News & Updates

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

News from Michigan Families for Economic Prosperity

October 30, 2018

Contact: Hugh Madden, 734-250-2070, hugh@progressmichigan.org

Congressman Fred Upton’s Corporate Relationships Call Tax Vote into Question

Upton campaign funded by donors who benefitted from tax vote; constituents still struggling

KALAMAZOO — Michigan Families for Economic Prosperity is calling attention to campaign finance disclosures that detail a cozy relationship between Congressman Fred Upton and wealthy corporations. The latest filings show Upton took PAC money from banks, drug companies that manufacture opiates and big energy companies.

“Congressman Upton has lost touch with his district. Instead of holding town halls, he’s holding court with corporate special interests who benefitted from a massive tax break while the rest of us got stuck with the bill,” said Hugh Madden, communications director of Progress Michigan and a member of Michigan Families for Economic Prosperity. “Instead of standing up for his constituents who work hard every day, Upton is standing with PACs and special interests and they have rewarded his campaign with contributions.”

Highlights from Upton’s latest filing show:

• Upton took $2,000 from Capital One PAC. Capital One had a tax cut of $436 million in the first three quarters of 2018 and plans a $1.2 stock buyback program for 2019 starting this quarter.
• Received another $2,000 from the PAC for Dominion, an electricity/natural gas company, for a total of $7,500 this cycle.
• Upton’s campaign received a $1,000 contribution from Sanofi Services PAC, for a total of $2,000 this election cycle. Sanofi’s subsidiary, Francopia, calls itself, “one of the world’s major opiate producers.”

“Numbers don’t lie, Fred Upton’s tax vote was nothing more than a massive tax giveaway to wealthy corporations whose PAC’s donate to his campaigns,” Madden continued. “Voters should know who Upton really answers to before going to the polls next week.”

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