Oklahoma can bring dark money into the light

Oklahoma voters this election cycle have been bombarded with outrageous political mailers, turning elections into a contest of sensational attacks — and it’s time we demand something simple: if someone spends thousands to influence our votes, we deserve to know who’s paying for it.

During the primaries, candidates were accused of almost everything except stealing Christmas. Most attacks didn’t come from the candidates themselves, but from outside groups with vague names that gave voters little idea who funded the message.

Federal court decisions made it harder to limit independent political spending. Congress also doesn’t seem likely to address money flowing through groups that hide funding sources.

Luckily, Oklahoma doesn’t have to wait for Washington to act.

Montana offers a good example. Its campaign finance laws don’t stop outside groups from joining elections, but focus on disclosure. 

Montana requires disclosure for messages mentioning candidates near an election, even if they don’t directly say “vote for” or “vote against.” These messages must also say who paid for them. Campaign finance reports help voters track more of the money in elections.

The idea is simple. You have the right to speak, but you shouldn’t have the right to hide who is paying you to say it.

Oklahoma could build on that idea.

Lawmakers could strengthen disclosure rules for groups spending heavily to influence state elections. They could require clearer “paid for by” labels, and faster reporting in the final weeks, when voters need information most.

Oklahoma could also make it easier to search campaign finance information. Transparency doesn’t help if finding out who paid for a political ad takes hours of searching through reports and shell companies.

None of these changes would end negative campaigning, stop wealthy groups from spending, or keep organizations from criticizing officials or candidates. These steps would simply give voters more information about who is trying to influence them.

We all value free speech, but democracy loses meaning when political voices hide in the shadows. Openness is the foundation of trust.

Oklahomans shouldn’t have to play detective to find out who paid for the attack ad in their mailbox.

While Washington might be high-centered on campaign finance reform, Oklahoma can still act.