Dems to target GOP corruption in midterms: report

Democrats are planning to point to alleged corruption in the Trump administration as part of their anti-corruption campaign platform for the 2018 midterm elections, The Washington Post reported.

Their anti-corruption proposals will be listed as “A Better Deal for Our Democracy,” according to the report.

Senior Democratic officials told the newspaper that the party’s agenda will include proposals to eliminate loopholes that let lobbyists and lawmakers secretly sell influence and will focus on ending “pay-to-play” political practices.

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Several Congressional leaders are set to roll out the Democrats’ new agenda Monday afternoon on Capitol Hill.

One proposal is based on Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen and focuses on his alleged use of his position to sell influence and information to a number of companies.

Cohen, without registering as a lobbyist or disclosing the payments, reportedly earned millions from companies looking for insight and access to the Trump administration.

Democrats intend to run on proposals that would require any sort of lobbying contract to be publicly reported.

Another proposal to be revealed as part of the “Better Deal” is one that would change federal statutes that might have permitted lawmakers to avoid convictions for allegations of bribery or exchanges of money for services.

A number of lawmakers from both parties have faced fraud violation charges but were later found to not have committed crimes under current law.

According to the report, Democrats are also planning to target Trump officials who have been plagued by scandals, including Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.