Lawrence Lessig launches Democratic 'protest bid' for president

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last updated 11 August 2015

Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig announced Tuesday that he plans to seek the Democratic nomination for president. Lessig, a fixture in debates about technology policy and campaign finance reform, plans to crowdsource money to "mount a credible campaign" that will focus on fixing corruption in politics and fighting for citizen equality.

Lessig's run is a bit unconventional, however: He says that if he can raise $1 million in small donations before Labor Day, he will run as a "referendum president" whose sole goal would be to push Congress to pass the Citizen Equality Act — a legislative proposal for greater voter protection — and he would resign once the Citizen Equality Act was signed into law. The New York Times calls it "a protest bid."

"We need a government that works, not one corrupted by the influence of money," Lessig said in a press release announcing his candidacy. "Congress represents its funders first, and right now its funders are not the American people. This has to change."