Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Free Preview Clip
[audio https://www.peterbcollins.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Lessig.mp3]Professor Lawrence Lessig of Harvard Law talks about his Mayday project, using a SuperPAC to elect candidates who will work for real campaign finance reform.
Click here for free audiobook download from Audible, and earn $15 for the PBC Podcast!
Our conversation opens with comments from Lessig about the late Aaron Swartz, who took his own life while being harassed by prosecutors for copying journals from MIT. Swartz is the subject of a new film, The Internet’s Own Boy and Lessig tells how Swartz influenced him and the Mayday project. We also talk about what Lessig learned from an aborted run for Congress in California a few years ago.
He describes the Mayday concept: raising money from individuals–fully disclosed–to challenge the dark money operations of both parties. Since May, Mayday has raised about $8 million, and targets $13 million, to be spent in support of candidates who commit to true reform of our corrupt system. At their website, you can see the 5 candidates they have named so far, and see the list of donors.
Lessig hopes this effort will expand greatly in 2016 and the new Congress will take up serious reform measures. He is open to a Constitutional amendment, but wants to see if a mass movement can be generated first.
Near the end of the interview, we play the audio from a commercial of a spoof candidate, Gil Fullbright. Visit this website for more info, and some funny commercials.