Members of the Central Jersey Chapter of Represent.Us will feature a film titled, “Dark Money” as part of an event to highlight the group’s efforts to get dark money out of state politics.
On Feb. 10, residents in the Princeton area will be able to learn about the group and their mission at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton.
The event is free for those who attend and will take place from 2-5 p.m.
According to the their website, they are “a part of a non-partisan national organization Represent.Us that pursues to reform for corruption, gerrymandering, ethics and transparency laws.”
“This event is a part of our program as public education on issues that we think are essential to deal with as threats against our democracy,” said David Goodman, team leader and spokesman for the chapter. “This particular film could not be more timely in terms of the things that are happening in New Jersey.”
One of the things happening that Goodman alluded to was the chapter gathering support for a bill S-1500, which is centered around campaign finance reform. It would mean that independent organizations who engage in any election or nomination would have to reveal their donors. The bill unanimously passed through the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and also passed on the Senate floor.
“To end secret money has been our focus for the last three years. We have moved forward on getting legislators on board, in both houses and on both sides, to bring towns together and pass resolutions imploring their legislators to take action on this,” Goodman said.
There is a similar bill to S-1500 being worked on in the Assembly as well. A-1524 is still pending in the Assembly State and Local Government Committee.
A-1524 would require independent organizations to reveal donors, will raise certain campaign contribution limits and repeals a ban on certain intraparty fund transfers.
Thirty people have already signed up for the “Dark Money” screening. Goodman said he hopes to fill the theater in the church with as many as 50 people.
“This event is the next step in our teams plan to continue the support. We hope that the many people who will be in attendance will want to continue to meet with us again,” he said.
The chapter has received support from eight townships and municipalities including: Princeton, Ewing Township, South Brunswick Township, Lawrence Township, West Windsor Township, Cranbury Township, Hopewell Township, and the Borough of Raritan.
The group started in 2013 and Goodman has been team leader from the beginning.
“I want people to stay engaged,” he said. “I want them to know that the threats to our democracy are real and imminent. We won’t be able to get a handle on issues until we get a handle on the money that is corrupting.”
For more information about Represent.Us, visit www.represent.us. For more information regarding the screening of “Dark Money,” contact David Goodman at [email protected].