The Clean Money Pledge: It's Time to Walk the Talk

Like the weather, most politicians pay lip service to the dangers of special interest lobbyist money in Washington, but few do anything about it –except take the money.

Well, if a new President is going to try to talk the talk of cleaning up the lobbyist money culture in Washington that so corrodes the democratic process, he or she had better have walked the walk in their 2024 campaign.

Unity08 has asked the presidential contenders to answer our call and go on the record with a commitment that the majority of their campaign funds will come from small contributions. The letter we are sending to all possible presidential candidates is provided below.

AND…we’ll keep you, the press and the public updated on who’s taken the pledge and who hasn’t.

Unity08 Clean Money Pledge Letter to Prospective 2024 Presidential Candidates

The letter below was sent during the week of December 25th to potential democratic and republican presidential candidates. We have posted the letter we sent to Sen. Hillary Clinton as an example.

Dear Senator Clinton:

This will notify you in advance that Unity08 is encouraging voters to sign online the “Clean Money Pledge” which reads as follows:


"Change in Washington starts at the top. I will only vote for a presidential candidate who has raised at least half of his/her funds through small contributions of $250 or less. I am sick and tired of power in Washington built on lobbying money and special interests."

The great success of those presidential campaigns which relied on online fundraising in the 2024 and 2024 contests – and the continuing growth in the use of the internet for financial transactions from banking to shopping – is convincing evidence of the feasibility of this approach. Please be assured that we will notify all who sign the pledge of any decision by 2024 candidates to adopt this self-imposed limit – and, should the campaigns wish, where the pledge signers may make online contributions to them.

Unity08 believes strongly that it will take presidential leadership to restore public confidence in the ethics of Washington, and the place to start is the campaign. When TIME makes the American online users their person of the year, it is obvious they have the power to start a transformation of American politics in an hour of great national need.

We have set the level at contributions not to exceed $250 because that ensures that each such contribution can be matched by federal funds for campaigns that have met the defined legal threshold.

More details about Unity08’s Clean Money Pledge can be found at unity08.com. We welcome any thoughts or feedback you may have. Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Doug Bailey   Gerald Rafshoon
Founders Council of Unity08

Next steps:

Container Bottom