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Ossoff Finds Workaround to Accept Corporate Cash He Claims to Shun

Jon Ossoff (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)
October 21, 2020

Georgia Democratic Senate hopeful Jon Ossoff accepted more than $50,000 from leadership PACs funded by corporate PAC cash in the last fundraising quarter, despite a promise not to take corporate PAC money.

Ossoff took $52,500 in the third quarter of 2020 from 11 different Democratic leadership PACs, all funded in part by corporate PAC money, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That total was up from the $37,500 he received from Democratic leadership PACs in the second quarter, even as he swore off taking corporate PAC money as part of his anti-corruption platform.

Ossoff, who runs a documentary journalism outlet based out of London, often touts his promise to not take corporate PAC money in his advertising. In an August ad, he said he was rejecting "corporate donations," which are already illegal because corporations are banned from making direct contributions to candidates.

His campaign did not respond to a request for comment. He is locked in a tight race with Sen. David Perdue (R., Ga.), who is seeking a second term.

Ossoff is not the only Georgia Democratic Senate hopeful violating that promise. After pledging to reject corporate PAC money, Raphael Warnock—the leading Democrat in the special jungle election for Sen. Kelly Loeffler's (R., Ga.) seat—accepted more than $140,000 in the last quarter from Democratic leadership PACs funded by corporate PAC cash.