Limits on the Influence of Money In Politics

Today, Common Cause released a new report on more than two dozen ballot initiatives and state constitutional amendments to strengthen, and in some cases undercut, democracy that will be decided by voters at the state and local level in November. “Democracy on the Ballot” traces the growing momentum behind citizen-driven pro-democracy reforms in recent years and examines initiatives and amendments on ballots in the 2018 general election from Florida to California and from North Dakota to New Mexico and urges support or opposition to each.

In August 2018, the Washington Post, Baltimore Sun and other local newspapers sued the state of Maryland challenging the constitutionality of the state’s recently-enacted campaign finance disclosure law that requires certain "online platforms" to collect and make available to the public information about groups and individuals that pay to place political ads on such online platforms.

With Election Day now less than two months away, Common Cause released its 2018 Democracy Scorecard to chart the positions of every Member of Congress on issues vital to the health of our democracy. The reforms in question range from legislation to create a small donor matching fund system and increased disclosure requirements for outside political groups to bills to curb gerrymandering and strengthen the protections in the Voting Rights Act.

"Common Cause joins the nation in wishing peace and comfort to the family, friends, and colleagues of Senator John McCain," said Common Cause President Karen Hobert Flynn. "As a U.S. Senator, McCain worked with Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Common Cause to pass significant campaign finance reform – the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold), which banned soft money and curbed corporate and labor union spending to influence elections. During that fight, McCain showed tenacity in bucking his party and its leadership to eventually pass the reform in 2002. Senator McCain’s courage, grit, and confidence inspired millions of Americans who will miss his voice in the U.S. Senate."

Today, Common Cause urged Congress to hold hearings to investigate new Treasury Department rules that gut disclosure requirements for tax-exempt organizations that have pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into U.S. elections in recent years. The move also comes at a time when serious concerns have been raised about foreign money being illegally funneled into U.S. elections through these groups.