Washington, DC, Dec. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Roll Call reported that Representative Elaine Luria is planning on breaking her pledge to reject corporate PAC money, a pledge she made to the voters of Virginia’s second Congressional district when she was first elected in 2018. Elected leaders pledge to reject corporate money in order to stand up to the corrupt status quo in Washington where policy too often benefits corporate special interests instead of regular people. End Citizens United is incredibly disappointed and hopes she would reconsider this decision.
“Representative Luria made this pledge to her constituents as a reflection of her values,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “Breaking it would demonstrate that her values have changed since she’s been in Washington or that she wasn’t sincere to voters in the first place. It will be a heavy burden on her to explain to voters why she is going back on her word.”
Here are multiple examples of Rep. Luria decrying the influence of corporate PACs on our politics:
"There are many obstacles to cutting prescription drug costs, and I think that's because the leadership in Congress who is there to vote on this and bring this legislation to the floor, they're accepting thousands if not millions of dollars from prescription drug companies. And I can tell you that a key tenet in my campaign is that I am not accepting any corporate PAC contributions. Not from prescription drug companies, not from oil companies, not from health care companies, not from private prisons, not from anyone who can influence my vote when I go to Washington. My door is open to listen to everyone, but I don't need their money in order to do that." - Rep. Elaine Luria
Luria “Is Committed To Living Her Value Of Reforming Campaign Finance Laws” By Rejecting Corporate PAC Money. In July 2018, Luria’s campaign issued a press release that stated: “Elaine pledged to reject corporate PAC contributions and is committed to living her value of reforming campaign finance laws.” [Elaine Luria for Congress, 7/16/18]
Luria: “As A Naval Officer, I Took A Pledge To Put People First And That’s Why I Am Rejecting Corporate PAC Donations” So Voters Know “That I Represent Them And No One Else.” In July 2018, Luria’s campaign issued a press release announcing her endorsement from End Citizens United. Luria was quoted as saying: “As a naval officer, I took a pledge to put people first and that’s why I am rejecting corporate PAC donations so coastal Virginians will know that I represent them and no one else.” [Elaine Luria for Congress, 4/13/18]
Luria: Pay-To-Play Campaign Contributions Are “Unacceptable, That’s Why I’ve Pledged To Reject Corporate PAC Donations.” In April 2018, Luria wrote on Facebook: “The interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently admitted that campaign contributions impacted who he would meet with as a Congressman, stating: ‘We had a hierarchy in my office in Congress. If you're a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didn't talk to you. If you're a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you.’ This kind of pay-to-play governance is unacceptable, that's why I've pledged to reject corporate PAC donations.” [Facebook, Elaine Luria for Congress, 4/25/18]
End Citizens United (ECU) is dedicated to getting Big Money out of politics and fixing the rigged system in Washington so that the government works for all Americans. ECU has more than four million members nationwide and is entirely grassroots-funded with an average donation of just $14.