Sanders: Citizens United ‘Undermining American Democracy’
NAIR: “We have been talking so much about money. Let’s talk a little bit about just your recent fund-raising.”
SANDERS: “Yes.”
NAIR: “So many people come forward with tiny donation.”
SANDERS: “Yes.”
NAIR: “What do you think it is? What is appealing to these small – I think it’s like $31 is what the average?”
SANDERS: “$31.21 but who is counting?” (Laughter)
ROSE: “[indecipherable] keep sending.”
NAIR: “I mean, these small donations are very different from the front-runner which is Hillary Clinton.”
SANDERS: “Well, look. I have said -- we don't have a Super Pac. Al right. I don't want a Super Pac. I don't represent the corporate agenda, I don't represent billionaires, I don't want their money. But what we are trying to do is to see whether millions of people are prepared to make modest contributions, $31 to say that you know what? Maybe we will create a government that works for ordinary Americans and not just for the wealthiest people in this country who, today, clearly dominate what goes on in Congress. We have a campaign finance system through Citizens United which is corrupt and it's undermining American democracy.”
ROSE: “The Supreme Court decision?”
SANDERS: “Yes. 5-4 decision says that billionaires like the Koch Brothers can buy the United States government and I want to overturn that, we want to be dependent on small individual contributors.”