Media

Foggy Bottom Line Podcast | Campaign Finance and The Montana Plan

Grounded Podcast | The Montana Plan

We broke it all down with Mangan, including the legal hurdles still facing the initiative, what opponents are saying, and how to get an effort like this started in other states

Robert Reich | How to get rid of Citizens United

Hopefully, Montanans will lead the way.

Pete Buttigieg Addressing Money and Power

A very conservative place like Montana is trying to address this through attention to what a corporation can and can't do, because that's actually decided at the state level

Truthout | Montana Has an Ambitious Plan to End Dark Money in Elections

That plan is the basis of the Transparent Election Initiative’s constitutional amendment as a ballot measure to be put before Montana voters in 2026. The measure asks voters whether or not their state should redefine corporate charters to disallow spending in elections.

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

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

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.