The Campaign Finance Task Force has completed an informational paper that covers a brief history of LWV action on campaign finance, what the LWV has done, is doing now and what Leagues can also do.
This week I was in Washington for, among other things, an event sponsored by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, “Fact Checking the 2012 Election: Views from the Trenches.” The three panels during this half-day event were drawn from the print media, the television news media, and from the television business and legal side.
On Thursday, May 24th, we launched a radio ad campaign urging Senator Lamar Alexander, Senator Bob Corker, Senator Susan Collins and Senator Olympia Snowe to step up and lead on the vital issue of disclosure and campaign finance reform. The ad, “Flood of Money,” encourages the Senators to help bring sunshine and disclosure to the secret money pouring into American elections.
Voters beware. There is a flood of secret money headed into towns all across America and it looks like there is nothing to stop it from drowning out your voices this fall. But our elected officials can do something to help. They can support full disclosure and tell us where this money is coming from. They can give voters the information they need to cast a vote.
Tennessee Senators Alexander and Corker, and Maine Senators Collins and Snowe Urged to Support Disclosure
The League signed on to an amicus brief sent to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of American Tradition Partnership vs. Montana. The case asks the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the state’s Corrupt Practices Act.
The League joined 13 other civic organizations in solid opposition to S. 1100, the so-called “Keeping Politics Out of Federal Contracting Act.” The letter was sent to Senators Lieberman and Collins, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
We are all aware that the huge amount of special interest money, particularly in federal races, has been a problem for years. We also know that these problems have been magnified by the Supreme Court ruling in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case which unleashed corporate spending for supposedly independent campaign expenditures and which has resulted in millions and millions of dollars in secret contributions.
Campaign financing in our nation is corrupting our political system with secret money from special interests and large outside funders.
Tell your Senators that you want to clean up our political system.
