WisDems: Ron Johnson’s long history of using senatorial power to help his own bottom line

MADISON, Wis. – Ron Johnson has a long history of using his power in the Senate to enrich himself and his donors at Wisconsin’s expense.

“Whether it was changing the 2017 tax bill in a way that benefited his biggest donors, using tax dollars to fly from his family’s Florida vacation home, or working against lowering health care costs for Wisconsinites while receiving over $1 million in contributions from the pharmaceutical and insurance industries, Ron Johnson has always prioritized his self-serving agenda at the expense of Wisconsin. Wisconsinites will make clear in November that they’re done with his self-serving ways and will retire him,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Senate Communications Advisor Philip Shulman. 

See Johnson’s real record here: 

• A report confirmed that the vast majority of the tax handout Johnson fought for went to the wealthiest companies.

  • Ron Johnson changed the 2017 tax bill in a way that benefitted himself and his biggest donors.

  • “Johnson acknowledged the Oshkosh-based plastics business he owned, Pacur LLC, benefited from the small-business tax provision, as did some of his prominent donors…’Now, did my business benefit? Sure. Did some of my donor businesses? Sure…’ Johnson said.”

• A report found that “U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has been using taxpayer dollars to cover the cost of flights between a Florida family vacation home and Washington, D.C., including nine such trips last year, federal records show.” 

  • Johnson did this while complaining that he’s “only doubled” his wealth since joining the Senate and that the ultra wealthy pay their “fair share.”

• A report revealed that Ron Johnson received thousands of dollars in political contributions from a giant pharmaceutical company after he tried blocking an investigation into their role in the opioid epidemic.

  • Johnson has received over a million dollars from the insurance and pharmaceutical industries.