Tammy Duckworth thinks she’s found a way to prevent SuperPACs from getting involved in her race for Congress.
Duckworth is asking her primary opponent, Raja Krishnamoorthi, to agree that if a SuperPAC runs an ad attacking either candidate, the candidate who benefited must donate 50 percent of the ad’s cost to a charity of the target’s choice.
The proposal is based on a pledge taken by Sen. Scott Brown and his opponent, Elizabeth Warren, in their high-profile Massachusetts race.
Duckworth objects to “the secretive nature of SuperPACs, the lack of accountability, as a result of the Citizens United decision,” spokesperson Kaitlin Fahey said. “The only way to reduce their influence is to make a pact like this clear.”
Krishamoorthi’s camp says it agrees with Duckworth’s concern about SuperPACs -- Krishnamoorthi favors a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United --countered with a proposal to not only renounce SuperPAC money, but money from “PACs, international unions, lobbyists, or corporations.”
“There are no SuperPACs involved in this race,” Krishnamoorthi spokesperson Mike Murray told Ward Room. “We don’t know if she’s worried about one coming in, or if she’s just trying to take advantage of a media storm.”
SuperPAC money is not expected to hit the 8th District until the general election, CREDO, a liberal SuperPAC formed by the cell phone company, placed Rep. Joe Walsh on its list of 10 Republican congressman it will try to oust this year. Fahey said Duckworth will offer the same deal to Walsh.
“If Joe Walsh agrees to it, we would have to send a message to CREDO: ‘Beware.’ The pledge itself sends a message to SuperPACs that by getting involved, they’re putting the candidate they agree with at a disadvantage.
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