John —

I don't usually write to you — but this is really important.

My job is working with reporters and RepresentUs community members to share stories about how political corruption affects our daily lives.

The train derailment and the resulting environmental crisis in East Palestine, Ohio over the past few weeks have been a grisly, stark reminder that corruption affects every aspect of our lives — including, apparently, our health.

Hear it directly from Shea Williams, a lifelong Ohioan, and member of the RepresentUs community:

What's happening right now is too urgent for business as usual. That's why I'm calling on everyone in our movement to take action and help me keep this crucial story front and center.

Sign our petition to the Biden administration to crack down on corruption and protect communities like East Palestine all across America.

When our petition hits a critical mass of support from the RepresentUs community, we’ll shine a light on the root cause of this disaster: corruption. It's a critical message that the establishment hopes we’ll ignore. With your help, we’ll make sure that doesn't happen.

In some ways, this is a classic American story. The government caves to pressure from railroad special interests, loosens safety regulations, and disaster ensues. Then, Ohioans suffer the direct consequences of government corruption and inaction and have to shout to be heard over the din of corporate power.

When railroad companies can buy politicians and get the outcome they want, we get screwed. And it's all somehow perfectly legal.

As Shea’s story powerfully shows us, until we eliminate corruption, we can't protect our communities. When we pass powerful anti-corruption laws all across the country, we can get our government working for the people again – not special interests.

That’s why we fight to pass laws that give power to the voters, where it belongs.

Sign our petition calling on President Biden to crack down on corruption and protect our communities instead of protecting special interests’ bottom line.

Together, we’ll put pressure on our government and the political establishment in every way we can: online, in the media, in print, and wherever they are forced to listen to the people impacted by corruption the most.

Ross Sherman Media Relations Manager RepresentUs