The story the Koch Brothers’ were afraid of

[babylonsister]

Posted with permission.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_10/the_story_the_koch_brothers_we032577.php


The story the Koch Brothers’ were afraid of

By Steve Benen


Last week, there were rumors about a Bloomberg News piece that was going to make right-wing financiers Charles and David Koch look pretty bad. As Justin Elliott put it, “Here’s a rule of thumb about public relations: When P.R. pros begin furiously spinning a story before it has even come out, there’s a pretty good chance the story is going to be damaging to the reputation of said P.R. pros’ bosses.”

And now we know what the Kochs were afraid of. As it turns out, Bloomberg News has uncovered credible evidence of Koch Industries making “improper payments” (read: bribes) to “secure contracts in six countries dating back to 2002.” One of those countries, it turns out, is Iran, which has purchased millions of dollars of petrochemical equipment from the Kochs’ company, despite a trade ban and the U.S. labeling Iran a state sponsor of terrorism.

Internal company documents show that the company made those sales through foreign subsidiaries, thwarting a U.S. trade ban. Koch Industries units have also rigged prices with competitors, lied to regulators and repeatedly run afoul of environmental regulations, resulting in five criminal convictions since 1999 in the U.S. and Canada.

From 1999 through 2003, Koch Industries was assessed more than $400 million in fines, penalties and judgments. In December 1999, a civil jury found that Koch Industries had taken oil it didn’t pay for from federal land by mismeasuring the amount of crude it was extracting. Koch paid a $25 million settlement to the U.S.

Phil Dubose, a Koch employee who testified against the company said he and his colleagues were shown by their managers how to steal and cheat — using techniques they called the Koch Method. <…>

For six decades around the world, Koch Industries has blazed a path to riches — in part, by making illicit payments to win contracts, trading with a terrorist state, fixing prices, neglecting safety and ignoring environmental regulations. At the same time, Charles and David Koch have promoted a form of government that interferes less with company actions.

I think we now know why Koch Industries was so worried about this article — it’s pretty devastating.

Much of the institutional right has grown quite dependent on the Koch Brothers’ generosity, which has helped finance Tea Party efforts and scores of conservative groups and institutions. But given Koch Industries’ alleged misdeeds, the Kochs’ money may soon need to be considered far more controversial than we’d even been led to believe.

[SpiralHawk]

1. Afraid of the truth getting out. Soooo Republicon

Republicon Family Values are from the bottom of the scuzzbucket...

[FSogol]

2. K & R. Trading with terrorist states? Just like Reagan. Throw the book at them. n/t

[Mr Deltoid]

8. Cheney did the same thing with Haliburton

It's what they do.

[polly7]

14. He sure did. And, outright lied about it.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1012-33.htm Watching a nation of civilians suffer under heavy sanctions, while breaking them at the same time ..... it is just what they do.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. Easy solution. Have congress pass special legislation

permitting bribes outside of the US "to level the playing field."

Hell, they own 1/3 of congress already. How much would it cost to buy the rest of it up?

[WhiteTara]

10. Nah. Too cumbersome...Let SCOTUS rule. n/t

[ChairmanAgnostic]

17. good point. 5 is much cheaper than 200+

[defendandprotect]

4. kr

[Bonhomme Richard]

5. What's the surprise? Didn't they make their initial millions off Stalin? n/t

[jwirr]

18. I do not know about that but if it is true they are real hypocrites - John

Burchers - a group that is supposedly anti-communists.

[Bonhomme Richard]

22. Here it is and yes they are hypocrites

http://www.alternet.org/story/146504/

[Vincardog]

6. We need to shine a BRIGHT light on where their money is going

[geardaddy]

7. Rules are for the rest of us.

If it was good enough for grandpappy Bush, it's good enough for the Kochs.

"One of those countries, it turns out, is Iran, which has purchased millions of dollars of petrochemical equipment from the Kochs’ company, despite a trade ban and the U.S. labeling Iran a state sponsor of terrorism."

[salin]

9. guess the figured buying our govt wasn't enough

Funny, before Wisconsin few were familiar with the Kochs and their funding habits, as they were far behind the scene players. Now they are a household word in any house that talks about politics. Turns out they were doing all sorts of no-nos that would usually turn the right apoplectic had they been done by a big Dem backer. If this is just the beginning (and this is how these things start to come apart) it becomes probably that eventually their money will be toxic. Worse is the unmasking of the true goals of those funding the teaparty. We see it, but low info voters haven't. De masking the means and motives of the far right, while unleashing the populist anger per the OWS movement - likely makes the moderate middle move leftward.

[steve2470]

11. k&r nt

[ixion]

12. Just to be fair: Any nation that trades with the US is trading with a terrorist state, too

because the US is the largest state sponsor of terror in the world.

[gratuitous]

13. Criminals like to work in the dark

The less witnesses, the more better.

[spanone]

15. watch for this story to get buried along with any rupert murdoch stories that come along

[Wait Wut]

23. This is why we have "concern trolls"

Post the link to the story on RW sites. I have a teaper persona that I use to feign ignorance. Those are the only sites I don't use the name "WaitWut". Yeah...figured out that mistake quickly. :blush:

I normally get few responses and the link is deleted eventually, but at least I can get it in front of their stupid faces for a minute. Somewhere, their subconscious is saying, "Uhhhhhhh...wtf?" One site I actually have two teaper trolls so I have someone to talk to. :rofl:

[Quantess]

31. I never go to those places, so I don't know....

But, the *official reason* for deleting the links: is it because they don't approve of the sources? For example, a counterpunch or alternet or MoveOn link could, from their perspective, be seen as left-wing sites.
If it were a link from, say, The Washington Post, or CNN would they delete those links as well?

[Wait Wut]

44. It's not the source.

It's the subject matter. If you link to an article that criticizes any of their idols it will get deleted. I will go out of my way to find a link to a similar story that comes from a more "neutral" source. That helps remove the "liberal media" objection. Just like here, they'll question a link that comes from a source they see as the enemy and immediately assume you're a troll.

[Worship Money]

16. Oh Look

Two of the worst, most destructive entities in the world- the Kochs and the Islamic Republic of Iran- doing business.

They actually have so many right wing humanity destroying "values" in common, it's sick.

[Kingofalldems]

19. Kick and Rec one time for the teabaggers

[Shandris]

20. And every facet of their business continues to make money.

Why is this? Because the cost of compliance (or legality) is ALWAYS greater than the cost of the fine! So long as that holds true, it is unprofitable NOT to break the law, lie to regulators, and steal from the government and the people.

And these are the 'successful' people that we are accused of wanting to 'steal money' from. It makes me fucking sick to hear that shit. :puke:

[Quantess]

46. True. (no text)

[Hotler]

21. kicking n/t

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

24. I posted this over at Steve's hang. It applies.

I think it should be pointed out, again and again, that these two worthies, during the W Administration, were in charge of The Strategic Petroleum Reserve.During that time, salt domes that had never seen a drop of oil, previously, were "filled" to the brim.

How much of that is salt water, under the oil, is quite another story.

On edit: One of the K-Bros is married to Dorothea Bush. W's sister.

[babylonsister]

26. Hey you!

:hi:

And I didn't know that about Dorothea and her douchy husband.

What is Steve's hang?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

28. No, Hey You!!! ;-)

You know, Benen's site.

[Aerows]

48. That's a scary thought

I would bet that there isn't a drop of oil in the Koch Brother tended Strategic Petroleum Reserves. Would certainly explain why the spigots weren't opened when oil prices soared - there aren't any.

[krawhitham]

25. So when do they get hit with the RICO charges?

Freeze all their money until the trial is over

Where will the GOP be without the Kock money?

[Demeter]

27. But will it make any difference?

i can't see how, unless they end up in federal prison.

[Scurrilous]

29. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Bloke 32]

30. Quite so

Good point.

[Bucky]

32. I'll bet there more than a few nutso billionaires waiting in the wings to pick up the slack

(and the power that comes with it)

[Politicalboi]

33. So if you break the law while growing Marijuana

They seize your home and your bank account. You commit treason and that's fine. You keep everything you gained from that crime and then some. If this were Buffet, or Soros the right would be screaming from the roof tops. Mrs Greenspan would have this as her opening story and the whole day on MSNBC would cover it.

[progressoid]

34. I wish I could agree, but I doubt it will make any difference.

Very few Americans (and even fewer teabaggers) are even aware of the Kochs and their money.

A couple petty fines here and there ain't gonna make much difference to them.

[annabanana]

35. k&r.. Wouldn't you LOVE to see this on CorpoMedia© ?

Don't hold your breath.

[KansDem]

36. Seize their assets!

Okay, okay, we'll do this the right way...put a doobie in their hand then seize their assets!

[DeSwiss]

37. K&R n/t

[Deep13]

38. We'll need these.

[nineteen50]

39. They hate

America, and love money.

[oldbanjo]

42. No more than the Republican Party.

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Octafish]

41. If the Koch Brothers bribed Iranians, what's to stop them from bribing Washingtonians?

Gotta ask.

[certainot]

43. imagine if 1000 unchallenged coordinated radio stations chewed on this for a week or month

but since those radio stations are coordinated by koch funded think tanks they will be doing cover work to help the tea party faithful rationalize and forget it and deflect their blame to obama, etc. "but look what clinton did".

if it hits any kind of momentum they'll turn some molehill to turn into a mountain to distract the media.

this has been working well for 20 years, right under the left's collective nose kicking it's collective ass...

[JPZenger]

45. kicked

[Aerows]

47. Explains a lot of why they are so anti-government, too

They don't like having to follow the law. A $25 million settlement to the US, despite that it's just a drop in the bucket for them, obviously angered them.

They are a blatant example of the wealthy that got wealthy by breaking the law. I won't hold my breath for either of them to go to jail, though, no matter how much they both deserve it.