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.
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.
I would really like to know if the people I do business with are actively trying to sabotage the country, are at extreme odds to my value system and what type of community member they are. If they support policy that will take the food out of the mouths of children, or support right to work legislation or voter suppression legislation I want to know that.
The only way the American public can deal with bad players is to not do business with them. The problem we have is many are cowardly and hide behind their dark money to promote their profit at all and any cost mentality. I want to know who those companies are so that I can consciencely choose to not do business with them.
Thank you for considering my comment.
Mary Robblee
Captain Cook, HI