King has taken nearly $600,000 in corporate PAC donations since 2007
In 2018, 82% of “Big Money 20” targets were defeated or retired
End Citizens United (ECU) today named Rep. Steve King (IA-04) 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 benefit most from the corrupt establishment in Washington by showing voters how politicians like Rep. King put corporate special interest donors ahead of the people they’re supposed to represent. ECU has endorsed J.D. Scholten, who is rejecting corporate PAC money, for Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District.
“Rep. Steve King’s racist and demeaning behavior is fueled not by Iowan voters but by the support of corporate special interests who just want to buy a vote in Congress,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “From siding with Wall Street to using campaign cash to live a luxurious lifestyle in Washington and abroad, Steve King’s corruption runs deep. J.D. Scholten is proving he’s the antidote to King by rejecting corporate PAC money and pledging to give Iowans a voice in Congress. End Citizens United is proud to stand with Scholten, and we will do everything we can to make sure King never steps foot back in Congress again.”
End Citizens United aims to educate voters about the Big Money 20, incumbents who represent the worst of Washington, 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 Big Oil and then put those interests ahead of their constituents.
Rep. Steve King’s corruption goes beyond his constant racist and hateful rhetoric that has made him a national embarrassment. King has received thousands of dollars from the most extreme fringe groups in politics, including one founded by a violent Neo-Nazi and another founded by a white nationalist and anti-Semite who believes in using eugenics for population control. When it comes to Wall Street, Steve King has collected $350,000 from the industry and repeatedly taken their side in Congress.
King has also spent taxpayer dollars to fund a lavish lifestyle in Washington and abroad. Throughout his time in office, King has spent more than $118,000 on taxpayer-funded trips abroad, where he met with prominent right-wing leaders and allegedly solicited the services of a “Chinese masseuse” while staying at the Ritz Carlton in Moscow. Meanwhile, King has voted to cut billions from services Iowans rely on, like unemployment insurance and food stamps. Steve King’s family has also benefited from his corruption –– his campaign has paid them more than $805,000 as full-time staffers even during non-election years.
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 5,000 in Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District. ECU raised $44 million in the last cycle and helped elect over 150 members to the 116th Congress, including two new U.S. Senators and 58 new U.S. Representatives. The reform group 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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