Ellison helps launch Democratic campaign finance push
WASHINGTON - House Democrats, including DFL Rep. Keith Ellison, are renewing their initiative to force new, largely unregulated political action committees to disclose their donors.
At a Capitol press conference Thursday, Ellison joined Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats to tout a newly reintroduced bill, the DISCLOSE Act, that would ban so-called super PACs from accepting secret donations.
"Secret money manipulating outcomes for special interests is repulsive to Americans," said Ellison. "And it doesn't matter what part of the political spectrum they come from, they're upset about it."
A previous version of the DISCLOSE Act passed the House in 2010 when it was controlled by Democrats, but the measure failed in the Senate after Republicans filibustered the bill.
The move comes the same week President Barack Obama's re-election campaign announced that it reversed its previous policy and would accept the support of super PACs. While super PACs are allowed to raise and spend unlimited sums, technically they're not allowed to coordinate with campaigns.
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