Newly introduced legislation would increase campaign finance transparency in Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) – One state representative has released a memo for legislation that would increase campaign finance transparency by requiring campaigns and campaign organizations to itemize reimbursements on campaign finance reports.

State Representative Jamie Barton (R – Berks/Schuylkill) sent a memo to House members on Wednesday, August 23 asking for their support on his newly introduced legislation.

Currently, Pennsylvania’s campaign finance law only requires campaign finance reports to list an expense as a reimbursement, without the need to itemize the nature of the reimbursement on the public report. To receive an itemized accounting of reimbursements, should it not be voluntarily provided in the filing, a person must request the itemized list through the Pennsylvania Department of State.

His legislation would require the campaign reports to include an itemized list and amounts for each reimbursement.

“It is a matter of transparency and accountability to require that campaign reimbursements made back to individuals are specifically itemized. This portion of Pennsylvania’s campaign finance law is in dire need of moving out of the shadows,” Barton said. “Donors give to campaigns with the expectation that their funds are going to be used for legitimate campaign expenditures and they deserve to know specifically how that money is being spent.”

“My legislation will end the cumbersome process of finding out what is behind a generally reimbursed campaign expenditure,” Barton added. “Not only will this legislation provide transparency and accountability, but it will create a better process for understanding how campaign money is spent by requiring itemization up front, in the campaign finance filing.”