Citizens United for Transparency today proposed a single, nonpartisan funding-disclosure standard that would apply equally to every organization that spends money to influence public decisions about infrastructure — supporters and opponents alike.
Debates over data centers, energy facilities, housing, and transportation increasingly feature well-funded advocacy on every side. Too often, residents and local officials cannot tell who is paying for the campaigns, mailers, appeals, and litigation shaping decisions in their communities. Transparency should not depend on which side a group is on.
“A disclosure rule that only applies to people you disagree with isn’t transparency — it’s a weapon,” the organization said. “We are asking for the opposite: one clear standard, applied to everyone, so the public can weigh arguments knowing who funded them.”
The organization is urging state legislatures and local governments to adopt a model standard that would:
- Require any organization spending above a modest threshold to influence a specific infrastructure decision to disclose its major funding sources on the public record.
- Apply the same rule to project supporters, project opponents, trade groups, and outside intermediaries — without exception.
- Cover organized appeals, litigation, paid canvassing, and advertising tied to a pending permit, ballot measure, or land-use decision.
- Provide a simple, low-cost filing process so small genuine grassroots groups are not burdened, while larger and outside-funded campaigns are visible.
Citizens United for Transparency emphasized that the proposal is content-neutral: it takes no position on whether any given project should proceed, only on the public’s right to know who is funding the effort to shape the outcome. The organization welcomes partners across the political spectrum who share the view that disclosure strengthens, rather than silences, public debate.
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Note on sources and fairness. This release states the policy positions and recommendations of Citizens United for Transparency. It does not allege that any specific person or organization has engaged in unlawful conduct. Where public reports or official proceedings are referenced, they are linked or attributed and reflect those sources, not independent findings by this organization. All individuals and organizations are presumed innocent unless and until proven otherwise.
About Citizens United for Transparency
Citizens United for Transparency is a nonpartisan watchdog dedicated to exposing dark money, foreign influence, and undisclosed funding in policy debates affecting national security and economic growth. It collaborates with other transparency organizations to gather information and promote disclosure.
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