June 3rd, 2025
Jon Tester and Ellen Weintraub Join ECU to Lead Fight Against Corruption
As End Citizens United (ECU) marks its 10-year anniversary, the organization today announced that former Federal Election Commission (FEC) Commissioner Ellen Weintraub and former U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) will serve as the organization’s first-ever Senior Fellows. This new initiative brings together two of the most respected voices in the fight against corruption and big money in politics.
To mark the organization’s 10-year milestone, ECU also launched a new video that tells the story of the organization’s founding, its mission to take on big money, and the fight ahead against corruption. The organization is also hosting a virtual town for supporters with Sen. Tester and Rep. Jasmine Crockett at noon on Tuesday.
“At a time when access to the highest levels of government is openly for sale and anti-corruption watchdogs are fired for doing their jobs, Ellen and Jon bring the experience and firepower needed to fight back,” said ECU President Tiffany Muller. “Their decades of leadership in fighting corruption will be invaluable as we step up our efforts to confront this administration and build momentum for passing reforms.”
“If we want a government that listens to working people––not just billionaires and corporate CEOs––we have to crack down on corruption and the role of big money in our elections,” said Jon Tester. “I’ve seen firsthand just how corrupting Citizens United has been on our government. Too many politicians are focused on raising money and keeping their biggest donors happy instead of addressing the struggles of regular folks. I’m honored to join End Citizens United and continue the fight that I started when I was in the Senate.”
“I spent more than 20 years at the FEC fighting to enforce campaign finance laws and to protect our elections from corruption,” said Ellen Weintraub. “Supreme Court decisions like Citizens United unleashed unlimited money into our elections, supercharging the influence of billionaire donors. I’m proud to join End Citizens United and I look forward to fighting for reforms that restore the laws––and institutions––designed to protect our democracy from corruption.”
Tester, a third-generation Montana dirt farmer and three-term U.S. Senator, made anti-corruption and government accountability a cornerstone of his tenure in the Senate. He introduced legislation to crack down on dark money and to permanently ban former members of Congress from becoming lobbyists, led efforts to advance a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, and played an integral role in advancing the Freedom to Vote Act. In 2018, his bipartisan Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act was signed into law, requiring candidates to electronically file campaign finance reports.
Weintraub, who served on the FEC from 2002 to 2025 and was Chair four times, is one of the nation’s foremost experts on campaign finance and election laws. Throughout her tenure, Weintraub was a leading advocate for strong enforcement and full transparency in political spending. She consistently sounded the alarm about the threats posed by corporate and dark money––and how they open the door to foreign influence in our elections. Weintraub believes strong campaign finance laws and enforcement are essential to preventing corruption and restoring faith in government.
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.