Yesterday, Ted Nesi wrote a story about an out of state political organization, the Mid America Group Inc. who has still not properly filled out their campaign disclosure forms with the state’s Board of Elections. They are out of compliance with a 2012 law that Common Cause’s John Marion pushed for where organizations now have 24 hours to disclose their donors, instead of the previous requirement of 7 days.

However, in seeing how many of Rhode Island’s past and current elected officials also violate campaign finance laws (quick aside, why is June the most recent public report? It’s election season!) with what seems like no repercussions, why would an out of state group care to follow the law?

If the lawmakers aren’t going to put any real teeth into the campaign finance law, then it will be ignored. I’m a little surprised that the others are following the law. I’m not advocating for anyone to break the law, I think everyone should follow the law, and I appreciate all the hard work that Common Cause RI does. But if the lawmakers aren’t going to make the laws include an actual punishment that is enforceable, we may see more of this going forward.

How could it be enforced? Why not make it easy to stop advertising by groups that don’t have their proper disclosures done? Make it easy for advertisers to check whether their ad buyers are in compliance, by making that easy to find on the Board of Elections web site. If the compliance isn’t done and the law isn’t followed, the ads don’t run. I’m not someone who wants “more government”, but do we want this option or do we want just anyone to be able to come in to Rhode Island and run any ads they want with any donors that they want? Maybe the latter is a First Amendment right to some, and I’m not someone who is smart enough to evaluate the differences between the Citizens United decision and some other current campaign finance laws.

So yeah, everyone should follow the law of the state they’re conducting business in but until the elected leaders also follow all the laws, and make them actually enforceable, we shouldn’t be surprised when others don’t as well.