Exposing Dark Money at Town Meeting

 "'Enough is enough  .... We're seeing an unprecedented level of off-Cape and off-Island interests trying to sway voters one way or another most of the time for either an interest group or a set of individual peoples personal and financial gain ... "

 — State Sen. Julian Cyr

Massachusetts State Senator, Cape & Islands

What is the Town Meeting loophole?

 Massachusetts' campaign finance laws turn 50 this November - and two state elected officials from Cape Cod want to close a surprising loophole that left political activity at Town Meetings out of the financial disclosure requirements.

Triggered in part by the surge in PAC-style funding driving warrant article lobbying, State Sen. Julian Cyr from Truro and State Rep. Dylan Fernandes from Falmouth have filed a bill to close the loophole and make Town Meeting political activity subject to the same reporting requirement as other political activity.

What is Dark Money?

Dark Money refers to .political and campaign spending whose source can't be identified. It aligns closely with the practice of political action committees and similar organizations using a shell name to lobby for a particular outcome. For example, a group of fossil fuel advocates might fight against rebate funds for alternative fuels under the name  "Citizens for Equal Transportation Rights." Without campaign finance disclosure laws, voters won't know that viewpoints expressed actually represent the fossil fuel industry which has a vested interest in the outcome as they listen to the arguments.

What will the proposed bill do?

The bill proposed by State Sen. Julian Cyr and State Re. Dylan Fernandes will simply make Town Meeting political activity subject to the same financial disclosure requirements that other political activity must follow.

Why is there a Town Meeting loophole?

Cyr says that lawmakers created what has become  Chapter 55 of the Massachusetts General Laws 50 years ago, they didn't anticipate the type of political activity now seen at local Town Meeting and didn't address it in the legislation.  However, the past few years have seen a rise in this type of activity, along with undisclosed funding for lobbying for or against Town Meeting articles.

For more information:

• Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance
• An Act Relative to Dark Money in Local Government