Real Koch Facts

Charles Koch: “That Is A Blood Libel”

August 1, 2016

Charles Koch: on speculation he would vote for Clinton — “That is a blood libel”

Definition of “blood libel”: an accusation that Jewish people used the blood of Christians in religious rituals, especially in the preparation of Passover bread, that was perpetrated throughout the Middle Ages and (sporadically) until the early 20th century.

I mean maybe this is a situation we should give him the benefit of the doubt? Oh wait….

NYT: Father of Koch Brothers Helped Build Nazi Oil Refinery

Huff Po: Concentration Camp Inmates Had To Rebuild A Nazi Oil Refinery The Koch Brothers Dad Helped Construct

Their father was a founding member of, and Charles and David where both members of, the anti-Semitic John Birch Society

Bridge Project Statement On Americans For Prosperity’s July Expenditures

July 26, 2016

The Koch brothers are freeing up the RNC to focus their efforts on Donald Trump with another large investment–through Americans for Prosperity–on ground game efforts to defend vulnerable Republican congressional candidates. An infusion of Koch dollars to hire staff and provide canvassing materials relieves the RNC, NRSC and NRCC of a significant financial burden. Under a deal struck with the RNC, Trump is almost entirely dependent on funds raised jointly with the national party. The less money needed to defend House and Senate seats, the more money can flow back into the Trump camp.

“The Kochs’ dramatic increase in spending on competitive Senate and House races through Americans for Prosperity is a boon for Donald Trump,” said Eddie Vale, Bridge Project vice-president. “With virtually no campaign, Donald Trump is entirely reliant on the RNC’s infrastructure. Every dollar the Kochs spend propping up vulnerable Republicans frees a dollar […]

4 Koch Climate Change-Denying Arguments That DESTROYED The Scientific Consensus

July 14, 2016

Earlier this week, Senate Democrats took to the Senate floor to call out Charles and David Koch and the groups the brothers fund over their coordinated campaign against the scientific consensus of climate change.

Unsurprisingly, the Koch network did not respond well to the scrutiny. Here are the four categories of deflections they decided to go with:

1) Despite what 97% of scientists say, the science of climate change is unsettled.

“Guys, there is no consensus on #climatechange science. Not sure how else to break it to you.” [Heritage on the Hill – Twitter, 7/12/16]

2) Actually, we have a right to be anti-science climate change-deniers, so…

“Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and fellow Senate Democrats have launched a series of false, ad-hominem attacks against private citizens.” [Freedom Partners, 7/12/16]

3) Come on! It must be tyrannical, or something, for these Senators to call us out like this, right?

“In a country where you should be the patriots leading us into […]

Senate Leads #WebofDenial Floor Speeches Against Anti-Science Kochs

July 12, 2016

Senators delivered floor speeches last night hitting more than a dozen Koch-funded groups for their coordinated anti-science, climate change denial agenda. Sen. Reid started things off with a poignant reminder that the Koch brothers spend hundreds of millions of dollars to undermine the reality of global warming and mislead the American people about the dangers of climate change.

The senators went beyond calling the usual suspects (Americans for Prosperity, Freedom Partners, etc.) known in the Koch network. One-by-one, Sens. Schumer, Warren, Merkley, and Whitehouse put a spotlight on the advocacy groups and think tanks that the Kochs fund to distort climate change and its effects in our community and to our world.

Many of the groups named are a part of the lesser-known entity, State Policy Network (SPN). With a reported budget of $83 million, these benign-sounding groups push the Koch agenda at the state level, giving political cover […]

LIBRE Pushes Koch Anti-Government Extremism On Struggling Puerto Rico

June 30, 2016

Today, President Obama will sign PROMESA, a last minute attempt at helping Puerto Rico two days before the territory owes its next debt payment. The legislation is hardly perfect but in the face of default Democrats and Republicans attempted to work together for some solution. Loud opposition to the government assisting Puerto Rico has been a road block to previous legislation.

The Koch brothers have been some of the most active opponents to helping the territory restructure its debt. Several Koch allies, including donor Ken Griffin, have interests in Puerto Rico and hope to profit off the economic downturn. Leading their efforts is their Latino front group, the LIBRE Initiative. LIBRE claims it advocates for issues that benefit Latino communities; however, they lobby first and foremost for the Kochs’ agenda — meaning they regularly fight for policies that negatively affect Latino communities. LIBRE has joined the Kochs to fight against raising […]

The Kochs’ “Absolute, Overwhelmingly Awesome” Plan To Privatize The VA

June 29, 2016

The Koch Brothers’ Concerned Veterans for America has been less than forthcoming about their intention to privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs–at times denying any such desire. Yesterday, high-level CVA staff again called the for privatization of the VA–and contrary to the experience of tens of millions of veterans and family members who depend on the VA–claimed that the department’s health services have never been effective or useful.

In an interview with “Stand for Truth Radio”, Concerned Veterans For America Arizona State Director Matt Dobson claimed that the VA system, “hasn’t worked and has never worked.” CVA’s solution? Privatization, of course. Dobson explained that a system in which veterans could access private care–while carrying part of the cost-burden for themselves–was, “The best we [CVA] could come up with.”

While Dobson was advocating for the best CVA could come up with, state-level CVA groups from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia disseminated

Coordinated Koch Attack On Common Sense Gun Safety

June 29, 2016

The Koch brothers are right-wing ideologues who put the profits of gun manufacturers ahead of common sense gun safety. Last week they deployed their network to belittle Democratic action to demand a vote on legislation widely supported by the American public.

As Democratic lawmakers engage in a Day of Action today to raise awareness of gun violence and demand legislative action, they’re sure to be greeted with push back from the Koch brothers’ political network.

Koch groups gave the NRA $6.6 million in 2012 and nearly $4.9 million in 2014 and the NRA worked with the Kochs’ Americans for Prosperity “to train and mobilize gun owners.” The Kochs’ relationship with the gun-lobby is detailed in Bridge Project’s new report, Marketing Death—How the Gun Industry Uses the NRA to Boost Profits and Undermine Public Safety.

The Koch network aggressively criticized last week’s Democratic sit-in with a uniform, erroneous message that Democratic lawmakers were attempting to destroy due process […]

Freedom Partners Spends $1.2 Million On False Attack In Nevada

June 28, 2016

The Kochs are making big plays in senate races despite once claiming they were getting out of politics altogether. In Nevada, the Koch-funded Freedom Partners PAC announced a $1.2 million ad buy against Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto. This is the second million-dollar ad buy the Kochs have cut against Cortez Masto in just a few months. The Kochs hope to replace one of their best known critics Senator Harry Reid with puppet Congressman Joe Heck.

Heck has received many a helping hand from the Kochs: Between 2011 and 2014, Koch Industries gave $30,000 to the Republican. During his re-election campaign in 2014, Americans for Prosperity made a $200,000 ad buy for Heck, “praising” his opposition to the ACA. Since announcing his run for Senate, Heck has received $2,500 from the Kochs.

The latest Freedom Partners ad on Cortez Masto falsely accuses her of driving ride-sharing app Uber “out of town,” claiming […]

As Economy Free Falls, Koch Network Cheers On Brexit

June 24, 2016

Donald Trump isn’t the only American cheering on Brexit.

The Dow plunged at market open this morning and the pound’s value is its lowest since 1985, but the Koch network is joining Trump is celebrating the UK’s vote to leave the European Union.

CEO of the Kochs’ political longarm, Americans for Prosperity, Luke Hilgemann took to Twitter to show his support: “Ahhh, nothing like the sweet, sweet smell of freedom wafting over from across the pond this morning! #Leave #Brexit.” AFP Senior Policy Fellow Peggy Venable and AFP Policy Director Akash Chougule also retweeted messages of solidarity with the vote that suggested Democrats need to “take note” of the UK’s decision.

Fellows of the Koch-backed Cato-Institute quickly proclaimed their excitement over the vote. In an op-ed for Forbes, Doug Bandow wrote,

Americans also should take note of Brexit.

…

Perhaps a similar campaign could be launched in the U.S. A movement against turning […]

Koch Groups Defend Climate Change-Denial Propaganda, Get Subpoenaed

June 23, 2016

In 2014, Koch Industries was “the top spender for oil and gas lobbying,” mounting a $13.7 million-effort to protect Charles and David Koch’s business interests.

Now, several Koch groups are being subpoenaed as part of an investigation into “whether Exxon committed consumer and securities fraud stemming from the company’s challenging of the catastrophic climate change narrative.”

Americans For Prosperity, the Beacon Hill Institute, the Mercatus Center, and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), are rightfully being included in the investigation, because the truth is that Koch groups, especially ALEC, do, in fact, promote anti-science climate change denial: all told, the Kochs have “spent over $88 million” to run a misinformation campaign against the science of climate change and relevant policies, according to Greenpeace.

In fact,Koch groups are currently running a high-profile PR campaign on behalf of Exxon. Koch funded organizations last month pooled resources to drop $21 million on a […]