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May 04, 2011

CREW Urges President Obama to Issue Executive Order on Campaign Spending Disclosure

By CREW Staff

Campaign Finance Reform, The White House, President Barack Obama

Today CREW joined more than 30 good government and public interest groups sending a letter to President Obama urging him to issue his executive order that would require full disclosure of campaign spending and contributions by business entities that seek federal government contracts.

The proposed executive order attacks the perception and reality of such “pay-to-play” schemes by shining a light on political spending by contractors. Each year government contractors spend large sums of money to influence members of Congress, and in return, are rewarded with billions of dollars in federal contracts.

Like we’ve always said, Americans have a right to know whether contracts are being awarded based on merit rather than campaign money. Our letter today comes at a critical moment, given the vociferous and scurrilous attacks by opponents of transparency. Critics of the administration’s proposed executive order are resorting to fear tactics, describing the plan as chilling speech, an effort to protect incumbents and even claiming it is unconstitutional.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Even the disastrous Citizens United decision lauded the virtues of disclosure and transparency in campaign spending when the Court wrote,

“Shareholders can determine whether their corporation’s political speech advances the corporation’s interest in making profits, and citizens can see whether elected officials are ‘in the pocket’ of so-called moneyed interests.”

CREW whole-heartedly agrees. This isn’t a panacea to our nation’s present campaign finance woes, but it is a step in the right direction. Join us in urging President Obama to move forward with this important initiative.