Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, who has been a vocal critic of corporate PAC money in politics, has accepted nearly $300,000 from various corporate PACs in the first quarter of 2024. This is a departure from Brown’s previous stance, as he had pledged not to accept corporate PAC money while considering a presidential run in 2019. Some of the corporate PACs supporting Brown include New York Life insurance, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Visa Inc., The Boeing Company, and The Bank Of New York Mellon Corporation. Brown has long been known for his opposition to corporate influence on politics, but his recent acceptance of corporate PAC money has raised eyebrows.
Despite accepting donations from corporate PACs, Brown has continued to promote his record of standing up to corporate greed on social media. He has emphasized his commitment to fighting for Ohio small businesses and workers, while taking in millions of dollars from corporate PACs during his time in office. Many prominent Democrats have pledged to refuse corporate PAC money in an effort to address the issue of money in politics and to avoid becoming beholden to special interest groups. End Citizens United, a political action committee, sees the trend of refusing corporate PAC money as a positive step towards anti-corruption legislation.
Brown currently serves as the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and FEC records show that his re-election campaign has accepted money from Visa and Mastercard, both of which have lobbied on legislation that came before the banking committee. His GOP challenger, Bernie Moreno, has criticized Brown for his acceptance of corporate PAC money, accusing him of hypocrisy and being beholden to big corporations. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has also pointed out the contrast between Brown’s previous pledge to reject corporate PAC money and his current acceptance of such donations.
Despite the criticism, Brown’s campaign remains confident in his ability to win reelection in 2024. He has been a vocal advocate for bank reform and has been referred to as the “sheriff” of Wall Street for his efforts to hold big banks accountable. Supporters of Brown believe that his track record of fighting for Ohio workers will resonate with voters and help secure his victory in the upcoming election. The race between Brown and Moreno is expected to be closely watched, as it is seen as a key opportunity for Republicans to take back control of the Senate. The Cook Political Report ranks the Ohio Senate race as a toss-up, indicating that it will be a closely contested race with significant implications for the balance of power in the Senate.
