ICYMI: Rep. Sykes Hosts Hundreds of Constituents for Community Conversation in Canton

ICYMI: Rep. Sykes Hosts Hundreds of Constituents for Community Conversation in Canton

CANTON, Ohio - In Case You Missed It: Last night, U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) held a Community Conversation at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 94 Event Center in Canton. During this Community Conversation, Rep. Sykes discussed how dark money, bribery loopholes, and gerrymandering continue to undermine Ohio's democratic process. The Community Conversation comes as Rep. Sykes leads the charge in Congress to restore public trust through the End Corruption Now legislative agenda, which includes her bill, the Closing Bribery Loopholes Act. Rep. Sykes was joined at the Community Conversation by special guest Tiffany Muller, President of End Citizens United, who underscored that Ohioans deserve better, and that it is incumbent on lawmakers at every level to pass strong reforms.

"I was honored to meet with constituents from across Ohio's 13th Congressional District who came to this Community Conversation to make their voices heard," said Rep. Sykes. "When public officials use their power for personal gain and are shielded from accountability, democracy itself is undermined. The End Corruption Now agenda is about restoring public trust and ensuring that no one is above the law. The people of Ohio's 13th District deserve a government that works for them, not for the biggest wallets or the best connections."

"For 15 years, the disastrous Citizens United ruling has allowed the ultra-wealthy to pour unlimited money into our elections, giving them unchecked influence in Washington that harms people across Ohio and the country," said Tiffany Muller, President of End Citizens United. "Fixing this deeply broken system will be a long, hard-fought fight, but it starts with reformers like Congresswoman Sykes. Her bold policy package, including common sense measures like banning congressional stock trading, is a critical step toward restoring integrity, holding Washington accountable, and putting power back in the hands of the people."

Ohio has been ranked as the worst state for public corruption in the country, with recent high-profile scandals such as the conviction of former Speaker of the Ohio House Larry Householder in the largest corruption case in state history.

The Closing Bribery Loopholes Act closes loopholes in the federal bribery statute by clarifying the definition of an "official act." Currently, "official acts" by public officials only include legislative actions, such as casting votes or influencing policy language. Rep. Sykes' bill would expand that definition to include anything that is done by someone in their capacity as a public official, such as hosting promotional events on publicly owned property. Under this expanded definition, performing these official acts for private gain would be defined as bribery.

The End Corruption Now legislative agenda targets conflicts of interest and would put a stop to the selling of access and influence, including banning Members of Congress from trading stocks or becoming lobbyists, and strengthening anti-corruption laws. Along with Rep. Sykes' bill, the agenda includes the following bills:

• The Restoring Integrity in Democracy Resolution, introduced by Rep. Angie Craig, would prohibit Members of Congress from serving on corporate boards. Learn more about this bill here.

• The Transparent Representation Upholding Service and Trust (TRUST) in Congress Act, introduced by Rep. Seth Magaziner, effectively bans Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from trading individual stocks by requiring them to either divest from individual stock holdings or move their investments into a qualified blind trust during their entire tenure in Congress. Learn more about this bill here.

• The Millionaires Using Service for Kickbacks (MUSK) Act, introduced by Rep. Pat Ryan, requires government employees defined as Executive Schedule (I-IV) employees, Special Government Employees, and people in the Executive Office of the President to recuse themselves from any matters affecting the financial interests of their previous employers for the four-year period. Learn more about this bill here.

• The Integrity in Government (IG) Act, introduced by Rep. Hillary Scholten, strengthens checks and balances by installing new oversight measures for the White House and its top offices and protecting independent watchdogs from political retaliation. Learn more about this bill here.

• The No Corporate Crooks Act, introduced by Rep. Chris Deluzio, prohibits any chief executive officers, in either the public or private sector, convicted of covered financial crimes from serving in the executive branch. Learn more about this bill here.