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Government Accountability Groups Urge House to Strengthen the Office of Congressional Ethics and Make It Permanent

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Government Accountability Groups Urge House to Strengthen the Office of Congressional Ethics and Make It Permanent

Today, Common Cause and other government accountability groups urged every member of the U.S. House of Representatives to strengthen the independent Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) and make the office permanent. Even if Congress does not codify the OCE into law at this time, the groups stress the importance of maintaining the office’s continued existence and the importance of not weakening it in the 119th Congress. The letter emphasizes overwhelming public support for increased ethics and accountability measures and touts the success of...

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David Vance

National Media Strategist
dvance@commoncause.org
240-605-8600

Katie Scally

Communications Director
kscally@commoncause.org
202-736-5713

Ariana Marmolejo

Regional Communications Strategist (West)
amarmolejo@commoncause.org

Jennifer Garcia

Regional Communications Strategist (South)
jgarcia@commoncause.org

Kenny Colston

Regional Communications Strategist (Midwest)
kcolston@commoncause.org

Common Cause’s network of national and state democracy reform experts are frequent media commentators. To talk with one of our experts, please reach out to any member of the press team above.

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Patriot News/PennLive (Op-Ed): Effective, useful, and secure: Why Dush is wrong about ERIC

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Patriot News/PennLive (Op-Ed): Effective, useful, and secure: Why Dush is wrong about ERIC

There is no viable alternative to ERIC. Other states have tried, but to no avail; for example, the Interstate Crosscheck System, a program started in Kansas, had a 99% error rate. It was found to eliminate about 200 registrations used to cast legitimate votes for every one duplicate voter registration. As explained by the Louisiana Illuminator, “Replicating what ERIC built would be a major technical, scientific, administrative and political challenge, even for a state committed to making it work.”

John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act Will Protect Every American’s Freedom to Vote

Press Release

John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act Will Protect Every American’s Freedom to Vote

Americans expect and deserve free and fair elections. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act will protect the freedom to vote of every American at a time when voting rights are once again under attack in many parts of our nation. The legislation, reintroduced today in the House of Representatives, will repair much of the damage done to the Voting Rights Act a decade ago by the Supreme Court in its Shelby County v. Holder decision and subsequent rulings.

Testimony for House Hearing on Threat of Article V Constitutional Convention

Press Release

Testimony for House Hearing on Threat of Article V Constitutional Convention

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...

Public News Service: Some Maryland Communities Lowering Voting Age to 16

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Public News Service: Some Maryland Communities Lowering Voting Age to 16

Alyssa Canty, director of youth programs for Common Cause, said young people are often beginning to see the effects of civic policy.

"When they're 16- or 17-year-olds, they are starting their first part-time jobs," Canty pointed out. "So they now have income, so they're purchasing things, so they are paying sales tax, but they have no say in what happens to those tax dollars."

Canty sees late high school as a good time to engage young people.

"Usually around 16, 17 years old, that junior, senior...

Associated Press: Wisconsin Republicans push redistricting plan to head off adverse court ruling

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Associated Press: Wisconsin Republicans push redistricting plan to head off adverse court ruling

The higher vote requirement is a critical component of any redistricting change, said Jay Heck, director of Common Cause Wisconsin.

The plan the Assembly is voting on was unveiled at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. There was no public hearing, and Democrats and advocates say they were not consulted in the drafting of the bill.

“It’s not serious," Heck said. "This is an act of desperation to head off the Supreme Court from redrawing the maps. ... It just doesn’t pass the smell test on any level.”

Daily Beast: House Dems Aim to Make ‘Overdue’ Reforms to the FEC

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Daily Beast: House Dems Aim to Make ‘Overdue’ Reforms to the FEC

Stephen Spaulding, vice president of policy at watchdog Common Cause, sharply objected to those new policies.

“To require line attorneys to seek four votes from commissioners for developments in their investigations, such as wanting to speak to a new witness—the commission already has a central role in providing supervisory guidance, they don’t need to micromanage, stepping into this role is unnecessary and would further create gridlock,” Spaulding told The Daily Beast.
“Committee Republicans have had a lot of...

Mother Jones: Wisconsin Republicans Are Taking Desperate Steps to Subvert Fair Elections in 2024

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Mother Jones: Wisconsin Republicans Are Taking Desperate Steps to Subvert Fair Elections in 2024

“Going back to 2011, there is such a long laundry list of pretty amazing things that they’ve done,” says Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause Wisconsin. “And it’s almost like, what else could they do? And then they come up with something like this.”

If the legislature rejects the maps drawn by the Legislative Reference Bureau, nonpartisan staff who work for the legislature, on two occasions, Republicans will have the power to draw their own partisan maps, which Heck says is “absolutely” Vos’ goal. Vos...

Associated Press: Santos misses extended deadline to file financial disclosure, blames fear of a ‘rushed job’

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Associated Press: Santos misses extended deadline to file financial disclosure, blames fear of a ‘rushed job’

Stephen Spaulding, the vice president of policy at Common Cause, a watchdog group, described Santos’ reasoning as “nonsensical,” noting there was no reason that his federal tax obligations should prevent him from filing the necessary disclosure.

“He is thumbing his nose at transparency requirements, his constituents and the public,” Spaulding said. “All the more reason to strengthen these penalties.”

While it is not uncommon for representatives to file their disclosures late, few of them blow past...

Associated Press: GOP legislative leaders’ co-chair flap has brought the Ohio Redistricting Commission to a standstill

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Associated Press: GOP legislative leaders’ co-chair flap has brought the Ohio Redistricting Commission to a standstill

“The Ohio Redistricting Commission isn’t functional,” said Catherine Turcer, executive director of Common Cause Ohio, a good government group, adding that bodes poorly for the creation of fair maps.

“If you can’t hear one another, you’re going to have trouble hearing the community, and hearing the folks that come to testify,” she said.

The Intercept: A TRUMP APPOINTEE IS TRYING TO GUT THE FEC’S ABILITY TO INVESTIGATE CAMPAIGN FINANCE CRIMES

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The Intercept: A TRUMP APPOINTEE IS TRYING TO GUT THE FEC’S ABILITY TO INVESTIGATE CAMPAIGN FINANCE CRIMES

The proposal, if approved, will result in the commissioners “micromanaging things” that have long been in the OGC’s purview, said Stephen Spaulding, vice president of policy and external affairs at Common Cause, who served as a special counsel to a former Democratic FEC commissioner from May 2016 to May 2017. “It will slow investigations down and ultimately leaves the law unenforced, if they’re tied up in having meetings about whether the nonpartisan attorneys in the Office of General Counsel can even bring in another witness.”

Axios: Ohio redistricting fight resumes this week

News Clip

Axios: Ohio redistricting fight resumes this week

What they're saying: Catherine Turcer, executive director of the government watchdog group Common Cause Ohio, says the reforms of 2015 and 2018 were not enough to keep partisan officials from being "drunk on power."

"What we've learned is it's not enough to have good rules in the Ohio Constitution," she tells Axios.

"We need independent mapmakers who aren't influenced by loyalty to party."

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