FEC Disclosure Loophole Closes On Secret Donors As Court Won't Stay Ruling
WASHINGTON -- A court ruling requiring non-disclosing political groups -- including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity -- to disclose their donors is one step closer to going into effect after a district court refused to stay its ruling in the face of an appeal.
On March 30, a district court ruled in Van Hollen v. Federal Election Commission (FEC) that a loophole in FEC rules that allowed certain independent group campaign efforts to keep private the names of donors was invalid and needed to be rewritten or reset to the original language.
On Friday, the court not only refused to stay the ruling, as requested by two intervening groups that are appealing the case, the Center for Individual Freedom and the Hispanic Leadership Fund, but the court also found that its ruling invalidated the FEC loophole, which required it to be immediately closed, resetting to the original language in the McCain-Feingold campaign reform law, known officially as the Bi-Partisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA).
District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson wrote, "Prior to the promulgation of the regulation that was struck down, there was a valid regulation in effect implementing the BCRA's disclosure requirement. ... In light of the Court's ruling, that regulation now governs the disclosures required under the BCRA."
That language in the McCain-Feingold law required groups spending money on electioneering communications -- certain campaign ads running 30 days before a primary election and 60 days before a general election-- to disclose all donors giving $1,000 or more.
At least that ruling shouldn't affect the Koch Brothers other donations...
To be sure, the Kochs have given "more than a hundred million dollars to right wing causes" (which is their right, by the way). But in the last decade, it's also worth noting the Kochs have given more than $600 million in pledged or donated money to arts, education, and medical research, including (but not limited to):
New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell: $15 million
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center: $25 million
The Hospital for Special Surgery: $26 million
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: $30 million
Prostate Cancer Foundation: $41 million
Deerfield Academy: $68 million
Lincoln Center's NY State Theater: $100 million
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: $139 million
Here we have civic-minded business leaders engaging in their right to participate in the political process -- and also donating large amounts of wealth to philanthropic causes.
Yes... I noticed the part about: "Disclosure: Matt Lewis has previously spoken for Americans for Prosperity, an organization founded by David Koch."
So, you buy those numbers because Matt Lewis (who has previously spoken for Americans for Prosperity, an organization founded by David Koch) said so?
OK. In the meantime, I don't see what that has to do with the full-disclose of the donors of the Koch-backed attack groups... It will be interesting to see who runs for cover when the rock is lifted.
Yes, I'd tend to believe the author because he disclosed that he previously spoke for (whatever that means) an organization founded by a Koch (is that a big deal?) and his stated facts should not be difficult to verify. I just don't see a motive for him to make it all up.
Here is a larger list of donations (both political and philanthrophic) from the Koch's from Sourcewatch which is a more liberal organization...
More disclosure is always good, but I doubt it is going to change anything except give more ammo to any political junkies and pundits who actually pay any attention to this stuff. The money flow will continue. Yawn. :Snooze
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Republicans are red, democrats are blue, neither of them, gives a flip about you.
LadyJazzer wrote:
And in the meantime, it will still be interesting to see who runs for cover when the rock is lifted.
Have to agree it should be interesting on both sides. Doubt it will stop anyone from contributing.
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"The problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." attributed to Margaret Thatcher
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