James has taken $20,000 from Citizens United, the conservative dark money group behind the disastrous 2010 Supreme Court decision
James’ campaign has also been boosted by deep-pocketed dark-money groups including Better Future Michigan, and super PACs with ties to Betsy DeVos and billionaire Dick Uihlein
John James posted a recent video claiming that he was “really disturbed by how much money’s in politics.” Despite acknowledging the outsized influence of money in politics, James refuses to support reforms that take on corruption in both parties and ends the influence of Big Money. James, instead, sides with those who are defending the status quo and rigging the system because they are propping up his campaign.
FEC reports show that Citizens United, the conservative dark money group behind the disastrous 2010 Supreme Court decision, has poured $10,000 into John James’ 2020 campaign. In 2018, the group also contributed $10,000 to his unsuccessful Senate campaign. James’ campaign has also drawn allegations of illegally coordinating with Better Future Michigan (BFM), a dark-money group run by his former campaign manager who was still receiving a paycheck from the campaign just the month before BFM launched. In addition, Betsy DeVos’ family has funneled nearly a million dollars into a super PAC dedicated to supporting James, which was also founded by his former campaign manager. His campaign has also been boosted by an outside group almost exclusively funded by Dick Uihlein, a top contributor to 2018 Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore’s super PAC even in the wake of child predation accusations.
“John James has picked his side, and it’s not with Michigan families,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “He’s on the side of the corporate special interests and mega donors who have supported an agenda to end protections for pre-existing conditions while pushing for corporate tax cuts that risk Medicare and Social Security. From aligning with Citizens United to an alleged illegal coordination with a dark money group, James is protecting the status quo because he benefits from it. Senator Gary Peters is the only person in this race working tirelessly to root out corruption and unrig the system on behalf of Mighican families.”
Senator Gary Peters has a strong record of rooting out corruption and strengthening our democracy. Peters is an original co-sponsor of the For the People Act (S. 949), the most sweeping anti-corruption and government ethics bill in generations that passed the House last year. The bill would crack down on corruption in both parties, strengthen ethics laws, force outside groups to disclose where their dark money comes from, and protect everyone’s right to vote. It also supports a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United decision, the court case which the dark money group brought to the Supreme Court and led to unlimited outside spending in our elections. End Citizens United endorsed Senator Peters for the 2020 cycle.
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