New Mexicans call on Governor Martinez and GOP politicians to return contributions from corrupt Koch Brothers

$10,000 to Martinez, $10,000 to Pearce, $5,000 to State Party, from business interest that secretly and maybe illegally sold petrochemical equipment to terrorism-sponsor Iran

October 4, 2011 Contact: Scott Forrester
For Immediate Release (505) 934-5681

Albuquerque, NM – New Mexicans today are calling for politicians who have accepted contributions from Koch Industries and their political arm KOCHPAC to immediately return the money or donate it to charity.

A Bloomberg investigation revealed Sunday that David and Charles Koch – two of the largest funders of Republican causes in New Mexico and around the country – have built their company on corruption, greed, theft, intimidation and illegal business dealings for years.

It also revealed that they made millions of dollars selling petrochemical equipment to Iran – one of only four countries designated by the State Department as a state sponsor of terrorism.

What did they do with the money they made by doing business – possibly in violation of federal law – with the people behind some of our worst enemies? At least a portion of it rolled right into the pockets of some of New Mexico’s highest profile Republican politicians.

According to the New Mexico Secretary of State election filings, Koch Industries and their political action committee KOCHPAC gave $10,000 to Governor Susana Martinez, $5,000 to the Republican Campaign Committee of New Mexico, and $10,000 to Congressman Steve Pearce during the 2010 election.

The following is a statement from Javier Gonzales, Chairman, DPNM:

“Koch Industries has betrayed their country – and may have broken federal law in the process – all to turn a profit. They’ve made millions on business dealings with a terrorist-supporting foreign country.

It’s dirty money. And now it’s being funneled directly into the bank accounts of Republican leadership. This money should be returned or donated to charities doing real work to move New Mexico forward.

Politicians have no business taking money from people who do business with countries like Iran that sponsor terrorism. Every Republican who benefited from the Koch's illegal profiteering should immediately denounce the Koch Brothers and return or donate the money."

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BACKGROUND:

· According to the Bloomberg report, “Internal company records show that Koch Industries used its foreign subsidiary to sidestep a U.S. trade ban barring American companies from selling materials to Iran. Koch-Glitsch offices in Germany and Italy continued selling to Iran until as recently as 2007, the records show.

“The company’s products helped build a methanol plant for Zagros Petrochemical Co., a unit of Iran’s state-owned National Iranian Petrochemical Co., the documents show. The facility, in the coastal city of Bandar Assaluyeh, is now the largest methanol plant in the world.”

A former Koch Industries employee told Bloomberg that “Every single chance they had to do business with Iran…they did.”

· In a 2009 report, the State Department called Iran the most active state sponsor of terrorism, stating “Iran’s financial, material, and logistic support for terrorist and militant groups throughout the Middle East and Central Asia had a direct impact on international efforts to promote peace, threatened economic stability in the Gulf and undermined the growth of democracy.”

· Records show that the Republican committee receiving Koch Brothers funding provided polling, fundraising, direct mail, postage and direct contributions to unidentified state candidates and county political parties through at least 27 different transactions after receiving Koch money.

Martinez has also since started her own PAC, known as SusanaPAC, with $5,000 transferred from the same campaign account Koch money entered.

You might have heard about the reporter who pranked Wisconsin governor Scott Walker by posing to be GOP fat cat David Koch.

Well, it turns out Koch has a few New Mexico ties.In the most recent election, his company and Political Action Committee gave a total of $15,000 to Susana Martinez and the statewide Republican campaign.

But that's not all.

During the Johnson administration his company received a multi-million-dollar maintenance contract for New Mexico's highways. This contract was scrutinized and is the pay-to-play secret Gary Johnson would rather not have anyone talk about.

But wait there's more.

Governor Martinez recently appointed former Johnson-era Highway Department Secretary Pete Rahn to the State Transportation Commission.

Why is this important, you ask?

Well, it was under Rahn's watch the Koch industries got their sweetheart multi-million-dollar contract. This contract comes from the $420 million for the widening of NM 44. Koch Industries got $108 million contract for design, construction, management and the questionable warranty. The $62 million 20 year warranty was first of its kind in the US and was investigated by AG Patricia Madrid.

So, the question remains, if David Koch calls, will Susana answer the phone?

Let's all keep our eyes open to see if Koch's paying means he'll be playing again in New Mexico.