Campaign spending by unlimited SuperPAC and dark money sources has exploded from more than $57 million to $4.5 billion since the Supreme Courts Citizens United decision in 2010.
That trend, reported by OpenSecrets2025, has more than 80% of voters concerned about money in politics, especially campaign costs, donor influence and the impact of special interests, according to Pew research.
The New York Times recently reported this year’s midterms alone have attracted at least $1 billion from anonymous donors.
But a new legal strategy, the Transparent Election Initiative↗️ offers a workaround that doesn’t require a new Supreme Court or a constitutional amendment to address this assault on our elections. The League wants members to consider this approach because it supports our principle of representative government in which political authority originates with the people, not money or corporations.
The plan would reset corporate powers in each state. Hawaii passed legislation calling for the reset, and Montana voters will address it next month.
The Washington state League has a position calling for reducing big money's influence in politics through public financing, strengthening financial disclosure and enforcement, and increasing transparency. Addressing this issue would positively affect all legislation that the League is pursuing.
Learn more about the initiative by viewing recordings of the League’s presentation Stop Big Money in Politics↗️. The video features Sawyer McCrabb, executive director of Washington’s Fix Democracy First, and Aliya Bhatia, director of coalitions and partnerships for American Promise, a national organization working for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.
We also encourage you to write your state legislators and local news outlets to say how outraged you are that our elections are for sale and to tell them about the Transparent Election Initiative.
Additionally, some Washington local Leagues are forming a system of support for liked-minded advocates. The Stop Money in Politics Coalition↗️ has posted segments from two of the League’s live public forums from last month, with the locals rolling out similar presentations for fellow members and the public.
Contact MAK Mitchell, LWVWA Issue Chair for Money in Politics, and LWV Whidbey Island members Kiki La Porta and Anne Tearse.
