Press Releases

ECU Targets Rep. Mimi Walters in $400,000 Buy

Oct 23, 2018

Ad buy will include digital and mail targeting Mimi Walters for selling out to the corporate special interests

End Citizens United (ECU) has launched a new digital and mail campaign in California’s 45th congressional district spotlighting Congresswoman Mimi Walters’ extensive record of pay to play politics that is costing families in her district. Walters has a long history of accepting money from the insurance industry, the oil & gas industries, the telecom industry, drug companies, and other corporate special interests and siding with them while California families pay the price.

Walters has accepted thousands from these industries, and voted to risk  healthcare for people with preexisting conditions, sell voters’ privacy away, and give oil companies billions in tax breaks. In contrast, her opponent, Katie Porter, is a strong advocate for unriging the system so that Congress outs people first.

The $400,000 ad buy includes $150,000 in direct mail and $250,000 in digital ads.

“Mimi Walters has sold out California families for big money from her collection of special interest mega-donors, from Big Oil to the insurance industry to the gun lobby,” said ECU President Tiffany Muller. “Walters has failed to advocate for anyone other than deep-pocket donors. Katie Porter won’t be bought. She knows that unlimited money in politics is one of the biggest threats to our country, and will fight to fix the broken system and to give her constituents a voice in Washington.”

In December, ECU named Walters to its Big Money 20, identifying her as one of the worst pay-to-play politicians in Washington. Recently, Katie Porter was a leader of a coalition of 107 House challenger candidates who sent a letter to the House of Representatives demanding that a reform bill be the first item on the agenda in 2019.

Click here for supporting information.

Full script below: 

KID: Hey Mister! How do I get ahead in Washington?

ANNOUNCER: Well Billy, take a page out of Mimi Walters’ book.

ANNOUNCER: Mimi took over $20,000 from the gun lobby—and refuses to support banning people on the terrorist watch list from buying guns.

ANNOUNCER: Walters got over $130,000 from the telecom industry, and voted to let them

sell customers’ personal data without their permission.

KID: Wait…but is that not so good for constituents?

ANNOUNCER: Be a good boy and shut your pie-hole Billy.

ANNOUNCER: Now make like Mimi. Learn to work the system and you’ll be made in the shade. 

Unlike dark money groups, ECU is entirely transparent and every penny is disclosed with the Federal Election Commission. Unlike Super PACs, ECU is entirely grassroots-funded with an average contribution of $14.

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