“Investors Favor Political Disclosures for Companies, Poll Finds”

Bloomberg:

Voters who are invested in the stock market want more transparency of corporate political spending, according to a new poll released as races heat up for the White House and down-ballot offices.


In the survey, from the Zicklin Center for Governance and Business Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and the Center for Political Accountability, 87% said public companies should be required to have a code of conduct to set rules for their political spending.


Zicklin and the Center for Political Accountability said the findings boost their efforts to urge companies to adopt their model code of conduct for political spending. They developed the CPAZicklin Model Code of Conduct for corporate Political Spending. CPA said it is in discussions
with companies, including from the financial services and utilities sectors, about following it.


Corporations and industry lobbying groups face potential risks associated with their political spending including investments to state races, said Bruce Freed, president of the Center for Political Accountability.


The poll also found that 86% supported the idea of requiring corporations to disclose their political spending on their company website on a semi-annual basis and 75% supported requiring corporations to disclose contributions made to trade associations which are then used for political purposes.

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