February 13th, 2026
End Citizens United Endorses Mayor Paige Cognetti for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District
Cognetti is rejecting corporate PAC money, committed to ending dark money, and supports banning congressional stock trading
End Citizens United (ECU), a leading national anti-corruption organization, today announced its endorsement of Mayor Paige Cognetti in her campaign for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District. Cognetti is part of Unrig Washington, a program ECU started last year for candidates who reject corporate PAC money, support a ban on congressional stock trading, and work to end dark money in politics.
“Mayor Paige Cognetti cannot be bought. She has a strong record of rooting out corruption, demanding accountability, and, above all, putting working families first. Her refusal to take corporate PAC money and her support for a ban on congressional stock trading make clear she will never use public office for personal or political gain,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “Under Congressman Bresnahan’s tenure, NEPA families have suffered tremendously from his corruption. From voting to kick working people off of their health insurance to using his position of power to profit off of his votes, he’s quickly become one of the most corrupt members of Congress. We’re proud to stand with Mayor Cognetti and we look forward to helping her win.”
“I’m proud to have the support of End Citizens United because it’s time we root out the culture of corruption in Washington that is hurting Northeastern Pennsylvanians,” said Mayor Paige Cognetti. “I first ran for mayor of Scranton to clean up city hall and make our government work as hard as the people it serves. Now I’m running for Congress to take on DC corruption head-on. The people of Northeastern Pennsylvania are tired of politicians like Rob Bresnahan playing the stock market and using their public office for their own benefit. I’m grateful for ECU’s support and will partner with anyone to fix a broken Washington and put NEPA first.”
As Mayor of Scranton, Cognetti has worked to curb the influence of special interests in local politics and ensure affordable living standards. Her administration has prioritized lowering everyday costs, investing in more homes and small businesses, and emerging from a 30-year distressed financial status period. By joining ECU’s Unrig Washington campaign, Mayor Cognetti expanded her commitment to reform. Unrig Washington has brought together over 120 congressional candidates (and counting) who refuse corporate PAC money, support a ban on congressional stock trading, and crack down on dark money in politics. Learn more about the campaign at www.endcitizensunited.org/unrig-washington.
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For 10 Years, End Citizens United (ECU) has been dedicated to combating the two biggest challenges facing our democracy: the corrosive impact of Big Money in politics and attempts to block access to the ballot box. Since its founding in 2015, ECU has had over 1.4 million donors with an average donation of just $14. The group has more than four million members nationwide and is one of the nation’s leading anti-corruption organizations.