Senator Gardner Has Taken Over $5.4 Million from Corporate PACs; Refuses to Fix Citizens United or Support Universal Vote by Mail
Today, at an event with state Senator Jeff Bridges, President of End Citizens United Tiffany Muller, and grassroots volunteers, John Hickenlooper unveiled his new “Protecting Our Democracy” agenda.
Decades of weakening campaign finance laws have made our government broken and dysfunctional. Hickenlooper’s plan includes passing the For the People Act — a sweeping campaign finance, voting rights, and ethics reform bill that’s been stuck in the Republican Senate — and taking bold steps to reduce corporate influence in politics and strengthen government oversight.
John’s plan also calls for passing the Democracy For All constitutional amendment, which would overturn Citizens United and stop the unlimited dark money that has corrupted our elections. Senator Cory Gardner has failed to support this amendment and is one of the top recipients of corporate PAC money in Congress — taking over $5.4 million dollars, while John won’t accept a penny.
“For too long, the powerful in this country have tipped the scales of political interests to get ahead at the expense of working Americans. This injustice needs to end, but it won’t until Congress finds the political will to act,” said John Hickenlooper. “The proposals I’m committing to today will strengthen our democracy and help hold elected officials accountable. I pledge to do what bought-off politicians won’t: get money out of politics, make voting easy, safe, and fair, and hold government accountable.”
“John helped Colorado become one of the first states to send everyone a ballot in the mail, and since then I’ve been proud to help pass some of the strongest disclosure laws in the nation,” said state Senator Jeff Bridges. “Washington needs to catch up, and I know John Hickenlooper will lead the way and help our democracy get back to work for the people.”
“Trust in government is near an all-time low, largely because so many politicians in Washington are in the pockets of corporate special interests,” said President of End Citizens United Tiffany Muller. “We need leaders who will unrig the system, so it works for everyone, not just big donors. John Hickenlooper is one of those leaders — he’s proposed a sweeping anti-corruption agenda, is rejecting corporate PAC money, and can defeat Cory Gardner, who is defending the status quo.”
John Hickenlooper has been a leader on expanding access to the ballot box. As Governor, he signed legislation to make Colorado one of the first states with universal vote by mail. He also changed the rules so voters can register to vote online, and at any time — even on Election Day. Senator Gardner opposes legislation to implement universal vote by mail.
End Citizens United endorsed Hickenlooper in April, highlighting his commitment to reforming our broken campaign finance system by running a grassroots-powered campaign and rejecting corporate PAC money. They also named Senator Gardner to the Big Money 20, the group’s top targets to defeat in 2020.
You can read John’s Protecting Our Democracy agenda online HERE.
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