Koch Industries, Inc. Lobbying Activities

Koch Industries and Lobbying in Washington

According to data from OpenSecrets, Koch Industries has spent more than $115,372,700 on combined lobbying activities between 1998 and 2017 with approximately 96% of that total ($110,520,000) going to the Oil and Gas Industry. [1]

Year Oil & Gas Mining General Contractors Forestry & Forest Products Chemical & Related Manufacturing Grand Total
2017 $3,200,000 $3,200,000
2016 $3,050,000 $3,050,000
2015 $10,830,000 $10,830,000
2014 $13,700,000 $13,700,000
2013 $10,430,000 $10,430,000
2012 $10,550,000 $10,550,000
2011 $8,360,000 $8,360,000
2010 $8,070,000 $8,070,000
2009 $12,450,000 $12,450,000
2008 $17,930,000 $40,000 $1,773,000 $280,000 $20,023,000
2007 $4,170,000 $80,000 $720,000 $98,750 $5,068,750
2006 $3,360,000 $140,000 $440,000 $28,750 $3,968,750
2005 $1,200,000 $80,000 $840,000 $65,000 $2,185,000
2004 $760,000 $40,000 $40,000 $17,200 $857,200
2003 $520,000 $50,000 $40,000 $610,000
2002 $760,000 $80,000 $840,000
2001 $500,000 $500,000
2000 $240,000 $240,000
1999 $240,000 $240,000
1998 $200,000 $200,000
Grand Total $110,520,000 $430,000 $160,000 $3,773,000 $489,700 $115,372,700

Lobbying Expenditures: Koch Industries and Subsidaries

The following is based on raw data collected from the Lobbying Disclosure Act Database at the United States Senate. View the attached spreadsheet for a data on Koch Industries’ & Subsidiaries’ lobbying activities by year (.xlsx). [2]

Koch Industries

Registrant Name 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2017
KOCH INDUSTRIES, INC. $240,000 $240,000 $500,000 $760,000 $520,000 $760,000 $1,200,000 $4,940,000 $6,700,000 $26,480,000
Hogan Lovells US LLP $80,000 $160,000 $200,000 $160,000 $280,000 $300,000 $340,000 $280,000 $220,000 $220,000 $0
SIFF & LAKE LLP $100,000 $200,000 $220,000
Capitol Tax Partners, LLP $220,000 $240,000 $30,000
THE RHOADS GROUP $140,000 $240,000
ALEXANDER STRATEGY GROUP $90,000 $142,500 $80,000
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP $200,000
Cardenas Partners, LLC $100,000 $100,000
LPI Consulting, Inc. $100,000 $40,000 $0
Blank Rome LLP $20,000 $40,000 $0 $40,000 $0
ERNST & YOUNG $60,000
Rebecca Hawes $45,000
Pyle Consulting, Inc. $40,000
Covington & Burling LLP $20,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Mr. John Stinson $20,000 $0
PERCEPTUM CONSULTING $20,000
ALSTON & BIRD LLP $0 $0 $0
Valis & Keelen, LLC $0
TONGOUR & SCOTT $0
Grand Total $500,000 $440,000 $720,000 $920,000 $910,000 $1,242,500 $1,720,000 $5,620,000 $7,620,000 $27,205,000 $30,000 $200,000

Koch Companies Public Sector

Registrant Name 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC $18,190,000 $14,070,000 $10,580,000 $15,590,000 $15,500,000 $27,500,000 $13,630,000 $12,240,000 $3,100,000
Hunton & Williams LLP $40,000 $140,000 $80,000 $150,000 $160,000 $160,000 $160,000 $170,000 $200,000 $160,000 $160,000 $230,000 $30,000
Palmetto Group $220,000 $180,000 $320,000 $380,000 $260,000 $335,000 $30,000
Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas, Inc. $20,000 $150,000 $200,000 $240,000 $300,000 $240,000 $140,000
Siff & Associates PLLC $50,000 $190,000 $190,000 $190,000 $210,000 $190,000 $200,000 $50,000
Capitol Tax Partners, LLP $180,000 $240,000 $240,000 $60,000
Capitol Counsel LLC $290,000 $320,000 $80,000
CGCN GROUP, LLC (formerly known as Clark Geduldig Cranford & Nielsen, LLC) $50,000 $132,000 $144,000 $144,000 $144,000 $72,000
MWR Strategies, Inc. $80,000 $120,000 $60,000 $70,000 $80,000 $80,600 $70,000 $80,000 $40,000
S-3 Group $40,000 $100,000 $120,000 $120,000 $30,000
Crossroads Strategies, LLC $110,000 $200,000 $50,000
SIFF & LAKE LLP $190,000 $150,000
Cove Strategies $150,000 $170,000
Ice Miller Strategies LLC $10,000 $60,000 $70,000 $50,000 $30,000
Cypress Advocacy, LLC $20,000 $20,000 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 $10,000
The Nickles Group, LLC $200,000
Mr. PETER LOUGHLIN $0 $0 $40,000 $40,000 $20,000 $35,000 $15,000 $10,000 $0 $0 $0
Grand Total $40,000 $140,000 $100,000 $420,000 $19,270,000 $15,100,000 $11,725,000 $16,817,000 $16,614,600 $29,289,000 $15,134,000 $13,512,000 $3,360,000

Invista

Registrant Name 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Grand Total
INVISTA $17,200 $65,000 $28,750 $141,250 $440,000 $692,200
ADS Ventures, Inc. $90,000 $80,000 $170,000
MILLER & CHEVALIER, CHTD $40,000 $0 $0 $0 $40,000
Hogan Lovells US LLP $20,000 $0 $0 $20,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $40,000
Grand Total $17,200 $125,000 $28,750 $141,250 $460,000 $90,000 $80,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $942,200

Entergy-Koch LP

Registrant Name 2002 2003 Grand Total
ENTERGYKOCH LP $120,000 $120,000
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP $40,000 $0 $40,000
Grand Total $160,000 $0 $160,000

Georgia Pacific Corporation

Registrant Name 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Grand Total
GEORGIAPACIFIC LLC $360,000 $456,240 $400,000 $480,000 $1,780,000 $1,440,000 $840,000 $440,000 $1,440,000 $2,593,000 $10,229,240
ALSTON & BIRD LLP $800,000 $0 $0 $0 $800,000
McDermott Will & Emery LLP $340,000 $0 $340,000
Kilpatrick Townsend Stockton LLP $120,000 $120,000 $240,000
Grace Terpstra $0 $60,000 $50,000 $64,000 $18,000 $192,000
Nossaman LLP (Formerly Nossaman LLP/O’Connor & Hannan) $0 $0 $40,000 $10,000 $50,000
C2 GROUP, LLC $20,000 $20,000
McGuireWoods Consulting (A Subsidiary of McGuireWoods LLP) $20,000 $0 $20,000
Crowell & Moring LLP $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
MCNAIR LAW FIRM, P.A. $0 $0 $0 $0
Grand Total $360,000 $476,240 $440,000 $490,000 $2,920,000 $1,440,000 $1,020,000 $630,000 $1,504,000 $2,611,000 $11,891,240

Koch Mineral Services

Registrant Name 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Grand Total
Hunton & Williams LLP $100,000 $40,000 $80,000 $140,000 $80,000 $40,000 $480,000
Winston & Strawn LLP $0 $0
Grand Total $100,000 $40,000 $80,000 $140,000 $80,000 $40,000 $480,000

Flint Hills Resources

Registrant Name 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Grand Total
Flint Hills Resources, LP $2,800,000 $4,110,000 $6,910,000
GENTRY & ASSOC, RAGON $0 $0
WayPoint Consulting, LLC $0 $0 $0
Grand Total $0 $0 $0 $2,800,000 $4,110,000 $6,910,000

Nancy Pfotenhauer, Koch, and Lobbying

Nancy Pfotenhauer (formerly Nancy Mitchell) was an advisor to Senator John McCain during his presidential election campaign, and a former director of Koch Industries’ Washington office. Pfotenhauer was Koch Industries’ chief in-house lobbyist from 1996 to 2001. Her lobbying efforts were focused on gas pipelines. In 2001, Nancy Pfotenhauer left Koch Industries to become the president of the Independent Women’s Forum, a conservative research group that receives funding from Koch Industries. [3], [4]

In 2003, the Independent Women’s Forum became affiliated with the Citizens for a Sound Economy (now Americans for Prosperity). Pfotenhauer served as president and CEO of Americans for Prosperity and executive vice president of policy for Citizens For a Sound Economy. Citizens for a Sound Economy was co-founded by the late David H. Koch and has received a combined total of at least $12,906,712 in grants from the Koch Family Foundations. Americans for Prosperity has received $1,000,000 in funding. [5], [6], [7]

The Mercatus Center

The Mercatus Center is a conservative think tank located at George Mason University that regularly lobbies in the federal government. Koch Industries has funded the Mercatus Center since the 1980s. [8]

Koch and the Bush Administration

During George W. Bush’s second presidential term, his administration tried several times to appoint individuals who were “pro-industry” to important environmental positions. However, the Senate blocked the president’s continued efforts. Included in the president’s nominations were Alex Beehler and Susan Dudley, both of whom have connections to Koch Industries.

Susan Dudley was the director of Regulatory Studies at the Mercatus Center. Dudley opposes federal regulation. She lobbied against the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempts to reduce smog, produce cleaner gasoline, and remove arsenics from drinking water. President Bush nominated Dudley to be the Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. The person working in this position can interfere, without scrutiny, in the dealings of agencies such as the EPA. This position can also be used as a conduit for industries to avoid federal health and environmental standards. [9]

Bush also nominated Alex A. Beehler to be the Inspector General of the EPA. The Inspector General oversees EPA management and conducts audits. Beehle’s environemental highlights include: lobbying for military activities to be exempt from environmental regulations, and trying to influence the EPA‘s decision on creating a health standard for perchlorate, a rocket fuel component. Perchlorate can impair fetal brain development and has contaminated water in 25 U.S. states. At Koch Industries, Beehler worked as the director of environmental and regulatory affairs. He also served as vice president for environmental projects at the Charles G. Koch Foundation. [9], [10]

While the senate was not in session, George W. Bush by-passed the Senate and appointed Susan Dudley to be the Director of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. She served as Director from 2007 to 2008.

Resources

  1. Koch Industries: Profile for 2014 Election Cycle,” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed June 27, 2016.

  2. Lobbying Disclosure Act Database Query. Performed May 18, 2017. Archived .xlsx data on file at DeSmog.

  3. Carol eisenberg. “McCain adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer learned ropes as lobbyist, crusader,” Muckety, September 26, 2008. Archived May 18, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/eyl2Q

  4. Independent Women’s Forum,” Conservative Transparency. Accessed May 18, 2017.

  5. Nancy Pfotenhauer,” Americans for Prosperity. Archived May 18, 2017. Archive.is URLhttps://archive.is/LVwo2

  6. Overview: Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE) / Freedom Works,” Public Citizen. Archived August 3, 2009. Archive.is URL:https://archive.is/nUxFZ

  7. Aggregated Grants from the Charles G. Koch, David H. Koch, and Claude R. Lambe Foundations,” Media Transparency. Archived June 2, 2009. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmogBlog.

  8. Koch and George Mason University,” DeSmog.

  9. Frank O’Donnell. “Still Hiring Tree-Haters,” TomPaine.com, January 11, 2007. Archived January 7, 2009. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/cGsGw

  10. Judy Pasternak. “Bush Again Pushes 3 Nominees Seen as Pro-Industry,” CommonDreams, April 1, 2007. Archived May 18, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/eakzc