Campa-Najjar rejects corporate PAC money; Hunter has taken over $1.7 million from corporate PACs and voted against anti-corruption legislation
Washington, DC –– Today, End Citizens United (ECU) endorsed Ammar Campa-Najjar for Congress in California’s 50th Congressional District. Campa-Najjar is the first 2020 House challenger endorsement made by ECU, a reform group dedicated to getting big money out of politics. Campa-Najjar is refusing corporate PAC money and has made government reform a key tenet of his campaign.
“Ammar Campa-Najjar knows that when politicians rely on corporate PAC money to fund their campaigns, everyday Californians get left behind. His rejection of corporate PAC money proves that he’s listening to voters and that he can’t be bought,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “Meanwhile, Rep. Duncan Hunter’s picture should appear in the dictionary next to entry for corruption. Instead of fighting to lower healthcare costs and prescription drug prices, Duncan Hunter used his corporate PAC funded campaign account to pay for vacations for his family and their rabbit. That won’t fly with Californians and End Citizens United is proud to endorse Ammar Campa-Najjar.”
“I am honored to be the first congressional challenger to be endorsed by End Citizens United this cycle. I’ve rejected corporate PACs since day one, and will make prohibiting corporations from buying politicians my top legislative priority.
“By contrast, indicted Congressman Duncan Hunter has accepted nearly $2 million from corporate PACs to his own demise. Hunter’s corruption is an American tragedy, one of a congressman who lost his way and abandoned the values of his voters by selling his office to the highest corporate bidders. Congressman Hunter’s very freedom from prison now rests in the hands of multinational corporate interests who have paid for his votes, illegal campaign spending, and legal defense fund for his upcoming trial.
“I pledge to be unbought by the pharmaceutical, fossil fuel, and finance industries and always put people first,” said Ammar Campa-Najjar.
While Campa-Najjar rejects corporate PAC money, Congressman Hunter has developed a strong relationship with corporate special interests in Washington. Over the course of his career, Hunter has taken $1.7 million from corporate PACs. Hunter also voted against the For the People Act (H.R. 1), the most comprehensive anti-corruption and reform bill since Watergate that was passed by the House in March.
During the 2018 election cycle, ECU spearheaded the movement among candidates to forgo corporate PAC money in their campaigns. Fifty-eight members of the 116th Congress are refusing to take corporate PAC money, which includes 27 members of the House freshman class who flipped their district.
ECU is dedicated to getting Big Money out of politics and fixing the rigged system in Washington so government works for all Americans. The reform group has four million members nationwide, including 8,200 in CA-50, and is entirely grassroots-funded with an average donation of just $14. The early endorsement will allow ECU to connect its over 550,000 donors with Campa-Najjar’s campaign to make sure he has the resources to win.
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