Bennett |title=Tracking Koch Money and Americans for Prosperity |url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/lauriebennett/2012/03/31/tracking-koch-money-and-americans-for-prosperity/ |publisher=''[[Forbes]]'' |date=March 31, 2012 |accessdate=November 8, 2012}}</ref> the sister group<ref>{{Cite web
Through personal campaign donations, John William Pope Foundation donations to think tanks and corporate donations to [[independent expenditure]] efforts, Pope supported Republican candidates in the 2010 elections for the [[North Carolina General Assembly]] in [[North Carolina elections, 2010|2010]].<ref name="Equalizer">{{cite news|title=Art Pope: a one-man Republican equalizer | url=http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/10/27/762445/art-pope-a-one-man-republican.html | newspaper=The News and Observer, October 27, 2010 by Rob Christensen}}</ref> Of the $30 million spent on North Carolina legislative races during the 2010 election,<ref>{{cite news|title=N.C. isn’t in Pope’s pocket | url=http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/10/09/v-print/1551327/nc-isnt-in-popes-pocket.html | newspaper=The News and Observer | date=October 9, 2011 |author=Rob Christensen}}</ref> it was reported that Art Pope’s company donated approximately $425,000 as independent expenditures that favored Republicans.<ref name="Equalizer"/>
| title = The Fix - Who is "Americans for Prosperity"?
| accessdate = 2012-11-17
| url = http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/who-is-americans-for-prosperit.html
}}</ref> of the conservative political advocacy group [[Americans for Prosperity]].<ref>{{Cite web
| title = Conservative Group Pushes to Enlist Thousands After Obama Suggests It's Foreign Influenced
| work = FoxNews.com
| format = Text.Article
| accessdate = 2012-11-17
| date = 2010-08-12
| url = http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/12/americans-prosperity-slams-obama-suggesting-foreign-influence/
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news
| last = Temple-West
| first = Patrick
| coauthors = Alina Selyukh
| title = IRS steps up scrutiny of tax-exempt political groups
| work = Reuters
| location = Washington
| accessdate = 2012-11-18
| date = 2012-06-29
| url = http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/29/us-usa-campaign-irs-idUSBRE85S09420120629
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
| title = Wealthy outside political groups find a home in Minnesota
| work = MPR News
| accessdate = 2012-11-18
| url = http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/09/25/politics/wealthy-outside-political-groups-target-minnesota/
}}</ref>


Pope co-founded Real Jobs NC,<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/10/27/762445/art-pope-a-one-man-republican.html Art Pope: a one-man Republican equalizer - Elections - NewsObserver.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> a [[527 organization]] that ran [[attack ad|attack ads]] in the North Carolina 2010 general elections.<ref name=autogenerated1 /><ref>[http://www.thesunnews.com/2011/01/13/1918141_two-outside-groups-aid-nc-republican.html Two outside groups aid N.C. Republican wins - Local - TheSunNews.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>Republicans take control in historic election - Basnight's 18-year reign as Senate leader ends; Cornelius Rep. Tillis may seek House speaker role. Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, November 3, 2010 Author: Lynn Bonner and Michael Biesecker</ref> Real Jobs NC is funded primarily by the Republican State Leadership Committee.<ref>[http://www.thesunnews.com/2011/01/13/1918141_two-outside-groups-aid-nc-republican.html#ixzz1fL5bT6jN Two outside groups aid N.C. Republican wins - Local - TheSunNews.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Pope co-founded Real Jobs NC,<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/10/27/762445/art-pope-a-one-man-republican.html Art Pope: a one-man Republican equalizer - Elections - NewsObserver.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> a [[527 organization]] that ran [[attack ad|attack ads]] in the North Carolina 2010 general elections.<ref name=autogenerated1 /><ref>[http://www.thesunnews.com/2011/01/13/1918141_two-outside-groups-aid-nc-republican.html Two outside groups aid N.C. Republican wins - Local - TheSunNews.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>Republicans take control in historic election - Basnight's 18-year reign as Senate leader ends; Cornelius Rep. Tillis may seek House speaker role. Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, November 3, 2010 Author: Lynn Bonner and Michael Biesecker</ref> Real Jobs NC is funded primarily by the Republican State Leadership Committee.<ref>[http://www.thesunnews.com/2011/01/13/1918141_two-outside-groups-aid-nc-republican.html#ixzz1fL5bT6jN Two outside groups aid N.C. Republican wins - Local - TheSunNews.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

Revision as of 22:38, 19 November 2012

James Arthur Pope
Born (1956-05-05) May 5, 1956 (age 68)
Fayetteville, North Carolina
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Politician, businessman, attorney, philanthropist

James Arthur "Art" Pope (born May 5, 1956)[1] is a North Carolina politician, businessman, attorney and philanthropist. He is CEO and board chairman of Variety Wholesalers, Inc and president and chairman of the John William Pope Foundation.

According to the News and Observer, Pope "has invested millions in a network of foundations and think tanks, and advocacy groups, both in North Carolina and nationally, that are designed to further conservative and free market ideas."[2] He has supported organizations including Americans for Prosperity, the John Locke Foundation (which he co-founded), and the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy.

Early life and education

Pope was born May 5, 1956 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to John W. and Joyce Wilkins Pope. He spent his early childhood in the town of Fuquay Varina, North Carolina. He moved with his family to the capital city of Raleigh, North Carolina in the early 1960s. Pope graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1978 with a B.A. with honors in political science, and went on to earn his J.D. from the Duke University School of Law in 1981.[1]

Professional life

Pope was engaged in a general law practice as an associate attorney with the firm of Skvarla, Boles, Wyrick and From in Raleigh, from 1982 through 1984.

In 1984, Pope took a leave of absence from the firm to work as the Director of Organization for the North Carolina gubernatorial campaign of Jim Martin. Pope served as Special Counsel to Governor Jim Martin in 1985.[1] In 1986, Pope joined the family business, the retail discount chain Variety Wholesalers. Pope has held several positions with Variety Wholesalers Inc., first as general counsel, then Vice-President of Administration and Information Systems, Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice-President. Beginning in 2006, Pope began serving as president, CEO, and chairman of the board.[3]

Public service and political involvement

Appointments and elected positions

Pope co-founded the Libertarian Party of North Carolina as a college student in 1976.[4] He has been active with the Republican Party since the late 1970s, serving in a variety of roles ranging from precinct chairman to chairman of the North Carolina GOP State Convention. Pope has also served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention on three occasions. Pope was appointed to serve on the North Carolina State Goals and Policy Board from 1985-1989. He also served on the North Carolina Capital Planning Commission.

Pope was first elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1988 to represent House District 61. He served four complete or partial terms in office, winning elections in 1988 and 1990, being appointed to fill a vacancy in 1999,[5] and winning another election in 2000.[1] He was elected Republican Joint Caucus Leader during the 1991-1992 session.[6] Pope was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the state's most prestigious award for public service, in 1992 at age 36.[3]

Pope vacated his House seat to run for the office of Lt. Governor in 1992. After winning a three-way Republican primary in May 1992, Pope lost the general election to Democrat Dennis Wicker.[3]

In June 2011, Pope was appointed to the board of directors for Golden LEAF (Long-term Economic Advancement Foundation), a nonprofit grant-making organization whose mission is to spur economic development in tobacco-dependent areas of North Carolina. Pope had previously criticized some Golden LEAF funding decisions.[7]

Pope was among several business leaders appointed in September 2012 to serve on a UNC system advisory group tasked with helping to shape the future of the state's public universities.[8] In November 2012, it was announced that Pope would serve as a co-chair on North Carolina Governor-Elect Pat McCrory's transition team.[9]

527 Political and 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations

In 2005, Pope was a founding member of the NC Coalition for Lobbying & Government Reform.[10] He joined former Democratic state Senator Wib Gulley from Durham, NC, in calling for reform of the state’s lobbying laws.[11]

Through personal campaign donations, John William Pope Foundation donations to think tanks and corporate donations to independent expenditure efforts, Pope supported Republican candidates in the 2010 elections for the North Carolina General Assembly in 2010.[12] Of the $30 million spent on North Carolina legislative races during the 2010 election,[13] it was reported that Art Pope’s company donated approximately $425,000 as independent expenditures that favored Republicans.[12]

Pope co-founded Real Jobs NC,[14] a 527 organization that ran attack ads in the North Carolina 2010 general elections.[14][15][16] Real Jobs NC is funded primarily by the Republican State Leadership Committee.[17]

Civitas Action Inc, a 501(c)(4) non-profit organized by the John W. Pope Civitas Institute think tank, also sent out mailings against Democratic candidates in the North Carolina 2010 general elections, and is funded primarily by Variety Stores, which is owned by Pope.[14]

Philanthropy

Pope is chairman and president of the John William Pope Foundation, which he founded with his father, John W. Pope, in 1986.[18]

As of June 30, 2010, the Pope Foundation had nearly $136.8 million in assets. It has made over $89 million in grants since 1986, including over $9 million in grants made during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010. Over the last 25 years, half of the Pope Foundation’s grants have gone to support public policy, conservative organizations and think tanks in North Carolina, with the largest single recipient being the John Locke Foundation. Eighteen percent of the grants went to support higher education, including Campbell University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Seventeen percent has supported national conservative and libertarian public policy groups, including The Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute. Ten percent of the Pope Foundation’s grants support community philanthropy, including the Habitat for Humanity in Wake County and Food Bank of Eastern & Central North Carolina. The Foundation’s support for the arts includes grants to the North Carolina Symphony, Carolina Ballet, North Carolina Theater and North Carolina Opera.[19]

In 2008, the John William Pope foundation provided more than 80% of the total budget for each of five leading conservative non-profits in North Carolina.[20] The Pope foundation has donated more than $28.7 million to the think tanks, including $17 million to the John Locke Foundation,[21] for which Art Pope was the founding chairman.[22]

In 2005, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill asked the John William Pope Foundation for a $4.8 million grant to enhance its curriculum in Western civilization. In 2006, after wrangling between the university administration and some faculty and students who opposed the proposal,[23] the Pope Foundation declined to fund the proposal. Instead, the Pope Foundation donated $100,000 a year for a visiting scholars program and student fellowships for the study of Western civilization, as well as $2 million for an endowment for salary enhancements for assistant football coaches.[24] In 2011, the Pope Foundation gave the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill $3 million for its Student-Athlete Academic Support Center.[25][26]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Cheney, John L., Jr. (ed.). North Carolina Manual 2001-2002. Raleigh, NC: Secretary of State of North Carolina. p. 570. Retrieved November 27, 2011. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
  2. ^ Art Pope subject of New Yorker profile | newsobserver.com projects
  3. ^ a b c Our Campaigns - Candidate - James Arthur "Art" Pope
  4. ^ New Yorker: State for Sale
  5. ^ New Yorker: State for Sale
  6. ^ Cheney, John L., Jr. (ed.). North Carolina Manual 1991-1992. Raleigh, NC: Secretary of State of North Carolina. p. 313. Retrieved November 27, 2011. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
  7. ^ Art Pope will have say in agency he criticized. The News and Observer, June 15, 2011, by Lynn Bonner, Rob Christensen and Eden Stiffman.
  8. ^ "Key legislators, business leaders on UNC strategic planning group". News and Observer. September 13, 2012.
  9. ^ "McCrory unveils transition team, defends selection of conservative-activist Art Pope". Winston-Salem Journal. November 8, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  10. ^ http://www.nclobbyreform.org/about/members.php NC Coalition for Lobbying & Government Reform: Coalition Members
  11. ^ "Lobbyist and legislators: How N.C. can do better". News & Observer, March 22, 2005, by Art Pope and Wib Gulley.
  12. ^ a b "Art Pope: a one-man Republican equalizer". The News and Observer, October 27, 2010 by Rob Christensen.
  13. ^ Rob Christensen (October 9, 2011). "N.C. isn't in Pope's pocket". The News and Observer.
  14. ^ a b c Art Pope: a one-man Republican equalizer - Elections - NewsObserver.com
  15. ^ Two outside groups aid N.C. Republican wins - Local - TheSunNews.com
  16. ^ Republicans take control in historic election - Basnight's 18-year reign as Senate leader ends; Cornelius Rep. Tillis may seek House speaker role. Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Wednesday, November 3, 2010 Author: Lynn Bonner and Michael Biesecker
  17. ^ Two outside groups aid N.C. Republican wins - Local - TheSunNews.com
  18. ^ John J. Miller (December 21, 2009). "The Fisherman's Friend". National Review.
  19. ^ Todd Cohen (November 21, 2011). "Poverty, free markets focus of Pope Foundation". Philanthropy Journal.
  20. ^ "Blessed to have a Pope". Facing South.
  21. ^ Christensen, Rob. "Art Pope: a one-man Republican equalizer - Elections". NewsObserver.com. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
  22. ^ Board Of Directors | The North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law
  23. ^ The Daily Tar Heel :: Pope funds prompt uproar
  24. ^ "Pope Family Gives $2.3 Million for Western Civ, Football Coaches". UNC Alumni Review. October 8, 2006.
  25. ^ "Pope Foundation gives $3 million to UNC". Philanthropy Journal. April 12, 2011.
  26. ^ "Gifts totaling $10.5 Million will support the University's student-athletes in Kenan". University Gazette. April 27, 2011.

Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Art_Pope&oldid=523919942"