Shocker: David Koch Supports Marriage Equality

David Koch and his wife, Julia

Billionaire businessman David Koch, who with his brother Howard is spending millions to elect Republican candidates, made a shocking statement today: He supports marriage equality.

This means Koch differs in a major way with the official platform the Republican Party adopted this week at its national convention. In an interview with Politico, he said, “I believe in gay marriage,” and he stated that he disagrees with the party platform.

In 1980 Koch was the vice-presidential candidate of the Libertarian Party, which is “socially liberal — but fiscally conservative,” as Politico notes. He considers himself a dedicated Republican now, however, despite his break with the party on some issues. He told Politico that in addition to favoring marriage equality, he departs from the Republican orthodoxy by believing it may be necessary to consider raising taxes and cutting defense spending to balance the federal budget.

Koch, a delegate to the convention from New York, spoke to Politico after a reception today in which he was honored by Americans for Prosperity, the political action group he chairs. In hopes of electing Mitt Romney as president and numerous Republicans to Congress, the group has bankrolled numerous ads attacking President Obama and Democratic congressional candidates.

Read the full story here.