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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
08/03/2024 04:21 PM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?SPick=20230&chamber=H&cosponId=42141
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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: February 20, 2024 08:56 AM
From: Representative Joe Webster
To: All House members
Subject: Campaign Finance Reform
 

Since the United States Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling in 2010, there has been a massive increase in corporate spending on elections through “dark money,” or funding from sources undisclosed to the public. At the same time, it is nearly impossible to discern whether a corporate donor is significantly owned, in whole or in part, by a foreign national. Over a decade has passed since Citizens United, but Pennsylvania has not yet addressed this very real threat to public confidence in our elections.
 
Only through greater transparency and accountability can we limit excessive corporate influence in our political system. That is why I am introducing legislation that will:
 
  • Require the disclosure of corporate expenditures on elections.
 

  • Empower public requestors to challenge a campaign’s wrongful denial of access to its vouchers.
 

  • Require credit card statements to be filed with campaign finance reports, ban the purchase of gift cards with political action committee (PAC) money, and define “personal purpose” so that the law is clear about the types of expenses that are prohibited.
 

  • Limit donations and expenditures to and from candidates, political committees, PACs, and political party committees or other persons made with the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election.
 

 

  • Allow for residual funds of terminated PACs to be donated to non-profit organizations, except when a non-profit has an affiliation with a candidate or PAC officer.
 
Pennsylvania residents deserve to be fully informed about a candidate’s financial backers. Please join me in protecting the integrity and fairness of our electoral process and restoring the people’s confidence in their elections by signing on to this proposal.
 


Introduced as HB2099