Democratic Senators Want Super PAC Crackdown
Feb 22, 2012
Senate Democrats are calling on the Federal Election Commission to crack down on super PACs, arguing that voters deserve more information about who is funding independent political advertisements.
Eleven Democrats on Tuesday sent a letter to FEC Chairwoman Caroline Hunter, urging the commission to enact broad disclosure and disclaimer rules in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision that struck down limits on corporate and union contributions to the outside groups.
The letter comes a day after super PACs reported hauling in tens of millions of dollars in January alone, with much of that cash raised by groups that support GOP presidential candidates and conservative causes.
“While the First Amendment guarantees the right of free speech, we must be sure that the corporate structure does not obscure the speaker,” the senators wrote. “This is why we believe that the identity of individual contributors should also be disclosed when they make substantial donations to organizations financing independent expenditures.”