It's Not Just Politics: The Koch Brothers Give Big Bucks to Influence Higher Education Too
The Kochs are a popular name to drop for lawmakers on both sides of the campaign finance debate. And regardless on whether or not you think billionaires should be allowed to use their money to influence politics, you have to admit that the Kochs are doing a pretty good job of promoting their anti-regulation policies both on the campaign trail and on K Street. But according to a new investigative report out from the Center for Public Integrity, the Kochs aren't limiting their efforts to influence policy to Washington. They are also using their money to promote anti-regulation at universities.
According to these newly public documents, when the Koch brothers were considering giving millions of dollars to the economics department at Florida State University they also demanded that the department teach a libertarian, deregulation philosophy, and that all teaching hires made by the department be approved by Koch.
At the time the gift was being proposed Florida State economics department chair Bruce Benson wrote an internal memo to the department, explaining the Kochs goals that were contingent upon their donation.
“As we all know, there are no free lunches. Everything comes with costs,” Benson wrote. “They want to expose students to what they believe are vital concepts about the benefits of the market and the dangers of government failure, and they want to support and mentor students who share their views. Therefore, they are trying to convince us to hire faculty who will provide that exposure and mentoring.”
This arrangement ended up being agreed to, and up until 2013 the Charles Koch Foundation was given final say on all hires made by the department.
Florida State University hasn't been the only educational institution benefiting from this "influence in the name of generosity" being peddled by Koch. In 2012 alone, Koch foundations gave over $12.7 million to 163 colleges and universities, frequently with strings attached. George Mason University in Virginia, which has a famously strong libertarian leaning economics department, has been the beneficiary of this Koch cash. Since 1985 the school has received well over $30 million from Koch, much of it going to the conservative Mercatus Center think tank, which has been known to engage in lobbying.
Considering the fact that the Kochs have pledged to spend $290 million on the 2014 campaign alone, these donations to higher education is just a drop in the bucket as far as the *******'s overall wealth. But it is telling that the pair feels the need to spend on universities in order to promote their version where society should be headed. While the rest of us can hope to change our political future only through casting a single vote, the wealthy Koch influence has permeated multiple areas of public life to promote their agenda.
