End Citizens United // Let America Vote (ECU // LAV) today endorsed George Whitesides for California’s 27th Congressional District.
“As corruption runs rampant in Washington, we need strong leaders who will stand up to fight for the people—and that’s George Whitesides,” said End Citizens United // Let America President Tiffany Muller. “Working families in California can trust him to fight for their needs and interests in Congress. His opponent, Congressman Mike Garcia, shamelessly abused his position of power for personal financial gain, proving that he’s prioritizing his own interests over public service. George knows Congress cannot make real change as long as self-enriching politicians remain in office, which is why he’ll always put people first. We’re excited to endorse George for Congress and look forward to helping him win.”
“Our democracy will only be truly inclusive once everyone’s voices are heard, which is impossible to do with dark money groups drowning out everyday citizens,” said George Whitesides. “The corruption in Washington has gotten out of hand, an obvious example being my opponent, Mike Garcia, who violated House ethics rules around stock trading. It’s time to center working California families in our politics and ensure our government actually works for everyone. I am proud to be endorsed by End Citizens United // Let America Vote and look forward to working together to strengthen our democracy.”
In May, Rep. Garcia was named to ECU’s Most Corrupt politicians list. Rep. Garcia is under fire for violating the STOCK Act which prohibits members of Congress from using insider information for personal gain. As a member of the House Transportation Committee, Rep. Garcia participated in the investigation into the failings of Boeing that led to the deadly 737 MAX plane crashes. Because of his committee membership, Rep. Garcia knew that the committee would release a damning report that could have been damaging to Boeing’s stock value. With this insider information, Garcia sold up to $50,000 of Boeing stock just before the committee released its report. The timing of the sale and the release of the report suggests Rep. Garcia intended to sell his Boeing shares before they dropped in value. Rep. Garcia’s refusal to disclose his sales by the legal deadline is particularly egregious because he intentionally waited until after his election to report the stock transactions to conceal this corruption from voters. ECU filed an ethics complaint against Garcia for this blatant breach of the public trust.
Whitesides knows that in order to have a fully functioning democracy, elected officials must be focused on delivering real results to the people—not looking to enrich themselves. Whitesides knows we need to pass tough accountability legislation to stop this blatant corruption. He supports good government bills like the DISCLOSE Act and the Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act. He also is committed to protecting and expanding voting access, which is why he supports the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement 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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