Media Center

Today, in a ruling that likely comes too late to hold a trial prior to the election, the U.S. Supreme Court in Trump v. United States found that presidents are immune from prosecution for actions within their conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority, and are presumptively immune from prosecution for official acts and returned the case to the district court. Common Cause’s brief in the case had urged the High Court to rule expeditiously, citing previous cases – including United States v. Nixon and Bush v. Gore – where the Justices acted quickly when the presidency was at stake and the public interest demanded speed.

NEW YORK, NY -- This evening, a jury in Manhattan found former President Trump guilty on 34 counts. In response, Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY issued the following statement: "This case was always about hiding key information from voters, and now a jury of the former president's peers have confirmed that he lied to the public by falsifying business records in order to influence the outcome of the 2016 election. This is a felony punishable with jail time or probation, and just like anyone else convicted of the same crime, we expect him to be sentenced accordingly. We thank the jury – whom Mr. Trump and his lawyers helped to select – for doing their civic duty, and trust that the public will accept their decision as well as their right to privacy. Respect for the rule of law is the foundation of our democracy, but so is public trust in the process. That's why Common Cause/NY fought to make the trial transcripts free and accessible, and we invite anyone to review them on the court website. We now hope that the courts will reach a decision in the other trials awaiting Mr. Trump before the 2024 election since voters should have all the information before they cast their ballots."

Today, Attorney General Kris Mayes announced she would be returning indictments for the Arizona Republicans who were involved with the “fake elector” scheme during the 2020 election. Among those indicted include former AZ GOP Chair Kelli Ward, and sitting lawmakers Sen. Jake Hoffman and Sen. Anthony Kern.

With 2024 congressional races in full swing, Common Cause is again tracking the positions of every Member of Congress on issues vital to the health of our democracy. For the fifth cycle in a row, Members of the House and Senate have received letters from Common Cause asking them to co-sponsor and support up to ten democracy reform bills. The letters inform Members that their voting and co-sponsorship record will be published in Common Cause’s “Democracy Scorecard,” which will be distributed to the organization’s 1.5 million members, as well as to state and national media, during the lead-up to Election Day.

Today, Common Cause filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court of the United States urging the court to decide Donald J. Trump v. United States expeditiously in order to avoid perceptions of political bias and to allow a lower court trial of the former president on conspiracy and corruption charges to be held before the November presidential election.

"For over 200 years, all but one of our leaders have abided by the Constitution and practiced the peaceful transfer of power."