Letter to the Editor: Disclose 'Secret' Election Money

To the Editor:

The U.S. Senate has now twice refused to allow full debate on the DISCLOSE Act of 2012, which would require complete disclosure of spending on big-money advertising in candidate elections. We are proud that Senators Schumer and Gillibrand supported the bill and stood up for the voters against the special interests.

Huge sums of secret money are flooding into our elections and without full disclosure the voters won’t know who is trying to buy influence. The DISCLOSE Act is an important step towards eliminating secret money.

The League supports this legislation because we believe that Americans deserve all the information they can get before they vote. We will continue to push nationwide for passage of DISCLOSE because secret campaign money has no place in America’s democracy. It undermines the role of the voter and corrupts the election process.  

Voters have a right to know--whether it is a corporation, union, trade association, or non-profit advocacy group making unlimited campaign expenditures and influencing elections. Tell us where the money is coming from and let the voters decide. 

Sincerely,

Katherine Dering and Lisa Pizzurro

Co-Presidents
League of Women Voters of Bedford-Lewisboro-North Salem