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Media Contacts: David Vance, National Media Strategist, 240-605-8600, dvance@commoncause.org Katie Scally, Communications Director, 408-205-1257, kscally@commoncause.org

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Voting & Elections 09.6.2022

Common Cause Scorecard Charts Lawmaker Support for Pro-Democracy Bills in 117th Congress in Wake of January 6th

As the January 6th Select Committee is reportedly set to hold more hearings this month, and less than two years since January 6th, Common Cause is releasing its 2022 Democracy Scorecard, which tracks the positions of every Member of Congress on issues vital to the health of our democracy during the 117th Congress. Throughout this Congress, members of the House and Senate were notified that various votes on key democracy issues – including many related to January 6th and its aftermath - would be counted in the Scorecard, which will be distributed to our 1.5 million members, as well as to state and national media.  

Trump and Meadows Anticipated Violence January 6th, Knew of Firearms in Crowd but Incited Mob to March on the Capitol

Then-President Trump and his chief of staff Mark Meadows were warned repeatedly of anticipated violence on January 6th yet did nothing. They were informed of semi-automatic rifles and pistols - AR-15s and Glocks - being carried by members of the audience on the Ellipse, hours before his speech, yet Trump incited the crowd and called on his heavily armed audience to march on the Capitol and ‘fight like hell.’

Trump Knew He Lost but Continued to Stoke Insurrection & Fleece Followers

Donald Trump lost the 2020 election and he knew it. Evidence presented by the January 6 Committee made that very clear today. Trump’s hand-picked loyalists and legal experts from Attorney General Bill Barr on down told him repeatedly that there was absolutely no truth to the fraud allegations that he continued to repeat. Trump’s lies continued to stoke the anger of his staunchest supporters – anger that he would turn loose on the Capitol on January 6, in an effort to overturn the election he lost by force.   

Money & Influence 05.16.2022

Activist Supreme Court Strikes Down Another Campaign Finance Law  

Today, the conservative majority of United States Supreme Court struck down a law that prevents potential corruption from arising when politicians make large personal loans to their own campaigns only to repay them with donations received after Election Day. Candidates will now be able to take out millions of dollars in personal loans for their campaigns that can be repaid after the election by special interest donors who are effectively depositing money into a politicians’ personal bank accounts. Common Cause filed an amicus brief in Federal Election Commission (FEC) v. Ted Cruz for Senate with the Campaign Legal Center (CLC), Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and Democracy 21.

Money & Influence 05.4.2022

Common Cause Submits Written Testimony for Senate Hearing on Laws and Enforcement Governing Secret Money in Elections

Today at 2:00 p.m., the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance’s Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight will hold a hearing on current laws and enforcement governing the political activities by tax exempt “dark money” groups. Beth Rotman, Common Cause Director of Money in Politics and Ethics, submitted written testimony to the subcommittee for today’s hearing record, detailing how a lack of enforcement by both the IRS and the Federal Election Commission (FEC) has allowed “dark money” groups to evade existing disclosure laws related to political spending.

Voting & Elections 04.20.2022

Common Cause Scorecard Charts Lawmaker Support for Pro-Democracy Bills in 117th Congress

As 2022 congressional races ramp up, Common Cause is again tracking the positions of every Member of Congress on issues vital to the health of our democracy. Members of the House and Senate have received letters asking them to co-sponsor and support at least 15 democracy reform bills and informing them that their voting and co-sponsorship record will be published in Common Cause’s “Democracy Scorecard,” which will be distributed to our 1.5 million members, as well as to state and national media, during the lead-up to Election Day.

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