Senate Democrats are demanding President Trump answer for a “sweeping infiltration” at the White House and throughout the Trump administration by members of groups affiliated with the Republican-aligned Koch brothers.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and five others signed a letter to Trump and eight federal entities asking for information to determine if the Kochs’ Seminar Network engaged in an infiltration effort to gain leverage for policies that would benefit the wealthy.
“Long-standing members of the Koch network fill the ranks of the federal government, raising concerns about the network’s access to and influence over federal decision-making. Americans have a right to know if special interests are unduly influencing public policy decisions that have profound implications for public health, the environment, and the economy,” wrote Whitehouse and his colleagues.
Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.,, Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Whitehouse said the network organized by Charles and David Koch shared a six-page report, “Efforts in Government: Advancing Principled Public Policy,” to a group of wealthy donors who support their political endeavors.
“Among other things, this report outlined regulatory rollbacks and laws the Kochs considered successes during your first year. The report notes, ‘In the first eleven months of President Trump’s Administration, the White House and Congress have closely followed the Network’s Roadmap to Repeal,'” the letter stated.
“The Koch network is taking credit for the following actions taken by the White House: review of the Antiquities Act and monument designations, infrastructure project permit streamlining, withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, [and] repeal of limits on short-term health insurance plans,” the lawmakers said.
The lawmakers specifically request that copies of any communication or document between a White House employee and person affiliated with a Koch network be turned over by May 15.
Those groups the letter mentions as part of the Koch network include Koch Industries, Americans for Prosperity, Concerned Veterans for America, the LIBRE Initiative, Generation Opportunity, i360, Mercatus Center, Americans for Tax Reform, and the Heritage Foundation.
They also ask for additional documents for current White House staffers who have been affiliated with Koch brands, including Andrew Bremberg, Michael Catanzaro, Kellyanne Conway, Ann Donaldson, DJ Gribbin, Edward Ajaeb, Brittany Baldwin, Andrew Koenig, Michael Roman, Bethany Scully, Marc Short, Brian Blasé, Mario Loyola, Chris Prandoni, Steven Groves, Paul Winfree, and Gregory Katsas.
