Why Are America's CEOs So Afraid Of A Little Sunlight On Their Political Causes?

The Supreme Court said limits on political donations weren't necessary with adequate disclosure. Now big companies are fighting even that.

My candidate for the most revelatory story of the week came Tuesday in the New York Times. Nicholas Confessore, writing about the proposed campaign finance disclosure rule now pending at the Securities and Exchange Commission, offered two things that advance and refine the contours of this very important legal and political story. First, he got this quote onto the record:

Opponents said they believed the main purpose of the petition was not to protect shareholders, but to dry up sources of money for pro-business political groups. "It's about outing donors and scaring them into not giving to political groups that they're opposed to," said Phil Kerpen of American Commitment, a tax-exempt group that spent more than $3 million last year on advertisements criticizing Democratic candidates for Senate.