Koch Brothers Fire Back at 'Disrespectful and Divisive'
Harry Reid
Friday, 31 Jan 2014 12:59 PM
By Melanie Batley
Billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch fired back at Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid on Friday in a rare public rebuke after the Democrat
used the Senate floor to accuse them of trying to "buy the country."
Reid's comments came during a
debate with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Thursday after the Republican
blasted new rules proposed by the IRS
that would crack down on the political activities of tax-exempt organizations,
many of which are conservative and were targeted by the agency for heightened
scrutiny.
"Senator Reid falsely accused
the Kochs of trying to 'buy the country' because they have exercised their
First Amendment rights of free speech and free association," said Philip
Ellender, president and chief operating officer at Koch Companies Public
Sector, according to Politico.
"Sen. Reid's divisive remarks
were not only disrespectful and beneath the office he holds, they were
indicative of what lengths he and his Democratic allies will go to eliminate
and silence their political opposition."
McConnell contends the rules are
an attempt by the administration to silence conservative groups, many of whom
have said the regulations would infringe on their rights of free speech.
Ellender praised McConnell for his
"great courage" in taking on Democrats over the issue, Politico
reports.
"Charles Koch and David Koch
will continue to exercise their First Amendment rights to advocate for their
fundamental beliefs in individual liberty, limited government, and promotion of
policies that help people improve their lives," Ellender said.
The Kochs, whose political network
reportedly raised over $400 million in 2012, have signaled through a new
fundraising push that they intend to increase their involvement on behalf of
candidates in the 2014 midterm elections.
David Koch
David
H. Koch is the EVP for Koch
Industries, a trustee at the Aspen
Institute (think tank), and a trustee at WNET.org.
Note: Foundation
to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think
tank).
George Soros
was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and is the
founder & chairman for the Open
Society Foundations.
Open
Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United
States (think tank).
Henrietta
Holsman Fore is a trustee at the Aspen
Institute (think tank), and a member of the Belizean Grove.
Deborah L.
Wince-Smith is a member of the Belizean
Grove, and was a member of the IRS
Oversight Board.
IRS Oversight
Board is a citizen’s board for the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS).
Belizean_Grove
is the equivalent to the male-only social group, the Bohemian Club.
Henry A. Kissinger was a lifetime
trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), is a member of the Bohemian Club, a director at the
American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), a director at the Atlantic
Council of the United States (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference
participant (think tank).
Walter L. Cronkite
was a member of the Bohemian Club, and
a life trustee at WNET.org.
Charles O.
Rossotti is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), and
was the commissioner for the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS).
IRS Oversight
Board is a citizen’s board for the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS).
No comments:
Post a Comment