Disclosure of election spending is crucial for democracy, Public Citizen tells Congress
In a congressional hearing Thursday on the DISCLOSE Act (which stands for Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections), Public Citizen’s Craig Holman told lawmakers that they should swiftly pass legislation to lift the veil of secrecy on campaign spending before the 2010 elections. This urgency stems from the gravely dangerous Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which allows corporations to spend unlimited amounts to influence elections.
The DISCLOSE Act is a great first step to reining in the corporate power expected to take over elections, Holman said. But it must be strengthened.
“Today, corporate lobbyists can walk into a lobbying meeting carrying a big stick to intimidate lawmakers. A healthy democracy is going to have a hard time surviving this corporate onslaught without meaningful measures to mitigate the corrupting role of unlimited corporate money,” Holman said.