Common Cause applauds Organizing for Action’s Jump into NYS public financing push

In providing its skills and manpower to the campaign for public financing of elections in New York, Organizing for Action, the advocacy group sprung from the remnants of the 2012 Obama campaign, is taking an important step to rein in the outsized political influence of wealthy donors in elections across the country, Common Cause said today.

“Organizing for Action’s involvement in New York is great news,” said Common Cause President Bob Edgar. “I hope today’s announcement is a precursor to a national drive for reforms like public financing and full disclosure of campaign donations to campaigns, PACs and the politically active and tax-exempt ‘social welfare’ organizations that have emerged since the Citizens United decision.”

Common Cause is working in New York with a broad coalition of groups to take statewide elections off the auction block by enacting a small donor matching system that creates incentives for candidates to reach out to ordinary voters and not rely exclusively on deep-pocketed donors.