Rehberg calls transparency ‘unnecessarily difficult’

July 9, 2012

Unlike Jon Tester, Congressman Rehberg opposes campaign spending disclosure

MISSOULA, Mont. – Calling campaign transparency “unnecessarily difficult,” Congressman Dennis Rehberg opposes efforts to require disclosure of political spending.

Rehberg’s refusal to support transparency in campaign spending is a sharp contrast to Montana farmer Jon Tester who, like most Montanans, supports transparency in government and elections.

Monday’s Lee Newspapers report that although Rehberg claims to support campaign disclosure, the 12-year Congressman “has not advanced or supported any proposal to force this disclosure, and voted against the Disclose Act in 2010.”

Unlike Rehberg, Tester has always voted for and supported the Disclose Act.  The bill would require special interest groups to name their top donors and to report all campaign expenditures over $10,000 within 24 hours.

“Transparency is a Montana value which is why Jon has a record of voting for more transparency whenever and wherever he can—even when everyone else says it’s difficult,” said Montanans for Tester spokesman Aaron Murphy.  “It’s no surprise Congressman Rehberg thinks holding himself accountable to Montanans is too ‘unnecessarily difficult.’   That’s what happens when you forget who you work for after 12 years in Washington.”

Not only is Rehberg against campaign transparency, he has also failed to be transparent with his own political fundraising.

Rehberg hid $25,000 he took from registered lobbyists in 2011 and in May, he failed to submit his own fundraising report to the Federal Elections Commission.

Rehberg also embraces the U.S Supreme Court’s unpopular Citizens United decision, which allows special interests to secretly spend unlimited money in elections.

Rehberg even earned an endorsement last fall from Citizens United, the plaintiff in the case.

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