Bill would bring greater disclosure to fundraising by sitting presidents, which currently resembles the ‘Wild West’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 11, 2016
Press contact: Daniel Schuman, 202.577.6100
Email: [email protected]
Washington, DC — Today the House of Representatives passed the Presidential Library Donation Reform Act, which if enacted would bring into the light hundreds of millions of dollars raised by sitting presidents for libraries that serve as monuments to their time in office and the foundation of their post-presidential activities. The secret donations are unlimited and come from any source, foreign or domestic, and have given rise to scandals where officials barter access to the president for donations or allegedly trade presidential pardons for cash. The following statement can be attributed to Demand Progress Policy Director Daniel Schuman, who has advocated for the legislation:
“The Presidential Library Donation Reform Act would require prompt disclosure of donors and donations, bringing commonsense reform to a fundraising situation that currently resembles the Wild West — where raising a billion dollars is an actual fundraising goal for sitting presidents,” said Schuman. “A companion measure is ready for a vote in the Senate, and we urge the upper chamber to act promptly and send this bill to the president.”
Resources:
- Demand Progress blog post: Presidential Libraries: The Billion Dollar Cash Grab
- Summary of scandals related to presidential library fundraising
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