Endorses Citizens United and Unlimited Corporate Spending in Alaska While Claiming to Want Cuts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/10/2023

In a strange, but not surprising turn of events today, U.S Senate Republican primary candidate Dan Sullivan endorsed the Citizens United court case while trying to tell Alaskans he wants to limit special interest Outside spending. Sullivan is currently the largest recipient of support from Outside spending in the competitive Republican primary. Groups like Karl Rove’s Crossroads and the Koch Brothers have already spent millions supporting Sullivan.

The Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling allows for unlimited anonymous spending to influence elections and infamously declared that corporations are people.

“Sullivan again tried to tell Alaskans one thing, but then quickly revealed the truth today - he supports allowing corporations to engage in unlimited spending in our elections,” said Susanne Fleek-Green, campaign manager for Alaskans for Begich. “If Dan Sullivan makes it out of his competitive primary, it will be a stark contrast between his put-corporations-first position and Senator Begich’s support for real campaign finance reform including support of a constitutional amendment throwing out Citizens United.”

On a conference call with reporters, Dan Sullivan confirmed his support for the Citizens United three times and reaffirmed it in a tweet. As Attorney General, Dan Sullivan failed to fight against the Citizens United decision that allowed for unlimited dollars to flow into elections and issued an opinion on the case from the Department of Law.

Listen to the audio of Sullivan being asked about Citizens United.

Mark Begich is the only candidate in this race serious about curbing Outside spending in elections and is a co-sponsor of legislation to throw out Citizens United with a Constitutional Amendment to limit corporate personhood. He is also the only candidate to have signed the Alaska We the People Pledge opposing dark money in elections.

Dan Sullivan faces a competitive primary in August but potentially due to his outsized corporate support failed to mention his primary opponents Mead Treadwell, Joe Miller or John M. Jaramillo in his initial call for the pledge today. A poll not affiliated with any Senate candidate and conducted by Dittman research has Treadwell and Sullivan running neck and neck in the crowded August primary.

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