Big Money 20 members are top targets for End Citizens United in 2018
End Citizens United today named Rep. Jason Lewis as the latest member of its Big Money 20, a list of the group’s top targets for defeat in 2018 who represent the worst of Washington’s rigged system. End Citizens United will educate voters on these politicians who put the special interests that fund their campaigns over the needs of their constituents.
“Representative Jason Lewis is rigging the system for his mega-donors and special interests, and Minnesota families are paying the price. We will hold him accountable,” said Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United. “We’re mobilizing our more than three million grassroots members, including 6,300 in Minnesota’s 2nd district, to throw these politicians out of office and elect reformers who will focus on all of us, not just those who write the biggest checks.”
For example, Lewis, who took over $21,000 from the telecom industry last year, actively pushed for the repeal of Net Neutrality, even going as far to sign a letter to the FCC encouraging its repeal. Similarly, just days after he voted to allow internet companies to sell customers’ data without their consent, he received campaign contributions from AT&T and Comcast. With over $50,000 in campaign contributions from Wall Street and the banking industry, Lewis has consistently advocated to roll back banking oversight and consumer protections. A vocal supporter of the deceivingly named Financial Choice Act, Lewis voted to severely limit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the federal watchdog agency created after the 2008 financial crisis.
In addition, Lewis voted to make the rigged system worse and supported a bill that rolled back the Johnson Amendment, a move which would allow mega-donors to funnel political money through churches and charities. Lewis has praised the Citizens United ruling, and as a radio host even credited talk radio for advancing the decision.
The members of the Big Money 20 are incumbents who do the bidding of special interests like drug companies, Big Oil, Wall Street, and others with deep pockets, while also voting to protect the rigged system. Lewis was added to the list following the retirement of Speaker Paul Ryan, and five other members of the Big Money 20. The full Big Money 20 list can be found here.
Over the past two years, ECU has conducted extensive polling and research showing that getting big money out of politics is a key issue for voters. In fact, independent and unaffiliated voters consistently rank it a high priority, ahead of or equal to jobs and health care.Two out of three voters believe the amount of money in politics affects “kitchen table” issues.
In October 2017, End Citizens United endorsed Angie Craig for her commitment to reform. As a sign of her commitment to unrigging the system, Craig announced a sweeping reform agenda for Washington. Her “Clean Campaigns, Clean Government” plan is a comprehensive reform package, designed to take big money out of campaigns, reform the House of Representatives, and bring transparency to the federal government. Craig is also pledging to take proactive steps in her campaign to support the reform principles she is proposing.
End Citizens United is dedicated to getting Big Money out of politics. The group is working to elect members of Congress who will fight to overturn Citizens United and pass meaningful reforms. Established in 2015, End Citizens United has four million members and is entirely grassroots-funded, with an average donation of just $14.
For a full list and additional background on the Big Money 20, click here.