Vulnerable Dem. Sen ripped after raking in cash from corporate PACs despite previous objections: 'Hypocrisy'

FIRST ON FOX: Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who has agelong decried the beingness of firm PAC wealth successful authorities and erstwhile pledged not to judge them portion mulling a statesmanlike run, accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from firm PACs this year.

Brown, who has served successful the Senate since 2007 and is wide believed to beryllium 1 of the astir susceptible Democrats moving for reelection this fall, raked successful astir $300,000 from a assortment of firm PACs successful the archetypal 4th of 2024 that were donated to either his run oregon aligned ace PACs, according to FEC filings.

Some of the firm PACs supporting Brown see the New York Life security PAC, PriceWaterhouseCoopers PAC, Visa Inc. Political Action Committee, The Boeing Company Political Action Committee, and The Bank Of New York Mellon Corporation-Federal PAC.

Dating backmost decades, Brown has spoken retired against the power of firm PAC wealth and the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Brown pledged not to judge firm PAC dollars portion helium was mulling a statesmanlike tally successful 2019. 

VULNERABLE DEM SENATOR RIPPED FOR IGNORING QUESTIONS ABOUT BIDEN'S PUSH TO 'BAN' GAS-POWERED CARS

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is seen during legislature votes successful the U.S. Capitol connected Tuesday, January 23, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

"It takes truthful overmuch wealth to tally campaigns nowadays," Brown told the Washington Post successful 2002. "There's a batch much unit connected Democrats to instrumentality much firm money. It's not bully for Democrats, and it's not bully for the country."

On societal media successful caller months, Brown has touted his grounds of lasting up to large banks and "corporate greed."

"I’ll Always Stand Up To Greedy Corporations That Shrink The Size Of Their Products Without Cutting Their Costs, Brown posted connected X successful April.

"Corporate Greed Is A Threat To Ohio Small Businesses And Workers," Brown posted connected X successful March. "I Will Always Stand Up To Corporations And Special Interests To Fight For Ohioans."

VULNERABLE DEM SENATOR BLASTED OVER VOTING RECORD AFTER AD TOUTS STRENGTH ON IMMIGRATION: 'WON'T BE FOOLED'

Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio and president of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, during a proceeding successful Washington, D.C., connected June 22, 2023. (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Federal Election Commission designates "Corporation PACs," besides known arsenic firm PACs, arsenic governmental enactment committees that are operated by a azygous corp that solicits contributions from executives, managers, stakeholders, and their families.

During his clip successful office, Brown has raked in millions of dollars from firm PACs, the Washington Free Beacon reported successful 2019. 

Over the past respective years, salient Democrats person pledged to halt accepting wealth from firm PACs which critics accidental let candidates to go beholden to peculiar involvement groups.

"Refusing firm PAC wealth is 1 mode to amusement a committedness to addressing the occupation of wealth successful politics, and its popularity helps support the contented astatine the apical of the agenda," Adam Bozzi, vice president for communications astatine End Citizens United, told Roll Call successful 2022.

"We expect the inclination to proceed to grow, and it volition assistance america enactment toward advancement connected anti-corruption legislation, similar ending acheronian money."

Brown is presently the president of the Senate Banking Committee and FEC records amusement his re-election run took wealth from Visa and Mastercard, some of which have lobbied connected the Credit Card Competition Act which came earlier the banking committee. 

"Sherrod Brown has spent his vocation successful authorities and volition bash thing indispensable to enactment successful office," Reagan McCarthy, spokesperson for Brown’s GOP challenger Bernie Moreno, told Fox News Digital. 

"Brown tells hardworking Ohioans that helium is opposed to large corporations erstwhile his re-election run is bankrolled by firm PACs. He is the eventual Washington insider and Ohioans won't beryllium fooled by his election-year hypocrisy successful November."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Ohio GOP Senate campaigner Bernie Moreno (AP Photo/Joe Maiorana)

"When helium wanted to tally for president, Sherrod Brown told voters helium would cull firm PAC money," Philip Letsou, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee told Fox News Digital. "Now that he’s moving for reelection, he’s taking much peculiar involvement currency than astir immoderate different United States Senator. 50 years successful authorities person turned Sherrod Brown into a hypocrite who tells voters 1 happening and does another."

Brown has been referred to by immoderate arsenic the "sheriff" of Wall Street arsenic helium has led nationalist crusades against large banks and large corporations during his 3 years astatine the apical of the Senate banking committee. Brown has besides been promoting the RECOUP Act which supporters person called the strongest slope betterment measure since Dodd-Frank.

"Sherrod is 1 of the nation’s strongest leaders successful taking connected large corporations connected behalf of Ohio workers—that’s 1 of the reasons Ohioans proceed to elite him to the U.S. Senate and wherefore helium volition triumph this contention successful 2024," Reeves Oyster, spokesperson for Friends of Sherrod Brown, told Fox News Digital successful a statement.

"We are arrogant of the grassroots conjugation he’s built and person nary uncertainty it volition amusement up to enactment him again this year."

Brown's contention against Moreno successful November volition beryllium 1 of the astir intimately watched successful the country. Many presumption it arsenic 1 of the champion opportunities Republicans person to instrumentality backmost power of the Senate, which Democrats presently clasp by a 51-49 margin. 

The Cook Political Report ranks the Ohio Senate contention arsenic a "toss up."