Stop anonymous campaign PACs

It's just wrong. Secret campaign cash should have has no place in our democracy.

But now the largest campaign expenditures in history are funding campaign advertising, and we don't know who is footing the bill. Special interests are spending millions of dollars, drowning out the voices of individual voters.

Essentially, these organizations with anonymous donors are functioning as Political Action Committees but without having to disclose their donors. Because of changes to the laws, there are no disclosure requirements even foreign corporations could fund these ads.

The League of Women Voters has been calling attention to secret funding of political advertising for months, but the U.S. Senate has refused to act to require disclosure, even after the House of Representatives passed a strong disclosure bill.

The DISCLOSE Act would have stopped manipulation of elections by fly-by-night anonymous hit groups, and prevented the infusion of undercover expenditures. These activities subvert our democracy. Voters deserve to know who is paying for election advertising.

The League of Women Voters calls on all candidates to disavow secret advertising and asks our local media outlets not to accept ads unless the names of the true donors are made public.

Cathy Duoba, president

LWV Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove Area