November 6, 2013
SEC Comment file 4-637
Dear Comment file 4-637,
I am writing to urge the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue a rule requiring publicly traded corporations to publicly disclose all their political spending. Transparency is essential to accountability.
Our constitution is about the rights of people. Democracy is built on
the principal of individual rights for people. These principals
require mechanisms to keep power and money from having un-fair influence.
I am deeply concerned about the influence of corporate money on our electoral process.
In particular, I am appalled that, because of the Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, publicly traded corporations can spend investor's money on political activity in secret.
Both shareholders and the public must be fully informed as to how much the corporation spends on politics and which candidates are being promoted or attacked. Disclosures should be posted promptly on the SEC's web site.
Thank you for considering my comment.
Sincerely,
Linda Greenway