Koch e-mail depicts complaints

A witness says corporate e-mail from Koch <br>Industries indicates some oil producers felt they were being short-changed by the company.<br><br>James Black testified today as the federal trial of a lawsuit

Monday, October 18th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

A witness says corporate e-mail from Koch
Industries indicates some oil producers felt they were being short-changed by the company.

James Black testified today as the federal trial of a lawsuit against Koch resumed in Tulsa.

He formerly was chief gauger for Koch in Oklahoma. The job involves measurements of
oil.

Black told the jury e-mail messages were written by officers of Koch. Based in Wichita, it's nation's second largest private company.

Bill Koch and William Presley are suing Koch Industries for allegedly using fraudulent reporting methods. They call it an
attempt to steal several (m) million barrels of crude oil from leases on federal and Indian lands.

But Black, now retired, testified that he tried to be as accurate as possible when measuring crude oil in producers' tanks.

He said neither he nor any of his co-workers took part in a scheme to steal small amounts of oil from producers.

Koch is the younger brother of Koch Industries' Chief Executive Charles Koch.

The trial is the latest in a series of legal battles
between the two brothers.