Chuck Schumer: Dark Money Web

Chuck Schumer Money Quote saying the Republicans and leader McConnell plotted to capture the courts using right-wing judges installed with dark money. Chuck Schumer said:
 

 

“We’re launching a campaign to highlight how courts — with help from Sen. McConnell & Senate GOP — have been captured by dark money. There’s a twisted web of dark money invested to plant ideological activist judges & rewrite the Constitution” — Chuck Schumer

Chuck Schumer is criticizing how he believes courts have been influenced by “dark money” contributions from undisclosed sources. He is arguing that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republican senators have helped special interest groups capture the courts by appointing judges who will rule based on their ideological preferences, rather than impartiality.

Schumer asserts that these judges are being “planted” through a “twisted web” of dark money funding aimed at rewriting the Constitution to advance certain policy priorities. Overall, he is accusing Republicans of inappropriately influencing the judicial system through secret political donations.

We’re launching a campaign to highlight how courts—with help from Sen. McConnell & Senate GOP—have been captured by dark money.

There's a twisted web of dark money invested to plant ideological activist judges & rewrite the Constitution.#CapturedCourtshttps://t.co/XRfnuAGBch

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) May 27, 2020

Jon Tester: Future is Dark Money

Jon Tester Money Quote saying that if Judge Neil Gorsuch is confirmed to the Supreme Court – dark money will no doubt rule against transparency and accountability. Jon Tester said:
 

 

“If Judge Gorsuch is confirmed, our future will be shaped with dark money” — Jon Tester

In this quote, Jon Tester is referring to Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court. “Dark money” typically refers to unlimited political spending from undisclosed sources. Tester seems to be suggesting that if Gorsuch is confirmed, he will help enable more influence of wealthy special interests and undisclosed donors on political outcomes through rulings on issues like campaign finance and spending in elections.

The overall message is a warning that Tester believes Gorsuch’s presence on the Court will undermine campaign finance reforms and allow more “dark money” to covertly shape policies and laws in a way that favors certain financial backers over the public interest.

Jamie Raskin: Plutocracy Billionaires Cabinet

Jamie Raskin Money Quote saying that seven years after the Jan. 21, 2010 anniversary of Citizens United Supreme Court decision that resulting political dark money in elections has resulted in plutocracy. Jamie Raskin said:
 

 

“Seven years ago, five justices overturned two centuries of jurisprudence to determine that private business corporations enjoy the political free speech rights of the people. Today after hundreds of millions of dollars in dark money have been spent by CEOs in the name of their unwitting shareholders and billionaires act as our new political bosses and cabinet secretaries, we can see what plutocracy looks like” — Jamie Raskin

In this quote, Jamie Raskin appears to be criticizing the impact of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which allowed for unlimited political spending by corporations and unions. He argues this has led to “hundreds of millions of dollars in dark money” being spent in elections against the interests of ordinary shareholders.

By saying “billionaires act as our new political bosses”, Raskin also suggests wealthy donors have gained outsized influence over politicians and policymaking. The best interpretation is that Raskin believes Citizens United has undermined political equality by concentrating power in the hands of major companies and a small number of rich individuals, transitioning the U.S. closer to a “plutocracy” ruled by the wealthy rather than a true democracy.

Overall, the quote presents Raskin’s view that dark money in politics threatens representative government.