Jindal trip raises ethics queries

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Sellers said Jindal spoke at a dinner, then met privately with “donors and prospective donors.”

Jindal traveled to Palm Springs, Calif., at Koch’s request “to speak about public policy and share his free-market perspective” at a private dinner event, Koch communications director Theresa Johnson said.

Guests included leaders in business and philanthropy from around the country, she said. She provided no specifics on attendees.

Koch Industries has been listed as the largest and second largest private company in the U.S. in recent years. The company deals in oil, gas and the petrochemical industry as well as commodities and financial trading.

Koch and its executives have had close ties to conservative right-wing causes through the years. Its founder Fred Koch helped establish the John Birch Society — a group that according to its Web site favors less government, more responsibility “and — with God’s help — a better world.”

One of Koch’s sons helped establish the Cato Institute, a Washington, D.C., based think-tank which stresses individual liberty, limited government and free market. Another son ran as a Libertarian candidate for president in 1980.

Koch contributed $2,500 to Jindal’s governor’s campaign in April 2007 and gave $212,500 to Louisiana Republican Party committees in October 2007.

Sellers said Koch paid for Jindal’s plane ticket from Washington, D.C., where he had attended Mardi Gras festivities and Koch covered food and lodging expenses.

Sellers said she did not know how much Koch spent. She said the expenditures would show up as an “in-kind contribution” to Jindal’s governor’s campaign on the next report due for filing in February.

Jindal’s campaign ended up paying for a charter flight home and part of the trip from D.C. to California because of airplane problems, she said. The charter flight was prompted because of problems getting a commercial flight in time to get to a Chamber of Commerce banquet in Haynesville the next day, she said.

Johnson said she is not sure that Koch paid for a plane ticket.

Sellers said Jindal’s campaign fundraiser Allee Bautsch as well as State Police security accompanied him on the trip.

“This was a campaign-related trip done at the request of donors,” said Sellers. “Expenses for the trip should be handled by the campaign. Taxpayers of Louisiana should not be paying for campaign-related events.”