Supreme Court Ruling a Disaster for Democracy
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica had the following statement in response to today’s 5-4 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission:
“Today’s Supreme Court ruling letting corporations like Exxon, Massey and Goldman Sachs spend billions to influence elections is a disaster for democracy. Corporate special interests had far too much influence in Washington prior to this ruling. The fact that they can now buy off elected officials via unlimited independent campaign expenditures is extraordinarily alarming. This is institutionalized corruption, and it diminishes the likelihood that public policy will serve the public interest.
“The ruling shows how important it is to confirm Supreme Court justices who follow the Constitution and are not biased toward special interests. Chief Justice John Roberts now leads a bloc of five activist corporatists on the Court. Senators must oppose future nominees who threaten to join this bloc.
“Citizens can and should overturn today’s Supreme Court ruling by demanding and passing a constitutional amendment clarifying that the First Amendment’s important free speech protections are for people, not corporations.”
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