End Citizens United // Let America Vote (ECU // LAV) today endorsed Laura Gillen for New York’s 4th Congressional District.
“New York’s 4th Congressional District deserves a strong pro-democracy, anti-corruption champion and that’s Laura Gillen,” said End Citizens United // Let America Vote President Tiffany Muller. “Laura knows that our democracy cannot be truly representative of the people until every voice is heard—and that meaningful progress cannot be achieved until we root out corruption. Anthony D’Esposito, one of the most corrupt candidates running for reelection, has put his own self-enrichment above the people throughout his career. New Yorkers can trust Laura to always prioritize the issues that are most pressing to working families and get the deep-seated corruption out of our politics. We’re excited to endorse Laura and look forward to helping her win.”
“It’s time to put the people back in the center of our politics,” said Laura Gillen. “For too long, Anthony D’Esposito has lined his own pockets and prioritized the bottom lines of his corporate benefactors. Our democracy cannot work when only a select few are able to buy themselves access and influence. I will fight to root out Big Money’s corrosive influence in Washington and make sure our government is once again, by and for the people. I will always stand up for our district and fight to protect our democracy. I look forward to working alongside End Citizens United // Let America Vote to get dark money out of our government.”
In May, Rep. D’Esposito was named one to ECU’s Most Corrupt politicians list. His time in Washington has been stained by ethics and campaign finance complaints. Last year, ECU filed a complaint against Rep. D’Esposito for illegally transferring funds and resources from his statewide fundraising committee to his federal fundraising committee, which is blatantly illegal. Additionally, Rep. D’Esposito accepted nearly $45,000 in corporate contributions, which are impermissible for federal campaigns, through his state committee after announcing his congressional campaign. He also held two local government jobs simultaneously, voted to give his family pay raises, and tried to oversee his own election. He helped pass the Big Oil & Gas giveaway bill, which was not intended to help everyday Americans with energy costs, but instead was a handout to appease the GOP’s fossil fuel donors. Rep. D’Esposito has also voted to cut funding for renewable energy and cut tax enforcement against his rich donors.
Gillen knows that our broken campaign finance system is corrupting our political system and is taking away power from the voters. She is committed to passing accountability and transparency laws, like the DISCLOSE Act, to combat the corrupting influence of dark money. To protect our democracy, she also knows that we must safeguard and expand our freedom to vote, which is why she supports the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
ECU // LAV is dedicated to combating the two biggest challenges facing our democracy: the corrosive impact of Big Money and attempts to block access to the ballot box. Since its founding in 2015, the group has had over 1 million donors and raised $200 million, with an average donation of just $14. The group has more than 4 million members nationwide.
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