Two years after the Supreme Court opened the door for companies to spend money on elections in its Citizens United decision, there is growing evidence that corporations are pouring money into tax-exempt organizations that do not have to disclose their donors, The New York Times reports.
Unlike candidates, political parties and PACs, tax-exempt organizations do not have to report who their contributors are and how much they give. Super PACs, which can also accept unlimited contributions, must disclose their donors, and have received relatively little corporate money, The Times reported.
“Companies want to be able to quietly push for their political agendas without being held accountable for it by their customers,” Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told The Times. “I think the 501(c)(4)’s are likely to outweigh Super PAC spending, because so many donors want to remain anonymous.”