Ohioan takes on corporate politicking
The Columbus Dispatch – WASHINGTON — Sen. Sherrod Brown says corporate campaign spending allowed under an "absolutely awful" Supreme Court decision last month should be subject to new requirements ensuring more transparency and accountability.
The Ohio Democrat unveiled a bill yesterday that would require corporations producing political ads or engaging in other independent campaign activities to get shareholders' approval for political spending.
Brown's bill, which he calls the Citizens Right to Know Act, also would require corporate CEOs to make personal disclaimers revealing the company's sponsorship of an ad, much as political candidates now appear briefly on camera or are heard on a radio ad taking responsibility for a spot.
Brown said his bill also would shore up protections against foreign companies spending money on U.S. elections by banning any company that has a foreign entity as a majority owner from making political expenditures.
