The real threat to American sovereignty: Citizens United and global money influencing our politics
"Trump’s recent public request that hackers connected to the Russian government sabotage his opponent Hillary Clinton is the tip of a Trumpian iceberg of foreign influence. He’s also been actively soliciting campaign funds from officials of foreign governments — in the United Kingdom, Iceland, Australia and elsewhere. Terri Butler, a member of the Australian parliament member, was surprised to receive fundraising solicitations from Trump at her official government email address, asking her to make a “generous contribution” to the Trump campaign. Bob Blackman, a member of Britain’s House of Commons, who has also received fundraising requests from the Trump campaign, says “I did not sign up, these are sent unsolicited.” Another member of the U.K. parliament, Peter Bottomley, has received three such solicitations. “Neither [Trump’s] sons nor anyone else has answered my questions about how they acquired my email nor why they were asking for financial support that I suppose to be illegal for [Trump] to accept,” he says, In Iceland, Katrin Jakobsdottir, chair of the Left-Green Movement, a democratic socialist party, has “no idea” how she got on Trump’s fundraising list. Someone should let Trump know it’s illegal for candidates for federal office to solicit foreign money, regardless of whether the donations ever materialize. In addition, foreign individuals, corporations and governments are barred from either giving money directly to U.S. candidates or spending on advertising to influence U.S. elections. Why hasn’t Trump been held accountable? Because the Federal Election Commission, charged with enforcing the law, is gridlocked by its Republican appointees."
