Wisconsin House GOP Has Koch Addiction

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Republican House members Paul Ryan, Sean Duffy and Reid Ribble managed to score $11,000 in campaign money from the Koch PAC last month, according to fillings at the Federal Election Commission. Koch PAC, funded by the big oil profits of the nation’s second largest privately-owned company, has a notorious anti-worker, anti-middle class agenda.

“You can tell a lot about politicians by the company they keep and it looks like Gov. Scott Walker isn’t the only toady to the billionaire Koch Brothers,” said Scot Ross, One Wisconsin Now Executive Director. “Paul Ryan, Sean Duffy and Reid Ribble are also bought and paid for as well.”

According to Koch PAC’s June filing at the Federal Election Commission, the group gave the following contributions to Wisconsin’s GOP House delegation:

• Reid Ribble (R-Appleton), $5,000 from Koch PAC on 6/10/11
• Paul Ryan (R-Janesville), $3,500 from Koch PAC on 6/22/11
• Sean Duffy (R-Ashland), $2,500 from Koch PAC on 6/22/11

Koch PAC was a top giver to Gov. Scott Walker’s 2010 campaign as well. Walker became a national laughing stock when he took a call he thought was from David Koch in which the governor said “thanks a million” and said that his team had considered sending phony agitators into the protests against his attacks on working families in order to stir up trouble.

“The three House Republicans are central in holding the nation’s economic future hostage because they insist that millionaires and corporations should not be a part of any shared sacrifice,” said Ross. “These three have never stood up for Wisconsin’s middle class, so Koch PAC is clearly just buying a little extra insurance.”

All three Republicans voted for the disastrous Ryan budget scheme which would privatize Medicare and cut millions from health care assistance — all the while cutting taxes on millionaires, billionaires and corporations, and raising taxes on the middle class. [Roll Call 277, 4/15/11]

The Koch PAC report can be found here: http://images.nictusa.com/pdf/744/11932027744/11932027744.pdf#navpanes=0