NEW: Whitehouse Bill Would End Anonymous Campaign Spending
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Today, as the public continues to see the harmful effects of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision first hand in the Republican primaries, a group of U.S. Senators announced new legislation to address the worst of the problems caused by the decision. The DISCLOSE Act of 2012, introduced by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), will help put an end to secretive campaign spending by strengthening disclosure laws.
The legislation is cosponsored by 34 Senators in addition to Whitehouse, including his colleagues on the Citizens United Task Force: Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Al Franken (D-MN). Other cosponsors include Rules Committee Chairman Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT).
“The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision has subjected the American people to a flood of political ads funded by anonymous donors,” said Whitehouse. “The American people deserve to know who is really behind these ads. This legislation will require organizations involved in elections to tell the public where they are getting their money, and what they are spending it on – shining a badly needed light into the activities of these groups.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe Act requires any covered organization that spends $10,000 or more during an election cycle to file a report with the Federal Election Commission within 24 hours, detailing the amount and nature of each expenditure over $1,000 and the names of all of its donors who gave $10,000 or more. Transfer provisions in the bill prevent donors from using shell organizations to hide their activities.
To make sure that organizations and individuals take responsibility for their negative or misleading political advertising, the legislation also includes “stand-by-your-ad” disclaimer requirements that require any organization that puts a political ad on TV or radio to list its top funders in the ads. The head of the organization also must appear in the ad and state that he or she approves the message, just as candidates must do now.
The other cosponsors of the legislation are Senators Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Mark Begich (D-AK), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bob Casey (D-PA), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tom Harkin (D-IA), John Kerry (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Carl Levin (D-MI), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Mark Udall (D-CO), Jim Webb (D-VA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR)
