Overview
The Truth in Political Spending Act is the disclosure engine of the Citizens Rise plan. It requires real-time transparency when money is spent to influence elections, legislation, or public opinion. If the Clean State Firewall is the gatekeeper, this is the alarm system. It ensures that no group can flood the airwaves, dominate the digital space, or pressure lawmakers without first telling the public who’s really paying for it.
While this system is embedded within the Clean State Firewall, it is also designed to stand on its own. States can pass this law independently, even if the broader firewall reforms are not yet adopted. That makes it a strategic first step — immediately impactful and legally strong.
Key Components
1. Trigger-Based Disclosure Rules
Whenever an individual, organization, or political committee:
- Buys an ad (TV, digital, radio, print, or outdoor) that names or targets a candidate or ballot issue;
- Makes a major contribution to another entity that does;
- Hires lobbyists or consultants to influence pending legislation or regulation…
…and the spending exceeds a defined threshold (e.g., $5,000), this triggers a mandatory disclosure within 24 hours.
2. Disclosure Requirements
Each triggered activity must disclose:
- Real funders (natural persons or entities, not shell orgs)
- Total amount spent or contributed
- Purpose (e.g., oppose Candidate X, support Proposition Y, influence Bill Z)
- Vendors used (to trace the operational pipeline)
Disclosures are posted to a public, real-time, searchable database managed by the state, or by an approved nonpartisan oversight entity.
3. Tagging and Visibility Mandates
All political ads and communications covered by the law must:
- Contain a public tag or watermark (e.g., “Disclosure ID: AZ-4521”)
- Link to a landing page that shows the full disclosure record
This ensures voters are not only told who paid — they’re given a direct path to verify it.
4. Enforcement and Penalties
Entities that fail to comply are subject to:
- Immediate cease-and-desist orders
- Daily fines per undisclosed activity
- Ineligibility for future political spending in the state
- Public blacklisting on the state’s election integrity portal
Legal Precedent and Constitutional Strength
Disclosure laws are among the most consistently upheld campaign finance measures by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Truth in Political Spending Act:
- Does not limit contributions or spending — it only enforces transparency
- Is modeled on federal and state precedents like the FEC ad disclosure rules, California’s FPPC rules, and the BOI rule under the Corporate Transparency Act
- Applies evenly to all entities, avoiding content-based discrimination
This makes it an ideal early-stage reform that is legally safe and politically defensible.
Implementation Model
- Phase 1: Draft model legislation and build a compliance template
- Phase 2: Secure ballot initiative or legislative sponsorship in at least one target state
- Phase 3: Launch the real-time disclosure database (even if manually at first)
- Phase 4: Enforce tagging and vendor traceability rules
This law can function independently or feed directly into a future Clean State Firewall system.
Why It Matters
In modern politics, ads go live in seconds. Influence moves faster than regulation. But this law closes the gap. It tells voters, in real time, who is behind the message they’re seeing, and whether that message is funded by billionaires, corporations, or true grassroots supporters.
Without real-time disclosure, voters are flying blind. With it, they’re back in control.
This is the first strike in reclaiming transparency — and it opens the door to every deeper reform that follows.