*The election's winner? Big money Letter to the Editor published in
/the/**/Baltimore Sun/*
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-campaign-finance-r\
eform-letter-20101119,0,3579976.story

Now that the election is over, the tallies are in, and the numbers are
shocking --- and no, I'm not talking about the votes. I'm talking about
the record-breaking amounts of anonymous money poured into campaign
coffers by shadowy front groups like American Action Network and
American Future Fund. American Action Network spent over $16 million on
electioneering in 2010 but did not disclose where a single penny came
from. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent over $31 million, but they also
did not disclose their donors. They are not alone. The percentage of
organizations disclosing their electioneering communications donors has
fallen from 97 percent in 2004, to 34 percent in 2010, according to the
Federal Election Commission.

Thank the Supreme Court. In case after case, including the landmark
/Citizens United v. FEC/, they have chipped away at barriers between
corporate influence and democratic elections. While some may applaud the
court's ruling for bestowing every American, from BP to your
grandmother, with the right to anonymously spend millions of dollars on
elections, the ability of foreign and domestic corporations and unions
to launder large independent expenditures through front groups is just
another way the voices of individuals are being drowned out.

Action is being taken to mitigate this. Congress has a second chance to
pass the Disclose Act, which would require groups to identify their
donors. And in Maryland we are lucky enough to have a similar package
going to the General Assembly, introduced by Sens. Jamie Raskin and
Brian Frosh, which would guard our local officials from anonymous smear
campaigns and pay-to-play politics. I hope Senate President Thomas V.
Mike Miller
<http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/politics/government/thomas-v.-mike-miller-PEP\
LT004538.topic>
will understand the need for these protections and use his extensive
experience in the General Assembly to advocate for passage of these
important bills.

Jessica Sharp, Laurel



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