Carper on Vote to Overturn Trump Administration Dark Money Rule: “This Should Have Passed the Senate Unanimously”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement after the Senate just barely passed a measure, pushed by Democrats, to overturn a Trump Administration rule weakening disclosure requirements for donors. Earlier this year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) eliminated a crucial donor disclosure requirement for 501(c)(4) organizations, like the NRA – making it easier for anonymous donors, including foreign agents, to funnel untraceable ‘dark money’ into our political system. That announcement came on the very same day the Justice Department revealed the arrest of a Russian national with NRA ties who has now plead guilty to conspiring to act as a foreign agent. In July, Senator Carper voted against President Trump’s nominee to lead the IRS in light of the Trump Administration’s rollback.

“It is a good step forward that a majority of my Senate colleagues voted today to overturn the Trump Administration’s rule that allows ‘dark money’ donors, including foreign agents, to hide even more information. However, this measure should have passed the Senate unanimously. Dark money is not a Democratic or Republican issue. It is an issue that affects the very health and integrity of our democracy. The Trump Administration’s decision to weaken disclosure requirements for donors is reckless and puts our political system at risk from hostile foreign intervention.

“Americans of all political affiliations want more transparency when it comes to our elections – not less. That a vote to restore some accountability in our democracy and ensure that our electoral process isn’t subject to foreign influence only passed by one vote in the U.S. Senate is disappointing. It is clear that our work to enact broader reforms that will restore confidence in our campaign finance system and in our elections following Citizens United must continue.”