Richard J. Stephenson
Stephenson is the founder and chairman of Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Stephenson is happily married to Dr Stacie J Stephenson, a prominent physician, lecturer, and philanthropist in functional and integrative medicine.
Business
Stephenson founded CTCA "following his mother’s death from bladder cancer, [and he] ... holds investments in a broad portfolio of other businesses, including finance and real estate companies", according to a late-2012 profile in the Washington Post.[1]
Political involvement
Stephenson serves on the board of the conservative group FreedomWorks.[1][2] In the run-up to the 2012 US presidential election, Stephenson reportedly funneled $12 million to the FreedomWorks super PAC through various firms in a way that effectively hid the origins of the funds. In late 2012, Stephenson agreed to pay $400,000 a year for twenty years to FreedomWorks provided former House majority leader Dick Armey left his position as chairman of the conservative group.[1][3]
According to the Post profile, Stephenson "has a passion for libertarian politics stretching back to the 1960s, when he attended seminars featuring Atlas Shrugged author Ayn Rand and economist Murray Rothbard [and later as] ... an early supporter of Citizens for a Sound Economy, the conservative lobbying group founded by oil billionaires Charles and David Koch in 1984". In 2004 CSE split in two, with the Kochs keeping control of AFP while Stephenson and Armey stayed with FreedomWorks.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 Gardner, Amy (2012-12-26). "FreedomWorks tea party group nearly falls apart in fight between old and new guard". Washington Post.
- ↑ Board of Directors, Freedom Works
- ↑ Feds urged to probe cancer clinic exec's role with super PAC, Paul Merrion, Crain's Chicago Business, January 3, 2013
External links
- Profile at Cancer Treatment Centers of America
- Campaign contributions at Newsmeat