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Robert Greenwald

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What the Koch Brothers Say Online But Won't Say Under Oath

Posted: 02/ 7/2012 3:25 pm

Why will Charles and David Koch produce a video about their position on the Keystone XL oil pipeline and not testify before Congress about it? The Koch brothers have refused to answer questions about how they stand to profit from the Keystone XL pipeline, a 1,700-mile long boondoggle that would cut through six states and damage American homes and farmland.

The Koch brothers have an attack-dog website of their own, KochFacts.com, which they have used defensively and reflexively to attack me and others who've questioned or investigated the Koch brothers' vast $100 billion business. The Koch brothers refuse to testify in Congress about their interest in the pipeline, but they'll make a web video asserting their innocence.

We took the Kochs' video retreat and added a few facts from the historical record.



Why won't the Koch brothers say in Congress, under oath, what their video says?

Maybe the Koch brothers prefer to let their allies in Congress speak for them? House Energy and Commerce Committee chair Rep. Ed Whitfield got $15,000 in donations from Koch Industries. Is he doing the Koch brothers bidding?

Whitfield is the tip of the iceberg. The Koch brothers and their employees were the single largest oil and gas donors to the committee with jurisdiction over the Keystone XL pipeline. They've contributed $279,500 to 22 of the 31 Republicans and $32,000 to five Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, according to the Los Angeles Times. It makes sense then that Whitfield and his cohorts would shy away from biting the hand that feeds them.

But the Koch brothers admit their business interests in Keystone. A Koch company website confesses to being among the "largest crude oil purchasers, shippers and exporters" at the pipeline's starting point in Northwest Canada.

What's stopping the Koch brothers from testifying under oath in Congress? Apparently the Koch brothers are OK publishing statements on KochFacts.com that they won't repeat in Congress. Why won't they testify before Congress and put the issue to rest?

Activism around the Keystone pipeline has put the Koch brothers on the defensive. We need to continue insisting the Koch brothers testify in Congress. If they'll make a video about the Keystone XL pipeline, why can't they testify about their interest in it?

I invite you to join the conversation with me on Twitter and on our Koch Brothers Exposed page on Facebook.

 
 
 

Follow Robert Greenwald on Twitter: www.twitter.com/robertgreenwald

 
 
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11:16 AM on 02/24/2012
the koch family originally made it's fortune in Soviet Russia and has continued to do business with Russia and now Iran, two countries who do not wish the U.S. well.
Also, the kocks are spending millions to get rid of public education in the U.S. I'll bet Russia and Iran would like to see that too.
07:58 PM on 02/10/2012
Why doesn't Waxman just grow a pair and subpoena these private citizens who have done nothing wrong...even if they have an interest in the pipeline (which they don't). The reason is he would make an incredible fool of himself and he knows it. He is just grandstanding...pure and simple.
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coreten
09:21 AM on 02/08/2012
"They've contributed $279,500 to 22 of the 31 Republicans and $32,000 to five Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, according to the Los Angeles Times."

Looks like it's cheaper to buy a Democrat.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
montestruc
War is the health of the state--Randolph Bourne
07:49 AM on 02/08/2012
Hey, unlike solyndra, they produce a product that people will pay for willingly. Products that "need" tax subsidies are the real boondoggles.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
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Hector Boag
You want what??
07:49 AM on 02/08/2012
Not understanding, even if the brothers have interest in the pipeline, what is the big deal?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
mater
mater
07:41 AM on 02/08/2012
Don't understand why the Koch Brothers wouldn't HAVE to testify before Congress, with the expansiveness and compromise of their Pipeline proposal! I am also embarrassed on behalf of Dems who would be tempted to take money from Koch interests. They should be named and have to give the money back. Is everyone in Congress corrupt?
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Candide33
I heart Bernie Sanders
03:05 AM on 02/08/2012
My new favorite song about the Kochs

http://youtu.be/qzbQVyP_UY8
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
LHoney
REINSTATE GLASS STEAGALL!!!
07:37 AM on 02/08/2012
LOVE IT!! Thanks for sharing! I shared it on FaceBook!
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Candide33
I heart Bernie Sanders
09:51 AM on 02/08/2012
You're welcome :-)
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BigBearcatBill
This is the real Bearcat - a Binturong
02:36 AM on 02/08/2012
I think Congress, at least the dems because repubs will just ignore this, should request a lengthy hearing to have a few different energy resource experts like professors from major campuses studying this, come to provide their opinions and even debate or question each other all in public on CSPAN. They should send the major energy companies like the Koch owned ones invitations to send their favorite expert so they can plead their beliefs and get grilled on them too. That should have happened in 2000-2002 when Bush and Cheney decided instead to have totally private meetings on energy probably because their best buddies ran the companies that would make the most money out of policies favorable to them and not favorable to us and the environment.
11:35 PM on 02/07/2012
They would have to testify under oath, that's the problem. They can lie on their website without being charged with perjury.
ThatsTheTheWayItIs
religion, ideology, partisanship are delusional
10:26 PM on 02/07/2012
Why will Charles and David Koch not testify before Congress? Because Congress has no right to ask them to. The Fifth Amendment says they don't have to testify, and I never would. It's just a political show, like investigation steroids in baseball. Congress makes law, it doesn't enforce it. It doesn't have the authority to call citizens before it, as if on trial.
conservo
Tea Partier, Atheist, Libertarian, Objectivist
10:08 PM on 02/07/2012
What a ridiculuously biased article. The Keystone Pipeline is NOT a "1,700 mile boondogle that the article claims. Not only would the pipeline provide numerous, good paying jobs---it would also help to lower our gas prices.
As far as the Koch brothers standing to profit from the pipeline---I hope they do. This is America. But, not only do they stand to profit from the pipeline---with lower gas prices we ALL stand to profit. Just what is so horrible about that?
ThatsTheTheWayItIs
religion, ideology, partisanship are delusional
10:28 PM on 02/07/2012
Keystone will create 20,000 jobs, according to its proponents. Bush lost 800,000 jobs his last month in office (Jan 2009). That means he daily most jobs than Keystone creates, and we'd need 40 Keystones to make up for the last month of Bush! __ Bush created about 8x as many jobs when he invaded Iraq for oil. War makes lots of jobs for soldiers.
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JoeTheProgrammer
I love dogs.
08:30 AM on 02/08/2012
Bush Bush Bush. That is a tired act...

Yawn.
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ThePeoriaKid
"I've Got Morons On my Team.."
10:56 PM on 02/07/2012
Yup, you're a Tbagger alright.

The notion that KeystoneXL will lower gas prices is ludicrous.

The Kochs will profit at the expense of EVERYONE who drinks from the aquifer.

Please leave science and science-related matters to men of science...

"Conservo" ?... LMAO... Di you stay up all night thinking of "Conservo"?
conservo
Tea Partier, Atheist, Libertarian, Objectivist
10:18 PM on 02/08/2012
Oh...grade school type name calling. You can always tell when a liberal knows that they have lost the argument when they resort to child-like grade-school name-calling.
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shankapotomus
09:50 PM on 02/07/2012
I don't remember them being under oath.
But i do know Soros and Buffet proffit if Keystone doesn't happen, so that proves hes putting donors over people.
ThatsTheTheWayItIs
religion, ideology, partisanship are delusional
10:33 PM on 02/07/2012
You obviously "do know" nothing. Keystone makes absolutely no financial difference to anyone as big as Buffett or Soros, one way or the other. It's an inconsequential amount of oil, produced at high cost. About break-even at current cost of oil, but they expect oil prices to double in five years, then Keystone will be profitable.
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shankapotomus
09:37 AM on 02/08/2012
Who's companies do you think are going to be doing the trucking for the oil?
11:51 PM on 02/07/2012
Could say the same about the GOP since Koch donates a lot to the GOP and GOP super PACs. Depending on the route of the pipeline, the water supply in the effected areas could be put at risk, isn't that putting donors over people? At worst not approving it only puts one sides donors over another sides donors.
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shankapotomus
09:35 AM on 02/08/2012
They have studied it for three years, the epa even made dicission it was safe.
iridium53
Semper Fi
09:30 PM on 02/07/2012
Which Congresspersons were paid to help them avoid testimony?
And, how much did each of them get from the lobbyists?
Of course, since they're Congresspersons, these payments are just donations, and not for changing votes.
ROFLMAO....
08:37 PM on 02/07/2012
Lest we forget, the Koch Brothers also made millions of dollars through secret, illegal deals with Iran. and they get a chunk of the $ 8 billion a year subsidy the oil companies get from the feds.

Instead of investigating Planned Parenthood or Solyndra, we need to investigate the Koch Brothers, who fund the Tea Party and the GOP.
08:41 PM on 02/10/2012
Wrong...per spokesperson, they had relatively small sales to Iran...maybe 20 million...and they voluntarily quit doing business with Iran long before it became against the law. Koch went above and beyond what govt required.
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jrmarsh
08:07 PM on 02/07/2012
Simple, they don't think it's necessary to respond to government or the little people.
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cintirich
Support the Constitution, not talking points.
08:44 PM on 02/07/2012
Respond? To what? They haven't been subpoenaed.
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Bladesmith
Hammering out some red hot truth.
10:12 AM on 02/08/2012
And they paid good money not to be.
ThatsTheTheWayItIs
religion, ideology, partisanship are delusional
10:35 PM on 02/07/2012
So, you don't mind coming before Congress to answer some questions about your personal finances? Citizens have a right to be free from persecution. Even the rich, believe it or not that's not illegal yet, but I'm sure you all are working on it.
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Silverfern
02:22 AM on 02/08/2012
If my personal finances are being used to bribe politicians, promote and lie about a venture that affects all Americans (and the world) then I should not expect to be surprised to answer before congress.