Tag: dark money
Phillips has more integrity for refusing PAC money
To the editor:
I remember watching Erik Paulsen’s campaign ads in the 2010 election cycle, in which he lectured his daughters from a whiteboard, called himself “a numbers guy,” and promised to “protect our wallets from politicians.” These promises seem preposterous in 2018, after Paulsen voted for a bill that will increase the national debt to $11.7 trillion by 2027. As a mom of three kids, I’m not comfortable with shifting our nation’s burden from corporations to our families now and in the future. Paulsen was a powerful advocate for this bill, and now we all pay the price.
Paulsen had gone more than six years without holding a town hall. In May, he acquiesced and held three small, ticketed town halls. I did not win the lottery to attend these meetings, and suspect I’ll never have the opportunity to tell him face-to-face what I think of his cavalier attitude toward the national debt. Continue reading “Phillips has more integrity for refusing PAC money”
Paulsen’s voting record is swayed by PAC donations
To the editor:
The decision by the Supreme Court for Citizen United in 2010 marked a turning point in elections. Now unlimited money can be poured in by donors and corporations in support of candidates.
I understand that many politicians don’t like this, but feel like they have to take the money to have a chance at winning. But that’s not what’s happening with Rep. Erik Paulsen. Because he doesn’t just take some money. He doesn’t begrudgingly take enough to pay the bills. He takes the eighth most of any member of Congress.
Why does he need that much? Or more importantly — why do these donors like him so much? To me, the answer seems obvious. He’s proven that he’ll vote however they tell him, whether it’s the gun lobby after Parkland or the pharmaceutical companies in a time when drug prices are through the roof. Continue reading “Paulsen’s voting record is swayed by PAC donations”
Congressman For Sale: Erik Paulsen is Bought and Sold
www.erikpaulsen.org reveals what the special interests are getting for their money
Excelsior, MN – A new online resource, “Congressman for Sale,” was launched today to help voters in Minnesota’s 3rd District understand the influence that powerful special interests have over Rep. Erik Paulsen – now the 6th largest recipient of special interest money among all 435 members of Congress.
The site exposes Paulsen’s $8,269,936 in special interest contributions by industry, showing what each received for their money through Congressman Paulsen’s votes. It provides voters with a report card from nationally-known advocacy groups, showing how out of touch Congressman Paulsen’s voting record is as a result of special interest influence, and a survey for those interested in learning more. The site also links to End Citizens United’s “Erik the PAC Man” game, where players can try to raise more money than Erik Paulsen while avoiding the constituents he all but ignores. Continue reading “Congressman For Sale: Erik Paulsen is Bought and Sold”
Why Dean Met Norbert
Really? A Tax Break For Dark Money Outfits?
The following article by David Sirota with the International Business Times was posted on the National Memo website December 8, 2017:
With Republican megadonors like Charles Koch, 82, and his brother David, 77, advancing in age, a top GOP senator from the Kochs’ home state has proposed a special tax break for moguls who bequeath their riches to so-called “dark money” groups that advocate for policies and bankroll lawmakers’ election ads. Though Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts’ proposal did not make it into the Senate-passed version of the tax bill, it could still be added by the conference committee that will write the final $1.4 trillion tax cut legislation.
Although dark money groups are entitled to conceal the identities of their donors, reporting has shown the Koch brothers are some of most prolific deployers of such groups. Roberts’ proposal would provide a new post-mortem tax break to boost that activity — at a moment when the Republican Party’s biggest donors include septa- and octogenarians such as the Kochs, Sheldon Adelson, 84, Robert Mercer, 71, and Foster Freiss, 77. Continue reading “Really? A Tax Break For Dark Money Outfits?”