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.
Press Release
Statement on Voting Rights Victory in SCOTUS’ Allen v. Milligan Decision
Today is a day of celebration for all of those who care about freedom and democracy, with the Supreme Court recognizing the vital importance of what remains of the Voting Rights Act to protect Americans from the insidious effects of discrimination.
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Salon: RFK Jr. and the con men candidates: more than a sideshow — they’re a real threat to democracy
"We do not have a clear picture of who is pumping significant money into our elections," Stephen Spaulding, the vice president of policy at Common Cause, told Salon. Especially after the disastrous 2013 Supreme Court decision dismantling much campaign finance law, he explained, there's "a universe of money influencing our elections that are coming from somewhere in large amounts, but we don't know where it's coming from."
While cautioning there's no legal way to distinguish real candidates from people who are in it for the...
While cautioning there's no legal way to distinguish real candidates from people who are in it for the...
News Clip
McClatchy: Comer places FBI Director in contempt crosshairs over Biden informant document
“The former President’s own Attorney General William Barr already declined to pursue this investigation several years ago,” said Aaron Scherb, the senior director of legislative affairs at Common Cause. “FBI Director Christopher Wray is a lifelong Republican and member of the Federalist Society. This committee vote to hold him in contempt is yet another example of congressional Republicans trying to weaponize the federal government when they disagree with the outcome.”
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Associated Press: Supreme Court tossed out heart of Voting Rights Act a decade ago, prompting wave of new voting rules
Voting rights groups say that does not mean voting is easy, and they have been responding to the restrictions with fresh strategies. In Georgia, for instance, Common Cause set up mobile printing stations across the state so voters could comply with new voter registration rules that require an ink signature on a printed form.
“It’s only through the work of all these communities and groups on the ground that voters have access,” said Sylvia Albert, the group’s national director of voting and elections. “But doing this...
“It’s only through the work of all these communities and groups on the ground that voters have access,” said Sylvia Albert, the group’s national director of voting and elections. “But doing this...
News Clip
The Lever: Ron DeSantis’ Crusade Against Campaign Finance Laws
Taken together, the group’s activities amount to “a complete end-run around our campaign finance rules, which are in place to curb corruption and the appearance of corruption,” said Stephen Spaulding, a vice president at the watchdog group Common Cause.
News Clip
The New Yorker: How a Fringe Legal Theory Became a Threat to Democracy
Flight attendants use euphemistic doublespeak because, understandably, they want to avoid terms like “hijacking” and "September 11th.” For similar reasons, Jones spoke in broad terms, without directly invoking Trump or January 6th. (There were also other reasons for this, such as Common Cause’s nonpartisan status.) Even so, the implications were clear. At one point, an organizer sitting in the audience stood, using a cane, and gave an impromptu speech, urging listeners to imagine a Supreme Court opinion that enabled legislatures to rig...
Press Release
Common Cause Condemns YouTube’s Irresponsible and Dangerous Decision to Allow Election Lies
Today, YouTube announced it will rescind its prohibition on content that espouses election denialism and disinformation about the 2020 elections. This move comes as more 2024 candidates (including former president Trump) engage in public events which may be hosted on the platform.
News Clip
Bolts Magazine: “An Attempt to Fool Voters”: Ohio GOP Sets Up Vote To Weaken Direct Democracy
“It’s an attempt to fool voters into giving away their power,” said Mia Lewis of Common Cause Ohio, a pro-democracy group that opposes the amendment.
News Clip
Texas Tribune/VoteBeat: Harris County elections face state intervention under new laws
Katya Ehresman, voting rights program director with Common Cause Texas, said voters, county officials and election administrators should have been given the opportunity to testify about legislation set to directly impact them.
Ehresman said that process was concerning and “against values of transparency and public input, which should be core parts of the legislative process.”
“These bills do have a tangible effect on voter turnout, voter apathy, and on the ability for elections administrators to do their job...
Ehresman said that process was concerning and “against values of transparency and public input, which should be core parts of the legislative process.”
“These bills do have a tangible effect on voter turnout, voter apathy, and on the ability for elections administrators to do their job...
News Clip
Tallahassee Democrat (Op-Ed): Florida Legislature and Gov. DeSantis are trampling on our voting rights
If we want a democracy that works for everyone, we should be making it harder for money to influence politics, and easier for eligible Floridians to exercise their freedom to vote.
But that’s the opposite of what’s happening in Florida, with state lawmakers erecting a slew of unnecessary and confusing barriers for Floridians looking to participate in our democracy.
But that’s the opposite of what’s happening in Florida, with state lawmakers erecting a slew of unnecessary and confusing barriers for Floridians looking to participate in our democracy.
News Clip
Columbus Dispatch: Secretary of State Frank LaRose uses election integrity group to aid US Senate ambitions
News Clip
States Newsroom/Wisconsin Examiner: GOP-led states plan new voter data systems to replace one they rejected. Good luck with that.
“We would have no problem with the state setting up something that followed federal law and somehow getting a bunch of other states to go along with it,” said Julia Vaughn, the executive director of Common Cause Indiana, which brought the lawsuit against the state. “But good luck doing that with one individual state with no real expertise in this, and no reputation as some entity that other states should trust their voter registration lists with.”
