ThinkProgress filed this report from the Values Voters Summit in Washington, DC.
Last week, Bloomberg released a bombshell report on Koch Industries, the oil conglomerate owned by the secretive conservative billionaires David and Charles Koch. The report revealed that Koch Industries subsidiaries were doing business in Iran and using bribes to win contracts elsewhere. The Koch Brothers were apparently alarmed enough about the report’s release that a blogger with extensive ties to the Kochs attempted to pre-but the allegations well before Bloomberg’s release.
Given these damning allegations — Koch Industries admitted the bribes were criminal and the United States has banned trade with Iran since 1995 — ThinkProgress asked the congressman whose district includes Koch Industries, Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS), whether he planned to open an investigation into the matter. Pompeo blew off the notion, walking away from reporters rather than answer the question. Despite being asked three times if he planned to open an investigation into Koch Industries’ dealings with Iran, Pompeo was silent, allowing his communications director to block ThinkProgress instead.
KEYES: Are you going to be leading an investigation into Koch Industries’ dealings with Iran?
POMPEO: [Silence.]
Watch it:
It’s not particularly surprising that Pompeo would resist opening an investigation into Koch Industries. His extensive ties to the Koch Brothers have earned him the title, “the congressman from Koch.” When Pompeo was confronted about undue influence that the Kochs have on his office, he responded, “Koch Industries is an amazing business.”
ABC News attempted to ask David Koch this week about the oil tycoon’s business deals in Iran and bribes used by Koch Industries. Like Pompeo, Koch was silent on the matter.