CLIFF JOHNSON RECOGNIZED BY END CITIZENS UNITED FOR PLEDGE TO CLEAN UP CONGRESS
Johnson Pledges to Ban Congressional Stock Trading, Refuse Corporate PAC Money, and Crack Down on Dark Money — Campaign Funded Entirely by Grassroots Donors
TAYLOR, MISSISSIPPI — Cliff Johnson, Democratic candidate for Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District, today announced that he has officially been recognized by End Citizens United for his pledge to clean up Congress and return power to the people. As part of this pledge, Johnson has committed to refusing all corporate PAC money in his campaign for Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District.
Johnson’s campaign is powered by more than 3,000 grassroots donors — people who believe elected officials should be accountable to the constituents they represent, not to corporate PACs and wealthy D.C. insiders. In contrast to the pay-to-play culture that has taken hold in Washington, Johnson has made a clear commitment: his campaign will be funded by the people, and his votes in Congress will answer to them alone.
“Throughout my career as a civil rights lawyer, I have fought for those without a voice and those taken advantage of by a corrupt and at times unjust system. Unfortunately, as I’ve run for Congress, I’ve seen the inside of the political system, and it’s not much different. Big money PACs and special interests in D.C. rule the game while folks like us back at home are left without a voice. I’ve committed myself to running a campaign empowered by the people politicians like Trent Kelly are leaving behind, and I’m proud to join End Citizens United in this effort.”
— Cliff Johnson, Candidate for Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District
By joining the Unrig Washington campaign, Johnson is officially recognized by End Citizens United as a candidate committed to three core anti-corruption reforms:
Ban Congressional Stock Trading: Johnson will support legislation to prohibit Members of Congress from trading individual stocks while in office. Public service is a trust, not a profit opportunity. Americans deserve representatives whose decisions are guided by the public interest, not their own financial gain.
Refuse Corporate PAC Money: Johnson rejects all contributions from corporate PACs — full stop. Washington has spent too long beholden to powerful corporations and special interests instead of the working families of Mississippi. Johnson’s campaign sends a clear message: the people come first.
Crack Down on Dark Money: Johnson will fight to end the dark money spending that has rigged the system against ordinary Americans. He will support legislation to expose secret donors, increase transparency, and empower the Federal Election Commission so there is real accountability when it comes to campaign finance. It is time to end the dominance of billionaire-funded special interest groups.
Johnson’s announcement underscores what has driven his entire career: the belief that every Mississippian deserves a representative who fights for them and not for whoever writes the biggest check. Johnson has always stood on the side of ordinary people against entrenched power — and that will not change when he reaches Congress.
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Cliff Johnson lives in the Springdale Community of rural Lafayette County with his wife of 35 years, Leigh. They have a son and daughter-in-law in Memphis, and a daughter and son-in-law in Atlanta. His parents, Jim and Alice Johnson, reside in Oxford.
Cliff graduated from Mississippi College and attended law school at Columbia University in New York, where he served on the Columbia Human Rights Law Review and was named a Charles Evans Hughes Fellow for his demonstrated interest in public service.
Cliff has practiced law in Mississippi for 34 years. He served as an Assistant United States Attorney, co-founded a law firm in Jackson, and, for 12 years has been the director of the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law where he advocates for reform of Mississippi’s criminal legal system and teaches civil rights law and litigation. He has been named a National Trial Lawyer of the Year by Public Justice and the Mississippi Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Mississippi Association for Justice.
