Mitch McConnell: Disclosure of who pays for political advertising is harassment

MCCONNELL: Now, to most people the idea of disclosure sounds perfectly reasonable. and throughout my career I, too, have consistently called for full and timely disclosure for all contributions to candidates and parties. Candidates and to parties. But what we’re talking about here is entirely different. What this bill calls for is government-compelled disclosure of contributions to all grassroots groups, which is far more dangerous than its proponents are willing to admit. Because disclosure is forced upon some but not all, it’s not an act of good government. It’s a political weapon. And that’s precisely what those who are pushing this legislation have in mind. This is nothing less than an effort by the government itself to expose its critics to harassment and intimidation, either by government authorities or through third-party allies, and that should concern every one of us. Those pushing the DISCLOSE Act have a simple view: if the Supreme Court is no longer willing to limit the speech of those who oppose their agenda, we’ll find other ways to do it.