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Solutions 101: What is Disclosure?
Disclosure is the foundation of campaign finance regulation. Being able to follow the money in our elections allows the public to hold those who give it and spend it responsible.…
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Flickr / Pictures of Money
It’s good to be in Congress. According to a new report released today, more than 240 organizations spent nearly $20 million honoring federal officials and the organizations close to them last year.
The Hill analyzed Senate disclosure records and looked at gifts by unions, universities, corporations and other groups. Beyond the money, they also highlighted loopholes in the Congressional gift ban and limits on campaign contributions.
A few highlights from the investigation:
Perhaps most interesting in the report are the number of sources and compliance lawyers that said “confusion does exist” about which expenses should be disclosed, and also that there is “no real enforcement” to ensure proper reporting.
In short: this is only part of the picture.
Troubling news like this is why we support holding everyone accountable, including candidates, public officials and organizations across the political and ideological spectrum. It’s also why we support full transparency and real-time disclosure of contributions, and putting in place common-sense rules to combat conflicts of interest.
Read the report in full in The Hill.
Issue: Ethics &
Accountability
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Disclosure is the foundation of campaign finance regulation. Being able to follow the money in our elections allows the public to hold those who give it and spend it responsible.…
Archived
The presumed frontrunner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination had raised millions of dollars, traveled around the country, and given speech after speech about the future of the nation, all before…
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Some good news out of Alabama, where state legislators have recognized that without well-defined regulations and clear enforcement mechanisms, it is impossible to monitor the flow of money into and out…