In adversity, there is an opportunity. This is the case with James Bopp who was laughed at by a three-judge panel in 2008 in Washington when he presented a case seeking to allow Citizens United air a movie about Hillary. The movie which was produced by Citizens United portrayed Hillary Clinton as a ruthless political schemer and “European Socialist.” The Federal Election Commission prohibited Citizens United from airing or advertising the movie as it was not clear on who’d paid for that 90-minute movie. Bopp argued that the creators of the film deserved the protections of the First Amendments.
Two years down the line, the Supreme Court adopted James Bopp’s arguments. It upheld that campaign spending is a form of speech which should be protected by the First Amendment. James Bopp works tirelessly in trying to dismantle the flow of funds into the political system. Bopp has had many wins in court such as the Supreme Court ruling which stroke down chunks of McCain-Feingold campaign financing law. End Citizens United collects donations towards the campaigns of reform-oriented leaders.
In the first three months of 2017, End Citizens United collected over $4 million, and it intends to raise an upward of $35 million towards the 2018 mid-term election. This could be a significant increase from the $25 million that was contributed in 2016, which was its first election cycle.
Over 100,000 people donated to the PAC during this year’s first quarter. Out of which 40,000 of them were first-time contributors to the initiative. According to the group’s leaders, the goal of the group is the election of “campaign-finance reform leader” into the congress.
Tiffany Muller, PAC’s executive director, and the president said that the contributions received this year had hit $12 million. Most donors feel that the political system is unfair whereby those who can write big checks have more say in government operations, and hence this is their way of fighting back.
Of late, the political action committee has urged its donors to donate $500,000 towards the campaign of Democrat Jon Ossoff in suburban Atlanta. The seat was left vacant after the nomination of Republican Tom Price for the Post of the U.S Secretary of Health and Human Services. Ossoff is a 30 years old first-time politician who is seen as a reformist.
According to Muller, the group will be examining the races in which it will actively participate in the 2018 mid-term elections and asserts that they will defend Democratic senators Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester of Ohio and Montana respectively.
End Citizens United does not accept donations amounting to more than $5,000 from a single donor. Despite the donation capping, its 2016 fundraising put it in the top ranks of the Democratic Party’s aligned groups spending in the 2016 elections.