Election 2018 | Press Releases

End Citizens United Endorses Jay Hulings for Congress

Dec 20, 2017

 A tough federal prosecutor, Hulings has a record of fighting corrupt politicians

End Citizens United (ECU) today endorsed Jay Hulings in Texas’ 23rd Congressional district. Hulings, a former federal prosecutor who specialized in targeting public corruption, is a strong advocate for transparency and accountability in Congress. He is running against incumbent Congressman Will Hurd who was recently named to ECU’s Big Money 20 target list for 2018.

“Jay Hulings has built his career fighting corruption and upholding the law,” said Tiffany Muller, ECU president. “We need him in Washington where he’ll help stop corruption and fight back against politicians and their greedy mega-donors who advance their own interests at the expense of Texas families. We’re looking forward to working with Jay to clean up the system so that Congress works for everyone—not just the ones with biggest checkbooks.”

“This issue is very personal to me,” said Jay Hulings. “I’ve spent years as a federal prosecutor fighting public corruption and in Congress, I will work just as hard hold the Trump Administration accountable. We must take immediate steps to make sure our system is cleaner, more representative, and isn’t beholden to whoever writes the biggest checks. I’m very grateful to End Citizens United. I look forward to working with them as we continue this fight.”

Congressman Hurd’s willingness to sell out his constituents earned him a spot on ECU’s “Big Money 20” campaign—part of a $35 million effort targeting incumbent Republicans who represent the worst of Washington’s rigged system. Over the next year, ECU will help educate voters on how Congressman Hurd prioritizes the needs of special interests that fund his campaigns over the needs of his constituents.

Congressman Hurd’s name epitomizes the influence of Big Money in politics. Hurd voted for the GOP’s tax bill, the top priority for Republican mega-donors. It would raise taxes on 13 million Americans who earn less than $100,000 a year, while half of the benefits would go to the top one percent in the country. A top recipient of campaign contributions from the Telecom industry, Hurd voted to allow major internet companies to sell customer data without their consent after taking $63,000 from the telecom industry during the 2016 elections—more than any other member of Congress from Texas.

ECU’s endorsement will help Hulings compete with high-spending special interests by connecting him with its more than 2,000 grassroots members in TX-23, as well as its national network of 380,000 small-dollar donors. With an average donation of $14, ECU is projected to raise $35 million for the 2018 election cycle.

ECU is a grassroots fueled organization giving a voice to millions of American families. The group is dedicated to overturning Citizens United and passing meaningful campaign finance reform that will return the power of government to the people.

WATCH Jay Hulings thank ECU members for the endorsement here