Dem Rep. Slotkin rebukes Michigan Senate opponent over PAC money but takes it herself
DETROIT — For years, Rep.Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) has sworn to reject donations from corporate political-action committees.
And for years, campaign-finance records show, Slotkin has employed workarounds to accept such contributions.Slotkin, who’s running a tight race against GOP ex-Rep.
Mike Rogers for an open Senate seat, doesn’t take corporate PAC money directly — but she takes cash from leadership PACs, run by elected politicians, that do take corporate donations.And Slotkin employs the workaround to this day.The Every Vote PAC, which is connected to Pennsylvania Sen.
John Fetterman, donated $2,500 to Slotkin in June, for instance.The Fetterman PAC accepts corporate PAC money.Records show that over six years, Slotkin has raked in $840,000 from leadership PACs operated by friends in Democratic politics.
Some $290,000 of that money has come during her Senate run.Polls find the Slotkin-Rogers race for the seat Sen.Debbie Stabenow’s vacating to be a dead heat.
In Jan.2018, during her first run for Congress, Slotkin made a pledge she’s repeated many times since.
“I will not be accepting corporate PAC donations to my campaign.Corporate PACs spend an enormous amount of money influencing politicians — on both sides of the aisle.
And the results are really devastating.Politicians obviously feel more beholden to big companies that give them big checks than the people that they were elected by.
But it doesn’t have to be that way, right?” she said.“I am making it really cut and dry.
I will not be accepting corporate PAC donations to my campaign.”Slotkin made the same promise for her Senate campaign last year.She’s sent about 100 emails this cycle mentioning corporate PACs, casting herself as the underdog.
“Winning this race is going to take a lot of resources.A crazy amount.
And we have to do it without raising a single dollar from corporate PACs,” a Sept.9 fundraising email read.In four campaigns — she’s in her third term in Co...