Thomas is retiring next week after 36 years on the job, and he has a dire warning for those who would ignore the rot caused this kind of undisclosed influence. At its center, according to Thomas, is it’s effect on public trust. From the Detroit Free Press
"It's certainly not a big issue on people's lists, about soft money or dark money, but the root of all this stuff is that the policies that are being made in Washington and Lansing are certainly influenced by people who contribute large sums of money," Thomas told the Free Press in an interview ahead of his retirement next Friday.
Thomas, 67, who worked under one Democratic and three Republican secretaries of state, speaks as someone who earned respect —- if not always agreement — from representatives of both parties.
Thomas has been on the inside of campaign finance for most of his career. He’s seen firsthand the damage caused by the increasingly large amounts of dark money flowing into campaign coffers. He goes on to highlight the most basic problem with allowing these big money donors to remain anonymous
Money spent in Michigan's 2014 general election included at least $13.5 million for which no donor was publicly reported, including $5.7 million spent in the gubernatorial race, $4.7 million in the Michigan Supreme Court campaign, and $3.1 million spent in the attorney general race, according to the Michigan Campaign Finance Network. Thomas said it's "absurd" to suggest elected officials won't know the source of such money benefiting their campaigns.
"Candidates are fully aware of who these people are, and if they're not, the lobbyists will make sure they are as the legislative session begins," he said.
It doesn't necessarily mean there's anything untoward going on, but a lack of transparency breeds public suspicion and cynicism, and "public disclosure puts everything on the table," he said.
If you ask me one of the biggest hurdles Dems must face right now is the erosion of public trust. Reagan was dead wrong, and smart government can in fact make the people’s lot better. But people have to trust it first. People have to believe that government is working for them in order for it to work at all.
And when unknown persons/corporate entities/Godknowswho can freely influence our government officials, and remain unknown, that trust will clearly suffer.
When people think their government is bought and paid for by someone else then they will wash their hands of it.
Which of course leaves Republicans cackling like mad.