Sen. Bernie Sanders is getting help from an unusual ally: A free-market group associated with the Koch brothers.
Freedom Partners, the conservative political nonprofit backed by the Koch brothers, released a video Tuesday highlighting the group’s support for the Democratic presidential candidate’s opposition to the Export-Import Bank.
“Bernie Sanders is right about the Ex-Im bank,” the 35-second video says.
The Export-Import Bank, a government-chartered bank that facilitates credit for purchasers of U.S. goods overseas, has been targeted in recent years by conservatives who view it as a form of corporate welfare.
Some liberals also have joined in opposing the bank. Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats in the Senate, voted against re-authorizing the bill last year, joining only Republicans in the “no” vote.
Hillary Clinton, his rival for the Democratic nomination, has sought to use the vote against Sanders in recent weeks, including by arguing that he didn’t support the small businesses that benefit from Ex-Im in a debate this week in Detroit.
Sanders’ response is featured in the Freedom Partners video.
“I don’t think it’s a great idea for the American taxpayer to have to subsidize through corporate welfare profitable corporations,” Sanders said on the debate stage.
In a statement, Freedom Partners senior policy adviser Andy Koenig agreed with Sanders’ criticism. “Hardworking taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to prop up large corporations through Ex-Im, but the plague of corporate welfare extends far beyond the bank,” he said, calling on debate moderators to push the Democrats on favoritism.
In general, there is little agreement between Sanders and the Koch brothers. Sanders has called the brothers, Charles and David, “greedy” and has said his campaign is a revolution against the influence of billionaire campaign donors.
A representative for Freedom Partners said that their group would be doing targeted digital promotion of the video.
