Politics & Government

Marianne Williamson to Discuss Her Bid for Congress in Calabasas

She's also seeking a constitutional amendment to allow public financing of campaigns.

Independent candidate Marianne Williamson will discuss her campaign for the 33rd Congressional District seat in Calabasas tonight, elaborating on the need to get money out of politics.

The event is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at Founder's Hall, 200 Civic Center Way. Williamson will field questions following her speech.

Williamson, a spiritual author and lecturer, has called for a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United decision and have public financing of political campaigns.

Find out what's happening in Calabasaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In the 2010 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting political independent expenditures by corporations, associations or labor unions.

“It is the undue influence of money on our political system which has turned our country into a system of legalized corruption,” Williamson said last week when she promised not to accept contributions from political action committees and lobbyists.

Find out what's happening in Calabasaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I believe the effects of PAC and lobbyist money on our political process has prevented meaningful solutions on the central issues facing our country, from child poverty to climate change, to income inequality, our mass incarceration rate, energy independence and more.”

On Monday, the Williamson campaign announced the hiring of campaign consultants Joe Trippi and John Shallman and David Keith as campaign manager.

Trippi is best known for managing former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's 2004 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Trippi and Shallman ran Rep. Janice Hahn's winning campaign in the 2011 special election in the then-36th Congressional District, which includes nearly 80 percent of the 33rd Congressional District.

David has been a fundraiser for congressional candidates and an event coordinator for the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee.

--City News Service


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