Republican Members of Election Commission Block Disclosure of Campaign Donors
Monday, December 19, 2011
Caroline Hunter, 2012 Republican chair of the FEC
Big-money interests will not have to reveal their identity when spending on political advertisements during next year’s election, thanks to Republicans on the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
Democrats on the FEC pushed for new rules requiring full disclosure of funders for political ads. But the commission’s three GOP members voted against the plan, leaving a 3-3 tie and making it as good as dead.
Supporters of the new regulations argued that it is necessary to create more transparency since the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision allowed corporations, unions and other special interests to spend more on campaign ads.
For example, seven corporations during the 2010 elections spent $46.7 million in independent expenditures without revealing who they were.
Republicans voted against the change because, they insisted, the FEC doesn’t have the authority to alter disclosure rules.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
FEC Quashes New Disclosure Rules (by Robin Bravender, Politico)
FEC Won’t Require Groups Airing Political Ads to Disclose Donors (by Jonathan Salant, Bloomberg)
Republican Senate Minority Blocks Corporate Campaign Finance Disclosure Bill (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
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