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He had two bad experiences and good luck. He survived a plane crash in 1991, which killed 34 people at the Los Angeles International Airport. He broke down in tears at the witness stand in Kansas during a civil lawsuit that nearly ripped his family apart for financial reasons. And for years, he and Charles have faced, and denied, accusations of having exploited libertarian principles for selfish ends.
They insisted that they adhered to a traditional belief in the freedom of the individual, in free trade, in the liberalization of markets and in the absence of what. they called government "intrusions" including taxes, military projects, compulsory education, trade regulations, social protection programs and laws. which criminalized homosexuality, prostitution and drug use.
An electoral force
Since the 1970s, the Kochs have spent at least $ 100 million – by some estimates, much more – to turn a marginal movement into a formidable political force aimed at moving America to the far right by influencing the result of the elections, by canceling the boundaries of the election campaign. contributions and promotion of conservative nominations, think tanks and policies.
But they said that they had not given money to Tea Party candidates. "I've never been to a tea party event," David Koch told New York magazine in 2010. "No one, representing the Tea Party, has ever approached me."
Nevertheless, he and his brother admitted to having played an important role in the founding and contribution of Americas for Prosperity to the right wing advocacy group, which would have largely supported the logistical support of the Tea Party and other organizations in election campaigns and in the promotion of conservative causes.
Among the groups they supported was the American Legislative Exchange Council, an organization of conservative state legislators and private sector lobbyists. Alec, as the group knows, is developing a model bill that members can customize to introduce as proposed laws to reduce taxes, fight illegal immigration, relax environmental regulations, weaken unions and oppose firearms laws.
As part of their longstanding crusade for tax reduction and government downsizing, the Koch brothers have been opposed in recent years to dozens of public transit initiatives in cities and towns. counties across the country, according to a New York Times study. Coordinated and US-funded prosperity campaigns have fought state legislation to fund transportation projects, publicity campaigns and public forums to thwart transit projects, and organized telephone banks to convince citizens that public transit was a waste of taxpayers' money.
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