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– “Opponents of GMO Labeling Broke Washington’s Campaign Finance Law”
“In a summary judgment released on Friday [March 11], a judge found that the GMA failed to disclose the corporate donors in paperwork required by state law, with the intent of shielding the donors’ identities from public view and eliminating their campaign finance filing requirements.

The ruling points to internal GMA records revealing that the trade group set up a strategic ‘defense of brands’ account to collect anonymous donations from several major food firms while ‘shielding individual members’ from public ‘scrutiny.’ GMA staff also advised member companies on how to dodge questions from the media about the money,” quoting Mike Ludwig, Truthout.
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Editor’s Note:
Interesting that if proven that the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) staff knew they were breaking the law when they attempted to hide the identities of processed food companies opposed to a ballot initiative requiring special labels for grocery items containing GMO ingredients, the GMA could face up to a $33 million fine. The aforementioned story lists donors such as PepsiCo, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, ConAgra, General Mills, Campbell Soup Company – paying millions of dollars to keep their customers in the dark about what is in their products.


– “The Defeat of the DARK Act is a Win for Consumers”
“In a major win for consumers [March 16, 2016], Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) failed to earn the votes he needed to stop debate on a bill known to opponents as the Deny Americans the Right to Know Act, or DARK Act.

According to EWG [Environmental Working Group], the defeat of the DARK Act offers Congress the opportunity to find a compromise for a national mandatory GMO labeling measure that consumers and industry can support.

Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs, said:

“Consumers have made their voices heard to their elected representatives in the Senate and they said clearly, ‘We want the right to know more about our food.’ We are pleased that the Senate made the right decision to stop the DARK Act, and we remain hopeful that Congressional leaders can craft a national mandatory compromise that works for consumers and the food industry. We applaud Senators Debbie Stabenow, Jeff Merkley, Jon Tester, Barbara Boxer and Pat Leahy for their efforts to defeat the DARK Act.”
Read more from EWG.