The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 11, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Without a committee hearing, North Carolina Senate Republicans slipped a dark money amendment into an already controversial anti-mask bill. The amendment allows contributors to wash campaign donations through national political groups, making it harder to trace the source.  

The bill started out as the “Unmasking Mobs and Criminals Act”, a ban on North Carolinians from wearing non-surgical masks in public, aimed at identifying protesters.  Amendments were later added, strengthening penalties for protesters blocking roads.  

Just before the bill went to the full Senate for a vote June 6th, Section 5 a & b were added, changing state campaign finance rules to allow national political groups, such as governors associations or U.S. House or Senate PACs to make campaign donations directly to state candidates.  North Carolina Newsline reports that the amendment was never heard in committee.

Such contributions would allow wealthy donors to donate to a national group, and for the national group to give money in its name to North Carolina candidates. The original donor’s name would not show up in state campaign finance reports, only in federal reports weeks or months later.  The bill passed the state senate 28-0, after Democrats walked out in protest.

The anti-mask bill, which ironically masks donors influencing North Carolina elections, now returns to the House for a concurrence vote.   We have a link to the amendment and the groups taking action, at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
NC Conference of the NAACP – NAACP North Carolina Blasts HB 237: “A Dangerous Attack On Protest Rights”
North Carollina Newsline – NC Senate panel approves controversial bill that targets protests, bans masks in public
North Carolina Newsline – Surprise GOP campaign finance law proposal prompts walkout by Democratic senators
North Carolina Legislature – Bill summary Conference report makes the following changes to the 4th edition
North Carolina Senate – Proposed Conference Committee Substitute H237-PCCS40622-CE-5

Groups Taking Action:
Democracy North Carolina, North Carolina NAACP,  Common Cause North Carolina

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #NCNews #NorthCarolinaPolitics #DarkMoney #Corruption

The post North Carolina Senate Uses Anti-Masking Bill as Vehicle for Masking Dark-Money Political Donors appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 25, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

January 21st was the 14th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which opened the floodgates of money in political campaigns.   In Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, over $300 Million dollars has already been spent in just three early races. 

CNN reports that $77 Million dollars was spent in the New Hampshire Primary by SuperPACs, candidates and other political groups.   New Hampshire’s population is just 1.4 million people, and an estimated $55 dollars in advertising was spent for every man, woman and child, in the Granite State.   An estimated turnout of 410,000 voters calculates to $188.00 spent per Primary vote. 

Democracy group End Citizens United said over $11 Billion dollars has been spent in federal elections since the 2010 court decision.  Most spending in elections now comes not from candidates, but political action committees allied with them.  End Citizens United notes that 96% of outside, non-candidate spending has occurred since the Citizens United decision.  

In the early Republican races alone, NPR reports that Nikki Haley’s campaign spent $9.3 Million dollars.  Her SuperPAC and Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity Action spent $62.8 Million.  The DeSantis’ campaign and PACs spent a combined $60 Million dollars, and Trump a combined $54 million.  

We have more primary spending data and the groups taking action at  AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
CNN –  New Hampshire ad spending tops $77 million as Haley and Trump fight to the finish
NPR – $300 million worth of ads have hit voters ahead of the first GOP primary contests
NH Secretary of State – SOS Predicts Presidential Primary Turnout
End Citizens United – End Citizens United Statement on the 14th Anniversary of Citizens United

Brennan Center for Justice – Citizens United Explained
Open Secrets – (2020) More money, less transparency: A decade under Citizens United

Groups Taking Action:
End Citizens United, Issue One, Open Democracy Action, Common Cause, Public Citizen, Equal Citizens

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #OverturnCitizensUnited #DarkMoneyOutVotersIn #EndBigMoney

The post By the 14th Anniversary of Citizens United, SuperPACs and Candidates Spent Over $300 Million in IA, NH & SC appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 27, 2023

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Open Secrets – Dark Money Basics
Brennan Center for Justice – Dark Money in the 2020 Election
Issue One – What is Dark Money?
Issue One – Dark Money & Super PACs
National Conference of State Legislatures – Campaign Contribution Limits: Overview
National Conference of State Legislatures-  State Limits on Contributions to Candidates

Groups Taking Action 

End Citizens United, Common Cause, Issue One, Public Citizen, Free Speech for People, People for the American Way

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time) 

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

We continue our series on Dark Money today, focusing on Limited Liability corporations, or LLCs, commonly used for organizing small businesses.  But LLCs can also be used to hide political donations from the public. 

In most states, other than the original corporate registration, LLCs are not required to disclose their “member” shareholders.  The IRS treats LLCs as a partnership, so for a FEDERAL candidate campaign donation, each shareholder of the LLC must account for it in their $3,300 dollar maximum contribution.   Instead, in federal races, LLCs are more often used to funnel money to SuperPACs, where only the LLC’s name needs to be reported.  There, the money gets bundled to buy negative ads or other activities in support of a campaign.

For STATE races in over half of the country, LLCs CAN make contributions DIRECTLY to candidates.  In some states this means unlimited contributions, and others the individual limit, with no requirement to disclose shareholders.  LLCs can also contribute to PACs, SuperPACs, and Dark Money groups like 501c(4)s.  

Like other forms of Dark Money, LLCs are tools for political operatives to keep YOU from knowing who is influencing your government.

A few states, like Arizona and New York, are attempting to force LLCs to disclose their members’ donations, trying to close what’s called the “LLC Loophole.”  More on that in our next report.

We have detailed explainers and resources at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Remember to Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews

The post Shedding Light on Dark Money: How LLCs Hide Political Donors, Especially in State Races appeared first on American Democracy Minute.