Ben Cohen Goes From Ice Cream Activism to Stamping Out Political Bribery

Ben Cohen's Dollar Stamps could bring a message about campaign spending to millions

Ben Cohen, of Ben & Jerry’s fame, combined social activism and ice cream, and now he is advocating for money with a message, literally.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield sold their iconic ice cream brand to Unilever, and now they are engaging in social activism in other forms. Ben Cohen has started a “Stamp Stampede” campaign, according to CNBC to protest the Citizens United case, a Supreme Court case in which limits on campaign spending were lifted because money is considered to be free speech.

Cohen urges Americans to put a special stamp on every dollar bill that says “not to be used for bribing politicians.” The special stamp will still make the currency legally usable, since it does not deface it to the point where it is no longer recognizable as paper money.

Cohen noted that if one person stamps 3 bills a day, the stamp will eventually be seen by a million people. Ben & Jerry’s website has already sold over 30, 000 stamps.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said that if there is once decision that was made by the Supreme Court in her tenure (since 1993) she would like to see overturned, it is the Citizens United decision. Ben Cohen would also like to see the decision overturned, “The idea is that it’s supposed to be one person, one vote. Not one dollar one vote, he told CNBC.