Time after time in the 20 years after this commentary appeared in the Herald-Leader, McConnell reiterated his support for public disclosure of campaign contributions.
...However, speaking to the conservative American Enterprise Institute Friday, just two days before the 40th anniversary of the Watergate break-in, Senate Minority Leader McConnell denounced "government-compelled disclosure of contributions to all grass-roots groups" as "nothing less than an effort by the government itself to expose its critics to harassment and intimidation, either by government authorities or through third-party allies," according to The Washington Post's coverage of the speech.
What changed? The Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision. Now that corporations (and other organizations) are people, too, and can spend unlimited amounts of money on political causes, McConnell wants to shield the super PACs his boardroom buddies are creating from disclosure rules proposed by congressional Democrats.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
McConnell flip-flops on campaign finance disclosure
A good editorial in today's Herald-Leader:
