Groups to Deliver One Million Signatures Urging President Obama to Curb Secret Money

Media Releases

Momentum Grows for Executive Order Requiring Federal Contractors to Disclose Political Spending

U.S. PIRG

WHAT: Delivery of one million signatures calling on President Barack Obama to curb money in elections by issuing an executive order requiring federal contractors to disclose details of their political spending.

Representatives from a broad coalition of organizations on Wednesday will deliver to the front of the White House 10 large bags filled with papers representing the million signatures. The signatures were collected by a broad coalition of 59 organizations.

Because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, corporations can secretly spend hundreds of millions on elections. Less than a third (PDF) of the 15 largest publicly traded federal contractors fully disclose the details of their contributions to nonprofit groups and trade associations – contributions that could be used for electioneering expenditures.

An executive order requiring federal contractors to disclose their political spending would make a sizeable difference in fighting dark money. The proposed executive order would ensure that at least 70 percent of the Fortune 100 companies disclose their political spending.

As the sixth anniversary of the Citizens United decision rapidly approaches, momentum for an executive order curbing political spending has gained significant traction. In April, a coalition of groups rallied outside the White House and presented more than 500,000 petition signatures. In November, the coalition delivered more than 851,000 signatures to Obama.

VISUAL: Ten large bags filled with papers representing the million signatures and decorated with logos of the participating organizations. The papers will be dumped on a desk at which a full-sized cardboard cutout of Obama will be placed. Large banners calling for an end to dark money also will be displayed, as will a sign indicating how much time has passed with no action from Obama on political spending.

WHEN: 12 p.m. EST Wednesday, Dec. 16

WHERE: In front of the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.

WHO: A coalition of organizations:

The groups that collected signatures include U.S. PIRG, ActivUs, American Family Voices, Ben & Jerry’s, Brennan Center, California Clean Money Campaign, Campaign for American’s Future, Center for Effective Government, Center for Popular Democracy, Code Pink, Color of Change, Common Cause, Communications Workers of America, Corporate Accountability International, Courage Campaign, CREDO Action, Daily Kos, Demand Progress/Watchdog.net, Democracy For America, Democracy Matters, Democrats.com, Demos, Earthworks, Energy Action Coalition, Environmental Action, Ethical Markets Media, EveryVoice, Food & Water Watch, Franciscan Action Network, Free Speech for People, Friends of the Earth, Grassroots NC, Greenpeace, Harrington Investments, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Issue One, Just Foreign Policy, Justice Party, Mainstreet Alliance, Mayday.us, MoveOn.org, The Nation, North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections Coalition, OurTime.org, Pay 2 Play, People Demanding Action, People For the American Way, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Progressive Democrats of America, Progressives United, Project On Government Oversight, Public Citizen, Roots Action, Rootstrikers, Sierra Club, StampStampede, The Other 98%, The People’s Email Network, USAction and U.S. PIRG.

 

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