Julie Lassa was among the candidates crisscrossing the state Monday, looking for votes and urging other supporters to go to the polls. The Democrat running for Congress says like everyone else, she is fed up with all the negative radio and TV ads.
Lassa says it’s a mystery who is funding much of this activity and she wants to pass the federal DISCLOSE Act which will require groups to report to the Federal Election Commission who their donors and where the money is being spent.
The Stevens Point Democrat would also support a ban on foreign countries from giving money to fuel the ads. China and Bahrain are rumored to be funneling money in this election cycle.
Efforts in Washington to pass the DISCLOSE Act have been blocked by Republicans. Critics of the bill argued that it inhibits free speech and would allow unfairly union donors to remain anonymous while corporations would be targeted.
Lassa is running against Republican Sean Duffy in the 7th Congressional District, a seat occupied for decades by Dave Obey. Duffy’s platform includes cutting federal spending, reducing red tape and slashing taxes on small businesses.
Mike Warren-WDLB