Rachel Cohen
(03/24/22)
(The Intercept) – Four years ago, a quickly successful effort led by the liberal advocacy group End Citizens United sparked a national conversation about the corrupting influence of money. More than 200 Democratic congressional candidates in the 2018 cycle — including big names like Beto O’Rourke and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — swore off contributions from corporate political action committees, which represent big businesses from chain retailers to defense contractors. Even though corporate PAC dollars make up only a tiny fraction of the donations sloshing around American politics, advocates maintained that the gesture signaled a clear commitment to campaign finance reform — and the pressure seemed to work. By the start of 2021, one-fifth of Democratic lawmakers were refusing corporate PAC money. So the trade association that lobbies to promote corporate PACs sought a marketing fix.