Press Release
Government Watchdog Supports New Bill to Ban Members of Congress from Trading Stock
Majority of Americans support a stock trading ban
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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
Common Cause Files Amicus Brief Calling for Justice in Case of Wrongful Conviction, Imprisonment
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Common Cause filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of Missouri in State ex. rel. Eric Schmitt v. the Honorable Robin E. Fulton, calling for justice for Michael Politte, who was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for more than 20 years.
News Clip
NPR: Despite mail voting changes, ballot rejections remain relatively low in 2022 midterms
Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections at Common Cause, says that since the beginning of the pandemic, voting by mail or absentee has become significantly more popular. In response, some states expanded access to mail in voting.
"What we also saw in 2020 was the demonization of vote by mail," Albert says. "This really affected state legislatures during the 2021 sessions. So, even though we saw a lot of states expand access, we saw other states restrict access."
She says that includes laws that set new...
"What we also saw in 2020 was the demonization of vote by mail," Albert says. "This really affected state legislatures during the 2021 sessions. So, even though we saw a lot of states expand access, we saw other states restrict access."
She says that includes laws that set new...
News Clip
VoteBeat/Texas Tribune: Ken Paxton wants more power to prosecute election crimes. These bills in the Texas Legislature would give it to him.
Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas, said the bills would also hamper election worker recruitment.
“The potential for prosecution if you mess something up, that Ken Paxton just decides is not a mistake but a violation of the law, is going to dissuade voters and also the people who are qualified to do those [election administration] jobs from wanting to do those jobs,” he said.
“The potential for prosecution if you mess something up, that Ken Paxton just decides is not a mistake but a violation of the law, is going to dissuade voters and also the people who are qualified to do those [election administration] jobs from wanting to do those jobs,” he said.
News Clip
Public News Service: MN Part of Push to Expand Access to Voting
Annastacia Belladonna-Carrera, executive director of Common Cause Minnesota, said expanding voting access is always a good thing, but added the work needs to be done with precision.
"For us, it's not just about the title of the bill, it's not just about the concept of the bill," Belladonna-Carrera explained. "It's about those nooks and crannies that really speak to meaningful maximization of transparency, accountability, rights."
Belladonna-Carrera acknowledged moving too quickly can lead to unintended...
"For us, it's not just about the title of the bill, it's not just about the concept of the bill," Belladonna-Carrera explained. "It's about those nooks and crannies that really speak to meaningful maximization of transparency, accountability, rights."
Belladonna-Carrera acknowledged moving too quickly can lead to unintended...
News Clip
CT Insider: Proposal would allow term limits for CT governor, add voter initiatives
Cheri Quickmire, executive director of Common Cause in Connecticut, the elections watchdog organization, said Tuesday she doubts the proposed GOP bills will see much life.
"These are not things that ever come out of committees here," Quickmire said. "Consider the time it takes to make anything happen that involves the Constitution. People have the ability to elect their direct representatives and make their point in that way. We at Common Cause are very interested in having as many people as possible participate in our...
"These are not things that ever come out of committees here," Quickmire said. "Consider the time it takes to make anything happen that involves the Constitution. People have the ability to elect their direct representatives and make their point in that way. We at Common Cause are very interested in having as many people as possible participate in our...
News Clip
Roll Call: Democrats ask ethics panel to probe Santos’ financial disclosures
“House Republicans’ proposal will handcuff the nonpartisan ethics office, making it more difficult to ensure there are consequences for breaking the rules,” said Aaron Scherb, senior director of legislative affairs at Common Cause, in a news release Monday evening after the House GOP approved its rules package. “As their first legislative act, Congressional Republicans have decided to significantly weaken the independent ethics office. Their actions are a complete failure of leadership.”
News Clip
Washington Post: House Republicans pass ethics changes that Democrats say would hamper probes
Aaron Scherb, senior director of legislative affairs at the nonpartisan watchdog Common Cause, said Monday the changes would “handcuff” and “significantly weaken” the OCE.
Press Release
Common Cause Condemns Congress’ Decision to Weaken Nonpartisan Ethics Office
"As their first legislative act, Congressional Republicans have decided to significantly weaken the independent ethics office. Their actions are a complete failure of leadership.”
News Clip
Yahoo News: ‘A state by state fight’: Legal battles over redistricting maps continue into the new year
“It’s a state by state fight,” Dan Vicuna, the national redistricting manager of Common Cause, a voting rights organization, told Yahoo News. “In this country, there's a long history of using the redistricting process to discriminate against people of color or to discriminate against voters of one party.”
According to voting rights advocates, a wave of racial gerrymandering is impacting maps across the country. The 2020 U.S Census Bureau reported that the overall racial diversity of the United States increased since...
According to voting rights advocates, a wave of racial gerrymandering is impacting maps across the country. The 2020 U.S Census Bureau reported that the overall racial diversity of the United States increased since...
News Clip
Ars Technica: Biden tries to end 2 years of deadlock at FCC by renominating Gigi Sohn
"Industry gatekeepers and big-money opposition have done their part to stall Ms. Sohn's confirmation because they know a fully functional FCC would hold them accountable for engaging in discriminatory and anticompetitive practices," former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, now special adviser to advocacy group Common Cause, said yesterday.
Press Release
Common Cause Applauds White House Re-Nomination of Gigi Sohn and Urges Her Rapid Confirmation By Senate
"We urge the Senate to quickly confirm Ms. Sohn so the agency can fully advance the public interest and create a communications ecosystem that serves all of us.”
Press Release
Congressional Republicans Make Dismantling Office of Ethics Priority Number One
"Now, on the very first day of a new Congress, Republicans have put ethics, accountability, and transparency on the chopping block."
