ST. PAUL, Minn. — On Saturday, thousands of Minnesotans will flood the Capitol for Tax March Minnesota.
The organization does not seek to protest the act of taxation according to the website, but rather, seeks to shine a light on what they refer to as “dark money.”
The term dark money comes from the sunlight foundation which states, “It’s dark because its sources are hidden from the public. Dark money is poisonous to our democracy because it fully undermines the theory of an informed and educated electorate.”
Organizers of the march refer to a 2015 study done by the Center of Public Integrity that shows Minnesota laws are not very transparent when it comes to the basics of where elected officials get their funds.
Minnesotans who attend the event are in for an array of speakers as the event has confirmed names like Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minneapolis), Rep. Laurie Halverson (D-Eagan), Former Chief White House Ethics Lawyer for Pres. George W. Bush and U of M Law Professor Richard Painter, State Auditor and Governor Candidate Rebecca Otto, and Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges.
The group, whose main motto is “Trust, but Verify” is calling for laws that will disclose the sources of political money, ethics officials that can determine if a potential conflict of interest exists within donations, and laws that will require any and all candidates to submit tax returns for audit.
The group believes the march is a part of a greater movement which seeks to hold public officials accountable, specifically targeting President Donald Trump stating, “Trump must act in the public interest and release his returns, divest his holdings, and disclose his conflicts of interests.”
The Minnesota March joins dozens of other tax day marches scheduled around the country on Saturday.
Preya Samsundar
Preya Samsundar was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. She graduated from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities this Spring with a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, with a minor in Strategic Communications. Preya has previously worked on several State Campaign Races.
