Boothbay Register: Dark money vs. Super PACs

Dear Editor:

Maine’s 1996 Clean Election law includes donor transparency. We were the first state with a public funding method for regulating money in elections. Today, 13 states provide some form of public financing options for campaigns: Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Vermont.

Maine has a proud history of bi-partisan participation with 70 percent of 2012 legislators running with Clean Elections (CE). “Super PACs” and “dark money” were on the horizon, but not fully operating with Citizens United impunity. Recently super PACs have been found to be stretching rules that prohibit coordination with political (presidential) campaigns. In part this is happening because the GOP commissioners blocked attempts to write rules to limit super PACs and in part because of revolving doors between close friends and staffers. The required amendment of Maine’s Clean Elections law will shed light on who is buying candidates, as large donor identities will be required.

Disclosure of “dark money” will also be sought. Dark money hides in 501c-4s “social welfare” firms — since the 1960s Crossroads GPS and Americans for Prosperity among them. What is ironic is that corporations who hide donors in this social welfare structure are also referring to those who regulate fairness and funding of CE candidates as favoring “political welfare.” One hundred years ago, “welfare” meant health and wellness of a particular group of people — NAACP, Blue Cross/Blue Shield. 501c-4s were established to protect and improve a socially disenfranchised group of people — not to protect wealthy citizens. Campaign-funding laws existed to protect the political system from oligarchy and avoid legalizing campaign bribery of politicians. Transparency of large money donors is critical in keeping our representative-democracy healthy. For the CE candidate, the rules prevent their use of other sources of funds not stipulated in the law. Voters and CE candidates appreciate the ethics of the law.

If you want Maine to remain leader of protecting the integrity of Clean Elections, then Question 1 is a yes.

Jarryl Larson

Edgecomb

https://www.boothbayregister.com/article/question-1-dark-money-vs-super-pacs/60382