House Democrats Seek To Subpoena Koch Industries Over Keystone XL

WASHINGTON -- House Democrats took the political offensive on Keystone Wednesday, seeking to probe connections between the multi-billion dollar project and Koch Industries, the Kansas-based energy conglomerate that has funded many a conservative cause.

At a hearing before a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) called for subpoenaing representatives from Koch Industries over their alleged financial stakes in an approval of Keystone XL, arguing the committee has an "obligation" to understand who would benefit if the controversial oil pipeline was constructed.

The comments come just one week after Obama rejected a permit for the pipeline, which would stretch from tar sands in Canada to refineries in Texas, saying Republicans had jeopardized the review process by requiring the administration to render a decision by Feb. 21.

In a letter to subcommittee chairman Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) asking for the subpeonas, Waxman and eight other House Democrats called for a day of hearings featuring Koch Industry executives. They cited, as evidence for their suspicion, a Koch subsidiary's assertion during a Canadian proceeding that the company has a "direct and substantial interest" in the pipeline.

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