'The Montana Plan'

Following the Money 2024

Another notebookLM media presentation on money in our 2024 elections

The Montana Plan Explainer

An updated notebookLM presntation of The Montana Plan

TEI Files Appeal of MT AG Legal Sufficiency Determination with Montana Supreme Court

On November 3, 2025, the Transparent Election Initiative filed our appeal of the Montana AG’s legal sufficiency decision with the Montana Supreme Court.

The Lever | The Montana Plan to Kill Citizens United

Transparent Election Initiative, Montana’s new proposal to purge dark money from the state, which could potentially rewrite national politics

The Montana Plan is at Great Conversations 2025 November 19

Helena Education Foundation Great Conversations 2025! November 19th. Join us at 'The Montana Plan' table! Votes, Values, and Vision group of topics!

Virtual Only TEI The Montana Plan Wednesday November 12

Virtual Only TEI The Montana Plan Monday November 24

Open Secrets | Most Americans see unlimited election spending as a threat to democracy

The vast majority of Americans — no matter their partisan identification — say unlimited political spending weakens democracy and wealthy donors have too much power in elections

Issue One | New polling illuminates how the Supreme Court got Citizens United wrong

New polling commissioned by Issue One and conducted this month by YouGov reveals that overwhelming majorities of Americans — and Montanans — broadly believe that large-scale political spending by corporations, dark money groups, and wealthy donors undermines democracy, creates the appearance of corruption, and reduces trust in government.

Daily Montanan | National poll shows support for Montana-based solution to Citizens United

Mangan stressed that although the issues and even solutions have varied, limiting the influence of money in politics is part of the state’s historical tradition, stretching back to 1912 when Montana voters demanded the “Corrupt Practices Act” which gave citizens more political power even at a time of Copper Kings and a notoriously weak first state constitution. “There’s a consistency there because it treats everyone the same,” Mangan said. “No gimmicks, no loopholes.”

MTFP | TEI to Challenge AG Review Finding

“A legal-sufficiency review is a technical gatekeeping function,” Mangan wrote in a Monday email to MTFP. “The memo strays into policy and predictive litigation arguments that go beyond that role.”

American Prospect | Montanans Go After Citizens United

But it’s Montanans who are now putting forth an ingenious ballot measure that, while it wouldn’t legally overturn that ruling (the Roberts Court would never consider such a thing), would negate its consequences nonetheless.

Maggie Daun | Busting Dark Money with Montana’s Bold Move

By redefining corporate powers, states can reclaim democracy from dark money's grip. It's a game-changer, and Maggie urges Wisconsinites to demand legislative action.

TBP | Could We End Corporate Money in Politics

Montana is pushing forward with a novel approach that could leverage the traditional power of the states to regulate corporations. It’s called the “Montana Plan,” and it’s starting to garner attention

The Corporate Power Reset that makes Citizens United Irrelevant

to strike down a state’s decision to not grant a power to corporations, courts would need to unmake a vast expanse of settled precedent establishing that corporations have only the powers bestowed by state law.

NYT | Silicon Valley Pledges $200 Million to New Pro-A.I. Super PACs

The group, which will technically be a collection of several political dark-money nonprofits and super PACs

Christian Science Monitor | As campaign spending flows unchecked, some states are trying to impose limits

“We have the history to lead on this,” says Jeff Mangan

Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance | Transparent Election Initiative

Corporations have only the powers that states give them—no more. States stopped being choosy about the powers they granted to their corporations in the mid-1800s. But every single state retained the authority to be as choosy as they like. Every single state retains the authority to decide to no longer grant its corporations the power to spend in politics.

TEI | Montana Constitutional Initiative with Annotations