Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin is set to introduce a resolution to party members this month that moves to limit corporate and dark money spending in primaries, according to a draft obtained by The Hill on Tuesday.
The resolution states that the “only way” to solve the “problem” of the flow of unlimited corporate money and dark money into elections is through “congressional action,” including a “constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.”
The 2010 Supreme Court decision ruled that limits on independent expenditures by corporations, unions and other groups in federal elections violated the First Amendment right to free speech.
If passed, the resolution would direct the DNC Committee on Reforms to “identify and study…real, enforceable steps the DNC can take to eliminate unlimited corporate and dark money in its 2028 presidential primary process.”
Additionally, the Reforms Committee would be tasked with establishing “a specific set of necessary legislative actions that the DNC should endorse as a body to present to congressional leaders.”
“As Democrats fight to win back the branches of government, the DNC must take immediate steps to demonstrate our Party’s commitment to this issue and show that we will “walk the walk” at every opportunity,” the resolution states.
The resolution is boon for the progressive wing of the party, which has long called for campaign finance reform.
The progressive group Our Revolution, which formed out of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) 2016 presidential ban, formally backed the resolution on Tuesday.
“This resolution is a crucial step to ensure the Democratic presidential nominee is chosen by everyday people—not deep-pocketed donors and the special interests they serve. We urge every DNC member to rise to the moment, back this fight, and put power back where it belongs—in the hands of voters, not the billionaires,” the group’s executive director Joseph Geevarghese said in a statement.
