After saying it would offer a new disclosure rule on political donations by publicly traded corporations, the Security Exchange Commission is feeling pressure from Democrats in favor of transparency and Republicans representing business interests. (The New York Times, April 23, 2013, by Nicholas Confessore)
In response to shareholder requests, some companies including Hershey and Aflac have made voluntary disclosure. But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has argued that it is not important for investors to hear about political donations because they’re too small to affect stock values. “This may be the case, but right now investors have no way to confirm it because the amounts don’t have to be disclosed.” writes Elizabeth Dwoskin, Business Week, January 16, 2013.
The battle can be seen as one between investors who claim a right to know and companies defending their free speech rights. (Newsmax, April 24, 2013, by Sandy Fitzgerald)