U.S. Senate Candidate Eldridge Commends Efforts In Arkansas Legislature To Add Ethics Bill To Special Session
LITTLE ROCK – Former prosecutor and U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge, who is running for the U.S. Senate, commended efforts in the Arkansas legislature to include ethics-related bills in a special legislative session this year. Members of the Arkansas legislature have proposed bills to require dark-money groups to disclose the sources of their funding.
“We need more honesty, transparency, and accountability in our government and in our campaigns,” said Eldridge. “I commend Sen. Ingram, Rep. Tucker, Rep. Gray, and all the members in the legislature who are working on this issue for pushing to include campaign finance reform in a special session, and I urge Gov. Hutchinson to do so. This is a discussion we must have. As I’ve traveled the state, I’ve heard from Arkansans who are sick and tired of money and special interests controlling our political process. These efforts will bring us one step closer to making campaigns and elections more transparent.”
In recent campaigns for the Arkansas Supreme Court, more than $1.6 million was spent on ads, mostly out-of-state dark money. The proposed legislation would require private, out-of-state groups to register with the Secretary of State’s office when running election-related communications.
“The reason I’m in this race is to listen to Arkansans, fight for them and give them a strong, new voice,” said Eldridge. “As senator, I will fight to get dark money out of politics, return power to the people, and overturn the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision. Unfortunately, my opponent, Sen. John Boozman, has time and again voted to keep dark money in politics – siding with special interests to protect his Washington establishment friends. We need a change.”