November 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.
“Dark money” groups that accept contributions from corporations, but are not required to publicly identify their corporate donors, spent millions of dollars during the 2012 elections. It is a scandal that money from publicly traded corporations – which belongs to investors – can be secretly spent to distort our democracy.
I AM NOT JUST RUBBER-STAMPING ANY AGENDA THAT IS BEING PUT IN FRONT OF ME (THAT WOULD MAKE ME A CONSERVATIVE) AND I AM NOT JUST KNEE-JERK REACTING TO THINGS THAT SOUND GOOD. AS A US CITIZEN WHO VOTES CONERVATIVE TO STOP LIBERAL EXCESSES AND WHO VOTES LIBERAL TO STOP CONSERVATIVE EXCESSES, I PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE ISSUES THAT I BELIEVE STRENGTHENS AND SUPPORTS AMERICAN IDEALS AND THOSE ISSUES THAT I BELIEVE WILL ONE DAY DESTROY AMERICA AND HER IDEALS.
AND THIS UNDISCLOSED CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION ISSUE IS ONE THAT CAN DESTROY IT, IF YOU DON'T ACT AND ACT NOW, THIS MONTH, THIS YEAR AT THE LATEST.
BESIDES, IF THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING WRONG AND SIMPLY PURSUING THEIR OWN BELIEFS, WHAT HAVE THEY GOT TO BE ASHAMED OF? ONLY AN UNETHICAL, PROBABLY ILLEGAL POWER-GRAB NEEDS SECRECY. UPRIGHT AND MORAL BEHAVIOR FOR THE GOOD OF THE NATION AND ITS PEOPLE DOES NOT NEED TO HIDE BEHIND "SHADOW" ORGANIZATIONS.
STOP THE WRONG PEOPLE FROM DOING THE WRONG THING. ENCOURAGE THEIR REHABILITATION BY MAKING THEM DO EVERYTHING OUT IN THE OPEN. YOU WILL BE DOING NOT ONLY YOUR COUNTRY, BUT THESE POOR MISGUIDED SOULS A GREAT SERVICE.
The Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission created the loophole that enables this secret spending, but the SEC has the authority to close it.
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.
Rick Nixon
McCloud, CA