Federal investigators have accused Ohio’s recently deposed House speaker of running a racketeering ring. The question now is whether they will charge the utility that financed it. The case has significant implications for how corporations seek to shape public opinion on climate and energy policy. Electric utilities have joined the rush to employ dark money…
Tag: dark money
David Sirota on the DOL/EBSA ESG Proposal: A New Trump Rule Could Help Big Oil Crush The Climate Movement
This emblematic two-part story of climate deception starts with a new rule from Donald Trump’s Labor Department. Coming at a moment when fossil fuel companies and their investors are facing huge losses, the Trump rule aims to make it more difficult for pension and 401k administrators to shift workers’ savings out of fossil fuel assets…
CPA’s Bombshell Report on #DarkMoney
The always-terrific Center for Political Accountability has released a very significant new report called Conflicted Consequences, documenting the growth, and pernicious political impact of dark money 527 groups. The report reveals that between 2009 and 2018, six large, partisan state- oriented 527 committees – Democratic and Republican — cumulatively raised $1.3 billion. “Taking full advantage…
Costco, Safeway, Ralph’s Grocery: Claim to Support #BLM but Lobby for Incarceration Bill
Judd Legum identifies Costco, Safeway, and Kroger subsidiary Ralph’s as corporations that claim to support racial equality but are backing California’s Prop 20, which would roll back prison reform that has reduced crime and costs. Thank you @RalphsGrocery and @Safeway for standing with victims against violence and abuse. #JusticeForVictims #Safety #KeepCalSafe pic.twitter.com/3JLZU6gg3D — Yes on…
Dark Money: It’s Time for Boards and Institutional Investors to Act on Racial Justice
Bruce Freed of The Center for Political Accountability and Eleanor Bloxham of The Value Alliance have an important op-ed in Barron’s about the long-standing opposition of the Big 3 institutional investors – BlackRock, Vanguard and Fidelity — to shareholder resolutions calling for disclosure of political disclosure and the connection to corporate political spending that has…
Corporations tweet support for Black Lives Matter. Their FEC filings tell a different story. – Popular Information
Quoting from Judd Legum’s Popular Info: In the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, major corporations are rushing to embrace the Black Lives Matter movement. But several of the same corporations have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to members of Congress that are rated “F” by the NAACP,…
The Secret Battle to Strip Your Coronavirus Rights – TYT.com
“We have your back,” Bank of America says in a new video about the coronavirus. “We’re in it together.” But while Bank of America and other companies present a supportive face, some are working behind your back to make it harder to seek justice for corporate wrongdoing related to the coronavirus. Corporate lobbyists — including…
Center for Political Accountability on the SEC’s Proposed Rules on Proxy Proposals and Advisors
Behind the Chamber’s Attack on the Proxy Process, Fear of Disclosure – and CPA Founder’s Column By Bruce Freed Why is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce still running from sunlight? What are the Chamber and many of its members trying to hide? Just consider: –The Chamber receives dues from members it represents and “has spent…
More Baloney from Another Chamber of Commerce Sock Puppet
There’a another comment on the SEC’s proxy advisory proposal from a Chamber of Commerce funded dark money front group. This one was previously focused only on getting corporate-friendly lawyers appointed to the court (they actually argued that it was okay to have all white male nominees because the selections were based on qualifications, ignoring the…
Citizens United 10 Years Later: Ciara Torres-Spelliscy
Professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy testified about what we have learned about the impact of the Citizens United Decision after ten years. The full testimony, including disturbing information about the vicious cycle caused by more dark money raising the cost of campaigns, thus needing more dark money is below. An excerpt: Nearly a decade ago, I told…
