October, 21 2014, 01:30pm EDT
New Report: Outside Spending, Dark Money Playing Record Role in Battle for Senate Majority
Outside spending is playing an unprecedentedly large role in the nine races most likely to determine which party controls the U.S. Senate, according to a new report released today by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. A record amount of this money comes from "dark money" groups that conceal their donors and single-candidate groups, two new trends made possible by weak regulation and decisions like Citizens United.
NEW YORK
Outside spending is playing an unprecedentedly large role in the nine races most likely to determine which party controls the U.S. Senate, according to a new report released today by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. A record amount of this money comes from "dark money" groups that conceal their donors and single-candidate groups, two new trends made possible by weak regulation and decisions like Citizens United.
The report, Election Spending 2014: 9 Toss-Up Senate Races, found several important new trends pointing to the evolving and expanding role of big money in American elections, including:
- New highs in total outside spending. It is highly likely that all races but Louisiana's will match or exceed the previous record high for spending in a Senate race. Less than half the expenditures so far have come from candidates themselves.
- A precipitous rise in dark money groups, which have accounted for 56 percent of all nonparty outside spending. Pro-Republican outside spending is far more likely to be undisclosed (80 percent) than pro-Democrat spending (32 percent).
- A similar rise in single-candidate groups, which were active in all nine states and accounted for high percentages of spending in Alaska, Kentucky, and Georgia -- again, this spending favors Republican candidates by more than 2-to-1.
- The report also provides policy recommendations to close loopholes that allow the rising power of dark money spending and outside groups, including passing the DISCLOSE Act of 2014, new IRS and SEC rules on political activity by nonprofits and corporations, and more.
"Outside spending of all kinds is at record levels ahead of the 2014 election," said report author Ian Vandewalker. "Most glaringly, weak campaign finance laws and Supreme Court decisions like Citizens United have made possible new means of pumping money into elections while avoiding regulation or scrutiny. These tactics are gradually becoming the national norm, and give wealthy spenders more power than ever to buy influence over our political process and elected officials."
The Brennan Center for Justice is a nonpartisan law and policy institute. We strive to uphold the values of democracy. We stand for equal justice and the rule of law. We work to craft and advance reforms that will make American democracy work, for all.
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"My friends, you don’t have to be a PhD in political science to understand that this is not democracy. This is not one person, one vote. This is not all of us coming together to decide our future. This is oligarchy."
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Bernie Sanders talks about the oligarchy
While rarely discussed in the corporate press or by most elected officials, argues Sanders, the reality is that a "small number of incredibly wealthy billionaires own and control much of the global economy. Period. End of discussion. And increasingly they own and control our government through a corrupt campaign finance system."
Since the the victory of President-elect Donald Trump in November, Sanders has been increasingly outspoken about his frustrations over the failure of the Democratic Party to adequately confront the contradictions presented by a party that purports to represent the interests of the working class yet remains so beholden to corporate interests and the wealthy that lavish it with campaign contributions.
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According to the newspaper:
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Sandy Fonzo, whose son killed himself after being sentenced to juvenile detention, said in a statement: "I am shocked and I am hurt. Conahan's actions destroyed families, including mine, and my son's death is a tragic reminder of the consequences of his abuse of power."
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