New Study Shows How Corporate Interest And Lobbyists Are Negatively Influencing Our Judicial Elections
Most Americans realize, and have come to lament, the negative role that money plays in the elections of our legislative and executive branches. However, in the past few years big business interests have started pumping millions of dollars into state judicial races. A new report, found http://newpoliticsreport.org/, has highlighted the growing influence of corporate interest and lobbyists in our state judicial elections. The study was completed by New York University Law School’s Brennan Center for Justice, the National Institute on Money in State Politics, and the Justice at Stake Campaign, a non-partisan reform group.
Overall the study revealed that a small number of "big players" are spending large amounts of money to ensure the judges they want are elected, and ultimately hear their cases. Big business and corporate lobbyists are at the top of the list, but there also many unidentified donors because many states have very weak disclosure laws that allow large donors to go unidentified.
Citizens across the country should care greatly about this growing problem. The judicial branch is one of the last branches of government that has not been completely influenced by corporate money and lobbyists. If the trend continues it is going to make it extremely difficult for regular citizens to ever have a fair shake in a court of law.
