End Citizens United (ECU), a grassroots campaign finance reform organization, today inducted Representative Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) 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 Kean, Jr. is one of the most bought and paid for members of Congress,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “He shamelessly abuses his position of power for personal gain, effectively putting a price tag on elected office. Corporate special interests know that all it takes is a couple of lavish dinners and campaign checks to make him do their bidding in Congress. We’re going to hold Corporate Kean accountable by exposing his record and engaging with voters through Election Day to make sure they know just how corrupt he is.”
Kean’s tight-knit relationship with corporate special interests has compromised his ability to serve families in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. Throughout his career, he has cashed in over $1.5 million from corporate PACs, including Big Pharma, health insurance giants, and Big Oil. In return, he has championed their interests, fighting for tax handouts, sweetheart projects, and less regulations. Special interests like Big Pharma have wined and dined Kean at ritzy venues to buy his allegiance, and the strategy has proven effective, as evidenced by his opposition to a law that lowered the cost of prescription drugs. Additionally, Kean has taken hundreds of thousands in his career from lobbyists and the wealthiest Americans while voting against efforts to enforce the law that holds rich tax cheats accountable.
In his most recent run for Congress, Kean ran on a newfound fervor against members of Congress trading stocks, but quickly changed his tune after getting elected. He continues to trade his holdings, he violated the STOCK Act, and proved his opportunistic attacks were hollow by refusing to co-sponsor two bipartisan ethics bills he said he would support when campaigning.
End Citizens United will highlight Kean’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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