Among the new power brokers, few if any could match the political clout of the Kochs. The reach of their “integrated network” was unique. One reflection of their singular status was their relationship with the new majority leader of the Senate, Mitch McConnell. Only a few months before assuming that position, McConnell had been an honored speaker at their June donor summit. There, he had thanked “Charles and David” and added, “I don’t know where we would be without you.” Soon after he was sworn in, McConnell hired a new policy chief—a former lobbyist for Koch Industries. McConnell then went on
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