For four years, Donald Trump led the most corrupt government in American history. Four years later, Donald Trump is finally being held to account for a set of the crimes he committed.
Even beyond the 88 felony charges Donald Trump is facing, the four years Trump served as President were plagued by corruption, conflicts of interest, and overt attempts to politicize and profit off the power of government. He was the first President in modern history that refused to release his tax returns, disclose his foreign relationships, or divest from his personal business interests; all while catering to donors and foreign governments for the sole benefit of himself and his family. Trump’s cabinet members engaged in illegal insider trading, violated the Hatch Act on a daily basis, and enabled his lies about the 2020 election being stolen from him, undermining our democracy for their own personal and political gain. Trump and his allies actively encouraged his followers to invade the Capitol on January 6th in a direct attempt to overturn a free and fair election, killing 7 people and injuring hundreds of police officers.
Congressman Connolly used his position on the Oversight Committee to consistently hold Trump and his cronies accountable, launching investigations into their business dealings and corrupt acts within the former administration. He was also a strong supporter of the creation of the January 6th commission, which produced devastating new evidence of Trump’s personal responsibility for the tragedies that took place that day.
We must enshrine protections into federal law to make sure no President is above the law. He led the fight against Donald Trump’s efforts to abolish the Office of Personnel and Management that oversees the federal workforce. At the end of his presidency, Donald Trump attempted to create a new schedule of federal employees, Schedule F, which would have allowed him to replace thousands of career civil servants with his cronies. Congressman Connolly has introduced a bill to prevent the President from unilaterally doing so.
Congressman Connolly has always believed that elected officials should work on behalf of the people and that well-run, safe, and trustworthy elections are essential to good government. Gerry co-sponsored the For the People Act, which would make huge strides in securing our elections, make it easier for citizens to register and vote, reduce the influence of big money in elections, limit partisan gerrymandering, and hold our candidates and elected officials to the ethics standards their constituents deserve.
Central to guaranteeing that one person equals one vote in this country is finally granting Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico statehood status. For far too long, the millions of residents in these territories have paid taxes without any representation in the democratic body that governs them. He also supports passing legislation that expands the requirements for campaign finance disclosures of corporations and Super PACs. Congressman Connolly believes each one of these steps is imperative in helping to restore American confidence in the integrity of our elections and in ensuring good governance for all.