Sanders: US campaign finance ‘a national disgrace’

by Jordain Carney - 06/30/15 1:56 PM ET

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is doubling down on his push to undo a Supreme Court decision on campaign spending, suggesting that the fallout from the Citizens United case is “a national disgrace.”

“Elections should be determined by who has the best ideas, not who can hustle the most money from the rich and powerful,” Sanders, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, said in a statement Tuesday. “Unless we end this disastrous campaign finance system, our government will continue to represent the interests of the few at the expense of the many.”

{mosads}The Supreme Court struck down limits on third-party spending on campaigns and candidates in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in 2010.

Sanders supports a constitutional amendment to undo the ruling. He’s also pledged, if elected, to only nominate judges who would back overturning the decision.

Sanders called it “a national disgrace that billionaires and other extremely wealthy people are able to heavily influence the political process.”

“The Koch brothers alone will spend more than the Democratic and Republican parties to influence the outcome of next year’s elections. That’s not democracy, that’s oligarchy,” Sanders added.

The Vermont senator has been a vocal critic of the Supreme Court’s decision.

Ahead of his statement, Sanders sent an email to supporters asking for $3 donations, noting that his campaign has received more than 200,000 donations so far.

He added in the email that, by donating to his presidential campaign, they could “send a powerful message that you have had enough of the billionaire class buying elections.”

Tags Bernie Sanders