Press Releases

End Citizens United Led the Fight to Elect Democracy Champions this Cycle

Nov 05, 2024

ECU logged over 53,000 miles in campaign travel, filed a record number of ethics and campaign finance complaints to hold corrupt Republicans accountable, and helped lead coalitions to counter third-party candidates, Project 2025, and push for SCOTUS reform to protect democracy in 2024

With democracy under threat from MAGA extremists, End Citizens United (ECU) led the way in supporting champions of democracy this election cycle. Working closely with campaigns across the country, ECU hit the road at record levels to campaign for champions of democracy and set records for its work holding Republicans accountable for campaign finance and ethics violations. ECU also helped lead coalitions to block third-party presidential efforts, highlight the threats of Project 2025, and build support for Supreme Court reforms – all issues critical to defending our democracy.

“The stakes couldn’t be higher and we’re proud to have left it all on the field this year to defend our democracy and put our endorsed candidates in positions to win,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “These leaders are fiercely committed to standing up to corporate special interests, rooting out corruption, and protecting the right to vote. We’re proud of the work we did all across the country to build support and momentum for a democracy-focused movement for the next administration and new Congress.”

Highlights from the Road

This cycle, ECU President Tiffany Muller hit the road like never before to support ECU-endorsed candidates, energize grassroots volunteers, and elevate the importance of defending our democracy in the election. With 3 out of 4 voters believing democracy is under threat, it was critical to turn out and speak to voters about how MAGA Republicans and their Project 2025 agenda is a grave threat to our rights, freedoms, and democracy – and how Democrats are standing up to corporate special interests to prioritize the needs of working people.

ECU also partnered with EMILYs List, GIFFORDS, Harry Dunn’s Democracy Defenders, Reproductive Freedom for All, Swing Left, Power to the Polls, Senator Mark Kelly, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Congressman Adam Schiff to campaign for endorsed candidates all across the country. This work helped ensure ECU’s message of rooting out corruption, standing up to corporate special interests, and protecting the right to vote was at the forefront of campaigns.

We worked closely with campaigns up and down the ballot and endorsed 165 campaigns this cycle in an effort to elect democracy champions and pass once-in-a-generation democracy reform legislation.

By the Numbers:

  • 71 events with 48 candidates and elected officials
  • 35 cities traveled to across 15 states
  • 53,104 miles traveled — the most in ECU history

For perspective, 53,104 miles is more than:

  • 777,000 football fields
  • 2,026 marathons
  • 2 trips around the world

Watch our 2024 Highlight Reel Here

Holding Republicans Accountable for Breaking Campaign Finance Laws

After MAGA Republicans took control of Congress following the 2022 elections, ECU doubled down on holding them accountable for corruption and self-dealing. As a result, ECU filed 48 complaints with the FEC, DOJ, IRS and Ethics Committees – an organization record –  which helped lead to the expulsion of George Santos and earned media coverage all across the country to show voters that MAGA extremists cannot be trusted.

Exposing George Santos’ Corruption and Fraud:
ECU filed multiple complaints with the Federal Ethics Commission, Department of Justice, and Office of Congressional Ethics to expose George Santos’ fraud and corruption, which eventually helped lead to 23 federal indictments, a guilty plea, and his expulsion from Congress:

Complaints Highlighted in Paid Communications:
In CA-27, ECU filed a complaint against Rep. Mike Garcia alleging illegal insider trading, earning coverage by Spectrum, which was then used in a DCCC ad:

In CA-41, ECU filed a complaint against Rep. Ken Calvert over federal funding he secured which boosted the value of his real estate holdings, earning coverage by the Los Angeles Times, which Democratic challenger Will Rollins then used in a campaign ad:

In the NY-03 special election, ECU filed a complaint against Mazi Pilip for financial disclosure issues similar to George Santos, earning coverage by Politico, which was highlighted in a HMP ad:

Additional Earned Media Highlights from ECU’s Complaints:

Blocking No Labels’ Third-Party Spoiler Run

ECU led efforts with partner organizations MoveOn and Third Way to successfully stop No Labels’ dark money operation from undermining our elections and helping elect Donald Trump. This work included a successful three-pronged approach to: 1) hold them accountable legally, 2) expose them publicly, and 3) ultimately ensure they were unable to field a credible campaign.

ECU was joined by eight other pro-democracy organizations in warning No Labels to reveal their donors or face legal challenges. No Labels responded by sending an unprecedented letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) whining for an investigation into its political opponents, including ECU.
Undeterred, ECU followed through and filed complaints with the IRS and FEC alleging the group broke tax and campaign finance laws. Additionally, ECU filed complaints in every state that No Labels was registered to operate in.

Continuing the Work Against Other Third-Party Spoilers:
Building on that success, ECU and our coalition partners began working to expose Republican efforts to boost third-party candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Jill Stein, and Cornel West, which led to complaints filed by ECU alleging illegal contributions and coordination:

Taking on Project 2025

ECU Action Fund led a table with coalition partners MoveOn and Third Way to highlight the dangers of Project 2025, mobilize opposition, and educate voters on the threats of Project 2025. While Trump’s ties to Project 2025 were very clear and well known, ECU was at the forefront of efforts to elevate the threats of Project 2025 and help down-ballot campaigns use it to attack their MAGA opponents, including:

  • In July, ECU published a memo “Trump’s Project 2025: The Foundation of a MAGA Authoritarian Takeover” highlighting the specific policies Project 2025 advocated for and the threats they posed to our democracy.
  • Following the Democratic National Convention, in which Project 2025 was featured prominently, ECU Action Fund released a poll that found that Project 2025 is deeply unpopular among likely voters in congressional battleground districts and was poised to damage Republican campaigns.
    • ECU briefed campaigns, committees, and outside groups on these findings and assisted with messaging guidance on how best to utilize them in earned and paid media.
  • ECU Action Fund then launched a new microsite StopTrumpsProject2025.org to highlight the threats Project 2025 poses to Americans and mobilize opposition.
  • The microsite was used in a six-figure digital ad campaign targeting 19 priority congressional districts exposing MAGA Republicans’ extreme Project 2025 agenda.

ECU’s work with coalition partners was pivotal in Democratic congressional campaigns highlighting the threat of Project 2025 in key battleground races down the final stretch of the campaign in paid media.

Building Support for Supreme Court Reforms

Following rampant corruption by conservative Supreme Court justices and extreme decisions from the MAGA majority that undermined our rights and democracy – while upending decades of precedent – ECU helped lead efforts along with partner organizations to launch a nationwide movement to mobilize grassroots support in the fight to enact reforms:

  • In April 2023, ECU President penned an op-ed in Democracy Docket calling for Supreme Court reforms after reports of Justice Thomas’ scandals came to light.
  • In May 2023, ECU released a poll ahead of key Senate Judiciary hearings which found that Americans are overwhelmingly in favor of implementing ethics and transparency reforms in the Supreme Court.
  • In June 2023, ECU joined United for Democracy (UFD) – a new nationwide campaign representing over 100 organizations to educate Americans about the impact today’s Supreme Court is having on their lives, freedoms, and democracy.
  • In September 2023, ahead of the beginning of the Supreme Court term, ECU led a press call with leading experts to outline the conflicts of interest and corruption that were at play in the last Supreme Court term and called for reforms to the court.
  • In January 2024, to commemorate the 14 year anniversary of the horrific Citizens United decision, ECU President Tiffany Muller published an op-ed in Courier Newsroom on the 14 year making of Supreme Court corruption.
  • In July 2024, ECU partnered with Court Accountability to release a poll of House battleground districts which found that voters strongly support oversight and accountability for the Supreme Court.
  • In September 2024, ECU President Tiffany Muller published an op-ed in Democracy Docket arguing that the legitimacy of the Supreme Court is at stake in November.

All of this work was critical in the movement to build support for reform, including 43 Senate co-sponsors and 116 House co-sponsors of the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act – and ultimately support from the Biden-Harris Administration for Supreme Court reforms.

Throughout the 118th Congress, ECU hosted and joined elected officials and partners for press conferences and rallies in support of legislation to reform the court, like the SCERT Act, the TERM Act, Supreme Court Ethics and Investigations Act, the High Court Gift Ban Act, and more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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