'Full Disclosure' Sought For Political Ads

Former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Newt Minow and former National Telecommunications and Information Administration chief Henry Geller have urged the agency to plug what critics allege is a loophole in existing political advertising law that allows nonprofit groups to protect the identities of donors for some political broadcast attack ads.

“This pervasive use of secret money undermines the democratic process,” they said in a petition filed at the FCC. “Full sponsorship disclosure is the law.”

They are urging the agency to act, because FCC rules only require disclosure of the actual sponsor of the issue ads -- not also the individuals or groups who donated funds to the sponsor of the ads. In their petition, Minow and Geller insist that the FCC already has the power to require the additional donor disclosure.

“It is the responsibility of the FCC to enforce the long-established rule,” the two said in their petition. “The voting public needs and is entitled to know who is trying to persuade it.”