Issue One CEO Nick Penniman says it’s “time to shine a light on secret spending” on 15th anniversary of Citizens United

Issue One released the following statement today from Founder and CEO Nick Penniman, as the nation marks the 15th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United decision, which unleashed a torrent of dark money in politics:

“The Citizens United decision showed a stunning lack of foresight by the justices. By opening the floodgates for corporate and dark money to pour into our politics, the Supreme Court created a system where wealthy special interests drown out the voices of everyday Americans. When big money dictates the terms of political campaigns and policy debates, the vision of ‘we, the people’ slips further out of reach. People across the political spectrum — Democrats, Republicans, and independents — are fed up with big money’s outsized influence in our government. It’s time to shine a light on secret spending and build a democracy that truly serves all Americans, not just the privileged few.”

Background:

Looking for tips to follow the dark money in elections? Bookmark these resources:

• Issue One Research Director Michael Beckel recently co-produced this robust tipsheet with tricks for uncovering secretive donors to dark money groups, building on the methods used in Issue One’s “Dark Money Illuminated” investigation, which included a database of known donors to the largest dark money groups in the first several elections in the aftermath of Citizens United.
• Issue One’s “Mystery Money” report highlighted how foreign money could potentially flow into super PACs through secretive shell companies and included a tipsheet for investigating mysterious LLCs.
• Issue One also produced a cheatsheet of six questions to ask when it appears that big-money outside groups may be flouting anti-corruption laws designed to prevent them from coordinating with candidates.