Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy (D) vetoed important transparency legislation on Friday that would have shed much-needed light on secret spending in the state’s elections.

Public Campaign President Nick Nyhart, a Connecticut resident, said in a statement:

“Gov. Malloy’s veto of HB 5556 sends the wrong message to the people of Connecticut, who like the rest of the country, are fed up with expanding the role of big money in our democracy. Malloy had a chance to be a national leader on reform, but opted to side with wealthy special interests and secret money.”

Common Cause Connecticut’s Cheri Quickmire sounded a similar note, telling the Connecticut Mirror, “Common Cause believes he has squandered an opportunity to pass the strongest disclosure bill in the country.”

Malloy had raised questions about the constitutionality of the bill, but those were dismissed by the legal heavyweights at the Brennan Center for Justice and Demos.

On Friday, after the veto, Demos President Miles Rapoport said:

“The Governor’s veto statement argues that H.B. 5556 is unconstitutional under the First Amendment, but this argument is simply incorrect. The Supreme Court has made clear on numerous occasions, including in Citizens United itself, that disclosure laws are on firm constitutional footing. “

Gov. Malloy made the wrong decision on this and went against the countless Connecticut residents who called him in favor of the bill. He has indicated he would be open to working with the legislature on passing another (weaker) bill. We hope he will--our elections are too important to be operated in the dark.