HILO, HAWAII – Bob Marx, Democratic candidate for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional district, called for “getting corrupt money out of our political system” in a statement to a group of Hawaii County Democrats today.
In the 2010 landmark case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruled that the government cannot ban corporations from political spending during elections and reaffirmed that corporations are protected under the First Amendment.
“This ruling allows corporations to spend billions of dollars in political campaigns without any regulation or reporting,” Marx stated. “The elite 1% will do whatever it takes to elect politicians with extreme corporate interests, who have anti-labor and anti-people agendas.”
Marx believes that repeal of Citizens United is “critical.” “We see the ramifications of Citizens United today in a Congress that is the worst that money can buy. Do we want to maintain ‘crony capitalism,’ where politics is run by special interest groups that want favors, exemptions, tax credits and subsidies in exchange for their sizable contributions? If so, we take away from the hardworking middle class and feed into Corporate American greed.” Marx supports the constitutional amendment proposed by U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), which would allow Congress and the states to enact campaign finance reforms.
“Citizens United is a threat to the American democratic process because it allows elections to be about the biggest checkbook rather than the best ideas. Campaign spending and contributions need to be regulated. If elected, I will do everything in my power to get corrupt money out of politics,” Marx concluded.
In Hawaii Marx said, corporate interests have a long history of misuse of government power, including the overthrow and imprisonment of Queen Lili‘uokalani and overthrow of the Native Hawaiian monarchy.
Submitted by Bob Marx’s congressional campaign