Billionaire Charles Koch—of Koch Brothers infamy—told USA Today that he and his brother, David, will hold off on choosing a GOP candidate to support in the 2016 race until after the Republican primary.
The brothers’ endorsement has become almost a primary in and of itself. In early-August, Bush, Cruz, Walker, and Fiorina travelled to Southern California to pitch their platforms to the Kochs at a conference hosted by the Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, the umbrella group of the brothers’ donor-empire.
Should a candidate nab the Kochs’ endorsement, the payoff would be somewhere between $700 million and $900 million.
Despite these medieval vetting efforts, Charles Koch explained he’s hardly prepared to discuss backing any candidates, because, “When we do, it’s totally blown out of proportion.”
“If they start saying things we think are beneficial overall and will change the trajectory of the country, then that would be good,” Koch said. “[B]ut we have to believe also they’ll follow through on it, and by and large, candidates don’t do that.”
Koch, instead, says he’s been focused on Koch Industries, the bread and butter of the brothers’ fortune. “[David] talks to [the candidates] a lot more,” he said. “He’s more interested in the political side.”
(h/t Mediaite)
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