During an RSVP-only meeting on "tax reform" organized by the Koch brothers-backed group Americans for Prosperity Wednesday morning, activist and author Jonathan Smucker demanded to know how much Pennsylvania Rep. Lloyd Smucker (no relation) has received in campaign contributions from Charles and David Koch.
Jonathan was quickly ejected from the event—but he caught part of it on video.
"This is my representative, and I want to know how much the Koch brothers are getting in tax cuts and how much they're contributing to your campaign," Jonathan said. "It's a fair question. We have a right...to get answers from you. You've been avoiding us and meeting with these private groups. And we want to know how much money they're getting in benefits from this [tax] bill."
Watch:
I just got ejected from a Koch brothers meeting with @RepSmucker.
Answer the questions, Congressman: How much $$ are the Koch brothers getting from this tax bill? And how much $$ are you getting in campaign contributions from the Koch Brothers? pic.twitter.com/jMmhd6jxpH
— Jonathan M Smucker (@jonathansmucker) February 21, 2018
Jonathan was referring to the $1.5 trillion tax bill President Donald Trump signed into law last December. According to an analysis by Americans for Tax Fairness published last month, the Koch brothers "could save between $1 billion and $1.4 billion combined in income taxes each year" thanks to the new law.
Rep. Smucker voted for the bill and enthusiastically celebrated its passage.
In a Twitter thread following the meeting—which was officially titled "Unrigging the Economy: A Conversation with Congressman Lloyd Smucker"—Jonathan listed the questions he would have asked Rep. Smucker if he had been allowed to stay.
"Are you, Rep. Smucker, consciously a mercenary for billionaires who are working to undermine our democracy and weaken the middle class?" Jonathan wrote. "Are you consciously a mercenary because that's what it takes to get the campaign contributions you think you need to stay in office?"
Mr. Congressman, you're here meeting with an organization founded and funded by the Koch brothers, billionaires whose organization's mission is to gut our nation's revenue so that they can cut then argue that we have to cut popular programs like Social Security and Medicare…
— Jonathan M Smucker (@jonathansmucker) February 21, 2018
The Koch brothers are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into our political system to buy off our elected office holders—people like you, @RepSmucker. You are bought, Mr. Congressman. You make time for them and you avoid the rest of us, your constituents.
— Jonathan M Smucker (@jonathansmucker) February 21, 2018
Are you, @RepSmucker consciously a mercenary for billionaires who are working to undermine our democracy and weaken the middle class? Are you consciously a mercenary because that's what it takes to get the campaign contributions you think you need to stay in office?
— Jonathan M Smucker (@jonathansmucker) February 21, 2018
OR do you actually believe this load of horsecrap? Do you really believe in the snake oil you're selling? Do you genuinely think that working families will magically get a leg up when you give even more money to billionaires?
— Jonathan M Smucker (@jonathansmucker) February 21, 2018
After the meeting ended, Rep. Smucker tweeted that he "participated in a vibrant discussion this morning in Lancaster on the impacts of tax reform."
He did not address Jonathan's questions.
