meredith mcgehee is policy director at the campaign legal center.an berg is former deputy general counsel at citizens united. christian berg, we'll begin with you with a bit of a history lesson. remind us what citizens united was about and what changed as a result of citizens united. >> sure. thank you for having me. citizens united a lot of people lose the fact this was a small nonprofit corporation trying to make a movie about hillary clinton. they really wanted the make their film, produce the film and run television ads about it but when they looked at the federal election campaign finance laws they realized there's civil and criminal penalties if they were to run television ads saying come watch our movie so they went to court really to just promote a film. they went to court for basic first amendment rights and that's lost in the debate. a lot of people say, oh, citizens united was about corporations. it's about corporations being people. that's really not why citizens united went to court. they just wanted the show their movie. >> meredith mc

former deputy general counsel for citizens united christian berg and meredith mcgehee of campaign legalenter join us. then a conversation on campaign fund-raising and the role of outside groups. our guest sheila krumholz of the center for responsive politics. you can join the conversation on facebook and twitter. ♪ good morning. it is tuesday, april 12, 2016. at house is set to gavle in eln 2:00 p.m. for the next three hours, we will be here with you on "washington journal" and focusing our program on the issues of campaign finance. we will talk about the continued impact of the citizens united to bring court decision and discussing efforts to add more transparency to campaign fund-raising and spending. we begin btu

has: meredith mcgehee, anyone been sanctioned under the idea of quid pro quo? guest: this is a very difficult prosecution for the public prosecutors. you have some representatives like cunningham, who was brilliant enough to write down his right list on a cocktail napkin. this is probably not the calendar -- caliber we will see with most members of congress. i want to take an issue with the caller when he talks about legalized bribery. i talk to a lot of business people, i know a lot more about legalized shakedowns. it is expected to give a contribution. play the game, their interests and business and whatever issue they are interested in will be hurt. the reality is it is coming from both weird but there is a sense that if you do not play, and you talk to most lobbyists in washington, they feel like, if i do not play and have that breakfast, go to that fundraiser, make sure to bundle money, my clients or the interests i represent will be hurt. there is a feeling of the pay to play that you really have to do theere and i would note quid pro quo idea and the not

coming up tuesday morning, christian berg, former deputy general council for citizens united and meredith mcgehee will discuss the current role of money in american politics. efforts to reform the campaign finance system and the impact of the citizens united v. fec ruling. then sheila crumbles will talk about outside groups including pacs and super pacs. watch c-span's washington journal live at 7:00 eastern tuesday morning. join the discussion. >>> he had a couple of meals and a steam shovel. and i think, again, it's one of the other ironies to be so anti-government and owe your entire fortune to the government. >> sunday night, author and investigative

has: meredith mcgehee, anyone been sanctioned under the idea of quid pro quo?: this is a very difficult prosecution for the public prosecutors. you have some representatives like cunningham, who was brilliant enough to write down his right list on a cocktail napkin. this is probably not the calendar -- caliber we will see with most members of congress. i want to take an issue with the caller when he talks about legalized bribery. i talk to a lot of business people, i know a lot more about legalized shakedowns. it is expected to give a contribution. play the game, their interests and business and whatever issue they are interested in will be hurt. the reality is it is coming from both weird but there is a sense that if you do not play, and you talk to most lobbyists in washington, they feel like, if i do not play and have that breakfast, go to that fundraiser, make sure to bundle money, my clients or the interests i represent will be hurt. there is a feeling of the pay to play that you really have to do theere and i would note quid pro quo idea and the notion of

has: meredith mcgehee, anyone been sanctioned under the idea of quid pro quo?this is a very difficult prosecution for the public prosecutors. you have some representatives like cunningham, who was brilliant enough to write down his right list on a cocktail napkin. this is probably not the calendar -- caliber we will see with most members of congress. i want to take an issue with the caller when he talks about legalized bribery. i talk to a lot of business people, i know a lot more about legalized shakedowns. it is expected to give a contribution. play the game, their interests and business and whatever issue they are interested in will be hurt. the reality is it is coming from both weird but there is a sense that if you do not play, and you talk to most lobbyists in washington, they feel like, if i do not play and have that breakfast, go to that fundraiser, make sure to bundle money, my clients or the interests i represent will be hurt. there is a feeling of the pay to play that you really have to do theere and i would note quid pro quo idea and the notion of c

coming up tuesday morning, christian berg, former deputy general council for citizens united and meredith mcgehee will discuss the current role of money in american politics. efforts to reform the campaign finance system and the impact of the citizens united v. fec ruling. then sheila crumbles will talk about outside groups including pacs and super pacs. watch c-span's washington journal live at 7:00 eastern tuesday morning. join the discussion. >>> he had a couple of meals and a steam shovel. and i think, again, it's one of the other ironies to be so anti-government and owe your entire fortune to the government. >> sunday night, author and investigative journalist sally denton. a large engineering and construction company in the world they look at. >> who else is the united states government going to get to build these projects throughout the world? i think it's fine for it to be them. if the american taxpayer is paying for it, it would seem that the american taxpayer should have some access to information about the contracts, the amount of money, the worker safety, the political relationships.