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US Politics for Sale - Might of the Mega Rich

November 10, 2020

Billionaires in the US hold great political sway over the country. The Koch brothers are just one example. With their huge fortune, they spent decades creating an ultra-conservative network.

https://p.dw.com/p/3l75r
Charles G. Koch
Image: picture alliance/AP Images/M. Burley

This so-called "dark money" — used to covertly buy political influence — is a big problem in the US, but mostly completely legal. The goal of entrepreneurs Charles G. Koch and his brother David H. Koch, who died in 2019, was to empower America’s right wing by deregulating environmental protection and workers’ rights. 

Firm Koch Industries
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo

Their empire, Koch Industries, trades oil among other commodities. And so the right changes to the law can make them even richer. The brothers quietly pay millions of dollars to finance election campaigns, skew public opinion, and bolster politicians who support their agenda. And the Koch brothers aren’t the only ones.

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