Trump's Donor Rewards Renew Call to Overturn Citizens United
- by: Susan V
- recipient: US Congress
A Center for Public Integrity analysis of new campaign finance disclosures shows that top positions in Trump's upcoming administration appear to be literally bought by super wealthy Americans who donated $millions via super PACS.
As CPI put it, Trump is “rewarding some of his biggest campaign bankrollers with unparalleled access, influence, prestige and power…."
For example, Linda McMahon, tapped to lead the country’s Small Business Administration, donated 6.2 million. Six-figure contributors, Betsy DeVos, Ben Carson and Andy Puzder have been nominated as education secretary, housing and urban development secretary and labor secretary, respectively. Investor Peter Thiel, who gave $1 mllion via the pro-Trump super PAC, “Make America Number 1” is now on the executive council of Trump’s transitional team. The list goes on and is expected to grow.
CPI explains that all candidates are prohibited from raising more than $5400 per individual donor. However, the US Supreme Court’s 2010 decision on Citizens United puts no limit on the amounts super PACs can accept.
Now more than ever we need to heed Bernie Sander's call for a repeal of Citizens United so that, as Sander's puts it, "our leaders are not beholden to wealthy donors but to all the American people." During her campaign Hillary Clinton also vowed to call for this action and to appoint Supreme Court justices that would support it.
But this can’t wait until the next Democratic president holds office. Sign this petition to demand Congress take immediate action to introduce and pass legislation to overturn Citizen’s United.
To Members of Congress:
It should be painfully obvious by now that, because of Citizens Unitied, we live in a country where money, not the majority rules.
To quote Bernie Sanders in his on-going call for the repeal of Citizen's United:
Our vision for American democracy should be a nation in which all people, regardless of their income, can participate in the political process, can run for office without begging for contributions from the wealthy and the powerful.
Our vision for the future of this country should be one in which candidates are not telling billionaires at special forums what they can do for them.
Our vision for democracy should be one in which candidates are speaking to the vast majority of our people – working people, the middle class, low-income people, the elderly, the children, the sick, and the poor – and discussing with them their ideas as to how we can improve lives for all of the people in this country
I, the undersigned and others who support this petition, agree with Sanders that we "need to get big money out of politics" and restore our democracy. Therefore we demand an amendment to overturn Citizens United! Now!
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