Tester takes Iran-linked company cash

Washington Examiner ^ | Oct 14, 2011 | Conn Carroll

[Hoodat]

Yesterday, at a Senate Banking Committee hearing, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., attacked U.S. companies that do business with Iran, singling out Koch Industries, despite the fact that Tester has taken money from companies that also did business with Iran.

"Recently I heard that one of America's largest companies, Koch Industries, was in the business of supporting Iran through energy development. Um ... if they are doing there are probably others that are doing it," Tester said yesterday.

Koch Industries issued the following statement in response to Tester's statement:

Koch Industries voluntarily decided several years ago to stop sales to Iran, which is the policy Senator Tester wants all U.S. companies to adopt. Our policy goes beyond what is required under U.S. law, which we urge Senator Tester, the DCCC, and the DSCC to notice. Senator Tester, while singling out Koch Industries as an example of a U.S. company that had done business in Iran through foreign subsidiaries, omitted the fact that he has accepted numerous campaign contributions from U.S. companies that are apparently either continuing to do business in Iran or that just recently stopped doing business in Iran.

Koch is correct. Tester took $2000 from General Electric and $8000 from Honeywell this year. Both companies have had well established business relationships with Iran.

Tester should clean his own house before trying to score cheap political points.

[Hoodat]

As a general rule, if Democrats ever accuse you of doing something, it is because they are already doing it themselves.

I believe Tester is up for election next fall. Let's make sure he's gone.

[lodi90]

He is just reading what some flunky staffer wrote for him. He clearly has no clue about the issue and is lashing out with a typically uninformed dim carpet bombing.

[Chode]

do I really have to say it???