What Citizens United (et al) Wrought: The Shadow Money Explosion
The second court decision, in Van Hollen v. FEC earlier this year, requires nonprofits that make electioneering communications to disclose donors of $1,000 or more. In response to that decision from the U.S. District Court, many groups that otherwise might have made electioneering communications chose to make independent expenditures instead. A notable example: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Before this year, the Chamber had never made an independent expenditure, despite spending tens of millions on ads in 2010. After Van Hollen, the organization's president, Thomas Donohue, said the Chamber would "have a vigorous, unchanged election program." Since then, the Chamber has made only independent expenditures, totaling nearly $8 million. (Note: Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals overturned the lower court's decision in the Van Hollen case; the implication for spending on electioneering communications for the rest of this cycle is uncertain). [Open Secrets]
Appeals court overturns political donor disclosure ruling More...
