Identifying fossil fuel free political campaigns by Team AWD Flagstaff
 Alexander Hurley Aug 25, 2017 01:20  | Really cool idea! I look forward to the day that there is a major political campaign free of fossil fuel money. There is one issue that comes to mind: How would candidates deal with SuperPACs that use subtle tactics to hide donor lists? There have been instances where a donor contributes to a SuperPAC just before an election and before a future reporting period. The candidate would have no way of knowing that donation until after the votes are tallied.
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 Don Bayles Sep 8, 2017 07:51  | Proposal contributor Thank you for your insightful comment. Yes, there would be a challenge associated with dark, super pac money. We would ask those who would seek to hold themselves out as candidates free from fossil fuel funds to sign a commitment. That document would confirm that he or she would disown and repudiate any financial support from fossil fuel interests. Mailings or support from super pacs would be matters requiring the candidate's attention. If he or she identified any indicia of fossil fuel funding, he or she would be expected to disassociate the campaign from such reputed support. There would be a possibility for a wire-around, though, as you outline. A measure of good faith would be required here and the idea would not be to put together a perfect system, but to give candidates a means by which they could credibly hold themselves out as being non fossil fuel funded. Thanks again for an excellent comment, Alexander! |
Don Bayles Nov 5, 2017 04:47 | Proposal contributor In addition, due diligence would be required of candidates seeking F5/fossil fuel free status. That diligence would require execution of an affidavit affirming that a public statement had issued. That statement would include an averment that the candidate was not aware of any indirect fossil fuel support through super pac means and would ask that no such funds should be expended in such an effort. If such support was brought to the attention of the campaign, the candidate would be obligated to either surrender the F5 certificate of fossil fuel free status or immediately publicly disown the proffered support of a fossil fuel contributor through dark money/super pac means. The emphasis of eligibility would be on substance, not form. An aggrieved applicant would be provided a means of written appeal from any adverse decision, but the ruling on appeal, issued by an umpire selected among volunteer former superior court judges would be final. |
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