NJ Senator Blasts 'Citizens United' Ruling On 11th Anniversary

Newark NJ

21 January, 2021

6:05 PM

Description

NEWARK, NJ — It's been 11 years to the day since the U.S. Supreme Court rendered its now-infamous decision on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. And according to U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, there's a simple word to describe it: "terrible." On Thursday, Menendez – the Democratic lawmaker who will be leading President Joe Biden's immigration reform efforts in the U.S. Senate – offered a bitter nod to the case that's become known by many simply as "Citizens United." In a social media post, Menendez wrote: "Today marks 11 years since the SCOTUS handed down its terrible decision in Citizens United, opening the floodgates for unlimited, unchecked corporate spending in elections. We need greater transparency in our elections and must start by having companies disclose their political spending." The senator, who has an office in Newark, punctuated his post with a photo of a sign reading: "Corporations Are Not People, Reverse Citizens United." Like a lightning rod, the case has drawn criticism from Democrats and progressives in Essex County before. The late, iconic Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – who taught for many years at Rutgers Law School in Newark – once said the ruling was one of the worst in the court's recent history. "If there was one decision I would overrule, it would be Citizens United...The notion that we have all the democracy that money can buy strays so far from what our democracy is supposed to be." --Ruth Bader Ginsburg— Robert Reich (@RBReich) January 21, 2021 When U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill went up against Republican Jay Webber for the seat of former Republican congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen in 2018, she drew an endorsement from End Citizens United (ECU), a political action committee that supports Democratic candidates in key local races. See related article: Mikie Sherrill vs 'Big Money Politics': PAC Endorses Democrat According to ECU, Citizens United v. FEC was a 2010 Supreme Court case that overturned key provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2003. "The court's decision, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, allowed unions and corporations to make unlimited political donations," ECU states. "It also held that such unlimited contributions from these groups and from individuals are acceptable because, in the court's view, they do not inappropriately influence elected officials' policy decisions." "Today, money dominates American politics – and it is clear that Citizens United is responsible," the ECU charges. The organization issued a statement on Thursday to mark the 11th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision. The ECU wrote: "Eleven years after the Supreme Court put a for sale sign on U.S. elections, our democracy has been corrupted to favor those with the biggest checks at the cost of the American people, and as we saw on January 6, it is more fragile than ever. The voices of everyday families are overpowered by special interests and corporations are funding seditious members of Congress and dark money groups that organized and incited a violent and deadly assault at the United States Capitol Building. "This attack on our government was one of the darkest moments of our nation's history, making it all the more necessary that we strengthen the foundational principles of our democracy and restore trust in government. With Democratic control of the House, Senate and White House, now is the time to pass the For the People Act (S. 1, H.R. 1) into law, which will put an end to the dominance of big money in politics, bring dark money into the light, address many of the challenges voters faced in casting their ballots last year, and strengthen ethics and accountability for public officials. "We must also keep fighting to fully overturn Citizens United by passing the Democracy for All Amendment (H.J. Res 1) sponsored by Congressman Ted Deutch. We applaud Rep. Deutch for his longtime leadership on this amendment. "On this eleven year mark of Citizens United and in the midst of one of the most defining moments in our nation's history, we are more committed and energized than ever to fight against the corruption fueled by corporate special interests and restore power back to the American people. Our democracy's brightest days lie ahead." "Eleven years after the Supreme Court put a for sale sign on U.S. elections, our democracy has been corrupted to favor those with the biggest checks at the cost of the American people…" It's time to #EndCitizensUnited once and for all. pic.twitter.com/LG9Rmitvbl— End Citizens United (@StopBigMoney) January 21, 2021 Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected] Don't forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Sign up for Patch email newsletters.