Tonight’s debate sponsor is a group founded and funded by David and Charles Koch, who’ve made billions while their company has outsourced thousands of U.S. jobs
INDIANAPOLIS – The three GOP Senate candidates will have to forget about Hoosier workers at tonight’s debate if they’re serious about seeking the support of the Koch brothers and their political contributions, as the debate’s sponsors have made their billions in part by outsourcing thousands of American jobs.
Tonight’s Senate primary debate in Indianapolis is sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, the far-right political advocacy group founded by the Koch brothers, owners of Koch Industries. Since 2004, Koch Industries has bought up several companies only to lay off their workforce while shipping jobs to foreign countries, costing over 3,000 Americans their jobs.
In 2004 and 2005, Koch Industries purchased Georgia-Pacific. After acquiring the paper products maker, Koch Industries closed down their plants across the country and shipped the jobs to foreign countries such as Mexico, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brazil.
After acquiring the company Invista from DuPont in 2003, Koch Industries merged it with a Koch subsidiary, KoSa. The company then closed Invista plants across the United States and outsourced the work to foreign countries, such as Mexico, China, and Canada.
Meanwhile, the Koch brothers have shown they’ll go to extreme lengths to protect their ability to outsource. They’re currently spending $2 million on advertising to influence Indiana’s Senate race, and they’ve lined the pockets of far-right pet candidates for years, including contributing more than $33,000 to Congressman Messer and at least $26,000 to Congressman Rokita. Additionally, all three candidates have histories of supporting disastrous trade deals that favor outsourcers like Koch Industries over American workers.
“The Kochs’ history of profiting at the expense of hard-working Americans and then plowing those profits into dark money groups that support their far-right agenda will never lead to a stronger Indiana,” said Michael Feldman, spokesman for the Indiana Democratic Party. “Anyone watching tonight’sdebate won’t be able to miss the hypocrisy of all three candidates trying to claim they support Hoosier workers while furiously working for the support of the Koch brothers and their history of putting corporate profits over good-paying jobs time and again.”
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