Dear Friend,
Two weeks ago, I began my first day as Executive Director of the National Coalition for Accountability in Political Spending (CAPS), an initiative founded by Public Advocate Bill de Blasio that includes elected officials from across the country.
It's been a busy couple weeks - here's a glimpse of what's happening right now:
Last week, campaign filings revealed that GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney's Super PAC had accepted a $1 million contribution from a company that appears to have been formed for the sole purpose of giving the undisclosed contribution.
It is an action that defies all reasonable notions of accountability in campaign finance.
CAPS quickly took action and called on Romney's Super PAC to disclose the source of these funds or return the contribution. We concurrently urged all PACs - Democratic, Republican and unaffiliated - to disclose the sources of all contributions they receive in the run-up to the 2012 elections.
On Saturday, in response to growing pressure, Romney's Super PAC came clean and disclosed the name of the donor, a former partner at Bain Capital, the huge investment firm that Romney once headed.
This story is yet another example of how Citizens United has polluted our political system and how important it is that we demand accountability. It is the reason that Public Advocate Bill de Blasio founded CAPS and it is why I am so proud to have been selected as the group's new Executive Director.
We have a lot of work to do in the months ahead. I look forward to working together to make sure disclosure and integrity are a top priority in the coming election. Thank you,
Kate Coyne McCoy, Executive Director
National Coalition for Accountability in Political Spending (CAPS)