Jimmy Carter: Citizens United Is Destroying Democracy

He slams Citizens United ruling
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 12, 2012 2:10 AM CDT
Carter: Money Is Destroying US Democracy
Jimmy Carter speaks at the Carter Center in Atlanta yesterday.   (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

America now has one of the "worst election processes in the world" because of an influx of cash from secret, wealthy donors, Jimmy Carter says. The "financial corruption" ruining US democracy has been made worse by the Citizens United ruling allowing unlimited anonymous contributions to third-party groups, the former president said in a speech at the human rights center he founded, adding that he hopes the Supreme Court will "reverse that stupid ruling," AP reports.

Carter praised Mexico and other countries with publicly financed elections, saying the US should rely on a similar system. A system for publicly financed presidential elections still exists, but candidates now choose to avoid using taxpayer money because they can raise more on their own. "You know how much I raised to run against Gerald Ford? Zero," Carter said. "You know how much I raised to run against Ronald Reagan? Zero. You know how much will be raised this year by all presidential, Senate, and House campaigns? $6 billion. That's 6,000 millions." (More Jimmy Carter stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X