Requiring disclosure of campaign donors is grabbing the problem by the wrong end. I think it would be better to do this:
- Members of Congress are forbidden from handling cash or accepting gifts during their terms.
- Their salary is set at $500,000 per year (higher for Senators) and is expected to cover all their needs and expenses. (If they have to fly to Hawaii to attend a committee meeting, they buy their own ticket.)
- They can access their single bank account with a credit/debit card issued on assuming office (all other assets are placed in trust); all transactions posted in real time on a public website.
- Their movements are tracked by GPS and logged, and posted 24-hours-delayed on a public website.
- They cannot accept gifts with any cash value (no plaques, lunches, golf course visits).
- If anybody catches them breaking any of these rules and obtains documentary evidence (photo or video), they earn $5,000 per incident which is directly deducted from the representative’s bank account.