End Citizens United (ECU), a grassroots campaign finance reform organization, today inducted Representative Ryan Zinke (MT-01) 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 Zinke is so disastrously corrupt that even the Trump administration couldn’t overlook his egregious behavior and kicked him out,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “His tenure as Interior Secretary was a masterclass on abusing taxpayer dollars for personal gain and enjoyment. As a member of Congress, he continues to cozy up to corporate special interests and advances their interests while they fill his campaign coffers. 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.”
Zinke’s tenure as Interior Secretary was marred by unprecedented corruption and self-dealing, culminating in 18 federal investigations and his forced departure by the Trump administration. Reports revealed that he spent $139,000 on lavish renovations to upgrade doors for his personal office. He spent thousands on private flights to the Virgin Islands and chartered helicopters to attend regular events. Zinke lied to the American people and used his office literally and figuratively to further a real estate deal that helped his personal foundation. He was lambasted by investigators for using taxpayer dollars for a boat trip in California with two campaign donors.
Zinke’s disregard for Montana’s proud tradition of protecting public lands is evident. Despite promising not to sell public lands, he pursued an agenda to do just that and got caught. His tenure saw a relentless push to grant public rights to private entities, including mining and drilling companies, which risked permanently scarring the landscape. Moreover, Zinke actively sought to slash regulations for fossil fuel companies, both as Interior Secretary and as a congressman. In return, the fossil fuel industry has donated $85,000 to Zinke’s campaigns.
End Citizens United will highlight Zinke’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 // LAV 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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