Washington, D.C.—Campaign finance watchdog Public Campaign released the following statement in response to today’s Politico story on conservative groups planning to spend over $1 billion to buy the presidency and Congress.

Statement from Nick Nyhart, president and CEO, Public Campaign:

“The news that conservative groups will try to spend $1 billion to buy our democracy this year should be alarming to Americans of every political stripe. Our laws and the courts' interpretation of the Constitution has led us to the point where elections are no longer of, by, and for the people. Rather, they are the domain of the tiniest elite who think America works best when it works for them and no one else.

"Candidates who benefit from this big money should be asked: If elected, will they represent the billionaires and corporations that put them in office or the everyday people they are supposed to represent? That's the question in this election and the answer will impact our democracy for years to come."

According to the story, “Republican super PACs and other outside groups shaped by a loose network of prominent conservatives – including Karl Rove, the Koch brothers and Tom Donohue of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – plan to spend roughly $1 billion on November’s elections for the White House and control of Congress, according to officials familiar with the groups’ internal operations.”

Presidential spending will be big on both sides, but this kind of spending at the Congressional level—with many of the donors undisclosed--could swamp down ticket races with special interest cash.

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Public Campaign is a national nonpartisan organization that fights to raise the voices of everyday people in our democracy through changing our campaign finance laws and through holding elected officials accountable. Learn more at www.publicampaign.org.