Remember, Liberals, You Used to Like Anonymous Donors
The Supreme Court’s rejection of California disclosure rules shouldn’t be seen as a debacle for progressive ideals.
Free to hide.
Photographer: Tim RobbertsOnce upon a time, American liberals thought that people should be allowed to donate money to charities anonymously to protect them from retaliation for supporting controversial causes. Now it’s conservatives who want to preserve donor privacy, in keeping with their skepticism of campaign finance laws that require disclosure.
On Thursday the Supreme Court sided with 1950s liberals and contemporary conservatives, striking down a California law that required charities to disclose the names of the largest donors. The outcome is important because of its implications for campaign-finance law. And it is striking because it shows how the politics of anonymity and nondisclosure have flipped.