--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A lot of the Citizens United problem…" description: "\"A lot of the Citizens United problem could be solved if we knew where the money came from for all these ads. The companies create these entities with f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/sheldon-whitehouse-3144_citizens-united_a-lot-of-the-citizens-united-problem-cou_319466.jpg" --- # A lot of the Citizens United problem could be solved if we… ![“A lot of the Citizens United problem could be solved if we knew where the money came from for all these ads. The companies create these entities with fake names - like 'Citizens for Nice Puppies' - which means that the sources of the money are unaccountable.” quote by Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/sheldon-whitehouse-3144_citizens-united_a-lot-of-the-citizens-united-problem-cou_319466.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/sheldon-whitehouse-3144_citizens-united_a-lot-of-the-citizens-united-problem-cou_319466.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/sheldon-whitehouse-3144_citizens-united_a-lot-of-the-citizens-united-problem-cou_319466.jpg) > “A lot of the Citizens United problem could be solved if we knew where the money came from for all these ads. The companies create these entities with fake names - like 'Citizens for Nice Puppies' - which means that the sources of the money are unaccountable.” [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Undisclosed money behind political ads undermines transparency; exposing donors would reduce influence. **In simple terms:** Hidden money in ads is a problem. Key Takeaway Demand donor disclosure. Themes politics transparency campaign finance Mood concerned critical Type political advocacy When to use this quote - election campaigns - media buying - policy reform Key Concepts money trails political advertising accountability Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms can enforce donor transparency? - How does anonymity affect voter trust? A Different Perspective Legal challenges may limit disclosure requirements. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Citizens united](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens-united/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [I was at a dinner party with a group of people, and we were talking about fake names. You know, how its difficult to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rudd/i-was-at-a-dinner-party-with-a-group-of-people-and-we-were-talking/) [Paul Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rudd/) > [“Chase after money and the stuggering race will never end; but reach out for successful ideas and the sources of money will chase after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/chase-after-money-and-the-stuggering-race-will-never-end-but-reach/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [There aren't many sources of money in San Diego, apart from local partnerships and local investors. It's pretty starkly polarized to Silicon Valley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jurvetson/there-aren-t-many-sources-of-money-in-san-diego-apart-from-local/) [Steve Jurvetson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jurvetson/) > [It's disingenuous to... pretend the sources of our money don't impact the policy we write - you just can't serve two masters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/it-s-disingenuous-to-pretend-the-sources-of-our-money-don-t-impact/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [Those false promises is much like fake names you painted a picture for me but there was no frame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-hudson/those-false-promises-is-much-like-fake-names-you-painted-a-picture/) [Jennifer Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-hudson/) > [“For all intents and purposes, we’ll pretend this is a date. We’re going out to dinner and I suppose the place has a dance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-tenorio/for-all-intents-and-purposes-we-ll-pretend-this-is-a-date-we-re-going/) [Dee Tenorio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-tenorio/) > [Fake names in facebook is like a cosplay costume put on for unreal reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agou/fake-names-in-facebook-is-like-a-cosplay-costume-put-on-for-unreal/) [Agou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agou/) > [People hide behind fake names to tweet negative comments, and I hate that. If you have something to say, own up to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesaro/people-hide-behind-fake-names-to-tweet-negative-comments-and-i-hate/) [Cesaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesaro/) > [Legislation to level the playing field for working families is dead on arrival in the Citizens United Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/legislation-to-level-the-playing-field-for-working-families-is-dead/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Millions upon millions of secret spending by the fossil fuel industry that was unleashed by the disastrous 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/millions-upon-millions-of-secret-spending-by-the-fossil-fuel-industry/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Citizens United provided unprecedented political weaponry to big special interests. My personal view was it was calculated to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/citizens-united-provided-unprecedented-political-weaponry-to-big/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [The dreadful decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission was the culmination of the Republican appointees' careful work to open American politics to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/the-dreadful-decision-in-citizens-united-vs-federal-election/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Citizens United is a disgrace of a decision, holding that corporate money is corporate speech and entitled to the same First Amendment protection as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/citizens-united-is-a-disgrace-of-a-decision-holding-that-corporate/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [We have to end Citizens United, and we have to do it united as a people. If we don't do it, our system is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/we-have-to-end-citizens-united-and-we-have-to-do-it-united-as-a/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [Citizens United didn't work. Hey, Koch brothers, Karl Rove, Shellgame Adelson: Democracy trumps money sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/citizens-united-didn-t-work-hey-koch-brothers-karl-rove-shellgame/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) ## More by Sheldon Whitehouse > [How arrogant - how very far from humility - would be the self-satisfied, smug assurance that God, a tidy-up-after-us God will come and clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/how-arrogant-how-very-far-from-humility-would-be-the-self-satisfied/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Muzzling our leading scientists benefits no one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/muzzling-our-leading-scientists-benefits-no-one/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Make your life your work, not your talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/make-your-life-your-work-not-your-talk/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Citizens United is a disgrace of a decision, holding that corporate money is corporate speech and entitled to the same First Amendment protection as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/citizens-united-is-a-disgrace-of-a-decision-holding-that-corporate/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [We must unequivocally reject any cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/we-must-unequivocally-reject-any-cuts-to-social-security-or-medicare/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Implementing the so-called 'Buffett Rule' would restore some badly needed fairness to our tax system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/implementing-the-so-called-buffett-rule-would-restore-some-badly/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [To be clear, I don't know whether the fossil fuel industry and its allies engaged in the same kind of racketeering activity as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/to-be-clear-i-don-t-know-whether-the-fossil-fuel-industry-and-its/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [The fossil fuel industry has taken control of, and powered up, architecture and methods originally built by the tobacco industry and others to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/the-fossil-fuel-industry-has-taken-control-of-and-powered-up/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Getting past the influence of the fossil fuel industry will take courage, especially on the part of the Republican majority whom they so relentlessly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/getting-past-the-influence-of-the-fossil-fuel-industry-will-take/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [We have seen the big loan servicers drag their feet in the Obama administration's well-intentioned mortgage modification program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/we-have-seen-the-big-loan-servicers-drag-their-feet-in-the-obama/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [We are here to do God's work. He's not here to do ours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/we-are-here-to-do-god-s-work-he-s-not-here-to-do-ours/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Talking to my Senate Republican colleagues about climate change is like talking to prisoners about escaping. The conversations are often private, even furtive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/talking-to-my-senate-republican-colleagues-about-climate-change-is/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [If everyone on the Court always voted for the prosecution against the defendant, for the corporation against the plaintiffs, and for the government against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/if-everyone-on-the-court-always-voted-for-the-prosecution-against-the/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [These core principles - helping patients, preventing medical errors, promoting best practices and improving quality - are the reasons that health IT is featured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/these-core-principles-helping-patients-preventing-medical-errors/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [The Heartland Institute is about as biased as they come, and it's funded by the likes of Exxon and the Koch brothers. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/the-heartland-institute-is-about-as-biased-as-they-come-and-it-s/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) [Explore all 138 Sheldon Whitehouse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) ## More Citizens united quotes > [Citizens United didn't work. Hey, Koch brothers, Karl Rove, Shellgame Adelson: Democracy trumps money sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/citizens-united-didn-t-work-hey-koch-brothers-karl-rove-shellgame/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [Citizens United is a disgrace of a decision, holding that corporate money is corporate speech and entitled to the same First Amendment protection as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/citizens-united-is-a-disgrace-of-a-decision-holding-that-corporate/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [We have to end Citizens United, and we have to do it united as a people. If we don't do it, our system is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/we-have-to-end-citizens-united-and-we-have-to-do-it-united-as-a/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [I voted fror Trump because I genuinely thought that Hillary Clinton was a threat to the American experiment. I usually do not talk in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-klavan/i-voted-fror-trump-because-i-genuinely-thought-that-hillary-clinton/) [Andrew Klavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-klavan/) > [Hillary Clinton will nominate justices to the Supreme Court who are prepared to overturn Citizens United and end the movement toward oligarchy that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/hillary-clinton-will-nominate-justices-to-the-supreme-court-who-are/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [As a result of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, American democracy is being undermined by the ability of the Koch brothers and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/as-a-result-of-the-citizens-united-supreme-court-decision-american/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [The first case I sat on... was Citizens United. Talk about being thrown in. Needless to say, if I was scared before, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/the-first-case-i-sat-on-was-citizens-united-talk-about-being-thrown/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [In the last presidential election Obama and Romney raised about $1 billion each. The Koch brothers, the second wealthiest family in America, now say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/in-the-last-presidential-election-obama-and-romney-raised-about-1/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [If the need for comprehensive campaign finance reform was not already clear, the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United permitting unlimited corporate and union…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-k-simpson/if-the-need-for-comprehensive-campaign-finance-reform-was-not-already/) [Alan K. Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-k-simpson/) > [For the first 200 years of our nation's history, corporations were never defined by the courts as persons with free speech rights under the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonifaz/for-the-first-200-years-of-our-nation-s-history-corporations-were/) John Bonifaz > [In order to preserve our democracy we must come together to end the corrupting influence of money in politics - and we cannot do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-phillips/in-order-to-preserve-our-democracy-we-must-come-together-to-end-the/) [Dean Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-phillips/) > [With Citizens United, the Supreme Court's declaration that corporations are people, the whims of one can silence the voices of millions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-pelosi/with-citizens-united-the-supreme-court-s-declaration-that/) [Christine Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-pelosi/) > [I would want to see the Supreme Court reverse Citizens United and get dark, unaccountable money out of our politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-would-want-to-see-the-supreme-court-reverse-citizens-united-and-get/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I announced my dissent in the Citizens United orally, and I stumbled in my announcement. I had a little difficulty expressing myself. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/i-announced-my-dissent-in-the-citizens-united-orally-and-i-stumbled/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [“the Citizens United decision was in many respects a return to the Gilded Age. Justice”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/the-citizens-united-decision-was-in-many-respects-a-return-to-the/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) [Browse all 93 Citizens united quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens-united/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A lot of the Citizens United problem could be solved if we knew where the money came from for all these ads. 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