A leaked recording of a private meeting between a senior Mitch McConnell aide and the leaders of prominent conservative groups obtained by The New Yorker reveals that Republicans know Democrats’ major election reform package is “overwhelmingly popular across the political spectrum” according to their own polling — and they have no effective counter-message. But instead of supporting the plan to ban dark money, crack down on political corruption, defend voting rights and promote accurate, secure elections, Republican operatives believe their best strategy is “ignoring the will of American voters and trying to kill the bill.”
During the conference call, McConnell policy adviser Steve Donaldson said: “When it comes to donor privacy, I can’t stress enough how quickly things could get out of hand” — emphasizing the Minority Leader’s “concern about the effects that disclosure requirements would have on fund-raising.” And despite the fact that “a large, very large, chunk of conservatives” are supportive of Democrats’ efforts to fix our democracy and root out corruption in politics, McConnell’s aide assured the conservative groups on the call that McConnell was “not going to back down” from the fight against the bill.
The opposition to yet another piece of legislation with widespread public support — including from Republican voters — is poised to be an additional political liability for GOP Senate candidates in 2022.
“Once again, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans are ignoring the will of the American people to prioritize and protect their corporate special interest allies and ultra-wealthy dark money donors,” said DSCC spokesperson Stewart Boss. “This ‘overwhelmingly popular’ legislation is winning broad support because voters across the political spectrum understand that it’s past time to clean up our political system, crack down on corruption and defend our democracy.”
The New Yorker: Inside the Koch-Backed Effort to Block the Largest Election-Reform Bill in Half a Century
By Jane Meyer
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