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 Clinton, who is seeking the nomination to be the Democratic
candidate in the November 2016 presidential election, identified
measures she would pursue if she becomes president.
Among them are rules requiring greater disclosure of political
spending including by publicly traded companies and U.S. government
contractors and a program that would provide matching funds for
small donations to presidential and congressional candidates.
"We have to end the flood of secret, unaccountable money that is
distorting our elections, corrupting our political system, and
drowning out the voices of too many everyday Americans," Clinton
said in a statement issued by her campaign.
"Our democracy should be about expanding the franchise, not charging
an entrance fee."
The measures are aimed at tapping into voter concern over
inequality, ranging from income to influence in national affairs.
Clinton has put the issue at the center of her campaign, saying she
will champion "everyday Americans" and boost the middle class.
But Clinton has come in for criticism for that theme, given her own
family wealth and her decades in high-profile public positions.
Clinton also plans to call for an overturning of the controversial
2010 Citizens United ruling by the Supreme Court. It allowed
corporations and individuals to spend unlimited money for political
advocacy through independent political action committees so long as
they do not coordinate with candidates.
That ruling has become a flashpoint on the campaign trail, drawing
criticism from other candidates as well, such as Vermont Senator
Bernie Sanders, who has pressured Clinton on her left.
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Overturning the ruling would require new Supreme Court justices as
well as amending the Constitution, according to Clinton's plans, and
both are fraught with uncertainty.
While Clinton remains the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination,
edging out Sanders 46 percent to 24 percent in a five-day rolling
poll dated September 4 by Reuters/IPSOS, the progressive senator has
been eating away at her lead.
In an NBC News/Marist Poll released on Sunday, 41 percent of
Democratic voters in New Hampshire would back Sanders while 32
percent would cast a vote for Clinton if the poll were held today
and Vice President Joe Biden were on the ballot.
(Reporting by Luciana Lopez; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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