Press Release
Government Watchdog Supports New Bill to Ban Members of Congress from Trading Stock
Majority of Americans support a stock trading ban
Press
Media Contacts
Katie Scally
Communications Director
kscally@commoncause.org
202-736-5713
Ariana Marmolejo
Communications Strategist
amarmolejo@commoncause.org
Kenny Colston
Regional Communications Strategist (Midwest)
kcolston@commoncause.org
Maya Majikas
Communications Strategist
mmajikas@commoncause.org
Common Cause’s network of national and state democracy reform experts are frequent media commentators. To talk with one of our experts, please reach out to any member of the press team above.
News Clip
KCRA-TV: Key committee set to vote on Gov. Newsom’s call for a constitutional convention
Critics note there are no guarantees that the convention would be limited to gun control if triggered. The nonpartisan democracy advocacy group Common Cause earlier this week blasted the push, noting a convention lacks legal guardrails and historical norms.
"By calling a constitutional convention, Governor Newsom would invite wealthy special interests to open the hood of the U.S. Constitution and tinker with our rights and liberties—without a single rule," the group said in a news release. "There are few risks to the freedoms...
"By calling a constitutional convention, Governor Newsom would invite wealthy special interests to open the hood of the U.S. Constitution and tinker with our rights and liberties—without a single rule," the group said in a news release. "There are few risks to the freedoms...
News Clip
NPR: How Florida’s congressional map could change before the 2024 elections
Regardless of how the state court rules, plaintiffs in an ongoing federal lawsuit plan to proceed with their case, explained Kathay Feng, an attorney and vice president of programs for Common Cause Florida, one of the groups challenging the map.
"If they come to a final remedy that is very narrowly focused, there is still an opportunity for the federal case to examine the entire state map as a whole," Feng said.
Although plaintiffs suing in state court have agreed to skip a trial, that's not expected to happen in...
"If they come to a final remedy that is very narrowly focused, there is still an opportunity for the federal case to examine the entire state map as a whole," Feng said.
Although plaintiffs suing in state court have agreed to skip a trial, that's not expected to happen in...
Press Release
New Report: Trump’s Big Lie made judiciary a target
“Courts and judges play an important role in American democracy and should not have to fear violence for doing their job,” said Marilyn Carpinteyro, Common Cause interim co-president. “This report highlights why it’s so crucial that the courts and judges can enforce the law fairly and safely. Those in places of power—especially the president of the United States—have a responsibility to ensure judges can do their jobs free of intimidation.”
News Clip
Wisconsin Law Journal: Liberal Supreme Court justices make sweeping changes to enhance transparency and accountability
During an interview with the Wisconsin Law Journal last week, Executive Director Jay Heck of the non-partisan government accountability group Common Cause noted that Wisconsin ranked as the 47th worst in the nation, according to a Center for American Progress study for judicial ethics recusal rules.
The study looked at the strength of recusal rules for judges in every state, ranking each state 1-50.
“Even Cook County (in Chicago) has stronger recusal rules for judges, which is a pretty low bar given Chicago’s...
The study looked at the strength of recusal rules for judges in every state, ranking each state 1-50.
“Even Cook County (in Chicago) has stronger recusal rules for judges, which is a pretty low bar given Chicago’s...
News Clip
Boston Globe: What is ‘red-boxing’ and why is it an issue in R.I.’s congressional race?
John M. Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, said Common Cause and the Campaign Legal Center have been urging the state Board of Elections for at least four years to adopt regulations that would clarify that types of coordination — including red-boxing — violate state campaign finance law. It hasn’t happened.
Marion said the current form of red-boxing has emerged since Rhode Island last made major changes in this area of campaign finance law in 2012.
“It was hard to imagine then that...
Marion said the current form of red-boxing has emerged since Rhode Island last made major changes in this area of campaign finance law in 2012.
“It was hard to imagine then that...
News Clip
NM Political Report: Watchdog groups file brief in congressional gerrymandering case
The brief was filed in state judicial district court by watchdog groups Common Cause New Mexico, Election Reformers Network and the League of Women Voters New Mexico and it supports neither party in the case.
The amicus brief seeks to help the court apply the New Mexico Supreme Court’s three-part test that was adapted from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan’s dissenting opinion in the Rucho v. Common Cause case of 2019.
“We are gratified that the district court is using the three-part test suggested by...
The amicus brief seeks to help the court apply the New Mexico Supreme Court’s three-part test that was adapted from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan’s dissenting opinion in the Rucho v. Common Cause case of 2019.
“We are gratified that the district court is using the three-part test suggested by...
News Clip
The Center Square: Gavin Newsom’s national Constitutional amendment to limit gun access put on hold
“Doing a convention puts every civil right we have in this country at risk,” said Viki Harrison, Director of Constitutional Conventions and Protecting Dissent Programs for left-of-center watchdog group Common Cause in an interview with The Center Square. “The entire Constitution could be rewritten.”
“The amendment process is a lot more in the open,” Harrison said. “You're going through the state legislatures where people can testify. You are going through Congress where people can interact with their legislators...
“The amendment process is a lot more in the open,” Harrison said. “You're going through the state legislatures where people can testify. You are going through Congress where people can interact with their legislators...
News Clip
The Oregonian: Oregon labor group launches end run around effort to curb political donations, shed light on dark money
Kate Titus, executive director of good government group Common Cause Oregon, said that Our Oregon’s initiatives are “clearly an effort to try to derail (the proposal for stricter limits) and offer a different alternative.”
“I’m pleased that there’s a proactive movement toward campaign finance reform and more players are looking for ways to do this,” said Titus, who gave input on the development of the reform advocates’ proposal but whose organization has yet to endorse any measure for 2024. “Unfortunately, some...
“I’m pleased that there’s a proactive movement toward campaign finance reform and more players are looking for ways to do this,” said Titus, who gave input on the development of the reform advocates’ proposal but whose organization has yet to endorse any measure for 2024. “Unfortunately, some...
News Clip
The Hill (Op-Ed): How the Federal Election Commission is undermining the integrity of our elections
Georgia’s elections are all over the headlines this past week after the Trump indictment, but there is one issue key to protecting our votes missing from those headlines: transparency in campaign spending.
In Georgia, we believe all voters have a right to know when wealthy special interests are spending big to influence our vote. Unfortunately, the Federal Election Commission, the agency tasked with enforcing federal campaign finance laws, has failed Georgia voters and left us in the dark about an out-of-state group that...
In Georgia, we believe all voters have a right to know when wealthy special interests are spending big to influence our vote. Unfortunately, the Federal Election Commission, the agency tasked with enforcing federal campaign finance laws, has failed Georgia voters and left us in the dark about an out-of-state group that...
News Clip
Bolts: ‘We Have a Right to Put It on the Ballot’: How Organizers Are Defending Direct Democracy
Bolts this week gathered three organizers who have fought this dynamic in each of three states that are undergoing this dynamic: Ohio, Arkansas, and Idaho. Their meeting sparked a wide-ranging conversation about their shared frustrations and strategies.
Mia Lewis, associate director of Common Cause Ohio, was active in the campaign to defeat Issue 1 this summer.
“This is a great group to be talking to,” Lewis said. “Because they’re not doing this in one state, they do these things repeatedly in different...
Mia Lewis, associate director of Common Cause Ohio, was active in the campaign to defeat Issue 1 this summer.
“This is a great group to be talking to,” Lewis said. “Because they’re not doing this in one state, they do these things repeatedly in different...
News Clip
Ms. Magazine: Keeping Score
“No American is above the law—not even former presidents. The charges that a federal grand jury leveled today against former President Donald Trump are profoundly serious and must go to trial. The charges themselves are unprecedented, but so are the events that led to them.
“The nonpartisan January 6 Select Committee revealed the months-long conspiracy to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election and its culmination in the deadly insurrection. Anyone and everyone who broke the laws of this nation...
“The nonpartisan January 6 Select Committee revealed the months-long conspiracy to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election and its culmination in the deadly insurrection. Anyone and everyone who broke the laws of this nation...
News Clip
KUNM: Non-partisan groups offer mixed evidence to judge deciding fairness of NM congressional map
Dan Vicuña, national redistricting manager for Common Cause, said to back its answers to the test’s questions, “there is a range of evidence a court can use.”
That includes qualitative data like legislative documents and testimony.
Vicuña said that could mean asking questions like, “Were meetings held in secret? Did you see partisan votes in committees? Did you see secretive proceedings in which one party was boxed out of having any input?”
Vicuña said the mixed results could mean the...
That includes qualitative data like legislative documents and testimony.
Vicuña said that could mean asking questions like, “Were meetings held in secret? Did you see partisan votes in committees? Did you see secretive proceedings in which one party was boxed out of having any input?”
Vicuña said the mixed results could mean the...
