November 27, 2001

To Whom It May Concern:

I have spent most of my professional career in politics and government.  I was the first director of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission and currently serve as the Policy and Research Director for the National Common Cause office.

I learned that the one overriding rule in politics is that money buys access and influence.  This past two years I have had the good fortune to have many discussions with Rick Hubbard about the subject of money and politics.  When he told me that he was writing a book on the subject I was excited.   I was even more excited after reading the preview of the book.  Rick makes a complicated subject come alive and relevant to all our lives.

I believe that someone with Rick’s real life experience in politics and understanding of how the system works (or doesn’t work) can make a tremendous contribution to the literature on the subject; that’s why I highly endorse his efforts to complete the book, titled Legal Bribery.

It’s a citizen’s view of how campaign money in our political system outbids us for appropriate representation, costs us hundreds of billions of dollars and distorts our national priorities.

Rick is a native Vermonter who has worked hard for many years to highlight the importance of these issues.

In the 1970’s Rick helped to establish the first chapter of Common Cause (a grass roots citizen lobby) in Vermont. For 6 years during the early 1980’s he served 2 terms as a  Common Cause national governing board member. In the 2000 election cycle, he was a Vermont candidate for the US Senate. During the campaign he advocated national campaign finance reform, which he believes would trigger a major and much needed shift in our national priorities. During this time Rick:

Ø      In 1999 and 2000, walked over 400 miles and visited 106 communities to highlight these issues. Along the way he met with many Vermonters and gave over 50 radio, TV and newspaper interviews and commentaries.

Ø      Gathered over 3,300 petition signatures from Vermonters across all party lines to raise these issues in the 2000 elections.

Ø      In 1999, walked for 5 days in Kentucky with 89 year old Doris Haddock, known affectionately as “Granny D,” in support of her walk across the United States to highlight the need for reforming the way we finance political campaigns,

Ø      Received the “Candidates with Character” endorsement for Election 2000 in Vermont’s U.S. Senate Race. Candidates with Character is America's newest political action committee in the war against waste, fraud, abuse and corruption in government. Candidates with Character believes that to restore the government to the people, we must elect candidates with character, honor, integrity and courage who can be trusted with the people's money and welfare to restore the people's government to its original intent of service and honor. 

Ø      Received the American Reform Party endorsement for the U.S. Senate from Vermont. After reviewing Rick Hubbard’s positions on issues, the national delegates wholehearted backed his candidacy for the US Senate, declaring “Vermont is one of those New England states taking the lead in Clean Elections, and Rick is certainly taking the lead in promoting campaign finance reform in the Green Mountain state.”

More recently, Rick successfully led Vermont’s association of attorneys, the Vermont Bar Association, to go on record in support of national campaign finance reform.  The membership at its March 9, 2001 midwinter meeting passed a resolution supporting enactment by Congress of comprehensive laws to reform the financing of all campaigns for elected federal office holders including, at the least, laws requiring increased disclosure, elimination of soft money and provisions for voluntary public financing of campaigns of candidates qualifying to run for the Senate and House of Representatives. 

Among those supporting the resolution were former Governor Phil Hoff, current Secretary of State Deb Markowitz, current Attorney General Bill Sorrell, and John Downs, founding member of Downs Rachlin and Martin, Vermont’s largest law firm.

Rick received his undergraduate education from the University of Vermont (BA, 1963) and holds two advanced degrees: a Masters of Business Administration Degree from Dartmouth College’s Amos Tuck School (MBA, 1969), and a Doctorate of Law Degree from the Georgetown University Law Center (JD, 1973).

I believe Rick’s knowledge of the subject matter, his ability orally and in writing to articulate and advocate for these issues, and his passion for the importance of restoring our democracy make him especially deserving of support in his efforts to complete, publish and promote the book Legal Bribery.

 Ben Bycel