Mancini's Commentaries

Democrats call on everyone to oppose effort to prevent financial disclosure

The other day I told you about how the Center for Individual Freedom is suing to force Secretary of State Betty Ireland to challenge West Virginia's campaign finance laws that would require the reporting of contributions to the group. Its contributors, the center said, would pull donations if they were disclosed. The group, which wants further limits on on jury awards and restrictions on filing liability cases, is planning ads targeting the state Supreme Court election. Nick Casey, chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party, on Thursday said the party also opposes this circumvention of the finance reporting laws and is urging the Republican Party, GOP Chairman Doug McKinney and candidates for the Supreme Court to oppose it, too. "What do they have to hide? Is the source of their money so controversial or so tainted that disclosing it would call in to question the legitimacy of this group?" Casey said. "And why does this out-of-state organization want to involve itself in the business of a West Virginia judicial election? Is this group hiding the source of its contributions because that source is a litigant before the court? These are questions we'll never know the answer to if this organization is successful in its attempt to circumvent West Virginia law."