Close loophole on campaign financing

The Daily Herald did an excellent job connecting the dots between what legislators do (or don’t do) with regard to election law and campaign finance rules and how that action or inaction benefits those currently in power (“End candidates’ hide-the-cash power grab,” May 6). The latest example is a loophole inserted into state regulations in January, effectively denying the public information about large contributions to candidates in the weeks before voters cast ballots.

We do want to be clear: the problem is with the regulations, not the actions of any individual candidates or campaigns, many of whom had no voice over how the regulations were crafted. This is a problem made by the General Assembly, acting through the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, and can be fixed only by the General Assembly. Rather than criticize any donors or candidates for following the rules, let’s focus our attention on the people who can close this ridiculous loophole: our legislators. They should ensure the public has meaningful disclosure before they’re on the ballot in 2012.

David Morrison

Deputy director

Illinois Campaign for Political Reform

Chicago