A diverse and powerful reform movement must be built, one with strong leadership at the national level and deep roots at the state and community levels.
On January 21, 2010, the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission that corporations’ efforts to publicly communicate their support for or opposition to political candidates are protected under the First Amendment. The ruling undermines 100 years of law that restrained the role of money in the political system and will dramatically alter the playing field for politics in our country. The public is overwhelmingly opposed to the decision and the problem of corporate money in politics has caught the attention of the public, elected officials and opinion leaders more than any time since Watergate. This is a moment of historic opportunity that requires an unprecedented response on the part of the public, law makers, legal teams and advocates -- and grant makers like the Piper Fund who have supported reform -- to reclaim democracy from corporate special interests.