Congress, Oppose Koch-Backed Dark Money Bill
- by: Susan V
- recipient: US Congress, United States
According to the Center for Public Integrity, the source of most campaign money raised by politicians and political groups, including super PACs, is publicly disclosed. But then there’s the “dark money,” raised by politically active nonprofits who don’t have to publicly disclose donation sources.
The Koch Brothers, who fund what is considered “the largest and most complex network of dark money groups,” aren’t satisfied with with current donor privacy protections. They’ve backed a bill just passed by US House Ways and Means Committee that would eliminate even the IRS’s non-public disclosure requirement.
According to a statement made by its chairman, the Koch-run "social welfare" group Freedom Partners is spinning its support of the new bill as “an important first step toward reaffirming Americans’ right to free speech while protecting them from threats and intimidation because of their personal beliefs.” But what about the American public’s right to know the names and agendas of people and organizations that are putting our representatives in office?
A Huffington Post report says groups opposing the bill voice other serious concerns - that it would "open the door wide for secret, unaccountable money from foreign governments, foreign corporations and foreign individuals to be illegally laundered into federal elections through 501(c)(4) groups."
Help make our elections free of unaccountable influence. Sign this petition to urge Congress to oppose the Koch-backed Dark Money Bill!
To Members of Congress:
As a US citizen concerned about the a bill that would further restrict Americans' right to know who is paying for political campaigns, I am writing to ask you to oppose the so-called Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act.
[Your Comments]
This bill, which its sponsor, Rep Roskam, claims protects charities from having to waste time and resources “on unnecessary documentation and tax administration rather than focusing on their charitable missions,” would extend donation secrecy to groups like Freedom Partners that reportedly “had the ninth-highest revenues among all U.S. trade associations which filed tax returns“ in 2012, “more than "established heavyweights" such as the American Petroleum Institute, PhRMA, and U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
And, according to Opposing Views, Michigan Rep. Sandy Levin says “’It is no secret as to why they are working to keep donors a secret,'” adding “that three Republican-funding non-profit groups made up 51 percent of the campaign financing in the 2012 elections.”
I agree with comments made to Opposing Views by Democracy 21’s Fred Wertheimer who believes the bill will influence “American politics without accountability” and make what is already a "major campaign-finance problem…worse."
Therefore, I, the undersigned strongly urge Congress to oppose the Koch-backed dark money bill, which is falsely parading as a protector of free speech.
[Your Name]
By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.
Having problems signing this? Let us know.