Bacon has taken over $841,000 from corporate PACs over the course of his political career
The Big Money 20 campaign focuses on defeating incumbents who represent a rigged Washington establishment that puts corporate special interests ahead of voters’ needs
End Citizens United (ECU) today named Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02) to the Big Money 20, the group’s top incumbents to defeat in 2020. ECU’s Big Money 20 campaign is focused on defeating incumbents who are rigging the system to benefit themselves, their donors, and the corrupt establishment. The group will show voters how members of Congress, like Don Bacon, benefit from the influence of Big Money.
“The only thing Don Bacon works to defend in Washington is the corrupt status quo, not Nebraskans,” said ECU President Tiffany Muller. “Bacon has actively thwarted efforts to end Washington corruption by voting against the For The People Act and the Shield Act, both of which would have limited contributions to campaigns and created more transparency in our electoral system. Bacon has accepted over $841,000 from corporate PACs, including from the pharmaceutical, insurance, healthcare, and financial industries, to name a few. Kara Eastman is running a reform-focused campaign powered by individuals who believe in her vision for Nebraska, not corporate special interests. We’ll fight to defeat Don Bacon and help Kara Eastman win.”
End Citizens United aims to educate voters about the Big Money 20 and rally support for reforming the political system. The members of the Big Money 20 are incumbents who take money from corporate special interests, mega-donors, and industries like Big Pharma and Wall Street and then put those interests ahead of their constituents.
Don Bacon’s defense of the corrupt status quo might have something to do with his campaign benefitting from a system that allows endless money to be funneled from special interests into political campaigns. Follow the money: Bacon received over $50,000 from health insurance and pharmaceutical PACs, and voted against lowering drug prices for Nebraska families and to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and voted against protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Bacon accepted $71,000 from telecommunication corporate PACs, and voted against Net Neutrality and sided with the special interests by voting to allow companies to sell customers’ information. Bacon voted against regulation transparency for Wall Street, which would weaken legislative oversight and harm consumers, and received $66,000 from corporate PACs in the financial industry.
When he’s not busy taking money from corporate special interests and advocating on their behalf, he works to undermine and weaken our electoral system. Bacon worked to restrict access to elections by voting against the Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Safe Act, and the HEROES Act, all of which aim to protect against voter suppression and strengthen voting rights. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bacon supported an amendment to cut $25 million in funding to the United States Post Office, seen by many as an attempt to undermine vote by mail efforts.
In the 2018 cycle, End Citizens United helped defeat or retire 82% of the Big Money 20 targets. ECU will connect its more than 550,000 donors to endorsed candidates who are challenging Big Money 20 targets.
ECU has conducted extensive polling and research showing that voters across the political spectrum support getting Big Money out of politics. ECU is a traditional political action committee (PAC) with more than four million members, including 5,700 in NE-02. The reform group raised and spent $44 million last cycle, and is entirely grassroots-funded with an average donation of just $14. For a full list and additional background on the Big Money 20, click here.
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