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
Washington Post: Ahead of abortion vote, Ohioans weigh making it harder to amend constitution
Proponents of the new threshold are “willing to change the rules because they don’t trust voters,” said Catherine Turcer, executive director of Common Cause Ohio, a nonprofit group focused on strengthening democratic institutions.
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San Francisco Chronicle: Charley Marsteller, tireless S.F. City Hall watchdog with a link to George Washington, dies at 72
“If it wasn’t for Charley and the people he brought from Common Cause, the Ethics Commission would not have had the courage to put Proposition O on the ballot,” said Paul Melbostad, who served eight years on the Ethics Commission. Prop. O passed by a wide margin setting a $500 ceiling on donations, a limit that remains to this day.
“Charley had credibility because he never sought personal gain and avoided endorsing candidates and ballot measures other than on (matters of) ethics,” Melbostad said.
“Charley had credibility because he never sought personal gain and avoided endorsing candidates and ballot measures other than on (matters of) ethics,” Melbostad said.
News Clip
Raw Story: ‘More to come’: Ethics defenders cheer as Trump ‘Big Lie’ allies charged in Michigan
"Today is another day of Michigan values holding strong against lies about our elections," Quentin Turner, program director at Common Cause Michigan, said in a statement. "For years, Michiganders of all parties have continued to resoundingly reject lies and conspiracy theories about our election."
"Mr. DePerno, Ms. Rendon, and their team's alleged actions do not reflect the voices of millions who believe in fair, accessible elections and upholding the will of the people," Turner added. "We are convinced that the upcoming case...
"Mr. DePerno, Ms. Rendon, and their team's alleged actions do not reflect the voices of millions who believe in fair, accessible elections and upholding the will of the people," Turner added. "We are convinced that the upcoming case...
News Clip
U.S. News & World Report: QUOTES: Reaction to the Indictment of Donald Trump
Marilyn Carpinteyro, Common Cause interim co-president
"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.”
"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.”
News Clip
The Guardian: Trump’s latest indictment finally holds him to account for 2020 election plot
Aunna Dennis, executive director of the watchdog group Common Cause Georgia, said Trump’s expected indictment in Fulton county “validates the concerns of folks who don’t want the elections to be interfered with”.
“Even if you are in the highest seat in the country, that does not mean you can trample or mislead or manipulate the voices of voters and the voices of communities,” Dennis said. “We are not a fascist society. We are not an authoritarian society here. That’s not how our democracy works.”
“Even if you are in the highest seat in the country, that does not mean you can trample or mislead or manipulate the voices of voters and the voices of communities,” Dennis said. “We are not a fascist society. We are not an authoritarian society here. That’s not how our democracy works.”
Press Release
Indictment of Donald Trump Shows No One is Above the Law
"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."
News Clip
Newsday: Watchdogs to NY elections board: Reject touch-screen voting machine
"Paper ballots marked by the voter — which New York currently uses — is the election security gold ... standard," said Sarah Goff, deputy director of Common Cause New York, on Tuesday. Adding a new machine, she said, comes off as "solving a problem we don't have in New York."
News Clip
Indiana Capital Chronicle: A little-known nonprofit boosts Indiana’s economic development agency
“This is an area where a lot of money is involved. The state is offering big incentives involving our tax dollars to corporations, and Hoosiers deserve to know the backstory,” said Julia Vaughn, who leads government watchdog Common Cause Indiana. “But I think the IEDC and its foundation: their structure often stops that from happening.”
Vaughn said her organization expressed transparency-related concerns when the state swapped its commerce department for the corporation-foundation combination.
“I’m...
Vaughn said her organization expressed transparency-related concerns when the state swapped its commerce department for the corporation-foundation combination.
“I’m...
News Clip
New York Times: Inside the Party Switch That Blew Up North Carolina Politics
Linda Meigs, a political activist from Charlotte, drove to Ms. Cotham's district this month for a meeting with local lawmakers hosted by Common Cause North Carolina and other liberal advocacy groups.
Ms. Meigs said she had come prepared to confront Ms. Cotham over how she could have campaigned on ''Democratic Party values such as women's rights to reproductive freedom and L.G.B.T.Q. rights,'' only to reverse her support. Ms. Cotham was invited to speak, but didn't attend.
''When I'm talking to somebody and asking...
Ms. Meigs said she had come prepared to confront Ms. Cotham over how she could have campaigned on ''Democratic Party values such as women's rights to reproductive freedom and L.G.B.T.Q. rights,'' only to reverse her support. Ms. Cotham was invited to speak, but didn't attend.
''When I'm talking to somebody and asking...
News Clip
Honolulu Civil Beat: Editorial Board Interview: Camron Hurt Of Common Cause Hawaii
The Civil Beat Editorial Board spoke on Tuesday with the program director of Common Cause Hawaii. Camron Hurt said the organization under his leadership will focus on elections, voting access, government transparency and campaign finance reform. Hurt began by explaining what Common Cause does.
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Raleigh News & Observer: Idea exchange or corporate lobbying front? A look into ALEC’s influence in NC
"What I worry about in the general sense is you want to think that proposals and legislation comes from the people who are electing the folks representing them in the legislature and that there is some kind of local initiative for that," said Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause NC. "But when you have a bill mill that really is serving the interests of special interests in corporate America and right-of-center agendas, that's alarming."
News Clip
Public News Service: Pro-Democracy Group: Regulators Should Say “No Dice” to Election Betting
However, Stephen Spaulding, vice president for policy at the group Common Cause, said this would put even more pressure on the health of democracy in current political environment.
"This opens up a significant risk to the perception that the winners and losers of an election are not determined by voters, but by those who stand to gain financially," he said.
Common Cause has sent a filing to the commission, asking that it reject the proposal. Leadership with the House Task Force on Strengthening Democracy issued a...
"This opens up a significant risk to the perception that the winners and losers of an election are not determined by voters, but by those who stand to gain financially," he said.
Common Cause has sent a filing to the commission, asking that it reject the proposal. Leadership with the House Task Force on Strengthening Democracy issued a...
