On August 28, 2025, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) convened a public roundtable discussion, The Many Over the Money: Roundtable on Money in Politics, at Carnegie Mellon University’s McConomy Auditorium to shine a spotlight on the growing movement to end the corrupting influence of big money in U.S. politics. The event, hosted in collaboration with Free Speech For People, drew nearly 400 attendees, including students, community leaders, and members of the public, with additional viewers joining via livestream.

The discussion featured Congresswoman Lee alongside Courtney Hostetler, Legal Director at Free Speech For People, and was emceed by Alexandra Flores-Quilty, Campaign Director at Free Speech For People. Together, the panel examined solutions to curb corporate political spending, abolish super PACs, and advance a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United v. FEC.

“Our democracy should answer to the people, not the powerful,” said Rep. Lee. “For far too long, billionaires and corporate interests have hijacked our political system by pouring unlimited amounts of money into elections to protect their power and profits. Money in politics affects everything, from housing and healthcare to climate and workers’ rights. We cannot build a government that truly serves working people, including Black, brown, and marginalized communities, while the ultra-wealthy get to write the rules. Buying elections should never be accepted as the new norm in our democracy. The future of our communities depends on breaking the stranglehold of big money so that every voice, not just the wealthiest few, shapes the direction of this country.”

“American elections are flooded by big money from billionaires and special interests that drown out the voices of everyday voters. It is time for reform. We applaud Congresswoman Lee for championing critical legislation to abolish super PACs and for supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. These reforms will help restore integrity to our elections,” said Alexandra Flores-Quilty, Campaign Director of Free Speech For People. “We deserve elections determined by the people, not by big money and multinational corporations.”

“Our democracy is being eroded by billionaires, multinational corporations, and special interest groups that use money to control our elections and overwhelm the voices of the people. It doesn’t have to be this way—and through most of our country’s history, it wasn’t. We applaud Congresswoman Lee for championing workable solutions to restore a democratic system that prioritizes speech and people, not money and corporations,” said Courtney Hostetler, Legal Director of Free Speech For People.

The event underscored Lee’s legislative efforts to confront concentrated wealth and corporate influence, including the Abolish Super PACs Act, which would close loopholes enabling billionaires and dark money groups to drown out the voices of voters.

Attendees engaged in a moderated Q&A session, where community members and students posed questions on the future of campaign finance reform and the role of grassroots organizing in reshaping political power.

The program opened with welcoming remarks by Carnegie Mellon University Dean of Public Policy, Kirstin Martin, and featured a short film by Larry Lessig and More Perfect Union tracing the history of money’s influence on American democracy.

The event was co-produced with Free Speech For People, whose legal and advocacy work centers on advancing reforms to end corporate rule and strengthen democratic institutions.