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John,
A recent bombshell report from ProPublica revealed that for decades, GOP mega-donor Harlan Crow has hosted Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on luxury vacations worth hundreds of thousands of dollars―that Thomas never disclosed.[1]
Justice Thomas was the tie-breaking vote in the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, which gutted campaign finance laws and opened the floodgates to unlimited spending in our elections. Now, new Americans for Tax Fairness research shows that since Thomas’ tie-breaking vote, the billionaire Crow family has increased its political giving by 862%.[2]
Between 1977 and 2009, the Crow family spent roughly $5 million to influence federal elections. But in the 12 years since Citizens United, they spent $20.5 million. That’s an average of $163,000 per year before Citizens United vs. $1.6 million annually since.
According to ATF research, last year, billionaires spent at least $900 million in federal elections―mostly to elect far-right candidates who share their vision of tax cuts for the rich and powerful and massive reductions in public services for working people ranging from public schools to healthcare.[3]
We’re shining a spotlight on billionaires buying elections―and buying access to Supreme Court justices. Help bring our latest research and the chart below to voters across the country and fight back against billionaires buying our democracy.
This vicious cycle of billionaires buying access to and currying favor with the most powerful officials in Washington, and then benefiting from the laws they write and the rulings they make is distorting our democratic process.
Donate today to fight for an economy, and a democracy, that puts working people first.
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Thank you for all that you do to fight for a future that includes all of us, not just the wealthy few.
David Kass
Executive Director
Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund
[1] “Clarence Thomas Secretly Accepted Luxury Trips from GOP Mega Donor,” ProPublica , Apr. 6, 2023
[2] “Travel Rewards: What the Crow family may have bought by hosting those luxury trips for Justice Thomas,” Americans for Tax Fairness, May 1, 2023
[3] “Report: Billionaire Money in the 2022 Election,” Americans for Tax Fairness, Nov. 3, 2022
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