A consortium of 56 of the biggest corporations in America, including ExxonMobil, Shell Oil, and BP have united to spend over $500,000 in just a single local election to defeat Betsy Butler, running for the California State Assembly in the 53rd district. She’s supported by environmental groups. How is the consortium doing it? By linking her to big oil.
Fliers for the June 8 primary have been relentlessly pouring into district mailboxes, screaming that Betsy Butler is in the pocket of big oil, drug and insurance companies. The front organization is The Civil Justice Association of California (bringing “balance” to the justice system), operating for this campaign out of Unit 436 at a local Mailboxes Etc. It makes me wonder if they’re also bilking Medicare on the side for durable medical equipment.
From Nell Minow, “The Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United gave free rein to corporate ‘speech’ in politics but it did not require them to tell us who is behind it. That kind of ‘free speech’ is going to prove very expensive for democracy.” (The Betsy Butler Smear: It Gets Even Worse, The Huffington Post, 6/1/10) Who’s trying to buy your local election?
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