January 8, 2013
I am writing to urge the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue a rule requiring publicly traded corporations to publicly disclose all their political spending – and to do so this year.
I am a stockholder in many corporations and an employee of one of them. In neither capacity can I learn anything about the political lobbying and contributions that are done in my name and presumably on my behalf.
There is a failure in corporate governance if the stockholders are not told what the corporation is doing. I do not understand why such behavior is not already prosecuted as criminal.
Both shareholders and the public must be fully informed as to how much corporations spend on politics and which candidates are being promoted or attacked. Disclosures should be posted promptly on the SEC’s web site.
Thank you for considering my comment.
Robert Cruder
Elizabeth, CO