Berks County News

Rep. Jamie Barton has introduced new legislation aimed at enhancing transparency in campaign finance within Pennsylvania. The proposed law would require campaigns and campaign organizations to itemize reimbursements on their financial reports.

Barton emphasized the importance of trust in the electoral system, stating, “People cannot have faith in their government if they do not have faith in the system that elects them.” He further explained, “Donors give to campaigns with the expectation that their funds are going to be used for legitimate campaign expenditures and they deserve to know specifically how that money is being spent.”

Under current state law, campaign finance reports only need to list an expense as a reimbursement without detailing its nature. If an itemized list is not voluntarily provided, individuals must request it through the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Drawing from his business experience, Barton remarked, “In business, there’s a common practice for submitting an expense report. You gather receipts that you’re to be reimbursed for, you itemize them on a spreadsheet and you submit the form and receipts for reimbursement. It leaves no question about the details of any single expense. So why don’t we require campaigns to do the same thing?”

He concluded by noting that this initiative transcends political affiliations: “This issue is not blue or red. It’s not Democrat or Republican. It’s just common sense.”