Fear of outsiders unfounded

Regarding Robert McGinty’s letter “Foreign voice not welcome” (Feb. 3), I believe he shares something in common with the president: misunderstanding of what the Supreme Court’s campaign finance decision means.

In the State of the Union Address, President Obama said that the decision on campaign financing would “open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign companies – to spend without limit in our elections.”

And like Justice Alito, I shake my head and say, “Not true.” According to the ABC News fact-check published online shortly after the address, current federal law prevents “a partnership, association, corporation, organization, or other combination of persons organized under the laws of or having its principal place of business in a foreign country” from making, “directly or indirectly,” a donation or expenditure “in connection with a federal, state, or local election,” to a political party committee or “for an electioneering communication.”

Let’s look at that again. If a corporation’s principal place of business is in a foreign country, they cannot be involved in any political donation or expenditure. The Supreme Court’s decision did not change this.

Sean A. Bardwell

Spokane