February 9, 2012
Securities and Exchange Comm.
Dear Securities and Exchange Comm.,
I keep reading about the number of negative ads that have glutted the airwaves and t.v. screens as the Republican nomination process moves across the country. Many of these ads, often vicious lies, are being paid for by wealthy individuals and corporations.
Because of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, I understand that publicly traded corporations can conceal expenditures of shareholder funds on politics.
This practice is an outrageous breach of trust between corporations and its share holders. Americans have lost trust in the mortgage business, in banks, in Wall Street trading. Are you really going to allow our elections to also be tainted with backroom dealing between politicians and the CEO's? I urge the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue a rule requiring publicly traded corporations to publicly disclose all their political spending.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
Celestine Arndt