Statement by Aquene Freechild, Co-Director, Public Citizen’s Democracy is For People Campaign
Note: U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) today sent a letter to her general election opponent, Bryant “Corky” Messner, urging him to sign a “Clean Elections Agreement” committing to 1) denounce and report any offers of assistance from foreign entities; 2) disavow tactics intended to suppress the vote; and 3) discourage third party spending by pledging to donate 50% of the cost of any outside advertisements to charity.
We applaud Sen. Shaheen’s commitment to transparency in campaign funding. The disastrous Citizens United v. FEC ruling in 2010 ushered in an era of unfettered corporate cash to influence elections that undermines our democracy. The candidates themselves must step up and limit the influence of third-party spending in creative ways.
It should go without saying that any foreign interference attempts should be reported to the authorities, and that candidates should be on high alert for attempts by foreign governments to interfere in our democracy.
Sen. Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren signed the “People’s Pledge” in 2012 as candidates in the Massachusetts Senate race, agreeing that if either candidate benefited from outside group advertising, that candidate would donate half the cost of that ad to charity. The Clean Elections Agreement offers an expanded version of that pledge and we urge Mr. Messner to sign it.
Through pledges like the Clean Elections Agreement, candidates can declare their independence from election meddling. Citizens United left us with a Wild West campaign finance environment. By pledging to ensure that their campaigns are funded transparently, and not by outside groups that can spend unlimited amounts, candidates can help restore clean elections for the people.