Cindy Hyde-Smith’s financial ties to the fertilizer industry have called into question her promises to help struggling Mississippi farmers combat rising costs. According to recent reporting from American Journal News, Hyde-Smith has accepted at least $14,000 from the fertilizer industry since 2018, including $3,000 from Nutrien and $11,000 from Koch Industries. Both companies were recently accused by the Department of Justice of colluding to artificially raise prices, for which they faced a class action lawsuit.
“Cindy Hyde-Smith did the classic Republican two-face, feigning concern for everyday Americans then refusing to take any action to address their struggles,” said American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson Gus Nathanson. “She talks a big game about what a dedicated ally she is to Mississippi farmers, but all the while, she’s been raking in tens of thousands of dollars from companies that are deliberately raising prices and making life harder for her constituents. She is deceiving her voters and deserves to be unemployed come January.”
Read more about Cindy Hyde-Smith’s connection to the fertilizer industry and her role in rising fertilizer prices.
- Cindy Hyde-Smith has accepted $14,000 from Nutrien and Koch, Inc. since 2018, most recently including a $1,000 donation from Nutrien to her 2026 Senate re-election campaign.
- In March, the Department of Justice launched an investigation into both Nutrien and Koch, Inc. for allegedly colluding to fix fertilizer prices.
- Nutrien and Koch, Inc. also faced a class action lawsuit in the US District Court of Colorado for these same price-fixing allegations.
- Cindy Hyde-Smith has stood firmly behind the war in Iran, which is directly causing fertilizer costs to soar due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Notably, Hyde-Smith voted “no” on the most recent Iran war powers resolution.
- On April 29, Hyde-Smith touted the fact that she introduced legislation that would eliminate tariffs on fertilizer imports from Morocco. This came after she voted to confirm USTR Jamieson Greer, who has spent his career pushing for those same fertilizer tariffs. Her bill appears unlikely to pass.
Published: May 14, 2026