This article by Greg Coleridge was published in Cleveland.com on February 19th, 2020.
The 2020 elections are over, but a revolting takeaway wasn’t who was elected — depending on your political persuasion. Rather, once again, a flood of money poured into the federal elections, much of it “dark money” from unknown sources and a majority of it focused on distorting and insulting attack ads.
People were disgusted. The 2010 Citizens United ruling was targeted as the major cause. The small movement that began on the day of that Supreme Court decision picked up enormous momentum. A constitutional amendment reversing the case quickly passed in Congress with bipartisan support.
In January 2022, Ohio becomes the 38th state to ratify the amendment: Citizens United is reversed! Claims of returning to “democracy” are widespread, where the political voices of those who can’t afford to donate to candidates are again authentically heard, needs met and communities helped.
But is it true?
The superrich continue to donate/invest large sums directly to political candidate campaigns and political parties. After all, the Supreme Court ruled in the 1976 Buckley v. Valeo decision that political money in elections is constitutionally protected “free speech.” Corporate entities are able to donate political money as well, following the 1978 First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti case that corporate entities have First Amendment “free speech rights.”
Despite the Citizens United victory in 2022, people power and the right of public officials to protect the health, safety and welfare of their constituents continue to be pre-empted by corporate rule in many other ways.
(To read the rest of this article at its original source please click HERE.)