Media Center

Today, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) rejected a request to legalize gambling on U.S. election outcomes. In July, Common Cause filed comments, co-signed by more than 15,000 of its members, strongly urging the CFTC to reject the proposal arguing that KalshiEX, LLC’s (“Kalshi”) proposed Congressional control event contract posed “new and profound threats to the integrity of our democracy and our elections.”

Today at 2:00 p.m. ET, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government will hold a hearing on "Examining Proposed Constitutional Amendments," including to review Article V of the Constitution and proposed amendments. Stephen Spaulding, Common Cause Vice President for Policy & External Affairs, will be testifying on the dangers inherent in calling an Article V constitutional convention. His written testimony submitted in advance of the hearing focuses on the risks and unpredictability of calling a constitutional convention but initially emphasizes the manner the nation has relied upon to amend the Constitution more than two dozens times in the past.

This afternoon a jury found Peter Navarro, an adviser to President Donald Trump, guilty of two counts of criminal contempt of Congress over his defiance of a subpoena from the January 6th Select Committee.

“Courts and judges play an important role in American democracy and should not have to fear violence for doing their job,” said Marilyn Carpinteyro, Common Cause interim co-president. “This report highlights why it’s so crucial that the courts and judges can enforce the law fairly and safely. Those in places of power—especially the president of the United States—have a responsibility to ensure judges can do their jobs free of intimidation.”

No American is above the law, not even the President. But we learned during the Trump administration that existing laws are not sufficient to prevent abuses of the Office of the President. We need strong guardrails in the form of laws. We need the Protecting Our Democracy Act to provide greater checks and balances to the powers of the presidency while creating new mechanisms for transparency and accountability.  

“Yesterday’s Supreme Court decision is nothing but a willful disregard for the racial diversity that makes our country great."