FSFP Legal Director Ron Fein joined John Iadarola on The Damage Report to discuss Seattle’s proposed legislation to end foreign-influenced corporate political spending and super PACs in local elections. 

“The legislation has two main parts. One of them is to define a foreign-influenced corporation as one that has a percentage of foreign investment as small as one percent from a single foreign investor and say that those cannot spend any money at all in Seattle city elections…The other component of the legislation says that nobody, corporation or otherwise, can give more than $5,000 to a super PAC.” said Fein. “These offer a powerful rebuke to corporate political activity in Seattle.”

Based on model legislation drafted by Free Speech For People, a local bill has been sponsored by Seattle Councilmember Lorena González and supported by the local advocacy group Fix Democracy First. A similar ordinance has been put into effect in St. Petersburg, FL.

“In St. Petersburg, the public…were very clear and very strong that they wanted the elections in St. Petersburg to be for the people of St. Petersburg and not to be driven by large donations from wealthy and corporate interests,” said Fein. 

Watch the entire conversation here.