End Citizens United // Let America Vote (ECU // LAV) today endorsed Curtis Hertel for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District.
“Corporate greed has eroded Michiganders’ trust in Washington, but Curtis Hertel’s pro-democracy, anti-corruption leadership will help rebuild confidence in our government,” said End Citizens United // Let America Vote President Tiffany Muller. “With our democracy facing unprecedented attacks from MAGA extremists, Curtis knows Congress needs to do more to protect Americans from these threats and he’s ready to make a difference for working families. He believes that true democracy can never be achieved until every voice is heard—and protected—at the ballot box. We are excited to endorse Curtis and look forward to helping him win.”
“Mid-Michiganders don’t have to look far to see the corrosive impact of special interests in our politics,” said Curtis Hertel. “My opponent Tom Barrett has long fought to pad the pockets of his Big Pharma donors, even if it meant endangering the people he represented. Tom voted to keep Michigan as the only state in the country that shielded the drug companies from liability when they sold dangerous and defective drugs. That is unacceptable. Mid-Michigan deserves better. With far-right billionaires pouring millions of dollars into elections across the country, our government no longer represents the will of the people—but whoever can spend the most amount of money. We must put power back in the hands of the people, and we can only do so by safeguarding and expanding the freedom to vote and rooting corruption out of our politics. I look forward to working alongside End Citizens United // Let America Vote to strengthen our democracy.”
ECU has led the charge to hold Tom Barrett accountable. Barrett has repeatedly been caught trying to break federal laws to bolster his campaigns and to keep Michiganders in the dark about his finances. In his last failed campaign, ECU filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission for illegally using $40,000 of state campaign money to boost his 2022 congressional campaign. This past November, ECU filed another complaint against Barrett with the Department of Justice for failing to file a personal financial disclosure report. Two days after ECU’s complaint—and after facing public pressure—Barrett finally filed his complaint.
Hertel has spent his career protecting democracy and expanding Michiganders’ voting rights. During his time in the state Senate and as Governor Whitmer’s Legislative Director, he contributed and helped to push through the Michigan Voting Rights Act, which significantly increased the accessibility of the freedom to vote. In addition to his work in Michigan, Hertel supports federal protections such as the Freedom to Vote and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. He knows that there must be better transparency and accountability in our government, which is why he supports pro-democracy legislation like the DISCLOSE Act.
ECU // LAV is dedicated to combating the two biggest challenges facing our democracy: the corrosive impact of Big Money and attempts to block access to the ballot box. Since its founding in 2015, the group has had over 1 million donors and raised $200 million, with an average donation of just $14. The group has more than 4 million members nationwide.
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