Editorial | Big money runs Washington

A perfect example of how big money and social media can influence politics is playing out in Washington D.C. and gives a good indication of how the incoming Trump administration will manage America’s affairs over the next four years.

Elon Musk the world’s richest man, informally referred to as the “first buddy” was instrumental in derailing a bipartisan stop-gap funding bill leaving lawmakers in a great scramble to avert a shutdown of the government, at the time of writing.

Using the power of his social media platform, Musk who is estimated to be worth $450 billion fired off tweet after tweet- and in one post said: “Shutting down the Government (which doesn’t actually shut down critical functions BTW) is infinitely better than passing a horrible bill.”

With an estimated 200 million followers on X, formerly Twitter, Musk suggested that any member of the House or Senate who votes for this “outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in two years!”

Musk gained a great deal of muscle during the November elections after he reportedly spent a quarter of a billion dollars to help return Donald Trump to the White House, at the same time establishing himself as the ultimate Washington power broker. His reward is that he will co-chair the soon-to-be established Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE.

Of note, President-elect Trump has assembled a presidential administration with at least 13 billionaires said to be the wealthiest in American history. His ambassadorial picks also include several billionaires.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Being wealthy should not disqualify someone from serving one’s country. However, it is well known that many ultra-rich persons have complex business dealings and associations which tend to raise conflict of interest concerns. It is for this reason that nominees and appointees to government in the US have to divest themselves of stock holdings that could raise such concerns and they are also required to make financial disclosures.

To some, the blend of mega money and social media dominance could provide an opening for special interest groups to easily capture government causing an administration to ignore the bread and butter issues affecting the lives of ordinary citizens to satisfy the agenda of those with entrenched privilege.

As Jamaica moves into another election cycle, the potential for private interests with deep pockets to exercise undue influence over who is elected and who becomes government is something that could undermine our democratic principles.

It is in recognition of this potential that several guardrails have been erected by the nation’s Parliament via amendment of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act. These include addressing transparency and ethical concerns. By law all gifts, sponsorships, goods, services, or money donated to a political party or a candidate starting on the day the election is announced and six months after it is held, must be reported to the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ).

Additionally, if the donor entered into a government contract worth $500,000 or more either two years before or after the donation was made this too, has to be reported to the ECJ. Even inconsequential donations must be reported or the donor could face stiff financial penalties.

SOURCE OF CAMPAIGN FUNDS

More than 100 democracies in the world have rules mandating that politicians disclose source of campaign funds. However, less than 50 per cent of these countries enforce the rules. Let’s not forget that corruption thrives when the institutions created to apply the rule of law, are ineffective, perhaps delinquent even, at carrying out the necessary checks and balances.

In order for the system to work as intended, there has to be robust monitoring of the activities of political aspirants during campaign season. Does the ECJ have the requisite resources to offer that oversight? Would the reintroduction of a fully equipped and staffed ombudsman office carry out this job? For example, who will curb abuse of state resources for political gain, reduce patronage, who is going to ensure that politicians adhere to the rules regarding campaign financing? Who really examines the expenditure reports filed by candidates after an election?

There are some lessons to be learnt from Washington, businesses including polluters, fossil fuel endorsers, use their enormous wealth to drown out the voices of ordinary folks. The principle of equal representation is a fundamental pillar in any democracy and eternal vigilance is the only guarantee.