ECU//LAV Action Fund President Tiffany Muller issued the below statement praising the introduction of the 2021 DISCLOSE Act. The companion bills were introduced in the Senate and House by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI):
“Transparency is critical to a democracy that’s open and accountable to the people, but our current system allows the elite donor class and corporate special interests to spend unlimited money in secret. The DISCLOSE Act would shine a bright light on these entities so that, at a minimum, we know who’s behind the flood of dark money. If anyone or any entity wants to spend Big Money in our elections, they should have the courage to stand by their ads.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Senator Whitehouse and Congressman Cicilline for their tireless advocacy and leadership on this issue, and we look forward to making sure this bill becomes law.”
The 2021 DISCLOSE Act is aimed at shining a light on the flood of dark money in elections by requiring organizations that engage in electioneering – including super PACs and 501(c)(4) dark money groups – to disclose the identities of donors who have given them $10,000 or more during an election cycle. It would require an organization that spends $10,000 or more on campaign expenditures to file a disclosure report with the Federal Election Commission within 24 hours of purchasing the expenditures. The DISCLOSE Act also addresses serious vulnerabilities in the system that currently allow foreign actors to meddle in our elections. This provision requires companies spending money in elections to disclose their true owners, so election officials and the public know who is behind the spending. A version of the bill is also included in the For the People Act (H.R.1/S.1).
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