KOCH ADVOCACY FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM IS DRIVEN BY THE MOTIVATION TO PROTECT THEIR OWN CORPORATE INTERESTS & PROFITS KOCH ADVOCACY FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM IS DRIVEN BY THE MOTIVATION TO PROTECT THEIR OWN CORPORATE INTERESTS & PROFITS
SUMMARY
At first glance, the Koch brothers push for criminal justice reform could seem purely altruistic – an issue that lands them positive headlines for working with strange bedfellows and masks the hundreds of billions they spend to profit from our political system.
But for the Koch brothers, their business and political interests always come first, and their recent campaign to promote their advocacy for criminal justice reform directly benefits their companies.
This Bridge Project report exposes the Koch brothers' shadowy history with criminal justice reform, the criminal history their business empire has accrued, their advocacy against corporate responsibility for criminal action, and the shocking disparity between the Kochs' massive political spending and the comparatively little they spend actually advocating for criminal justice reform.
The story begins in the 1990s when four Koch employees at a refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas were indicted on criminal charges for violating the Clean Air Act and other laws. The Kochs’ top lawyer, Mark Holden who is now the face of their criminal justice reform campaign, argued that scrutiny of the criminal activity of Koch employees could have an “insidious” effect on company culture. Thus, after Koch employees were charged on 97 counts of environmental crimes, the Kochs interest in “championing” criminal justice reform began.
The Kochs’ shadowy history with criminal justice reform is vast: Koch Industries has been convicted of multiple felonies, which they repeatedly have failed to disclose. Yes, Koch industries itself would benefit from a campaign to ‘ban the box,’ because they have been fined in the past for failing to do so.
Furthermore, Koch Industries has built a laundry list of criminal and potentially criminal activities including environmental violations resulting in nearly $90 million in fines and settlements (and likely millions more in undisclosed settlements), deaths and serious injuries resulting from workplace accidents, and improper business practices.
The Koch brothers’ motivation is driven by dollars, which is clearly revealed in where they have pushed for reform would lead to a direct benefit for their companies such as banning the box on permitting applications, making occupational licensing requirements less stringent, and corporate liability reform.
Finally, for the Kochs money talks, and they haven’t put their money where their mouth is on criminal justice reform. While each election cycle they spend hundreds of millions buying candidates who back their agenda – save for their criminal justice reform platform – their spending on criminal justice reform remains “modest” by Koch standards.
For the Kochs, their priority in reforming our justice system isn’t to defend right and wrong but to shield them from accountability and to protect their bottom line and future business interests.
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Contents Koch Advocacy For Criminal Justice Reform Is Driven By The Motivation To Protect Their Own Corporate Interests & Profits ...... 1 Summary ...... 1 Koch Industries Has A Criminal History ...... 2 Koch Industries Has Been Convicted Of Multiple Felonies ...... 2 Koch Repeatedly Failed To Disclose Its Felony Convictions On Federal Filings; Resulted In Fine And Admission Of Error ...... 3 Criminal And Potentially Criminal Activity Related To Koch Industries Including Environmental Violations, Workplace Accidents, And Improper Business Practices ...... 11 Koch Industries Has A History Of Environmental Violations, Harming Our Air, Water, And Land, And Has Paid Almost $94 Million In Fines And Settlements ...... 11 Multiple Deaths Have Been Reported Related To Koch Property And Facilities ...... 16 Many Severe Injuries Have Been Reported At Koch Facilities ...... 19 Koch Industries Has Received At Least 14 OSHA Violations Resulting In $38,184 In Fines...... 21 Koch Industries Accused Of Oil Theft From Indian Reservations And Others...... 25 Koch Industries Engaged In Other Potentially Illegal Activity Including Doing Business With IRan And Avoiding Taxes ...... 26 Kochs Advocate Against Corporate Responsibility For Criminal Action ...... 33 For The Kochs, Corporate Criminal Activity Is About Economics And Protecting Their Own Future Interests, Not Right And Wrong...... 33 The Real Koch Priorities Are To Protect Their Corporate Culture And Business Operations ...... 33 Kochs Could Be Party To RICO Lawsuit Targeting Those Funding Climate Change Denial ...... 40 Overall, Koch Network Has Advocated For Decriminalization Across The Spectrum ...... 40 Koch Hypocrisy On Reducing Prison Populations; Ties To Private Prisons, Profiting From Criminal Tracking, And Opposing Programs That Reduce Recidivism ...... 41 Charles Koch Institute Described The Large Number Of People “Locked Up In Cages” Unnerving… ...... 41 …Despite Advocating Policies That Encouraged More Incarceration ...... 41 Koch Spending Towards Criminal Justice Reform Is Far Less Than Koch Spending For Political Campaigns ...... 44
Koch Industries Has A Criminal History
KOCH INDUSTRIES HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF MULTIPLE FELONIES
April 2001: Koch Petroleum Group [Now Flint Hills Resources] Was Charged In A 97-Count Indictment And Plead Guilty To A Felony Charge Of Lying To The Government About Its Benzene Emissions. According to Bloomberg Business, “A federal grand jury issued a 97-count indictment against Koch Petroleum Group, Mietlicki and three refinery managers on Sept. 28, 2000. Koch Petroleum Group pleaded guilty to a felony charge of lying to the government about its benzene emissions in April 2001.” [Bloomberg Business, 10/3/11]