Michigan Campaign Finance Network Director Rich Robinson says a culture of unregulated and unreported spending has highlighted judicial campaigns in Michigan since 2000.
A new report from the Network is called Dark Money and Justice: Michigan is Like no Other State. Robinson tracked the money spent on television advertising in Michigan Supreme Court races from 2000 to 2014. He found that over half has been unreported.
“If we don’t know who donors are, we don’t know when they are involved in cases that are decided by the justice that may have been supported by major donors.”
Robinson says the figures in the report are conservative. He says money spent on direct mail and radio cannot be accounted for easily. So the numbers in the report reflects the money which has bought television advertising.
"Transparency is inoculation against corruption"
While a donor has a first amendment right to spend as much as they want, Robinson says they don’t have a right to have their favored, supported judge hear their case. He says “Transparency is inoculation against corruption.”
Asked how the state could bring more transparency to campaign contributions, Robinson says a solid attempt was made when Secretary of State Ruth Johnson moved to require disclosure of issue advocacy advertising. But lawmakers moved quickly to change the definition of campaign spending. It was signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder.
So Robinson says the legislative environment doesn’t look good. Republicans who voted for the change in campaign finance law to limit disclosure hold solid majorities in both chambers. A ballot initiative could require greater transparency. But Robinson says it’s not clear if the public will be mobilized by the issue. He says ballot campaigns are expensive, and well-funded interests would be willing to spend lots of money to defeat any greater requirement of disclosure.
