The Honorable John C. Liu
Comptroller, New York City
Dear Mr. Liu:
Your November 29, 2011 statement that Koch Industries (“Koch”) is somehow trying to prevent people from voting is intentionally misleading, intellectually dishonest, and an abuse of your obligations as an elected public official. I request that you issue an immediate retraction and correction of this misstatement.
The voter identification initiative that you refer to has been proposed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and not by Koch. Koch has not taken a position on the issue, and has undertaken no advocacy or lobbying on the issue. Accusations to the contrary are untrue.
Reasonable people are free to differ on the merits of whether voters ought to be required to present valid identification at the ballot box in order to deter and prevent fraud. It is an important civic issue and, as an elected official, I am sure you share the concerns about preventing voting fraud and protecting the integrity of the election process. However, your use of misleading accusations to try and insert Koch into this debate is wrong and a disservice to the public.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We await your response.
Sincerely,
Mark Holden
Koch Industries, Inc.
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
