How Outside Campaign Spending Impacts Elections?
Outside groups spent a record $18.2 million on Connecticut’s 2014 race for governor, well more than the combined $13 million in public campaign financing received by that year’s two finalists for the post: incumbent Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy, seeking election to a second term, and Republican challenger Tom Foley.
That level of independent expenditures, as such outside spending is called, certainly works against public campaign financing’s goal of dampening the influence of money over politicians, remarks Connecticut Mirror’s Mark Pazniokas to Jeff Cohen, Connecticut Public Radio’s news director, for our ongoing Extra Credit series on civics.
But under the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 landmark ruling in the Citizens United case, such spending is not deemed to be “corrupting.” Rather it’s considered free speech, Pazniokas explains.
(Original Broadcast July 23, 2018)