PoliticsandMoneyDude

Hi Congressman McGovern - thanks for the AMA and for your efforts to scale back the Citizen United decision.

Can you tell us how we should interpret PAC contributions to your campaign? For example Norfolk Southern donate the maximum $10,000 to your 2012 campaign. Do they donate because they want access to you or do they donate because they believe in your ideology?

If a PAC donates the maximum $10,000 will they have greater access to you? Do they receive any special treatment when they want to discuss upcoming legislation? Do you think this system of pay-to-play also needs to be reformed?

How do the $10,000 contributions from Raytheon Co, Union Pacific Corp, CSX Corp and others effect the way you govern as a congressman? If these contributions have no effect on you, then why do these organizations take their time and money to donate in the first place?

You're partially right but I would say corporate involvement in political advertising is likely increasing significantly.

Corporate contributions to political groups were huge in the 1990s with donations to soft money party committees. McCain-Feingold put an end to that and it seemed to dampen the amount of money coming from corporate interests. But McCain-Feingold opened the door to 527 committees which spent $95 mil in 2004. Social welfare groups/501(c)4 groups weren't active in political advertising until the Wisconsin Right to Life decision occurred in 2008 - that year we saw $80 million spent by those 501(c)4 groups. In 2010 these groups spent $135 million and in 2012 these groups spent $290 million.

While the corporate contributions are disclosed to Super PACs (as peterschurman showed above), we don't know who donated the money to 501(c)4 groups. Again, these groups spent $290 million in 2012 which is up from 80 million in 2008. And there a good chance that a large portion of that money came from corporations indicating that as long as "social welfare" groups are active in political advertising corporate contributions to these groups will continue to rise.

I do agree with you that Congress should impose strict disclosure laws I just wished they also applied to the 501(C)4 "social welfare" groups that donors have been exploiting to get around disclosure. Super PACs already have adequate disclosure requirements - the conversation should focus on the non-profit groups.