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Wednesday, Sep 12, 2012 4:30 AM UTC

Carter: ‘Financial corruption’ harms US elections

Jimmy Carter says U.S. has "one of the worst election processes in the world"

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Topics: From the Wires, Jimmy Carter, 2012 Elections, Supreme Court, Citizens United, ,

Carter: 'Financial corruption' harms US electionsFormer President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn discuss some of the accomplishments made by the Carter Center, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Jimmy Carter has issued a blistering indictment of the U.S. electoral process, saying it is shot through with “financial corruption” that threatens American democracy.

Speaking at the international human rights center that bears his name, Carter said Tuesday night “we have one of the worst election processes in the world right in the United States of America, and it’s almost entirely because of the excessive influx of money.”

The 39th president lamented a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows unlimited contributions to third-party groups that don’t have to disclose their donors. He added that he hopes the “Supreme Court will reverse that stupid ruling,” referring to the case known as Citizens United.

Carter recalled that when he ran for president in 1976 and for reelection in 1980, he raised “zero” because the candidates accepted public financing.

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