Former Koch Industries Official Says He Ghostwrote Letters On Behalf of Congressmen

Critics of Koch Industries say the company uses its vast political machine to manipulate political and policy debates in the U.S.

The LinkedIn profile of a former officer of the company lends credibility to that argument. In it, he boasts that as part of the Koch Industries’ communication team, he helped write opinion columns and letters that were signed by members of Congress.

Richard Tucker, a former communications manager at Koch Industries from August 2010 through March 2012, wrote in his LinkedIn profile that he was responsible for “op-eds and letters to the editor that were signed by company leaders, members of congress and citizen activists.” Tucker, a writer and editor for a number of conservative websites, said he also wrote “regular blog posts for company employees to help explain important Washington policy debates” and was a member of the “crisis communication team that produced swift responses to negative press coverage.”

A screenshot of Tucker’s profile is below:

Though many corporate and other special interests maintain efforts for influencing the political process, Koch Industries stands apart for its sophistication and reach. The company pioneered a strategy that goes well beyond traditional lobbying and campaign donations by also funding academic research, political internships, a network of dozens of think tanks, campaign commercials, and religious outreach, all coordinated by Koch’s lobbying office.

We reached out to Tucker and Koch Industries for comment but did not receive a reply.