Europe warns US on political financing

(AP) A top European anti-corruption body wants the U.S. to increase transparency of political funding through outside groups that donate millions to support candidates, warning that they could be used to skirt long-established disclosure rules.

The Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption — known as Greco and which counts the U.S. as a member — warns "soft money" political financing vehicles appear to be increasing in America.

Donors may give to the non-profits — which don't have to disclose their donors and can be feeders of funds into super PACs, independent groups that can raise unlimited amounts of money. The report did not mention super PACs by name, but it did focus on the 501(c) organizations.

The report made three recommendations to U.S. authorities, and Greco said it "invites" the U.S. to respond to those recommendations by the end of June 2013.

One recommended that U.S. authorities continue their push toward electronic filing of public disclosure of financial reports in Senate elections. Another urged a study of the effects of tie votes — or "deadlocks" — at the six-member Federal Election Commission.

One Creco official said that authors were concerned about the potential fallout from super PACs, which were born out of a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that stripped away prior restrictions on some election spending.

Greco is the anti-corruption unit of the 47-country Council of Europe, which is based in the eastern city of Strasbourg and aims to promote human rights and democratic principles.

EU-Digest