electronic filing/candidate vulnerability

[Rod Cameron <rodcm@aol.com>]

Sarah, in Iowa the Ethics and Disclosure Board posts summaries of candidate disclosure reports on the internet at each filing deadline.  Those who file electronically speed up that process considerably.  The Board also will send copies of actual reports upon request.  These, of course, list all contributors who have donated more than $25 to a campaign, plus PACs, plus expenses.  Electronically filed reports are simply available to the public quicker-- so opponents get to take political advantage of any person or group on the list of contributors and the amount they gave by attacking them in late campaign ads.  In election years, candidates in Iowa file more or less quarterly.  The last filing is one week before the election.  Handwritten reports simply won't be accessible that final week, and electronic ones will.  I hope this clarifies my point.  In Iowa, there are groups asking candidates to sign a pledge to file electronically as a matter of ethical integrity.  I did so.  And would again.  But the advantage goes to those who slow the process with hand written reports.