Rick Santorum: “If this bill passed, 527s that do only issue advocacy would have to publicly disclose their donors. But other tax-exempt…”

“If this bill passed, 527s that do only issue advocacy would have to publicly disclose their donors. But other tax-exempt groups that do exactly the same kinds of issue ads, such as 501(c)(4)s, such as the Sierra Club, and 501(c)(5)s, such as the AFL-CIO, would not have to publicly disclose their donors. So the problem is, if the idea is to have comprehensive disclosure, we have left out a huge percentage of those who are involved in political activity. The two that I mentioned happen to almost always be in support of candidates on the other side of the aisle. It would also not include the American Trial Lawyers Association. It would not include groups such as Public Citizen, and environmental groups. As I mentioned, organized labor, all of whom would be exempt.”