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In this day and age, there is a profound distrust of government. We all feel it. And that distrust means a lot of Americans are feeling like our system of government doesn’t work for them. So, it’s more important than ever that candidates and elected officials work to rebuild that trust.

Case in point: One of our Republican opponents, former Congressman Peter Meijer, is more than two weeks late for filing his personal financial disclosure. Another, former Congressman Mike Rogers, had the deadline to file his personal financial disclosure extended for a third time (before ultimately filing his PFD at the last second). A third GOP candidate, former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, filed his financial disclosure one month late. And businessman Sandy Pensler has not filed yet. A few Democratic candidates have also blown through disclosure deadlines.

You might be asking yourself: what’s the big deal? To answer that, we wanted to explain what a “personal financial disclosure” (PFD) is and why it’s so important that our elected leaders are honest and transparent about their finances.

When a candidate files to run for federal office, they have to file a personal financial disclosure, which is a legal document that details their personal financial assets, income, and liabilities. The Ethics in Government Act of 1978, which was passed to fight corruption in government by establishing the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, requires high-level federal officials to publicly disclose their personal financial interests.

When candidates for higher office avoid disclosing this information, it makes you wonder: What do they have to hide? What assets do they have that they may not want the world to see? Or what debts do they have?

Elissa cares a LOT about transparency in government, because it’s fundamental to regaining trust in our leaders and our democracy. That’s why she is working in Congress to pass bills like the Ban Conflicted Trading Act – bipartisan legislation that would ban members of Congress from trading stocks while in office. It’s just common sense.

Members of Congress, by nature of their jobs, tend to know in advance about key hearings or legislative movements that could affect the price of a stock. The Ban Conflicted Trading Act would prevent members and their spouses from buying or selling individual stocks while in office.

Last year, Elissa also introduced the Cryptocurrency Accountability Act, to require members to disclose any and all cryptocurrency holdings they have. Elected officials shouldn’t be voting on how to regulate (or not regulate) cryptocurrency without disclosing what their own financial motivations could be.

Elissa has also cosponsored the Ban Corporate PACs act to eliminate the influence of corporate money in our system, and they typically support candidates that align with their business interests. When Elissa first ran for office, she pledged to never accept a dime from a corporate PAC. It’s a promise she’s stuck to, because she never wants her constituents to question why she is voting a certain way.

These bills are solutions to improve government transparency. They are common sense, and they will help earn back at least some of the trust of the American people. These are just a few of the small but significant things Congress should do to help eradicate even the perception of corruption – and why we need to elect more leaders who work for the people and not on behalf of big corporate PACs or to enrich their own pocketbooks.

If you believe in smart, thoughtful leaders who will bring accountability and transparency to Washington, then we hope you consider making a contribution to Elissa’s campaign for Senate ahead of her important FEC fundraising deadline on December 31st.

CONTRIBUTE: [link removed]

Thank you,

- Team Slotkin
 


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