David Koch Claims He Doesn’t ‘Directly’ Support Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker

[cal04]

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/04/david-koch-walker/

Conservative billionaire David Koch, co-owner of the $110 billion dollar Koch Industries chemical and petroleum conglomerate, provided a “lengthy” interview to Boston Globe reporter Stephen Smith yesterday. Smith asked about Ian Murphy’s prank call to Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI). Walker, who thought he was speaking with David Koch, bragged about his union busting campaign, joked about using a baseball bat against his opponents, and confessed that he had considered planting trouble makers in the protest crowd. According to Smith, Koch was both “amused and bemused” by the prank, but said he has “no relationship with the governor and didn’t directly support him.” But through political action committees and right-wing front groups, Koch has actually provided much of the muscle for Walker’s election and his current anti-labor power grab

– Koch Industry’s PAC provided $43,000 in funds to Walker’s gubernatorial campaign, and funneled $1.5 million to the Republican Governor’s Association, which in turn spent $65,000 supporting Walker and $3.4 million in ads attacking Walker’s Democratic opponent.

(snip)
Despite Koch’s contention that he has not “directly” supported Walker, during the prank call between Murphy and Walker, Walker said he was coordinating with “your guy on the ground” — presumably referring to Tim Phillips, a top political deputy to David Koch and current president of Americans for Prosperity. Phillips, a former associate of Jack Abramoff, has a history of anti-Semitic smear campaigns and lobbying work on behalf of a forced-abortion sweatshop owner.

[Kennah]

1. Of course not

Puppet masters don't work the strings themselves. That's what staff is for. Smithers, release the hounds.

[PA Democrat]

2. Those nice Koch boys.

They keep it clean by LAUNDERING the money first, just like the Mafia.

[gateley]

3. He doesn't have to. nt

[11 Bravo]

4. Oh, so he doesn't drive himself directly to Walker's office and hand over a check?

Well, OK then, nothing to see here.

[joneschick]

5. well, no. He doesn't own Walker per se.

much like he has no intention to buy Wisconsin utilities. It's more of a long term lease, paid for by the taxpayers.

[sakabatou]

6. "Indirectly, I LOOOOOOOVE him."

[robertpaulsen]

7. That's what Woodstein in All The President's Men would call a "non-denial denial".

“no relationship with the governor (we're not having sex) and didn’t directly support him.”(didn't take the cash directly out of my wallet and put it directly in his hands)

[hobbit709]

8. That's because, as it's known in the business, he uses cut-outs.