When Barack Obama became the Democratic Party presidential nominee back in June 2008, he dropped the hammer on lobbyists seeking to influence the party. He banned contributions to the Democratic National Committee from lobbyists and special interest PACs. In announcing his decision, he said:

"We will not take a dime from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs. We're going to change how Washington works. They will not fund my party."

But in February 2016, under the leadership of former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the DNC began accepting lobbyist and special interest PAC contributions again.

Tell the DNC: Reinstate President Obama’s ban on lobbyist contributions!

At the DNC Chair debate hosted by the Huffington Post, six of the seven candidates refused to commit to a reinstatement of the ban. One, a former lobbyist himself, even gave a full-throated defense of lobbyist contributions to the party. Only one candidate, Keith Ellison, has expressed support for reinstating the ban.

Sign the petition: Tell the DNC chair to bring back the ban on lobbyist cash.

If there is anything voters made clear this election, it is that they are tired of the stranglehold elite special interests and lobbyists have on our political system.

If we are going to have a strong, effective opposition to Trump and his agenda, we need to have a credible alternative. We need a party that will stand with marginalized communities and put regular working people first.

The Democratic Party can hardly claim to be a credible alternative to Trump and his billionaire cronies if it is taking money from corporate lobbyists. No matter who is elected chair, they must commit to making the Democratic Party the party of working people once more.

President Obama was right when he said lobbyists and corporate interests “drown out the voice of the American people.” It’s time to put the American people first again at the DNC.

Tell the DNC Chair: Reinstate Obama’s ban on lobbyist contributions.