MT Supreme Court upholds State Law Banning Corporate spending in campaigns
This year couldn’t go out on a better note.
Today, the Montana Supreme Court, in a 5-2 decision, overturned a lower court ruling that threw out Montana’s century’s old ban on corporate money in independent expenditure campaigns in Montana elections. Read the Billings Gazette article here.
Western Tradition Partnership - now called American Tradition Partnership - a political group founded to stop conservation and environmental efforts, including Montana Conservation Voters, challenged Montana’s corporate campaign spending ban in the wake of a the federal Citizens United ruling in 2010. Judge Jeffrey Scherlock ruled in their favor, thereby allowing corporations to spend an unlimited amount in Independent Expenditures to elect or defeat candidates. The decision was appealed to the Montana Supreme Court.
Attorney General Steve Bullock admirably defended Montana’s prohibition on corporate spending to elect or defeat candidates in city, county, legislative or statewide (non-federal) elections. Montana voters overwhelmingly put the ban in place in 1912, throwing off the “copper collar” of corporate control of state government. Montana Conservation Voters joined in a “friend of the court” brief to defend the Montana corporate spending ban.
If today’s decision stands, corporations WILL NOT be able to pollute our mailboxes, phones and airwaves with attacks against conservation candidates – or any other candidate for that matter. That’s something Montana Conservation Voters is celebrating as we usher in the 2012 election year.
Montana Conservation Voters Board member Ben Graybill, Great Falls, had filed a complaint against Western Tradition Partnership for violating Montana’s laws. The group didn’t file campaign reports or disclose the source of their funding and where their money was spent. The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices ruled in Graybill’s favor in October, 2011 and found Western Tradition Partnership guilty on all counts. The next day, Western Tradition Partnership unleashed hundreds of thousands of mailers against MCV-backed candidates. To date, WTP has neither complied with Montana law or been fined for their gross violations.
Today – celebrate this victory! And help Montana Conservation Voters hold corporations accountable – for their pollution of our environment, and of our political process.
This weekend – usher in the New Year, knowing that the playing field is a little bit more level, thanks to the Supreme Court and Attorney General Bullock.
Happy New Year!
Theresa
PS: Contribute to Montana Conservation Voters today and help us begin 2012 with real grass roots support.
Montana Conservation Voters is a 501c4 organization and therefore, gifts are not tax deductible.
