Litigation

US Chamber Benefits from ?Citizens United?

By Peter Hardin

The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision is one of two major factors behind the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s increasing success at fundraising, according to an intriguing Los Angeles Times article.

The headline reports, “U.S. Chamber of Commerce grows into a political force.” But it’s the sub-headline that is a grabber: “A swelling tide of money could put the business group in a better position to sway elections.”

While the article provides a valuable picture of the Chamber’s growing grassroots network, called Friends of the U.S. Chamber, it also discloses that the Supreme Court’s blockbuster campaign finance decision in January is making an impact.

Citizens United not only lifted restrictions on corporations spending treasury dollars to help elect or defeat candidates, but it also “made many business executives feel more comfortable about using corporate money for political purposes,” the article says.

The newspaper also tells how trade associations make an appealing vehicle for corporate political spending because they provide avenues to dodge disclosure requirements:

“The chamber has developed that into something of a specialty: Under a system pioneered by [chamber President Tom] Donohue, corporations have contributed money to the chamber, which then produced issue ads targeting individual candidates without revealing the names of the businesses underwriting the ads.”

In another publication, U.S. News & World Report, a commentary by Ciara Torres-Spelliscy urges adoption in the U.S. of a law a British one requiring companies to seek shareholders’ authorization for corporate political expenditures.

In the aftermath of Citizens United, “Americans need these same protections afforded to British shareholders,” writes Torres-Spelliscy. She is counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, a partner group of Justice at Stake. You can learn more about Citizens United from Gavel Grab.

Full post as published by The Gavel on March 10, 2010 (boomark / email).