Sen. John Husted
End Citizens United, a progressive group dedicated to eliminating dark money in politics, has rolled out a new list of the most corrupt lawmakers in Washington.
The list highlights 19 representatives and three senators whom the group says are more beholden to corporate donors than their own constituents. All of the listed lawmakers are Republicans.
“They side with Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Tech, and Wall Street while hardworking Americans pay more for everyday essentials like health care, utilities, and rent,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller.
The senators on the list are Susan Collins of Maine, Jon Husted of Ohio, and Ashley Moody of Florida, all of whom are facing competitive reelection fights this year.
End Citizens United reports that Collins has taken more than $8.3 million from corporate PACs throughout her career, much of it from the pharmaceutical and insurance industries. She also has a sizable stock portfolio and opposed a bipartisan push to ban congressional stock trading.
Collins’ stock portfolio grew by more than 77 percent in 2024. During this same period, most Mainers over 65 were spending 10 percent of their income on health care. In 2022, she voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which slashed pharmaceutical prices for seniors.
Collins also supported the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which slashed corporate tax rates, and voted to advance the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which made deep cuts to Medicaid.
Husted, who joined the Senate last year, has accepted more than $550,000 in corporate PAC money. Like Collins, much of this cash came from the insurance industry. Husted also supported the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
End Citizens United also highlights Husted’s ties to billionaire businessman Les Wexner, who was a close associate of deceased sex predator Jeffrey Epstein. Husted accepted $3,500 from Wexner in September 2025, long after Wexner’s ties to Epstein were exposed.
Two months after receiving the donation, Husted voted to block a Senate amendment that would have compelled Attorney General Pam Bondi to publicly release investigative documents related to Epstein.
“The corrupt politicians on this year’s list take money from corporate special interests and billionaires and use their power to protect those same donors as they raise prices on working families,” Muller said.
Notable congresspeople on the list include Michigan Rep. Bill Huizenga, New York Rep. Mike Lawler, Pennsylvania Rep. Rob Bresnahan, and Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles.
Reprinted with permission from American Journal News
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