Koch Industries refuses to comply with US senators' climate investigation

[Triana]

An illustrative example of exactly why corporations should NOT have 'person' rights such as "First Amendment" rights - they are NOT people:

The Koch brothers’ conglomerate Koch Industries has refused to comply with an investigation by three Senate Democrats into whether the company has funded groups or researchers who deny or cast doubt on climate change.

In response to a request from senators Barbara Boxer, Edward Markey and Sheldon Whitehouse for information about Koch Industries’ support for scientific research, Koch general counsel Mark Holden invoked the company’s first amendment rights.

“The activity efforts about which you inquire, and Koch’s involvement, if any, in them, are at the core of the fundamental liberties protected by the first amendment to the United States constitution,” Holden wrote the senators in a letter dated 5 March and posted online by Koch Industries this week.

“I did not see any explanation or justification for an official Senate committee inquiry into activities protected by the first amendment,” he wrote, concluding, “we decline to participate in this endeavor and object to your apparent efforts to infringe upon and potentially stifle fundamental first amendment activities.

THE REST:

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/13/koch-industries-refuses-senators-climate-investigation

[randr]

1. People hide behind whatever right works for them

It is somewhat amazing that the Koch roaches are ashamed to be identified with climate denial.
I think it is time to consider what appropriate punishments should be for spreading lies that have such an impact.

[glinda]

2. +1

[calimary]

3. Aren't these some of the same people yowling about the importance of transparency?

And funding the campaigns of those CONS in office - yowling about the importance of transparency?

[Thav]

14. Transparency only applies to other people.

Remember: Accountability, responsibility, transparency and liability only apply to other people, never them.

[Doctor_J]

4. arrest them and send them to real prison for contempt of congress

Enforce the law on someone besides poor people for once

[hughee99]

6. I don't think you can be jailed for not responding

To a REQUEST from congress. If you could, the republicans would start sending out all sorts of requests starting tomorrow.

[tritsofme]

8. What a terribly frightening authoritarian fantasy.

Last edited Sun Mar 15, 2015, 02:30 PM - Edit history (1)

You really want to give Darrel Issa the power to arbitrarily jail those who don't respond to his inquiries when they under no legal obligation to do so?

[Enthusiast]

13. +1 an entire shit load.

[Jack Rabbit]

5. Why should the Senate investigate the Koch kingpins?

The FBI would be more appropriate. Let's open a RICO investigation.

[daleanime]

7. +1

[Voice for Peace]

12. I think what they're investigating is the funding of climate change disinformation

the deceptive practices by the fossil fuel industry?
The kochs are just one piece of that.

[Jack Rabbit]

15. Yes, the Kochs are a big piece of that

Through their network complex political action organizations, they are actually ground zero for climate change denial.

The Kochs actually do have a constitutional right not to cooperate with investigators. I simply maintain that right is rooted not in the First Amendment right to free speech but in the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Let the investigations be expanded and continue. I'll bet those Birch-bred bastards can be nailed without their cooperation.

[samsingh]

9. instead of emails and letters to iran, imagine if the gop actually did something useful and

focused on the koches

[TRoN33]

10. Wow...

Multinational corporations really can invoke 1st amendment rights but not actual American people? I find it to be way too fucking ironic! They are not the people yet they have more fucking rights than we do...

I must be feeling a lot less !

[daredtowork]

11. My understanding is this is some of the more galling aspects

of TPP, and I think already of NAFTA...?

[hootinholler]

16. They are not invoking first ammendment rights

There is no right to privacy about your speech in the first. They are invoking some imagined protection as a delaying tactic.