Press Release

Today, Common Cause released a new report on the many ways presidential candidates bend and break campaign finance laws as they barnstorm early primary states, fundraise, evade contributions limits, and build their campaign teams while denying they are running for office. “‘Testing the Waters’ or Diving Right In?” is part of Common Cause’s 2020 Candidate Watch project through which the organization will watchdog candidate compliance with and government enforcement of campaign finance laws during the current election cycle.

This is an opportunity to hear directly from the legal teams who will argue against partisan gerrymandering at the U.S. Supreme Court and the activists and academics who are paving the way for fair maps, said Kathay Feng, the national redistricting director for Common Cause.

The Supreme Court today announced that it will hear Rucho v. Common Cause and Lamone v. Benisek and potentially set a national precedent on how to draw fair maps for congressional candidates in time for the redistricting triggered by the 2020 census.

Americans across the country have been demanding and passing democracy reforms at the state and local level, and they expect the same from their representatives in Congress. The opportunity to move a series of hearings and a mark-up of the For the People Act (H.R. 1) marks the first viable move in nearly a decade to respond to overwhelming public demand for sweeping reforms. The proposed legislation offers a broad set of democracy reforms at a time when government of, by, and for the people is under siege.

“Congratulations to Geoffrey Starks and Brendan Carr on their confirmation to the FCC. Returning the FCC to full strength with five commissioners will allow the agency to fully address the communications needs of all Americans. We are particularly pleased that Geoffrey Starks can finally take a seat at the agency. At a time when large telecom and media gatekeepers threaten to harm our democracy, we need another strong voice for protecting an open internet, ensuring all Americans have affordable access to broadband, and putting an end to out-of-control media and telecom consolidation.”

Today, Common Cause, joined by Prometheus Radio Project, Media Mobilizing Project, Free Press, Office of Communication, Inc. of the United Church of Christ, and National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-Communications Workers of America, filed a petitioner’s brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit requesting the Court vacate its 2017 Reconsideration Order, which eliminated or relaxed several media ownership rules. The rules prohibited a single entity from owning too many newspaper, radio, and television entities within a local market. The petitioners also asked the Court to reverse and remand the FCC’s 2016 Second Report and Order and 2018 Incubator Order to the extent they repeal or modify media ownership rules without examining the impact to broadcast ownership diversity.