NEILSON BARNARD/GETTY IMAGES
CRACKING
THE CODE
new crop of reformers are looking
to funders who similarly embrace
societal change: Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.
“These are people who think
about taking risks in order to produce world-changing results,”
Lessig said. “This is the venture
capital mindset. It’s, ‘OK, I’m going to sink $50 million in this and
maybe nothing comes of it, but if
something comes of it, it’s worldchanging and that’s the kind of
game I’m interested in. I’m not
interested in on-average 3 percent
return. I’m interested in radical
change in the way the world is.’”
Silver said that much of Represent.Us funding has come from
Silicon Valley, including from
current and former employees of
Google and Facebook.
“I found this really, really resonates with a wide variety of people,” Ethan Beard, former social
media director for Facebook and
a board member and founder of
Represent.Us, said. “It’s been getting great support from people
here in Silicon Valley.”
Another group, the Fund for
the Republic, is working to raise
$40 million over the next five
years for the numerous new and
old groups working to reform
campaign finance law.
“The funding is way too programmatically focused and way
HUFFINGTON
10.27.13
“NOW, BY CORRUPTION,
I DON’T MEAN BROWN
PAPER BAG CASH
SECRETED AMONG
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS,” LESSIG SAID IN
HIS TALK. “I DON’T MEAN
ANY CRIMINAL ACT. THE
CORRUPTION I’M
TALKING ABOUT IS
PERFECTLY LEGAL.”
Lawrence Lessig believes that reformers need to strike while
Americans are still outraged by the Citizens United decision.