CITIZENS
UNITED DECISION SETS OFF REVOLUTION IN
CAMPAIGN FINANCE Supreme
Court Erred, Decision Undermines Basic Pillar of American
Democracy
Washington, DC –The following
is a statement by Mary G. Wilson, national
president of the League of Women Voters on the Supreme Court’s
decision in Citizens
United v. FEC. The League filed an
amicus brief in this case:
“The Supreme Court
has made a tragic mistake. Their decision
announced today in Citizens United v. FEC is
constitutionally irresponsible and will surely bring about an
anti-democratic revolution in how we finance elections in this
country. Today, basic pillars of American
democracy have been undermined – that elections should not be
corrupted by vast corporate wealth and that the voters should be at the
center of our democratic system.
"Justice Stevens had it right when he said, in his
dissent, ‘The Court’s ruling threatens
to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation.
The path it has taken to reach its outcome will, I fear, do damage to
this institution.’
“In creating a new
constitutional right for corporations to spend unlimited amounts of
their shareholder’s money to determine the outcome in candidate
elections, the Court has unleashed into our elections tremendous sums of
money from for-profit corporations that cannot possibly be matched in
quantity by contributions from ordinary citizens. The only possible outcome of this is that big money and special
interests will have an even tighter grip on our
democracy.
“Congress and the
President enacted campaign finance laws over a series of decades for a
reason – to protect our democracy from the perverse influence of
big money in our elections. In making this decision, the Court has
ignored the best interests of the American public and our representative
form of government.”
Reporters wishing to speak with
Ms. Wilson should contact Kelly Ceballos at kceballos@lwv.org or 202-263-1331.
The League of Women Voters, a
nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active
participation in government, works to increase understanding of major
public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and
advocacy.
