End Citizens United (ECU), a grassroots campaign finance reform organization, today inducted Representative Mike Garcia (CA-27) to its inaugural list of ‘Most Corrupt’ politicians running for reelection. The initiative is aimed at exposing and defeating the most egregious perpetrators of corruption in Washington.
“Representative Garcia has shamelessly abused his position of power for personal financial gain,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “His corrupt insider trading scandal and his cozy relationship with corporate special interests highlights a troubling pattern of prioritizing his own interests over public service. We’re going to hold him accountable by exposing his record and engaging with voters through Election Day to make sure they know just how corrupt he is.”
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, Garcia participated in the investigation into the failings of Boeing that led to the deadly 737 MAX plane crashes. Because of his committee membership, 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 proves that Garcia intended to sell his Boeing shares to avoid depreciating the value of his Boeing shares. Garcia’s failure to disclose these sales by the mandatory deadline is particularly egregious because he intentionally waited until after his election to report the stock transactions to conceal his insider trading from voters. ECU filed an ethics complaint against Garcia for this blatant breach of the public trust.
Additionally, Garcia’s campaigns have been a top destination for corporate special interests looking to buy access and influence in Congress. He has taken almost $700,000 from corporate PACs and has fought to advance their agenda at every turn. Notably, Garcia voted against a law to reduce the cost of prescription drugs because his Big Pharma donors opposed the legislation. He has aligned himself with big health care corporations’ agenda by supporting the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, jeopardizing healthcare coverage for millions of Americans.
Garcia inoculated himself from accountability by voting against the Freedom To Vote Act and the For The People Act, which would increase transparency around money in politics and institute tougher penalties for ethics violations.
ECU will highlight Garcia’s record of corruption and will work to engage voters and the media between now and Election Day, including in a new digital video released today.
ECU 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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