The U.S. Chamber of Commerce claims that a draft executive order being considered by the Obama administration would be an assault on free speech. The proposed order would require federal contractors to disclose donations to third party groups. But many of the companies affiliated with the Chamber have extolled the values of disclosure and already publicly reveal their donations voluntarily.Aetna, for example, discloses their contributions to trade associations with dues over $50,000 or more. It also reveals what portion of those dues are allocated to non-deductible lobbying. Dell does not usually make payments to trade associations that are designed for political purposes beyond its normal dues, but has a policy of disclosing the information on their website when they do.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=111082