Tag: PAC money

Reps. Phillips, Khanna Introduce “No PAC Act” To Get Big Money Out Of Politics

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced the No PAC Act. The bill would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit members of Congress and those running for a U.S. House or Senate seat from accepting contributions from a political action committee, other than that of the given candidate. It would also prohibit the establishment of leadership PACs.

“There is a constant tug of war in Washington between the will of the people and the demands of special interests,” said Rep. Phillips. “Minnesotans tell me all the time that Congress needs to get to work restoring their trust in our government – and ending the corrupting influence of PACs would be a huge step in that direction. Trust is earned, and as long as special interests can continue to buy influence with PAC money we’re going to continue losing the faith of the people – to the detriment of our nation and our world.” Continue reading “Reps. Phillips, Khanna Introduce “No PAC Act” To Get Big Money Out Of Politics”

Paulsen Gets Promoted:

ERIK PAULSEN IS NOW THE 4TH BIGGEST TAKER OF PAC MONEY IN CONGRESS

Paulsen’s special interest patrons are desperate, scrambling to buy election as Paulsen’s negative campaign backfires

Excelsior, MN – Erik Paulsen’s unprecedented negative campaign has drawn public rebuke from independent journalists, community leaders, sexual harassment and assault survivors, attorneys, and members of his own party in the past week alone. Meanwhile, special interest groups and super PACs are pouring money into Paulsen’s campaign coffers and spending even more on his behalf, doubling down on their deceitful campaign in a last-ditch effort to protect their investment. As a result, Congressman Erik Paulsen is now the fourth biggest taker of PAC money in all of Congress, up from sixth just a few weeks ago, and eighth in August.

“Erik Paulsen has sold his votes to the highest bidder,” said Zach Rodvold, campaign manager for Phillips for Congress. “Voters should ask: can the 4th biggest taker of special interest money in all of Congress really represent the people of Minnesota’s Third Congressional District? Congressman Paulsen’s record – voting 98% of the time with Donald Trump, and over and over again with special interests – proves the answer is ‘no.’ The staggering about of PAC money that bankrolls Erik Paulsen’s campaign speaks for itself. Erik Paulsen is bought and sold.”

MORE FROM PACS THAN FROM PEOPLE

Erik Paulsen has taken more than $2.6 million from PACs in this election cycle alone. That sum accounts for 51% of his total fundraising. Only 3% of Erik Paulsen’s campaign contributions came from individual small dollar donors. In the same period, Dean Phillips has taken $0 from PACs, instead raising over $4 million from 64,000 individual donors and counting. Continue reading “Paulsen Gets Promoted:”

Big Pharma has hand in election

Erik Paulsen has repeatedly maintained, “I do what’s right for my constituents regardless of who donates to me.”

And, receive donations, he does: Paulsen ranks sixth of 435 U.S. representatives for the amount of money he receives from PACs: over $2 million. Is it really possible that Paulsen is unaffected by this money?

As a nurse practitioner who prescribes drugs, Minnesota law prohibits me from taking more than $50 annually from any pharmaceutical or other such company. Why? Because research consistently shows that I would likely be influenced by any gift provided me. A 2017 study found that professionals who received gifts from pharmaceutical companies not only prescribe more drugs, but more costly ones, compared to those who did not receive gifts. A big difference in my case: Any company who might gift me with a meal, an education credit, a book a pen or other, is not able to track if I am actually prescribing the drug they are promoting. Continue reading “Big Pharma has hand in election”

In Third District, Dean Phillips bravely walks the talk

In her Sept. 9 column, “Phillips wages his own kind of challenge,” Lori Sturdevant essentially asks the rhetorical question, “Is Dean Phillips either naive or brave in his Third District congressional campaign strategy?”

The answer would seem to be: brave.

Bravery demonstrated by not accepting special-interest political action committee (PAC) donations and by challenging all candidates from both his own and his opponent’s parties to do the same.

Continue reading “In Third District, Dean Phillips bravely walks the talk”

Erik Paulsen and Paul Ryan are on the Attack — Share the Facts

Paulsen Campaign Manager’s PAC Money Hypocrisy

As we noted in a post earlier this month, Erik Paulsen’s campaign has benefitted from a large outside expenditure (that’s what this type of purchase is called in campaign lingo) by the conservative Congressional Leadership Fund.  That early buy for television commercials was $2.3 million.  Here’s the link to the Roll Call article citing the expenditure amount.

What happens after Dean Phillips holds a forum on campaign finance reform?  We just found out.

In the August 28, 2018, morningtake email, we found the following:

CD3: via press release from Erik Paulsen’s campaign, VERBATIM: “Dean Phillips is hosting an issue forum tonight focused on getting money out of politics with a PAC that has over $500,000 of TV ads reserved for him. While Phillips has spoken out against PAC money, he’s silent on PAC money being spent on his behalf, and is now campaigning with PACs despite his opposition to them…While Dean Phillips claims not to take PAC money, he gladly allows PAC money to be spent on behalf, and he even campaigns with them. End Citizens United, whose President is attending Phillips’ event tonight, is just one PAC slated to spend big money for Phillips. Nancy Pelosi’s House Majority PAC, a SuperPAC, has millions reserved on TV to spend on Phillips’ behalf.  YATES: “Dean Phillips is a campaign finance fraud who wants to put our economy as risk by raising taxes and implementing massive new spending schemes” said John-Paul Yates, Paulsen’s campaign manager”

 

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”