Charles Koch Likely Won’t Back A Candidate In GOP Primary

FILE- In this May 22, 2012, file photo, Charles Koch speaks in his office at Koch Industries in Wichita, Kan. An unlikely pair of allies, the Charles Koch Institute named for the wealthy conservative founder of the W... FILE- In this May 22, 2012, file photo, Charles Koch speaks in his office at Koch Industries in Wichita, Kan. An unlikely pair of allies, the Charles Koch Institute named for the wealthy conservative founder of the Washington-based think tank, and the American Civil Liberties Union, want more states to restrict civil asset forfeiture, a practice critics say represents an overused law enforcement tactic that can violate citizens’ property rights. (Bo Rader/The Wichita Eagle via AP, File) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; MAGS OUT; LOCAL RADIO OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT MORE LESS
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Charles Koch on Wednesday said that he will likely refrain from openly backing a candidate in the Republican presidential primary, and will instead wait until the general election to throw his support behind the nominee.

“I have no plans to support anybody in the primary now,” he told USA Today.

Koch said that he does not decide who to support based solely on what they say on the campaign trail.

“If they start saying things we think are beneficial overall and will change the trajectory of the country, then that would be good, but we have to believe also they’ll follow through on it, and by and large, candidates don’t do that,” he told USA Today.

He would not discuss any particular Republican presidential candidate.

“When we do, it’s totally blown out of proportion,” he said.

The Koch brothers are two of the most influential Republican donors, and they have built a large network of conservative advocacy groups in the country. For the 2016 presidential election, Koch projects his network of donors will raise $750 million. The Kochs originally projected they would raise $889 million, and Charles Koch told USA Today that they may still exceed $750 million.

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  1. “Charles Koch on Wednesday said that he will likely refrain from openly backing a candidate in the Republican presidential primary…”

    “Openly” being the operable word here.

  2. Why back one when they’re all in your pocket?

  3. I almost wonder if this is his way of saying that now he’s not even sure if he can actually buy a candidate this time. I’m sure he’s padding somebody’s campaign pockets, but he stands to look like a fool when he drops however million into the Jeb! camp, and the insane base runs with a total joke like Trump or Carson.

  4. The Koch brothers are two of the most influential Republican donors, and they have built a large network of conservative advocacy groups in the country. For the 2016 presidential election, Koch projects his network of donors will raise $750 million. The Kochs originally projected they would raise $889 million, and Charles Koch told USA Today that they may still exceed $750 million.

    “When we do, it’s totally blown out of proportion,” he said.

    Okay, so $750 million is out of proportion? Honestly, I wonder if there is a greed gene? I mean, these guys are worth nearly $100 Billion, yet they still want more! THEY NEED MORE! When does it get to the “Alright, I think I have enough now.” stage?

    I’ll say it again, we ceased being a Democratic Republic a while back. We are now a corporate oligarchy.

  5. Koch said that he does not decide who to support based solely on what they say on the campaign trail.

    Instead, they’ll wait until that person pledges absolute fealty to them, and they know they’ll have a politician ready to do all their bidding while in office.

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