Press Release

President Trump’s contempt for the United States Constitution is laid bare again with the White House announcement that the G-7 Summit will be held at a Trump resort in Florida. If not stopped by the courts, the summit would represent yet another violation of the emoluments clause as the President harnesses the power of his office to pad his own bank account.

Today, Common Cause honors four “Defenders of Democracy” who have played pivotal roles in reshaping America’s legal landscape to address the scourge of partisan gerrymandering.

“Chairman Cummings was an American hero. He used his power for good and fought for the voices of everyday Americans. He recognized that the right to vote was sacred and fiercely decried efforts to suppress the vote. He was a humble statesman who called out injustice and sought to make the world a better place for his constituents and for all Americans. He will be dearly missed by Common Cause and our 1.2 million supporters.”

Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 to approve the $26 billion merger of T-Mobile Inc. and Sprint Corporation. The approval includes a negotiated deal to sell assets to Dish Network despite the FCC never seeking public comment on this arrangement. The proposed merger still faces a legal challenge from more than fourteen state attorneys general who have filed suit to block the transaction.

The arrest and indictment of Soviet-born agents of Rudy Giuliani for illegally funneling foreign money into Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential run is an encouraging sign that the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York will enforce the laws even if Main Justice is run by Trump-apologist William Barr. The charges of conspiracy to funnel foreign dollars into U.S. elections against Florida businessmen Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman paint a troubling picture of the free flow of foreign money into our elections due to insufficient safeguards and lax enforcement.

The President’s refusal to comply with congressional demands for witness testimony and documents in its impeachment investigation is a direct defiance of the United States Constitution. This blatant obstruction of an impeachment investigation will likely be included in future articles of impeachment leveled against Donald Trump. It is the type of abuse that is so clear cut that the Department of Justice should investigate, if Attorney General Barr wasn’t complicit in the obstruction of justice himself. Congress must act to curb this abuse of power expediently before permanent damage is done to our nation’s system of government.