Campaign Finance

“Gyrocopter” Pilot Honored With Commemorative Stamp

May 23, 2015 House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, www.oversight.house-gov.us Resist! Campaign Finance, Corruption, Postal Service

Today the House Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, US Postal Service & The Census, in partnership with the United States Postal Service, announced the release of a new commemorative stamp honoring Florida postal worker Doug Hughes, whose recent actions have brought unprecedented attention to the corrosive influence of money in our political system. Rep. Blake Farenthold (TX-27), Chair of the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service & the Census, issued the following statement. The commemorative stamp was unveiled this morning at the National Postal Museum in Washington, DC, by Deputy Postmaster Kirk Reiland. The stamp features a portrait of Hughes, as well as a rendering of his one-man gyrocopter, a small anachronistic helicopter favored by hobbyists, with the accompanying text: "Doug Hughes' Historic Flight Against Corruption." The stamp design was donated by retired Maryland postal worker and painter, Thomas P. Conrad, a fellow gyrocopter enthusiast.

The FEC Is A Failed Agency

May 6, 2015 D.S. Wright, www.firedoglake.com Educate! Campaign Finance, Corruption, Elections, FEC

It’s official, the FEC is a failed government agency. That view, long held by observers of American elections, has now been openly confirmed by the leader of the agency itself. FEC Chairwoman Ann Ravel told the New York Times that the FEC is unable to substantively enforce election laws which means the agency is effectively worthless. This situation is mostly be design, the FEC is split 3-3 between Republicans and Democrats and neither side has an interest in regulating money in politics generally, nor their particular constituencies especially. Throw in new court rulings such as Citizens United and it becomes less clear what the laws the FEC is charged with enforcing even mean. That dynamic ensures regulatory failure, something the current FEC chairwoman appears to know all too well.

We The People Amendment (HJR48) Introduced In 114th Congress

May 1, 2015 Move To Amend, www.movetoamend.org Create! Campaign Finance, Constitution, Corporate Personhood, Law

The movement for constitutional reforms that would end what organizers call “corporate rule” has arrived in the chambers of Congress. This morning, members of the U.S. House of Representatives joined Move to Amend by announcing their sponsorship of the “We the People Amendment” (House Joint Resolution 48), which clearly and unequivocally states that: Rights recognized under the Constitution belong to human beings only, and not to government-created artificial legal entities such as corporations and limited liability companies; and Political campaign spending is not a form of speech protected under the First Amendment. Leesa "George" Friday, a spokesperson for Move to Amend, agreed, saying: "Today, members of Congress join a movement that insists on the fundamental equality of all Americans, and that rejects the idea that the corporate class should have special protections against We the People.”

Former Rep. Schwartz’s The Better Medicare Alliance Misleading

April 28, 2015 Wendell Potter, www.publicintegrity.org Educate! Campaign Finance, Corruption, Health Care

The health insurance industry took advantage of Washington’s infamous revolving door last week when it named former Rep. Allyson Schwartz of Pennsylvania, perceived by many to be a liberal Democrat, as the face of its latest K Street-operated front group. Schwartz, a former five-term member of Congress who made an unsuccessful bid for Pennsylvania governor last year, announced in an email blast Tuesday that she had found work again, not back home but back inside the Beltway. “Today I will begin as President and CEO of the Better Medicare Alliance,” she told her “friends and supporters.” The Better Medicare Alliance is a so-called 501(c)(3) nonprofit that appears to have been created with funding from insurance companies by APCO Worldwide, a Washington influence firm with a long history of running front groups for its clients.

Corporations Spend Billions, Get Trillions, From Congress

April 10, 2015 Bill Allison and Sarah Harkins, www.occupy.com Educate! Campaign Finance, Corporatism, Corruption

We focused on the records of 200 for-profit corporations, all of which had active political action committees and lobbyists in the 2008, 2010 and 2012 election cycles — and were among the top donors to campaign committees registered with the Federal Election Commission. Their investment in politics was enormous. There were 20,500 paid lobbying clients over the six years we examined; the 200 companies we tracked accounted for a whopping 26 percent of the total spent. On average, their PACs, employees and their family members made campaign contributions to 144 sitting members of Congress each cycle. After examining 14 million records, including data on campaign contributions, lobbying expenditures, federal budget allocations and spending, we found that, on average, for every dollar spent on influencing politics, the nation’s most politically active corporations received $760 from the government.

One Cat, McCutcheon, Reverend Billy And Ted Cruz

April 4, 2015 Occupy, www.occupy.com Educate! Campaign Finance, Elections, Politics

In this week’s episode of Act Out! Eleanor asks you to focus on just one cat. Get ready to celebrate a big one year anniversary with tweets, trinkets and various online tools to #GetMoneyOut. And we get a hefty dose of the good, bad and the ugly starting off with an interview with Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir director, Savitri D. Moving on to the bad and the ugly, Eleanor dissects why Ted Cruz is the American (or Canadian) psycho and what we can do to stop him. We end on a high note with some inspiring words and music on the #QuoteOfTheDay segment!

Why I Disrupted SCOTUS, Risked 150 Day Imprisonment

February 16, 2015 Curt Ries, www.truth-out.org Resist! Campaign Finance, Corporate Personhood, Law, SCOTUS

As I sat quietly in the back corner of the lofty courtroom, attempting to casually observe the ornate sculptures that rimmed the chamber's high ceilings, I fingered the little scrap of yellow paper folded in my pocket. My lifeline. I moved my hand as naturally as possible to rest on my lap. I glanced at the two security personnel stationed in the central aisle, not letting my gaze rest on either for longer than what I hoped would be perceived as benign curiosity. They looked like secret service agents: white, 40ish, dressed in black suits and equipped with transparent coiled ear pieces. I focused on physical sensations, how it felt to breathe and sit and wait. It was just after 10 am when the Supreme Court justices entered the chamber through a door behind the bench and were introduced with various ecclesiastical slogans, ending with "God save the United States and this honorable court!" Our cue.

Koch Bros Vow Nearly $1 Billion For 2016 Elections

January 28, 2015 Deirdre Fulton, www.commondreams.com Educate! Campaign Finance, Corruption, Republican Party

The political network backed by right-wing billionaires Charles and David Koch plans to spend close to $900 million on the 2016 campaigns, a stunning amount on par with both the major political parties, the Washington Post reported Monday. According to the Post, "[t]he new $889 million goal reflects the anticipated budgets of all the allied groups that the network funds. Those resources will go into field operations, new data-driven technology and policy work, among other projects, along with likely media campaigns aimed at shaping the congressional and White House elections." The Koch Brothers announced the historic budget to donors attending the annual winter meeting of Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce in Palm Springs, California.

Corporate Criminal Dollars Should Be Out Of Politics

January 27, 2015 Corporate Crime Reporter, www.corporatecrimereporter.com Strategize! Campaign Finance, Capitalism, Corruption

Some citizen activists want to get money out of politics. Congressman Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota) wants to take a baby step — get corporate crime money out of politics. Ellison has introduced legislation — the Protect Democracy from Criminal Corporations Act — that would limit campaign expenditures by corporations that break the law. “Five years ago today, the Supreme Court decided corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money to influence elections,” Ellison said. “Some of the resulting $700 million raised by SuperPACs in 2014 came from companies that conspired to defraud the federal government or committed other felonies involving dishonesty or a breach of trust."

Nationwide Actions Mark Fifth Anniversary Of Citizens United

January 21, 2015 Eleanor Goldfield, www.occupy.com Organize! Campaign Finance, Democracy, Law, Politics

The corporate money machine has been snaking its way through our government for much longer than five years. However, this Wednesday marks the fifth anniversary of the moment when that snake went from insidious slithering to a boa constrictor-like tightening on our feeble and fragile democracy. Five years ago, the Supreme Court's ruling in the case of Citizens United v. the Federal Elections Commission allowed corporations and unions the right to spend as much money as they want to influence elections. It gave rise to dark money spending and Super PACs where donors remain hidden from public view while funneling millions of dollars into state and federal elections.

8 Reports: Money Dominates Elections & Government Agenda

January 15, 2015 Deirdre Fulton, www.commondreams.org Educate! Campaign Finance, Democracy

Five years after the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision helped unleash unprecedented amounts of outside spending in U.S. elections, a coalition of major pro-democracy groups came together for the first time on Wednesday to release eight separate reports examining outsized corporate influence, the proliferation of dark money, and the corrupting role of money in politics. "There’s no denying it," the clean elections group Public Campaign declared. "Big money in elections is getting bigger and the increased cost of elections is fueled by a shrinking handful of America’s wealthiest individuals." Citizens United and other recent court decisions have "opened the floodgates to big money influence in our democracy, giving special interests and the wealthy more control over our government and economy than they’ve enjoyed since the Gilded Age of the late 19th century," reads the report (pdf) from Boston-based Common Cause.

Illinois Inauguration Raises Questions Of Corporate Influence

January 12, 2015 Mark Guarino, www.reuters.com Educate! Campaign Finance, Corporatism, Corruption, Illionois

Incoming Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner campaigned as a reformer of the state's often corrupt politics. But watchdog groups say activities surrounding his inauguration Monday are among the priciest of any incoming governor and take advantage of a loophole in campaign finance that allows wealthy special interests to gain access to those who hold political power. These groups say Rauner's inauguration festival -with a total tab estimated to reach $10 million - is emblematic of a trend in other states. The costly celebrations, funded by private donors, skirt ethics laws and open conflicts of interest for elected officials, the critics say.

The New Hampshire Rebellion To Get Money Out Of Politics

January 10, 2015 Eleanor Goldfield, www.occupy.com Resist! Campaign Finance, Protest

This Sunday, Jan. 11, the Rebellion sets out on another march, leaving from all four corners of the Granite State, to raise further awareness and recruit growing numbers of people to demand that all presidential candidates campaigning in the state answer the question: “How are you going to end the system of corruption in Washington DC?” “This is the issue that leads to all other issues,” says Jeff McLean, director of the New Hampshire Rebellion. “There's recognition across the spectrum that sensible reforms are not being implemented because of this issue.” Indeed, the Rebellion is a full-spectrum revolt against money in politics. As Lawrence Lessig, the Harvard Law professor, campaign finance reformer and founder of the group, says: “It's not left vs. right, it's insiders vs. outsiders.”

Sneak Attack? Congress Slips Controversial Measures Into Spending Bill

December 11, 2014 Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Carrie Dann, www.nbcnews.com Educate! Campaign Finance, Law, Marijuana

As the political world was busy flipping through the pages of the graphic and headline-grabbing Senate Intelligence Committee report on Bush Era torture practices, Congress snuck in two measures to its must-pass spending bill -- all without formal debate. The first was a rider that essentially overturns the District of Columbia's ballot initiative legalizing marijuana, which passed by a more than 2-to-1 margin last month. (Remember, D.C. doesn't even have elected House or Senate members.) The second measure Congress snuck into the spending the bill will be more galling to some, because it amounts to a pay raise for the two unpopular political parties.

81-Year-Old Completes 400-Mile Trek For Campaign Finance Reform

December 4, 2014 Lauren McCauley, www.commondreams.com Resist! Campaign Finance

Honoring the legacy of the late campaign finance reform crusader known as Granny D, 81-year-old Rhana Bazzini on Wednesday completed an over 400-mile trek from Sarasota to the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee in a crusade calling for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. "There seems to be general agreement that money has corrupted our system," said Bazzini. "I’m walking to call attention to the propositions that 1) Money is not free speech and 2) Corporations are not people." Supporters joined Bazzini throughout the walk and dozens of others marked her arrival with a rally on the Capitol steps, during which law professor and political activist Lawrence Lessig spoke. The widow and cancer survivor's walk began on October 13, months after the passing of her spouse of 56 years. "With a lot of time on my hands and being in good health, I decided I wanted to do something to make the world a better place before I 'bought the farm,'" Bazzini said.

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