Seven 2020 Democrats Pledge to Focus First Bill on Fighting Corruption

[left-of-center2012]

Seven Democratic presidential candidates, including Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., have promised that their first legislation as president would be an ambitious clean-government bill, earning their campaigns an influential reform group’s stamp of approval.

End Citizens United, a grass-roots advocacy group that played a key role in the 2018 midterm elections, said the seven candidates had vowed to prioritize ethics and campaign finance reform in a commitment the group is calling the “Reform First” pledge. The group said it would begin raising money for all seven candidates online and highlight their campaign activities on social media.

In addition to Ms. Warren and Mr. Buttigieg, the list of supportive Democrats includes three senators — Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Michael Bennet of Colorado — as well as former Representative Beto O’Rourke of Texas and Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana.

The breadth of support in the Democratic presidential field for the pledge, unveiled on the eve of the second primary debate, shows how significant themes of government integrity and fighting corruption have become in the 2020 race.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/29/us/politics/end-citizens-united-pledge.html