'Mr. Belafonte’s comments are false and reprehensible,' says a Koch spokesperson. Kochs slam Belafonte's Klan talk

A spokesman for the Koch brothers made a rare statement hitting back at criticism of the billionaire industrialists Sunday, taking Bill de Blasio surrogate Harry Belafonte to task for comparing them to the KKK.

The remarks were made at a church service by the 86-year-old actor-entertainer in New York City, on the final Sunday of a mayoral campaign in which Democrat Bill de Blasio is poised to rack up a win with a historic margin.


“Already we have lost 14 states in this union to the most corrupt group of citizens I’ve ever known,” Belafonte said at the First Corinthian Baptist Church, according to Capital New York. “They make up the heart and the thinking in the minds of those who would belong to the Ku Klux Klan. They are white supremacists. They are men of evil. They have names. They are flooding our country with money.

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“They’ve come into to New York City,” Belafonte added. “They are beginning to buy their way in to city politics. They are pouring money into Presbyterian Hospital to take over the medical care system. The Koch brothers, that’s their name. Their money is already sewn into the fabric of our daily system, and they must be stopped.”

The Kochs are frequently the subject of criticism at Democrat rallies and events, and their aides rarely hit back. In this case, Koch Industries spokesman Rob Tappan issued a statement.

“Mr. Belafonte’s comments are false and reprehensible,” Tappan said “His comments are divisive and destructive, and are indicative of the type of hateful rhetoric that leads to the breakdown of a civil and respectful society.”

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He added, “It is unfortunate that he and others choose to make such false comments about Charles Koch and David Koch, who have devoted their lives to advancing tolerance and a free society — where every individual is judged on his or her individual merits and they are free to make decisions about their lives.”

De Blasio sought distance from the remarks when reporters asked him about them after the church service.

“I disagree with that characterization. … That was the wrong way to talk about them,” he said, according to Capital New York. The report said he grew testy when asked why he didn’t disavow the comment from the dais, saying, “I’m here mentioning it with you guys. Next.”

Were the race remotely closer, it would be the kind of issue that would mar the closing days of a campaign, but given that Republican Joe Lhota has not broken 30 percent in polls, it’s unlikely to have much impact.