Lawsuit Against Cato Institute

Bllionaire brothers Charles and David Koch brought suit against the Cato Institute over the handling of William A Niskanen’s shares. Niskanen passed away on October 26, 2011, and was the former chairman of the Cato Institute. The issue in the lawsuit is whether Niskanen’s shares should be transferred to his widow. The Koch brothers filed the suit in the District Court of Johnson County, Kansas. The defendants include Kathryn Washburn, Ed Crane, and the Cato Institute. 

The Cato Institute was founded by Ed Crane, the current president of the Institute. It was originally founded as The Charles Koch Foundation in 1974, and was formed as a corporation with shareholders. It was renamed to the Cato Institute in 1976. 

See Allen McDuffee, Koch Brothers Sue Cato Institute, President, The Washington Post, Mar. 1, 2012. 

Special thanks to Alfred L. Brophy, Ph.D. (Judge John J. Parker Distinguished Professor of Law, University of North Carolina) for bringing this article to my attention.