After Congressman Chris Collins was arrested for securities fraud, wire fraud, and false statements, Democratic candidates across the country have called on their Republican opponents to return campaign money they received from him.
“For all Republicans’ talk of ‘Draining the Swamp’, they are finding it all but impossible to avoid associations with corruption, misconduct, and pay-to-play politics that Americans are sick of,” said DCCC Spokesman Tyler Law. “Democratic candidates, who are running on their deep records of service, are offering voters a compelling alternative in November.”
CA-21: TJ Cox
Here's the FEC report showing @RepDavidValadao taking $1000 from @RepChrisCollins in March. pic.twitter.com/6zwVkLyi13
— TJ Cox (@TJCoxCongress) August 8, 2018
MI-08: Elissa Slotkin
Slotkin Calls on Rep. Bishop to Return Contributions from Indicted Rep. Collins
HOLLY, MI — Congressional candidate and national security leader Elissa Slotkin today called on Rep. Mike Bishop to return the $2,000 contribution he received in May from Rep. Chris Collins’ PAC after he was indicted on charges of insider trading.
“I call on Rep. Bishop to return the donation he received from Rep. Collins, who was indicted for the illegal actions he allegedly took to help himself and his family. Elected officials need to hold themselves to the highest possible ethical standards — both in their own conduct and who they accept campaign donations from. I call on Mr. Bishop to send a clear signal about right and wrong, and return the donation immediately,” Slotkin said.
Rep. Bishop has previously drawn criticism for donations to his campaign, particularly his significant contributions from pharmaceutical companies who are currently being sued by Oakland County and the City of Lansing for allegedly contributing to the opioid crisis in Michigan. And Rep. Bishop has raised over one million dollars from corporate PACs.
Slotkin, on the other hand, is not taking a dime from corporate PACs. Last week, she announced her government accountability and campaign finance reform plan. In the platform, Slotkin made a series of commitments on what she will personally do if elected, including: She will publicly release her weekly public schedule, hold regular town halls and constituent coffees, and create “district advisory boards” made up of 8th district residents and subject matter experts to advise on high priority issues. Slotkin also laid out her legislative priorities, which include key measures such as demanding transparency on social media ads, strengthening disclosure of outside political spending, and supporting a Constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision that helped flood our elections with unlimited money.
Slotkin is a third-generation Michigander who has spent her career in national service, working as a national security expert for both Democratic and Republican administrations. She is running as a Democrat to challenge career politician Mike Bishop for the seat that includes Ingham, Livingston, and North Oakland Counties.
NJ-03: Andy Kim
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Forrest Rilling
Forrest@andykimforcongress.com
(240) 535-4942
Andy Kim Campaign Calls on Tom MacArthur to Return Collins’ Tainted Money
MARLTON NJ—Congressman Tom MacArthur’s campaign donor and ally, Congressman Chris Collins, has been arrested and charged with insider trading. Collins’ PAC has donated $1000 to MacArthur’s campaign.
“Tom MacArthur has routinely taken money from corrupt entities, corporations, and lobbyists,” said Kim spokesman Forrest Rilling. “MacArthur’s ally and donor, Rep. Chris Collins, was arrested for securities fraud, wire fraud, and false statements, and the fact that MacArthur continues to hold his money is deeply troubling. Today, we call on Congressman MacArthur to return Collins’ tainted campaign cash. Anything else is unacceptable.”
Tom MacArthur has a history of taking money from big corporations and special interests, and voting for their interests at the expense of his community. Last year, MacArthur invested upwards of $250,000 in oil companies, then voted to give them a $25,000,000,000 tax break. He also took over $400,000 from prescription drug and insurance companies and wrote the bill to gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions and raise premium costs for older Americans.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Forrest Rilling
Forrest@andykimforcongress.com
(240) 535-4942
Andy Kim Campaign Calls on Tom MacArthur to Return Collins’ Tainted Money For Second Day
MARLTON NJ—Upon learning that Congressman Tom MacArthur’s campaign donor and ally, Congressman Chris Collins, was arrested and charged with insider trading, national security official Andy Kim’s campaign called on Tom MacArthur to return the money immediately.
24 hours later, Republican candidates around the country are donating or returning the tainted money. But not Tom MacArthur.
“It’s been 24 hours, and while other Republicans are donating the tainted funds, Tom MacArthur has yet to return or donate the dirty campaign money he accepted from now-indicted Congressman Chris Collins,” said Kim spokesman Forrest Rilling. “Collins was arrested for securities fraud, wire fraud, and false statements, and the fact that MacArthur continues to hold his money, even after other GOP allies have donated it, is deeply troubling. For the second day, we call on Congressman MacArthur to return Collins’ tainted campaign cash. Anything short of that is unacceptable.”
Tom MacArthur has a history of taking money from big corporations and special interests, and voting for their interests at the expense of his community. Last year, MacArthur invested upwards of $250,000 in oil companies, then voted to give them a $25,000,000,000 tax break. He also took over $400,000 from prescription drug and insurance companies and wrote the bill to gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions and raise premium costs for older Americans.
NY-19: Antonio Delgado
DELGADO CAMPAIGN CALLS ON REP. JOHN FASO TO RETURN CAMPAIGN CASH FROM REP. CHRIS COLLINS
August 8, 2018
Contact: Melissa Toufanian
melissa@delgadoforcongress.com
518-248-7343
Kingston, NY – This morning, Rep. Chris Collins was indicted on insider trading charges. Delgado for Congress is calling on Rep. John Faso, a fellow New York Republican, to return the $3,000 in campaign cash he has taken from his close ally, Mr. Collins. In fact, Congressman Faso accepted the bulk of this money in March 2018, following the conclusion from the Office of Congressional Ethics that Collins had likely broken federal law.
Faso and Collins have a history of close ties and cooperation. They worked together on healthcare, proposing an amendment to the failed Republican healthcare bill that aimed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The amendment was dubbed the “Buffalo Bribe” because it would exclusively apply to New York, and proposed to transfer the cost of caring for Medicaid beneficiaries from counties to the state of New York. This was part of the same bill that Faso voted for which would have cruelly stripped Medicaid away from thousands of our most vulnerable families, slashed funding for women’s health organizations like Planned Parenthood, and gutted protections for people with pre-existing conditions despite his promises that he would not do so.
“John Faso has consistently favored big corporations and special interests over the needs and concerns of his own constituents. He lied to a woman with a pre-existing condition about protecting her healthcare,” said Delgado for Congress campaign manager Allyson Marcus. “He has taken thousands from dishonest representatives and Washington insiders. Faso should return the $3,000 from Collins immediately in order to finally demonstrate to the people of our district that he won’t benefit from corrupt politicians.”
Faso’s relationship with Collins is another example of ties to corruption and deception that date back to his work as a partner and lobbyist for a firm involved in pay-to-play corruption. His firm, Manatt Phelps & Phillips, was banned from appearing before New York’s public pension funds for five years and fined $550,000 because of their direct involvement in pay-to-play.
Faso has traveled on a revolving door between lobbying and politics while consistently putting the interests of big corporations with deep pockets ahead of the concerns of the people of our district. Even as an Albany politician, Faso opposed ethics laws that require legislators to disclose financial interests. This Long Island native – and career Albany and Washington politician – has been in Washington for too long. The people of our district deserve a congressperson who will be held accountable and who will represent their concerns and interests.
NY-22: Anthony Brindisi
WIBX950: PA Rep. Donates Collins Money, Tenney Asked Again To Follow Suit
BRINDISI CAMPAIGN CALLS ON TENNEY TO RETURN CAMPAIGN CASH FROM REP. CHRIS COLLINS
August 8, 2018
Contact: Ellen Foster | ellen@brindisiforcongress.com | (315) 765-0463
Another ally of Rep. Claudia Tenney has been mired by corruption. This time, Representative Chris Collins, whose PAC donated $3,000 to Tenney’s campaign, was recently indicted on insider trading charges. Collins, a fellow New York Republican, had also been investigated by the House Ethics Committee, and surrendered to federal agents in Manhattan this morning. Collins had previously endorsed Tenney and said he was “proud” to be supporting her. Tenney said that she was “happy” to accept his endorsement and praised Collins, who faces 13 counts of securities fraud, as “a champion of standing for our small business community.”
Ellen Foster, campaign manager for Tenney’s opponent, Anthony Brindisi, called on Tenney to return the $3,000 in campaign cash that Tenney accepted from Collins’ PAC. “This is not an isolated incident for Rep. Tenney. She’s taken thousands from corrupt representatives and Washington insiders,” said Foster. “Now it’s been revealed that another corrupt politician has given her money. Tenney should return the $3,000 to send her constituents a message that corruption on both sides of the aisle is wrong.”
While Tenney has tried to position herself as a crusader against corruption, she’s been silent about corrupt politicians who walk the halls of Congress with her. While Brindisi stood up to party leadership and pushed for Sheldon Silver’s ouster, Tenney has chosen to benefit from and ignore corruption in her own party. She took over $20,000 from Richard Uihlein who funded the Roy Moore Campaign. She refused to return the $1,000 donation from disgraced Congressman Pat Meehan, who used taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment complaint from a former female staffer. She took $5,000 from Adam Kidan, a former associate of Jack Abramoff who pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy. With the latest news about Representative Collins, it’s clear that Tenney’s criticisms of corruption are nothing but a cheap political ploy.
TX-07: Lizzie Fletcher
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 9, 2018
CONTACT
Emily Druckman
emily@lizziefletcher.com
304-546-7843
ICYMI: Culberson Fails to Answer On Stock Purchases Connected to Federal Insider Trading Indictment
ICYMI: Congressman John Culberson has failed to provide answers to serious questions relating to his stock purchases connected to yesterday’s federal insider trading indictment of Congressman Chris Collins.
“Yesterday’s news reports raise serious questions about the timing of John Culberson’s purchase and sale of his Innate Immunotherapeutic shares,” Fletcher said. “We deserve real answers about Culberson’s communications with Congressman Collins on this issue and what he knew when he made these transactions.”
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
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Houston congressman sold biotech stock 10 days before insider trading case came to a head
By Kevin Diaz
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/article/Houston-congressman-sold-biotech-stock-10-days-13141804.php
VA-10: Jennifer Wexton
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 9th, 2018
Press Contact: Ray Rieling ray@jenniferwexton.com
Barbara Comstock Must Return Campaign Contributions from Rep. Chris Collins
LEESBURG – Today State Senator Jennifer Wexton released the following statement demanding Congresswoman Comstock return the $1000 she has taken from indicted Representative Chris Collins. Collins was arrested yesterday by the FBI and charged with insider trading due to his dealings with the pharmaceutical company, Innate Immunotherapeutics. Comstock accepted the campaign contribution months after the Office of Congressional Ethics found “a substantial reason to believe” Collins had abused his power and violated federal law to enrich himself.
“It’s disgraceful that Congresswoman Comstock accepted a campaign check from Representative Collins, who is not only President Trump’s biggest cheerleader in Congress, but someone she knew to be corrupt. She should return the money immediately.” said State Senator Wexton. “Chris Collins is an example of the pervasive environment of corruption in Trump’s Washington. If Congresswoman Comstock has any hope of retaining a semblance public trust, she must return the money immediately.”