In Op-Ed, Law Prof Lawrence Lessig Backs ‘Grubstake’ Campaign Finance Bill
Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig says a bill that promotes publicly funded election campaigns could help restore public trust in government.
In a Washington Post column, Lessig writes that laws limiting campaign contributions haven’t worked as intended, leading to cynicism and the belief that “money buys results in Congress.” He’s backing a bill called the Fair Elections Now Act that offers candidates a way to fund their campaigns with a 4-to-1 match for contributions capped at $100. The bill, approved by a House committee last week, “would ensure qualifying candidates a sufficient grubstake to wage an effective opening campaign,” Lessig says.
“Our Framers intended a Congress ‘dependent upon the People alone,’ ” Lessig writes. “We instead have a Congress dependent upon ‘the Funders’ primarily. Whether or not it buys us fairness, the Fair Elections Now Act would at least offer the possibility of trust: trust that money is not unduly influencing the results.”
Lessig switched his focus to campaign finance law a few years ago after developing an expertise in Internet legal issues.
