JBeukema
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Presidential Order on Campaign Donations Could Counter Citizens United » paWhile the American political process has always allowed legalized bribery, it was the disclosure rules that provided a modicum of transparency. It allowed fact-checkers and watch-dogs the opportunity scrutinize the financial backers of a campaign and make public those facts. Disclosure gave the ordinary voter some power to know the special class interests behind a candidate, a bill, or an issue.
The Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United has all but eliminated that small counter-balance to big money in politics.
To remedy the problem, President Obama has circulated a draft Executive Order which builds on existing federal laws restricting political contributions by companies that get federal government contracts.
The draft EO states "every contracting department and agency shall require all entities submitting offers for federal contracts to disclose certain political contributions and expenditures that they have made within the two years prior to submission of their offer." The EO would specifically cover those kinds of disclosures the Supreme Court struck down. The disclosures would then be made available to the public.