Letters to The Editor Week of 1/18/2021

Dark money a
huge problem
To the editor: The Citizens United decision of 2010 removed restrictions on election spending by corporations and political action committees, leading the way to unlimited and hidden money in elections and policy decisions. This decision led to 11 years of rampant political corruption. We in Ohio have experienced first-hand the dire consequences of enormous amounts of dark money on legislative decisions.
Now some corporations are banning political contributions to legislators who refuse to acknowledge the 2020 election results. But this ban is not permanent. And it does not include contributions to dark money groups that give far more undisclosed money than the smaller amounts from corporate political action committees. Is this ban a first step toward reform or simply an expedient marketing maneuver?
The permanent solution is a constitutional amendment passed by Congress and sent to the states to ratify. This will stop both big and dark money. American Promise in Ohio is working toward raising awareness and rallying for this amendment. We want to be “ready to ratify” when Congress acts. We need abundant grassroots support for this effort. Join our movement at americanpromise.net.
Dr. Ellen Greene Bush
Port Clinton