Election 2018 | Press Releases

End Citizens United Proud to Stand with Brendan Kelly in IL-12

Mar 20, 2018

ECU praises Kelly as voters head to the polls in Illinois

As voters head to the polls today in Illinois, End Citizens United (ECU) highlighted Brendan Kelly’s commitment to reforming the system in Washington and curbing the corrosive influence of big money in politics. ECU is proud to stand with Kelly and looks forward to helping elect him to Congress.

Brendan Kelly:

A veteran and former state’s attorney, Brendan Kelly is a leader with a long record of prosecuting crime and fighting for justice. Kelly is a strong advocate for transparency and accountability in Congress and supports legislation to reform the rigged system. He supports the Democracy for All Amendment, the DISCLOSE Act, and the Get Foreign Money Out of Politics Act which would increase transparency and accountability in our elections. Kelly also opposes efforts to gut the Johnson Amendment, a decades-old law that prevents political groups from using churches to funnel unlimited, anonymous money into campaigns.

Kelly sees that the needs of everyday people are being ignored because politicians are controlled by powerful special interests, big banks, and pharmaceutical companies at the expense of southern Illinoisans. It’s exactly why he spotlighted the role of the pharmaceutical industry’s campaign contributions in perpetuating the opioid epidemic in a digital ad.

Kelly is running against Congressman Mike Bost who has a history of siding with big money special interests over his constituents. In December, Bost earned a spot on ECU’s “Big Money 20” list — an effort targeting incumbent Republicans who represent the worst of Washington’s rigged system. After benefitting from over $470,000 from Paul Ryan’s Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC funded by secret money, Bost took anti-reform stances in Congress and opposed disclosure. Over the coming months, ECU will help educate voters on how Congressman Bost prioritizes the needs of special interests that fund his campaigns over the needs of his constituents.

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