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Money & Influence 09.10.2020

Washington Post (EDITORIAL): Authorities must get to the bottom of Postmaster DeJoy’s alleged manipulation of campaign donations

If the allegations are true, Mr. DeJoy would be in violation of federal election laws that prohibit so-called straw donations because they are a way of evading transparency requirements and contribution limits that are so crucial to the conduct of fair elections. Other possible violations include prohibited use of corporate money and coercion of employees. There is a five-year federal statute of limitations, but there is no time limit in North Carolina for the prosecution of felonies, including campaign violations. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (D) said an investigation is warranted and Common Cause North Carolina on Wednesday filed a complaint. Even Mr. Trump, with his high tolerance of wrongdoing by his allies, acknowledged the need for investigation. We urge Congress and North Carolina authorities to act expeditiously in getting to the bottom of this troubling matter.

Voting & Elections 09.10.2020

CNBC: POLITICS How Trump v. Biden could be Bush v. Gore ‘on steroids’

Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections at the nonpartisan pro-democracy group Common Cause, said the tidal wave of early litigation suggests that Republicans and Democrats will have more potential targets for emergency lawsuits that could swing the race. “Both parties will be looking at every state to see whether a lawsuit could help their candidate win,” Albert said. “I think there’s a likelihood of Florida times 10.”

Voting & Elections 09.10.2020

New York Times: What are the consequences of voting twice, anyway?

Citing all the disarray in Georgia’s elections this year, public interest groups wonder whether it was an accident. “Secretary Raffensperger has been looking for reasons to cast doubt on Georgia’s mail-in ballot system for months,” said Aunna Dennis, the executive director of Common Cause Georgia. “He would have served us all better if he had invested that time and energy into preventing the problems that occurred in June.”

Voting & Elections 09.10.2020

TIME: How Donald Trump's Misinformation Campaign Against Mail-in Voting Is Undermining Faith in Democracy

“We have seen already that the President’s rhetoric is affecting the confidence that voters have in vote-by-mail, particularly, and also in elections in general,” Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections at Common Cause, testified to Congress on Aug. 4.

Voting & Elections 09.9.2020

New York Times (Op-Ed): ‘It’s 8 P.M. on Election Day.’ Experts Share Their Nightmare Scenarios.

Solution: Congress should pass a new coronavirus relief bill that includes $3.6 billion for states to administer elections. With increased resources, states can begin to recruit, hire more workers at a higher wage and organize mass trainings. Local governments should try to find new kinds of poll workers: colleges could give their students credit, employers could provide paid time off and local governments could assign employees to the polls. Companies could help, too. Which sports team will award season tickets to a poll worker? Which restaurant will offer unlimited visits for a year? Which television show will offer a cameo? We need resources, innovative thinking, and commitment from lawmakers, election officials and every sector of the country.

Money & Influence 09.9.2020

Associated Press: Postal Service changes delay prescription drugs

Common Cause North Carolina filed a formal complaint with the state Board of Elections Wednesday and asked North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein to investigate the allegations. House Democrats are investigating. “This troubling fundraising scheme allegedly perpetrated by Louis DeJoy has the appearance of bypassing North Carolina’s campaign finance limits in order to illicitly buy political access and curry favor with elected officials,” said Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina. “These allegations should be thoroughly investigated and, if true, Mr. DeJoy must be held accountable.”

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