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Campaign & Ethics Reform

 

Current Campaigns

Lobby Reform

Recent congressional scandals demonstrate the role of powerful interests and their lobbyists, as they engage in unseemly practices from accepting gifts and travel junkets to outright bribery. Read more.



Overview

Money plays far too great a role in elections here in Illinois and in the nation, from the municipal level all the way up to the U.S. Presidency. Large contributions from a few groups and individuals unduly influence who wins elections and reduce the role of ordinary voters in our democracy.

Illinois PIRG is working to achieve campaign finance reform by enforcing tough campaign contribution limits, creating systems of public financing, and enacting lasting lobby reform.



When Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleaded guilty to accepting more than $2.4 million in bribes, the American public was outraged. In response to the large number of scandals in the last Congress, lawmakers recently passed sweeping changes to the rules to limit the cozy relationship between legislators and lobbyists.