Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) is the latest Democrat to announce that she will no longer accept donations from corporate PACs. She is following the lead of Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in vowing not to accept corporate PAC donations.
In a radio interview with New York’s “The Breakfast Club,” Harris announced, “…I’ve had that conversation that I’m not going to accept corporate PAC checks.”
She added, “We’re all supposed to have an equal vote, but money has now really tipped the balance between an individual having equal power in an election to a corporation,” she added.
According to Harris, who is considered a potential candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. FEC, which allowed corporations to make unlimited political contributions, has resulted in an “outsized influence” on politics, The Hill reported.
Earlier this year, Sen. Booker (D-N.J.) said he will no longer accept campaign contributions from corporate PACs.
“I heard from constituents today asking about corporate PAC contributions. I’m joining several of my colleagues & no longer accepting these contributions,” Booker tweeted. “I thank @StopBigMoney for their work—it’s time to pass campaign finance reform.”
“The Democratic group End Citizens United has pushed candidates to pledge not to accept campaign funds from corporate PACs,” The Hill reported.
Some say these pledges are nothing more than a “stunt.”
“In any case, the pledge seems purely symbolic. As Republican campaign finance lawyer Cleta Mitchell notes, ‘corporate PACs’ have nothing to do with accepting money ‘from’ businesses,” The Hill reported.
Such funds are voluntarily contributed by employees to their own company’s PAC, giving no more than $5,000 per election to candidates. “So, the impact of pledging not to accept ‘corporate PAC’ money is limited by the fact that such contributions are already limited by law, and the same people who contribute to PACs can still give to candidates individually,” The Hill reported.
Yesterday, I announced that I would no longer accept contributions from corporate PACs. We don’t have to accept a system that drowns out the voices of the American people. We can do better.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) April 25, 2018
Step in the right direction. We will see if actions match the talk for Harris and the other Dems all of a sudden shunning corporate PACS. Seems rather convenient for Harris, Gillibrand and Booker to all of a sudden do this https://t.co/XecO4CiKSp
— Jordan (@JordanChariton) April 23, 2018
Today, another senator pledged to no longer accept corporate PAC money. A step in the right direction for our democracy and a sign that our campaign is already changing the system. We are running this without any PACs, corporations, or special interests. Just people.
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) April 24, 2018
