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From Corruption to Accountability: Reforming Pay-to-Play Politics in Atlanta

Press Release

From Corruption to Accountability: Reforming Pay-to-Play Politics in Atlanta

For decades, the city of Atlanta has faced institutionalized corruption, hindering its potential as a cultural, business, and international hub. Common Cause Georgia exposed this corruption through a new report titled “The Atlanta Way: Examining Pay-to-Play."

Media Contacts

David Vance

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

Katie Scally

Communications Director
kscally@commoncause.org
408-205-1257

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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The Daily Beast: This Mysterious New GOP Dark Money Group Raises All Kinds of Red Flags

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The Daily Beast: This Mysterious New GOP Dark Money Group Raises All Kinds of Red Flags

“501(c)(4s) are social welfare organizations that increasingly have been misused to spend money for political purposes,” Aaron Scherb, director of legislative affairs at Common Cause, told The Daily Beast. “Under the IRS tax code, they don't have to disclose their donors. And so that's why they've become a popular vehicle for people who are trying to use dark money to influence political outcomes.”

Watchdog groups have argued for years that the decision of three Republican commissioners to deadlock votes on enforcement...

Los Angeles Times: Ethics reform measure will go to L.A. voters. Critics say it’s watered down

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Los Angeles Times: Ethics reform measure will go to L.A. voters. Critics say it’s watered down

California Common Cause, a good-government group, called the measure “disheartening.”

“The Los Angeles City Council had a chance to turn the tide of corruption at City Hall and begin a new era in which L.A. residents could trust their local elected officials,” said Jonathan Mehta Stein, the group’s executive director. “Instead they chose to uphold a broken, shameful status quo.”

Texas Tribune/VoteBeat: Gillespie County election costs balloon after switch to hand count

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Texas Tribune/VoteBeat: Gillespie County election costs balloon after switch to hand count

“It’s absurd to spend this money on this when elections in Texas especially are just so chronically underfunded,” said Anthony Guitierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas, a nonpartisan voter advocacy and government watchdog organization. “They could have used this funding for the election staff who are overworked and underpaid everywhere in Texas. It could be spent on election infrastructure so that voters have a more efficient voting experience, or on public outreach.”

Common Cause Urges Vote on SCOTUS Ethics Bill as Justices File Financials

Press Release

Common Cause Urges Vote on SCOTUS Ethics Bill as Justices File Financials

Today, as Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court are expected to file their financial disclosure reports, Common Cause is urging the full U.S. Senate to debate and vote on the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act (S. 359). In a letter today to Senate leadership, Common Cause emphasized that the lack of a binding code of ethics has led to a string of scandals involving unreported gifts and expensive vacations that have undermined public faith in the nation’s highest court.

MEDIAite: ‘Start Writing’: See Cohen Texts To Maggie Haberman From Bombshell Trump Trial Testimony

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MEDIAite: ‘Start Writing’: See Cohen Texts To Maggie Haberman From Bombshell Trump Trial Testimony

From: 0114 Michael Cohen (owner) To: 4978 Maggie Haberman To: 4978 Maggie Haberman

“In late January 2018, I received a copy of a complaint filed at the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by Common Cause. The complaint alleges that I somehow violated campaign finance laws by facilitating an excess, in-kind contribution. The allegations in the complaint are factually unsupported and without legal merit, and my counsel has submitted a response to the FEC. I am Mr. Trump’s longtime special counsel and I have proudly served in...

NBC News: Wisconsin Republicans change their tune on ballot drop boxes ahead of state Supreme Court ruling

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NBC News: Wisconsin Republicans change their tune on ballot drop boxes ahead of state Supreme Court ruling

The legal seesaw over the broader issue reveals that both parties understand what’s at stake, said Jay Heck, the executive director of Common Cause Wisconsin, the state’s branch of the national nonpartisan government watchdog group.

“It could make a difference around the margins,” said Heck, whose group filed an amicus brief in support of overturning the 2022 ruling. “But, you know, the small margins are important in Wisconsin.”

Next Avenue (PBS): May the Biggest Wallet Win

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Next Avenue (PBS): May the Biggest Wallet Win

"Strong majorities of Republican, Democratic and independent voters believe that there's too much 'big' and secret money in politics," says Aaron Scherb, spokesperson for Common Cause, a nonpartisan "citizens' lobby" working to ensure fair elections.

The DISCLOSE (Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections) Act would rectify the glaring omission of dark money groups from FEC disclosure requirements. Some version of the DISCLOSE Act has been introduced every Congressional session since 2010—when it...

Salon: “Don’t worry, I’m the president”: Cohen says Trump assured him AG was “in his pocket” after raid

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Salon: “Don’t worry, I’m the president”: Cohen says Trump assured him AG was “in his pocket” after raid

In 2018, watchdog group Common Cause filed a complaint claiming the payment was an “in-kind contribution” to Trump’s campaign. But the FEC failed to support their general counsel’s recommendation to investigate amid partisan deadlock in 2021.

Cohen in 2018 pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to eight counts that included one count of causing an unlawful campaign contribution, and another count of an excessive campaign contribution, in connection with the payment to Daniels.

The Atlantic: Attack a Democrat Charged With Corruption? Republicans Wouldn’t Dare.

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The Atlantic: Attack a Democrat Charged With Corruption? Republicans Wouldn’t Dare.

“Overall, the Republican Party is on fairly shaky ground on ethical issues given who the de facto leader of their party is,” Aaron Scherb, the senior director for legislative affairs at the good-government group Common Cause, told me. “I’m sure to some extent they’re worried about being called out for hypocrisy.”

NPR Morning Edition/WUWM (Audio): Wisconsin Supreme Court hears whether to allow absentee ballot drop boxes in the state again

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NPR Morning Edition/WUWM (Audio): Wisconsin Supreme Court hears whether to allow absentee ballot drop boxes in the state again

Common Cause-Wisconsin has joined the case on the side of the plaintiffs. Executive Director Jay Heck explains:

“There should be ways for voters to return their absentee ballots so they have some assurance that they’ll be counted. The U.S. Mail is not always reliable in getting them back to the clerks in time. So, this is just something that benefits every voter regardless of how they vote," Heck says.

Heck also says people with disabilities would be able to return their ballot more efficiently. The Associated...

Source New Mexico: The blind spot in the state’s most expensive election so far this year

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Source New Mexico: The blind spot in the state’s most expensive election so far this year

Dede Feldman, a former state lawmaker and spokesperson for Common Cause New Mexico, said voters deserve to know who signs candidates’ paychecks and where potential conflicts of interest lie. That’s also true for district attorney candidates, she said.

“It's not a good look when candidates do not disclose their finances,” she said.

Feldman said more candidates need to file disclosures, but that won’t go nearly far enough. They also need to take them more seriously.

“The chief duty of...

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