Today we're giving our lobbyist money back -- here's why:

[Celerity]

Moving forward, Pete for America will not accept any money from lobbyists and we are returning all donations from registered lobbyists who have contributed to date -- that's $30,250 from 39 individuals.

Mayor Pete will not be influenced by special-interest money, and we understand that making this promise is an important part of that commitment.

We understand that making this decision and being vocal about our values is important; that the decision means more than just whether or not we are willing to accept money from a specific individual.

Standing up for our collective values not only includes saying we believe that campaigns should not take money from lobbyists; it also means being aware of the loopholes that still allow special interests to impact the campaign.

This campaign will:

Not accept money directly from individuals who are registered as federal lobbyists
Not allow registered lobbyists to serve as bundlers for our campaign, because that would still allow them to use their influence to benefit our campaign
Add new language to our contribution forms about our standards around lobbying and donating
Implement internal procedures and audits to ensure we are living by these commitments
Not accept money from corporate PACs
Not accept money from the fossil fuel industry
You've held us to a higher standard, and we're grateful for your partnership. We're going to need your continued support.

We've launched a grassroots fundraising team -- a group of supporters who is organizing around campaign finance goals. Already, that team of supporters has raised close to a half million dollars from their personal networks.

If you're interested in joining that team, please sign up here:

www.peteforamerica.com/grassroots-fundraising-team

Thanks for your support, your commitment to our better future, and for holding us to a higher standard.

Mike

Mike Schmuhl
Campaign Manager
Pete for America

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Time to send Pete some more money! I'm on it. n/t