Milwaukee: Citizen Action of Wisconsin released a new video today narrated by U.S. Representative Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee). The video spotlights two billionaire donors who spent $20 million to reelect Senator Ron Johnson in 2016, and received an $80 million tax break negotiated by Johnson as part of the Trump-GOP tax cut legislation. The special interest tax break also benefits Senator Johnson personally.
“It is not every day that a U.S. Senator is caught red-handed rigging the tax code in favor of billionaires who bankrolled his reelection, but Ron Johnson was caught in the act,” said Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. “If Ron Johnson believes it is appropriate to spend millions in public revenue to aid himself and his billionaire benefactors, how can we ever trust him to speak up for hard working working and middle class Wisconsinites?”
Citizen Action urges Wisconsinites who want our Senators to represent the economic interests of the middle and working class, rather billionaire donors and greedy corporate interests, to share this video with the hashtag #SenatorForSale!
Background: In 2016, billionaires with Wisconsin-based businesses – Richard Uihlein and Diane Hendricks – spent $20 million to get Johnson reelected, and their investment paid off big time. In 2018, they received a combined $80 million in tax breaks from just one little tax cut Johnson carved out for wealthy business owners in the Trump-GOP tax cut legislation passed the year before. That tax cut personally benefited Johnson, helping him to DOUBLE his wealth since he became a U.S. senator, selling his business for up to $25 million in 2020. Now Uihlein and Hendricks are spending heavily to elect Senator Johnson to another 6 year term.
Supporting Research:
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ProPublica: Secret IRS Files Reveal How Much the Ultrawealthy Gained by Shaping Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Tax Cut”
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UpNorthNews: Wisconsin Billionaires Who Got a Monster Tax Break From Ron Johnson Are Now Spending Millions to Get Him Re-elected
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USA Today Editorial: Nobody’s senator but theirs: Ron Johnson’s backroom dealing shows who he’s working for. It’s not you.
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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Diane Hendricks, Uihleins give $3.5 million to pro-Ron Johnson PAC
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ProPublica: Secret IRS Files Reveal How Much the Ultrawealthy Gained by Shaping Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Tax Cut”
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American Independent: GOP megadonors spend big to reelect Ron Johnson after he saved them $43 million in taxes
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Politifact: Yes, a tax break Ron Johnson pushed for in 2017 has benefited America’s wealthiest more
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American Bridge: Billionaire Donors Reward Ron Johnson, As He Defends Their Tax Cut
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The Nation: Ron Johnson Does the Bidding of the Ultra-Rich
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Milwaukee Courier: Everyday Wisconsinites Shouldn’t Have to Pick Up the Tab For Ron Johnson’s Tax Handouts
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WI Examiner: Ron Johnson’s tax rebellion
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American Independent: Ron Johnson complains people are ‘dependent on government’ after cutting his own taxes
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Heartland Signal: Ron Johnson complains that he has only doubled his net worth