“Koch Brothers Exposed” chronicles the damage being done to individuals, communities and our democracy by two billionaires who are using their vast wealth to rewrite the rules of government to suit their ends. But the Koch brothers are a symbol of a greater problem of the power of money in politics—in particular, the ability of some über-rich people and large corporations to put their massive thumbs on the scale of democracy in ways that manipulate and ultimately overwhelm the will of the people.

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Koch Brothers: Obstacles To Broad Prosperity
Charles and David Koch, billionaire businessmen, are the founders of a group they call “Americans for Prosperity.” But what the group actually does is support extreme right-wing candidates who actively fight against the economic interests of workers and their families. The Koch brothers have been behind:

A $45 million effort to buy control of Congress. That’s the amount of money Forbes magazine says Americans for Prosperity spent in the 2010 elections. That money helped Republicans control the House with the most extreme group of conservatives elected in modern history. With this group firmly in control, every effort by the Obama administration to move legislation to revive the economy has been thwarted and previous successes in health care and financial reform have come under unrelenting attack. The stream of anti-regulation, anti-labor legislation passed by the Tea Party-besotted House is pretty much lifted straight from the Koch brothers legislative agenda.

The destructive efforts of the American Legislative Exchange Council to co-opt state and local governments. Rather than promoting state and local governments as entities that are particularly equipped to respond to the public interest because of their proximity to the people, ALEC mounts campaigns that leave state and local governments facilitating private greed rather than serving the public good. In August The Nation’s Lisa Graves explained that “of all the Kochs’ investments in right-wing organizations, ALEC provides some of the best returns: it gives the Kochs a way to make their brand of free-market fundamentalism legally binding.” Examples include legislation that allows energy companies to avoid fines for polluting, that push privatization of public education, and that prevent states and localities from regulating the rogue behavior of financial institutions.

MATT TAIBBI: Oh, Bush, hands down. And this is an important point to make, because if you go back to the early 2000s, think about all these high-profile cases: Adelphia, Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Arthur Andersen. All of these companies were swept up by the Bush Justice Department. And what’s interesting about this is that you can see a progression. If you go back to the savings and loan crisis in the late '80s, which was an enormous fraud problem, but it paled in comparison to the subprime mortgage crisis, we put about 800 people in jail during—in the aftermath of that crisis. You fast-forward 10 or 15 years to the accounting scandals, like Enron and Adelphia and Tyco, we went after the heads of some of those companies. It wasn't as vigorous as the S&L prosecutions, but we at least did it. At least George Bush recognized the symbolic importance of showing ordinary Americans that justice is blind, right?

Three Bridgestone Corp. Executives Indicted for Roles in Fixing Prices and Rigging Bids on Auto Parts Installed in U.S. Cars
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/April/14-at-386.html

CEO and Managing Partner of Wall Street Broker-Dealer Charged with Massive International Bribery Scheme
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/April/14-crm-381.html

Government Settles False Claims Act Allegations Against Kansas Cancer Treatment Facility and Its Owner
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/April/14-civ-378.html

Owner of Tax Return Preparation Franchise and Health Provider Business Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud, Healthcare Fraud and Money Laundering
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/April/14-tax-372.html

Brooklyn Fish Processors Ordered to Comply with Sanitation Remedies
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/April/14-civ-370.html

Former Vice President of Government Contracting Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bribery
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/April/14-crm-343.html

United States Announces $5.15 Billion Settlement of Litigation Against Subsidiaries of Anadarko Petroleum Corp. to Remedy Fraudulent Conveyance Designed to Evade Environmental Liabilities
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/April/14-dag-338.html

Seven Indicted in Florida in Mortgage Scheme
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-crm-324.html

Tonawanda Coke and Manager Sentenced for Violating the Clean Air Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-crm-288.html

North America’s Largest Acid Manufacturer and Its Subsidiaries Agree to Slash Emissions and Reduce Air Pollution
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-enrd-287.html

Justice Department Announces Criminal Charge Against Toyota Motor Corporation and Deferred Prosecution Agreement with $1.2 Billion Financial Penalty
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-ag-286.html

American Family Care Inc. to Pay $1.2 Million to Settle Allegations of Inflated Medicare Claims
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-civ-281.html

Straw Owner of Clinic Sentenced in Medicare Fraud Scheme
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-crm-280.html

Jury Convicts All Seven Defendants in $97 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-crm-261.html

Florida Hospital System Agrees to Pay the Government $85 Million to Settle Allegations of Improper Financial Relationships with Referring Physicians
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-civ-252.html

Pharmaceutical Company to Pay $27.6 Million to Settle Allegations Involving False Billings to Federal Health Care Programs
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-civ-251.html

Coal Companies and Subsidiaries to Spend Estimated $200 Million on Treatment and System-wide Upgrades to Reduce Water Pollution
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-enrd-228.html

Omnicare to Pay Government $4.19 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations of Kickbacks
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-civ-216.html

Diagnostic Imaging Group to Pay $15.5 Million for Allegedly Submitting False Claims to Federal and State Health Care Programs
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-civ-200.html

Government Files Enforcement Action Against Four California Companies and Six Individuals to Stop the Importation of Dangerous Children’s Products
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-civ-192.html

Endo Pharmaceuticals and Endo Health Solutions to Pay $192.7 Million to Resolve Criminal and Civil Liability Relating to Marketing of Prescription Drug Lidoderm for Unapproved Uses
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-civ-187.html

Government Intervenes in Lawsuit Against Tenet Healthcare Corp. and Georgia Hospital Owned by Health Management Associates Inc. Alleging Payment of Kickbacks
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-civ-176.html

Former Bank of America Executive Pleads Guilty for Role in Conspiracy and Fraud Involving Investment Contracts for Municipal Bonds Proceeds
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-at-137.html

Citgo Sentenced to Pay More Than $2 Million for Environmental Crimes at Corpus Christi, Texas, Refinery
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/

W.R. Grace Pays Over $63 Million Toward Cleanup and Restoration of Hazardous Waste Sites in Communities Across the Country
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-enrd-122.html

JPMorgan Chase to Pay $614 Million for Submitting False Claims for FHA-insured and VA-guaranteed Mortgage Loans
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-civ-120.html

Medicare Fraud Strike Force Set Record Numbers for Health Care Fraud Prosecutions(2013)
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/January/14-crm-082.html

Government Intervenes in Lawsuits Against Health Management Associates Inc. Hospital Chain Alleging Unnecessary Inpatient Admissions and Payment of Kickbacks
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/January/14-civ-037.html

Medical Device Manufacturer Charged With Major Securities Fraud Scheme
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/January/14-crm-013.html

Halliburton Agrees to Plead Guilty to Destruction of Evidence in Connection with Deepwater Horizon Tragedy
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/July/13-crm-850.html

United States Reaches an Agreement with XTO Energy to Prevent Waste Spills from Natural Gas Exploration and Production
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/July/13-enrd-810.html

Panasonic and Its Subsidiary Sanyo Agree to Plead Guilty in Separate Price-Fixing Conspiracies Involving Automotive Parts and Battery Cells
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/July/13-at-808.html

Former CEO and Former CFO of ArthroCare Corp. Charged with Orchestrating $400 Million Securities Fraud Scheme
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/July/13-crm-805.html

Shell Oil to Spend Over $115 Million to Reduce Harmful Air Pollution at Houston Area Refinery and Chemical Plant
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/July/13-enrd-775.html

Justice Department Sues National Tax Preparation Firm and Franchisees to Stop Alleged Pervasive Tax Fraud
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/March/12-tax-393.html

Greek Shipping Company Sentenced in New Orleans to Pay $2 Million for Intentional Cover-Up of Oil Pollution and Obstruction of Justice
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/March/12-enrd-378.html

Harbert Companies Agree to Pay $47 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/March/12-civ-341.html

BP Products North America to Improve Spill Response Preparedness at Oil Terminals Nationwide
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/September/12-enrd-1167.html

Hedge Fund Manager of A&O Entities Convicted in $100 Million Fraud Scheme
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/June/11-crm-765.html

U.S. Subsidiary of Belgian Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Pleads Guilty to Off-Label Promotion; Company to Pay More Than $34 Million
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/June/11-civ-751.html

Pfizer to Pay $14.5 Million for Illegal Marketing of Drug Detrol
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/October/11-civ-1389.html

Oracle Agrees to Pay U.S. $199.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Lawsuit
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/October/11-civ-1329.html

Two Johnson & Johnson Subsidiaries to Pay Over $81 Million to Resolve Allegations of Off-Label Promotion of Topamax
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/April/10-civ-500.html

Medical Device Manufacturer Guidant Pleads Guilty for Not Reporting Defibrillator Safety Problems to FDA
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/April/10-civ-370.html

U.S. Settles Lawsuits Against Hewlett-Packard and Intervenes Against its Business Partners for Violating FCC Competitive Bidding Rules in Texas
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/November/10-civ-1284.html

Nation’s Largest Nursing Home Pharmacy and Drug Manufacturer to Pay $112 Million to Settle False Claims Act Cases
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/November/09-civ-1186.html

Chevron to Pay U.S. More Than $45 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims for Royalties Underpayment
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/December/09-civ-1379.html

Oklahoma Hospital Group Pays U.S. $13 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/December/09-civ-1376.html

Duke Energy to Spend Approximately $93 Million to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/December/09-enrd-1371.html

Largest Environmental Bankruptcy in U.S. History Will Result in Payment of $1.79 Billion Towards Environmental Cleanup & Restoration
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/December/09-enrd-1326.html