On May 2, the President and his campaign again attacked private citizens because of their exercise of their constitutional rights to speak out about issues of public policy. In their most recent attack video, the Obama campaign makes multiple false representations about Koch, our operations and our position on public policy issues.

This is not the first time the Obama campaign has chosen dishonesty and invective over principled discussion as many others have pointed out. We will not be intimidated or silenced by the President and his allies. It is essential that we exercise our constitutional right to speak out on reckless fiscal policies, irresponsible over-regulation, and the critical role of economic freedom and individual liberty in restoring the growth and vitality of our country.

We have posted the following rebuttal to expose the Obama campaign’s dishonesty:

Statement from Philip Ellender
President, Government & Public Affairs 
Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC

Despite pronouncements from the Obama campaign that its rhetoric would become more “positive”, senior Obama advisor David Axelrod’s comments to reporters on May 7 reveal that the campaign continues to stoop to the lowest forms of invective.  Mr. Axelrod described Koch as “contract killers over there in super PAC land.”

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Statement from Philip Ellender
President, Government & Public Affairs
Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC

A recently issued press release by the Obama campaign once again singles out Koch and misrepresents the facts in a divisive manner when Americans are asking for a reasoned dialogue and solutions to pressing economic issues.  The Obama campaign is upset about a study put out this week by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University concerning President Obama’s Affordable Care Act.  Instead of addressing the study’s findings and analysis, the campaign spokesperson deflects and falsely criticizes Koch for supporting “subsidies for oil and gas companies that are making record profits and boosting their own bottom line.”

As has been explained repeatedly, Koch has consistently and for many years opposed government subsidies of any kind and urged the government to discontinue them.  Further, Charles Koch and David Koch have championed free-market policies for more than 50 years and criticized those policies that are counter to free-market principles, regardless of whether Democrats or Republicans were in power.  We have long supported the Mercatus Center and other groups that analyze and advance thoughtful, reliable, free-market solutions to the pressing economic problems facing our country. The Obama campaign’s complaints about energy policy appear to be a tactic to divert attention from the study’s analysis of the Affordable Care Act’s impact on our country’s massive deficits.   The fact that the President’s campaign would prefer to demonize Koch rather than discuss the economic consequences of the president’s policies demonstrates that the Administration and its allies would prefer not to deal with the serious economic crisis our nation faces.

We encourage and support a principled, fact-based and civil debate about the important issues we face today.  However, we continue to object to attempts by the president’s campaign and other politicians to single out private citizens for exercising their First Amendment rights concerning matters of important public policy.

Dear Mr. Messina:

Although I haven’t yet received it, the Washington Post reports that you have sent me a reply to our letter of last Friday.  According to the letter that was reprinted, it appears you have reverted to the same half-truths, distortions, and outright false statements that the Administration and its allies have used for the past three years against Koch Industries, Charles Koch, and David Koch.  We have repeatedly refuted these prior assertions and will continue to do so to ensure the truth is told.  I invite you to review www.kochfacts.com for more details.

Your letter never addresses the fundamental issue I raised concerning the impropriety of a sitting President and his campaign publicly attacking two private citizens for exercising their free speech rights. While we encourage and welcome a principled and civil debate about the important issues our great nation faces, it is inappropriate and beneath the office of the President to denounce an American company like ours that employs 50,000 people here in the United States, malign its owners with repeated misstatements and distortions, and harass our effort to speak out just because you disagree with our consistent support for the principles of a free society.

Your demand, for instance, that Koch disclose the names of Americans for Prosperity donors is misguided given that AFP is a separate and independent organization. Your demand is also hypocritical, particularly given the President’s own reliance on anonymous donors now and in the past.  Koch complies with all laws regarding disclosure of political contributions.  However, given the hostile rhetoric that you, the Democratic party, and your allies have aimed at us and others who disagree with your point of view, it is easy to understand why people have valid reasons to retain their privacy.  To cite just one example, Koch and its owners have been the target of many threats of violence over the past two years by some who disagree with our view on public policy issues.  In light of that, I think most Americans would agree it is at odds with our national values for the President and his aides to single out and personally impugn private citizens for political gain.

As has been stated previously, for more than 50 years Charles Koch and David Koch have consistently advocated for principles of economic freedom and have strongly opposed policies that undermine free markets, regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican was President — and will continue doing so. Despite this most recent effort at intimidation, we will not be silenced or compromise our principled positions on issues, nor relinquish our rights to privacy and free speech.

Sincerely,
Philip Ellender
President, Government & Public Affairs
Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC

We will exercise our First Amendment rights and not be intimidated or silenced by the President’s aides and his allies who criticize private citizens that disagree with the President’s policies.

The Obama campaign’s decision to embrace Super PACs is similar to the President’s hypocrisy in 2008 when he broke his promise to use public campaign financing, and became the first major party presidential candidate in history to turn down public financing in a general election.  It is worth noting that President Obama outraised and outspent his opponent by hundreds of millions of dollars in the 2008 Presidential campaign, relying in large part on the same corporate executive funding sources whose productivity, business practices, and profitability he pretends to denounce.

Apparently, the President and his allies do not want to lose that perceived fundraising advantage during the 2012 Presidential campaign, and are trying to intimidate into silence those who may disagree with them and who may decide to support other candidates.

Philip Ellender, President and COO
Government and Public Affairs
Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC

“President Obama’s first TV advertisement of the 2012 political season refers obliquely to Koch while claiming credit for a thriving energy sector. It’s a message that is divorced from the facts, and only makes sense to a federal bureaucrat or a campaign focus group. In reality, the Administration has been ambivalent or, more often, outright hostile to many of the affordable and practical solutions that would increase America’s domestic energy supplies, including pipelines and offshore drilling permits.

While the Obama2012 campaign pays political consultants to create misleading ads and talking points, Koch employs nearly 50,000 American workers who create value every day and contribute to the economic prosperity of their communities and our nation. With the nation’s unemployment rate at more than eight percent, it is unfortunate that the President demonizes Koch and other job creators for political gain rather than create an environment that will promote job growth and help businesses and the people they employ flourish.”

–Philip Ellender, President, Government and Public Affairs, Koch Companies Public Sector

“We appreciate that Herman Cain shares our commitment to advancing prosperity. He expressed his solidarity with Charles Koch, David Koch and many other Americans in the struggle to stop excessive government spending and return our nation to prosperity.”
– Richard Fink, Executive Vice President, Koch Industries, Inc.

Here is the statement that we released publicly regarding Herman Cain’s candidacy on October 18:

“We have long admired Herman Cain for his success in growing jobs and business in this country, and for his long-standing commitment to the values of economic freedom. Although we have not formally committed to supporting any presidential candidate, we are certainly glad to see Mr. Cain confront the issues of runaway spending and stifling government interference that are holding back the economy and the lives of all Americans. Anyone that has spent time with Mr. Cain, as we have, can tell you he is a man of deep dedication to our nation and his independence of thought is obviously what is appealing to voters.”
– Richard Fink, Executive Vice President, Koch Industries, Inc.

An opinion piece by the Honorable Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, that appeared in Politico on November 1st misleads the public about Koch in two key respects.  Ms. Wasserman-Schultz writes, “Republican candidates are joining Karl Rove and David and Charles Koch in spending millions of dollars in the early [primary and caucus] states to distort the truth.”

Political bluster, obviously, is to be expected from campaign officials but Ms. Wasserman-Schultz is simply wrong to imply that Koch is providing financial support at this time for any presidential candidate.  We have not — and have said so publicly and repeatedly for some time now.  David and Charles Koch have made no contributions to any of the current presidential candidates’ campaigns; neither have the political action committees affiliated with the employees of Koch companies.
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“We have long admired Herman Cain for his success in growing jobs and business in this country, and for his long-standing commitment to the values of economic freedom. Although we have not formally committed to supporting any presidential candidate, we are certainly glad to see Mr. Cain confront the issues of runaway spending and stifling government interference that are holding back the economy and the lives of all Americans. Anyone that has spent time with Mr. Cain, as we have, can tell you he is a man of deep dedication to our nation and his independence of thought is obviously what is appealing to voters.”

– Richard Fink, Executive Vice President, Koch Industries, Inc.