D.C. ballot initiative would ban corporate contributions to political campaigns

The Raw Story
July 9, 2012

D.C. ballot initiative would ban corporate contributions to political campaigns
Somebody help me understand this.

Which law (or lack of) are they trying to focus on ?

SuperPacs ??

The group D.C. Trust on Monday submitted more than 30,000 signatures to the D.C. Board of Elections in support of a ballot initiative seeking to prohibit corporations from making direct campaign donations to political candidates.

“D.C. residents want to see Initiative 70 on the ballot,” said Bryan Weaver, who filed the initiative with the Board of Elections earlier this year. “Our volunteers have gotten a tremendous response from residents across the city. It’s clear that D.C. residents are fed up with the pay-to-play culture in the Wilson Building and are tired of waiting for our elected officials to do the right thing.”

Federal law has banned corporations from making campaign donations directly to federal candidates since the Tillman Act of 1907. Though the Supreme Court struck down a ban on corporate independent expenditures in its controversial 2010 Citizens United decision, it left the ban on direct campaign contributions intact.

In addition, 21 states prohibit corporations from making direct campaign donations to candidates.

I think this would affect super pacs. Though it seems like a waste after the supreme courting striking down a similiar law in Montana a few weeks ago.

I see no reasons for a corperation to be donating money to campaigns, it's nothing more than corruption. If the corperation has that much extra cash give it to the shareholders, wich is where it should go in the first place.

reply to post by lokdog


the shareholders are the government...

Originally posted by xuenchen

Federal law has banned corporations from making campaign donations directly to federal candidates since the Tillman Act of 1907.

You missed the word Federal. At the state level, or DC, it varies. This petition is DC specific for local pols.