From the Dispatch

States Act to Limit Judicial Ruling Allowing Corporations to Spend Directly to Elect or Defeat Candidates

Christian Smith-Socaris — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:12:10 -0800

Portending a sharp increase in corporate political spending, the Supreme Court has ruled (Citizens United v. FEC) that corporations enjoy the same speech rights of citizens when it comes to advocating the election or defeating political candidates. Elected officials, including U.S. President Barack Obama, have denounced the ruling as striking at the heart of our democracy by putting corporations on an equal footing with real people when it comes to basic constitutional rights.

New York Attorney General Uncovers National Pay-to-Play Scandal

Christian Smith-Socaris — Thu, 21 May 2009 09:03:42 -0700

New York's Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, is in the midst of a two-year investigation into kickbacks paid to state political staff in exchange for the opportunity to profitably manage the investments of New York State's public pension fund. That investigation has now prompted a national effort with a multi-state task force and the Securities and Exchange Commission working together to uncover rampant pay-to-play abuses. Nationally there is over $2 trillion in US public pension assets.

Two States With Tarnished Images Make Strong Gains on Ethics in 2008

PSN — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:01:16 -0700

Many states have suffered from public officials being involved in ethics scandals. While sometimes there is talk of reform and other overtures, comprehensive reform is most often elusive. However, some states have managed, either in response to one particularly egregious event or a history of problems being overturned in a wave of dissatisfaction, to truly make a fundamental change. This year Connecticut once again moved forward with a multi-year ethics reform initiative, and Louisiana enacted one of the most far-reaching ethics overhauls any state has in generations.

Illinois Legislature Passes Pay-to-Play Contracting Reform, Bill Awaits Governor's Signature

PSN — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:55:00 -0700

Illinois stands out as a state famous for corrupt politics. For generations, patronage and pay-to-play politics have been raised to an art form by state and local politicians. The state's last governor is in jail for racketeering. The current governor is under federal investigation for allegedly giving jobs and no-bid contracts to campaign supporters, more than 200 of whom have given the governor checks for exactly $25,000. Advocates of good government such as the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform have fought for years to bring the states' corrupt government officials to heel.

Cleaning Up Corruption in the Statehouses

PSN — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 12:09:00 -0700

At the core of many voters' frustrations with government is the sense that, too often, politics is for sale. High-priced lobbyists offering "gifts" to lawmakers swarm state legislatures; companies looking for public contracts get too cozy with those handing out public money; and corporate campaign contributions grease the wheels as public policy is auctioned to the highest corporate bidder.