News Clips

Joanne Antoine, executive director of Common Cause Maryland, a government watchdog group, said the Examiner article raises the possibility of a conflict of interest or self-dealing. Rockeymoore Cummings “should take steps to disclose possible conflicts with the Johnson Foundation and to disclose the financial records from the nonprofit in question,” Antoine said. Regardless of whether Rockeymoore Cummings is correct in saying that the Legal and Policy Center was “after her and her husband,” Antoine added, “it doesn’t mean that there aren’t valid pieces in there.”

In Common Cause’s five-decade history, we have held both Democrats and Republicans accountable. We do this because of moments like this, when one party has moved so far in the wrong direction that it seems like democracy reform is a partisan issue. It is not, and we shouldn’t let Republican leaders in Congress make it one.

Stephen Spaulding, of the government watchdog group Common Cause, said “sometimes the appearance of corruption can be just as damaging to trust, faith and confidence in government as actual corruption.” It’s not just Menendez, Spaulding said wealthy donors buying influence is all too common in Washington, and the line between favors and bribery is murky. “And the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Roberts has by no means been a beacon of clarity on that front,” Spaulding said. “The court has by and large said this kind of access and influence is as American as apple pie and it's really up to voters to punish or reward elected officials, not the court.”

“Any payment to a candidate’s family member that seems unusually high is a red flag for me,” said Paul S. Ryan, vice president for policy and litigation at Common Cause, a liberal-leaning nonprofit watchdog group. “Candidates should exercise an abundance of caution in this area and should be prepared to publicly justify such expenses to the public, the press and, most importantly, to the FEC.”