To:      Interested Writers and Journalists

From:  Brennan Center for Justice, Change Congress, Common Cause, Democracy Matters, Public Campaign, Public Citizen, and U.S. PIRG

Date:   December 15, 2008

Last week’s allegation that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) tried to sell an appointment to the United States Senate in exchange for political contributions, personal financial benefit, or a high-paying new job has shocked voters of every political stripe and in every corner of our nation.

What’s even more shocking is that Gov. Blagojevich’s apparent desire to sell the Senate appointment is just the tip of the iceberg. He is accused of shaking down hospital executives and state contractors for campaign cash, while holding state funding hostage. For instance, according to the charges levied against him, Blagojevich sought $50,000 in political donations from the chief executive officer of Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago in exchange for releasing $8 million in state funds intended for the hospital. While these scandals land squarely at the governor’s feet, and he should resign his office immediately, it adds to the body of evidence that the way our politicians raise money for political campaigns in this country is corrupting.

The frank assessment by some observers ought to be a wake up call for Americans: Some of the allegations against Blagojevich are not that different than what happens in state capitals and in Washington, D.C. every day with elected officials seeking donations from those who have something to gain from government decisions and handouts. Blagojevich just said it out loud and while being taped.

There may be little to do to prevent the next corrupt politician from trying to benefit from his or her power in public office. But we can deal with the swamp of private fundraising that spawns opportunities for corruption.

Illinois is like most states and Washington, D.C. where a flood of private campaign contributions breeds corruption and public policies are far too often shaped by those with the most cash, not those with the best ideas or the most in need. There are some states, though, where strong, comprehensive public financing laws are in place, like Arizona, Connecticut, Maine, and North Carolina. In fact, Connecticut is the last state to see its governor go to jail on corruption charges, and the most recent state to create a public financing system.

These systems – often called “Clean Elections” – have been successful, and are popular with voters and candidates alike. Under these programs, candidates qualify for a grant to pay for their campaign if they raise a large number of small donations. Candidates agree to take no large contributions and agree not spend their own money in exchange for the grant.

Nearly 400 candidates will enter public office in these states without having raised big donations of the kind Blagojevich is supposed to have sought– and importantly, without having had to think about raising money for their next election. For example, more than 80 percent of the incoming members of Maine and Connecticut states legislatures used the system. These are public officials who are free to focus on doing their jobs rather than the fundraising that previously was an electoral necessity.

What if that were the case in Washington, D.C. today? Instead of attending high-dollar fundraisers with lobbyists and executives, and countless hours spent calling wealthy donors to ask for money, members of Congress would spend time on addressing and fixing the issues their constituents care most about.

This idea has taken root in Washington, D.C. A bipartisan, bicameral bill, called the Fair Elections Now Act, has been introduced in the Senate by Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and in the House by Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) and Rep. Walter Jones, Jr. (R-N.C.). President-elect Barack Obama was also a co-sponsor of the bill while serving in the Senate and he sponsored similar legislation when he was a state Senator in Illinois.

This system has not only proved popular with elected officials and voters in the states that have implemented the programs, the public at-large has embraced it as well. A new bipartisan poll, conducted by Lake Research Partners and Tarrance Group during the week of the election, shows overwhelming support for voluntary public financing of elections with 69 percent of likely voters saying they would like to see a public financing system driven by small donations. The strong backing for public financing crossed all demographics, including age, gender, geography, and party affiliation.

Even before this week’s revelations, voters knew the impact of the role of big money in politics. In the survey, 77 percent of voters said that they were worried that large campaign contributions would prevent Congress from fully dealing with the major issues of the day like health care, energy, and the economy.

Unfortunately, politicians like Blagojevich thrive under our current system where shakedowns for campaign cash result in favorable policies and appointments for those who can afford to give. But it is not just the apple that’s rotten. To paraphrase Blagojevich, it’s the whole [expletive] barrel. The American public has had enough. It’s time to pass and implement Clean Elections programs at both the state and federal level and allow our elected officials to do their jobs free from the corrupting campaign money chase.