WASHINGTON (AFP) US President Barack Obama is weighing an order requiring firms seeking government contracts to disclose their political donations, the White House said Wednesday, drawing Republican outrage.
Obama spokesman Jay Carney denied that the draft measure had any links to the controversial "Citizens United" US Supreme Court ruling that paved the way for unlimited corporate and union spending in US political campaigns.
Critics, chiefly the president's Democratic allies, have denounced the ruling as opening the floodgates to corporate-backed political campaign groups not required to disclose their donors and generally favoring Republicans.
Asked whether the potential order had political motives, Carney replied: "Quite the contrary."
Obama "believes very strongly that taxpayers deserve to know" how contractors use taxpayer dollars and "how they're spending in terms of political campaigns," the spokesman said.
Obama may order contractors to reveal donations - Yahoo! News
Obama spokesman Jay Carney denied that the draft measure had any links to the controversial "Citizens United" US Supreme Court ruling that paved the way for unlimited corporate and union spending in US political campaigns.
Critics, chiefly the president's Democratic allies, have denounced the ruling as opening the floodgates to corporate-backed political campaign groups not required to disclose their donors and generally favoring Republicans.
Asked whether the potential order had political motives, Carney replied: "Quite the contrary."
Obama "believes very strongly that taxpayers deserve to know" how contractors use taxpayer dollars and "how they're spending in terms of political campaigns," the spokesman said.
Obama may order contractors to reveal donations - Yahoo! News
