Trending Now - Hawaii Enacts Law to Curb Corporate Political Power Post-citizens United
WHO:
AP News - Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez opposed Hawaii's measure, arguing it will be difficult and costly to defend in court.
ABC News Politics - Hawaii's Democratic governor signed the bill.
ABC News - Tom Moore is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.
WHAT:
AP News - The law redefines corporations in a way that precludes spending on elections.
ABC News Politics - Hawaii enacted a law to curb corporate and "dark money" influence in politics.
ABC News - The law redefines corporations to preclude spending on elections.
ABC News - The campaign finance watchdog group OpenSecrets tracked more than $4 billion in outside political spending in the 2024 federal elections.
ABC News - The Brennan Center for Justice reported a record $1.9 billion in dark money spending in 2024.
WHERE:
ABC News Politics - The law was signed in Honolulu, Hawaii.
ABC News - A volunteer group in Montana is gathering signatures for a similar issue.
WHEN:
ABC News - The law takes effect on July 1, 2027.
ABC News - The Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling occurred in 2010.
WHY:
AP News - Tom Moore stated, “Hawaii is taking a brave and bold step to get corporate and dark money out of America’s politics.”
ABC News - The law aims to reduce the influence of corporations and hard-to-track “dark money” groups in politics.
ABC News - The Citizens United ruling allowed unlimited corporate and union election spending.
HOW:
ABC News - The law uses a novel approach to redefine corporate spending in elections.
(UPDATED May 15, 2026 21:20 UTC)
Hawaii's Attorney General Anne Lopez has voiced opposition to a new measure that redefines corporations in a way that limits their ability to spend on elections, arguing it will be challenging and expensive to defend in court. Supporters of the law, like Tom Moore, believe it represents a courageous effort to eliminate corporate and dark money from American politics. This development highlights the ongoing debate over the influence of money in political campaigns.
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(UPDATED May 15, 2026 13:30 UTC)
Hawaii's Democratic governor has signed a new law aimed at curbing corporate and "dark money" influence in politics, which will take effect on July 1, 2027. This legislation redefines corporations to prevent them from spending on elections, a response to the significant $4 billion in outside political spending tracked during the 2024 federal elections, including a record $1.9 billion in dark money reported by the Brennan Center for Justice. Meanwhile, a volunteer group in Montana is gathering signatures for a similar initiative, highlighting a growing movement to address the challenges posed by the Citizens United ruling that allowed unlimited corporate and union election spending.