January 18, 2012
I am deeply concerned about the influence of corporate money on our electoral process.
In particular, I am appalled that, because of the Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, publicly traded corporations can spend investor's money on political activity in secret.
I am writing to urge the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue a rule requiring publicly traded corporations to publicly disclose all their direct and indirect political spending of any type and amount. This includes but is not limited to direct and indirect campaign contributions, lobbyists, advertising, PACs, gifts, and any other direct or indirect spending to influence the opinions of the public and elected officials.
Both shareholders and the public must be fully informed as to how much the corporation spends 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.
Peter Marcoe
Lacey, WA