Study: corporations placing own limits on political spending

The L.A. Times reports:

Faced with the option of limitless political spending in a post-Citizens United world, corporations are increasingly choosing to disclose, and in some cases limit, their giving, according to a study released Friday.

The report, created by the Center for Political Accountability and the Zickling Center for Business Ethics Research at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, evaluated companies using numerous criteria, including board oversight of political giving, disclosure practices and restrictions on political spending.

The study's bottom line: 57 companies in the S&P 100 Index now practice voluntary disclosure of direct spending. Two companies, Colgate-Palmolive and IBM, prohibit any spending at all.

"Our findings are striking. They offer hope for increasing corporate political transparency and accountability at a time when everyone expects massive hidden spending to influence elections," CPA President Bruce Freed said in a statement.

No word yet from the New York Times editorial board who said this could never happen after Citizens United.