Problem not one bad apple but whole rotten barrel

Washington, DC -- The Campaign for Fair Elections released the following statement from its campaign manager, David Donnelly, in response to the news that former defense lobbyist Paul Magliocchetti was indicted on eight counts of making illegal contributions:

“Today’s indictments cast a shadow over a Congress that is already struggling with the public perception that special interests have more influence than everyday Americans. Taken together with the multiple ethics investigations underway and the millions spent by Wall Street and Big Oil to shape public policy, this indictment is further evidence that the problem of special interest influence in Washington is not addressed by removing one rotten apple.

“The barrel is rotten, and Congress should adopt the bipartisan Fair Elections Now Act to return to government of, by, and for the people.”

Together with family members, the Magliocchetti family has given more than $1.1 million in campaign donations to politicians from across the political spectrum, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The Fair Elections Now Act would allow candidates to run competitive campaigns for office on a blend of Fair Elections funds and a match on small dollar donations. With Fair Elections, the only interests our elected officials would be paying attention to are their constituents. The legislation has the broad, bipartisan and cross-caucus support of 159 U.S. House members and 23 Senators.

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The Campaign for Fair Elections is a national effort to push for congressional passage of Fair Elections and to educate the public about the impact of special interest money in politics. Learn more at www.fairelectionsnow.org.