Will Rick Perry Return Koch Campaign Cash?

[deminks]

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/10/rick-perry-koch-iran?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+motherjones%2Fmain+%28MotherJones.com+Main+Article+Feed%29

Texas Gov. Rick Perry rails against Iran's "extremist, repressive ideology." He condemns any company who does business with "a terrorist state like Iran" for aiding a country that wants to kill American troops. And as governor, he told his state's biggest investment funds to divest from all companies with Iran ties; continuing such investments, he explained, was "investing in terrorism."

But now Perry, a top contender for the GOP presidential nomination, has an Iran problem: One of his most high-profile donors, Koch Industries for years did business with Iran, helping to grow the Iranian energy industry. Which means that at the same time he was slamming companies profiting off of business with Iran, Perry was pocketing campaign cash from a company doing just that. In light of the Koch-Iran revelations, the left-leaning outside spending group American Bridge is demanding Perry give back his Koch money. "If does not immediately return all of the Koch's Iran-tainted money and repudiate their actions, he has no business running to be the leader of the free world," says Rodell Mollineau, president of American Bridge, which compiled research on Perry's Iran comments and past campaign donations.

Koch Industries' Iran dealings were detailed in a recent exposé by Bloomberg Markets magazine. According to the story, the Wichita-based corporation used foreign subsidiaries to sell petrochemical equipment to Iran as recently as 2007. The subsidiary, Koch-Glitsch, sold equipment to Iran that went toward building what is now the largest methanol plant in the world, Zagros Petrochemical, operated by the country's National Iranian Petrochemical Company.

(snip)

Koch Industries' deals with Iran are exactly the type of transactions Perry blasted in a 2007 speech to the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce. The Texas governor didn't just slam companies for doing business with one of the most radical, oppressive, and violent governments in the Middle East; he accused them of being complicit in the deaths of American troops in the Middle East. "Let me be clear: I personally believe that any company that does business with Iran is actively assisting those who seek to harm American men and women who are serving in the Middle East, and funds terror attacks on our allies in the region," he said.

(end snip)

Perry, Bachmann, Christ Christie and any others accepting Koch tainted funding should return it.

[Bluzmann57]

1. Simple and fast answer.

No.
Perry and the others will not return the cash from the koch bros.

[Gman]

2. Returning the money would mean they're not hypocrites.

So it ain't gonna happen

[Scuba]

3. That would imply that he puts ethics over money. Won't happen. n/t

[Javaman]

4. Don't hold your breath.

cement head perry has only two emotions: greedy and opportunist. Usually working at the same time.

[negativenihil]

5. Ron Paul never returned money

to Storm Front. Why should Perry return to the Super Koch Bros?

[mwooldri]

6. Will the Pope convert to Islam?

I agree koch money should be returned but it isn't likely to happen.