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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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Associated Press: Supreme Court tossed out heart of Voting Rights Act a decade ago, prompting wave of new voting rules

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Associated Press: Supreme Court tossed out heart of Voting Rights Act a decade ago, prompting wave of new voting rules

Voting rights groups say that does not mean voting is easy, and they have been responding to the restrictions with fresh strategies. In Georgia, for instance, Common Cause set up mobile printing stations across the state so voters could comply with new voter registration rules that require an ink signature on a printed form.

“It’s only through the work of all these communities and groups on the ground that voters have access,” said Sylvia Albert, the group’s national director of voting and elections. “But doing this...

The Lever: Ron DeSantis’ Crusade Against Campaign Finance Laws

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The Lever: Ron DeSantis’ Crusade Against Campaign Finance Laws

Taken together, the group’s activities amount to “a complete end-run around our campaign finance rules, which are in place to curb corruption and the appearance of corruption,” said Stephen Spaulding, a vice president at the watchdog group Common Cause.

The New Yorker: How a Fringe Legal Theory Became a Threat to Democracy

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The New Yorker: How a Fringe Legal Theory Became a Threat to Democracy

Flight attendants use euphemistic doublespeak because, understandably, they want to avoid terms like “hijacking” and "September 11th.” For similar reasons, Jones spoke in broad terms, without directly invoking Trump or January 6th. (There were also other reasons for this, such as Common Cause’s nonpartisan status.) Even so, the implications were clear. At one point, an organizer sitting in the audience stood, using a cane, and gave an impromptu speech, urging listeners to imagine a Supreme Court opinion that enabled legislatures to rig...

Common Cause Condemns YouTube’s Irresponsible and Dangerous Decision to Allow Election Lies

Press Release

Common Cause Condemns YouTube’s Irresponsible and Dangerous Decision to Allow Election Lies

Today, YouTube announced it will rescind its prohibition on content that espouses election denialism and disinformation about the 2020 elections. This move comes as more 2024 candidates (including former president Trump) engage in public events which may be hosted on the platform.

Texas Tribune/VoteBeat: Harris County elections face state intervention under new laws

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Texas Tribune/VoteBeat: Harris County elections face state intervention under new laws

Katya Ehresman, voting rights program director with Common Cause Texas, said voters, county officials and election administrators should have been given the opportunity to testify about legislation set to directly impact them.

Ehresman said that process was concerning and “against values of transparency and public input, which should be core parts of the legislative process.”

“These bills do have a tangible effect on voter turnout, voter apathy, and on the ability for elections administrators to do their job...

Tallahassee Democrat (Op-Ed): Florida Legislature and Gov. DeSantis are trampling on our voting rights

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Tallahassee Democrat (Op-Ed): Florida Legislature and Gov. DeSantis are trampling on our voting rights

If we want a democracy that works for everyone, we should be making it harder for money to influence politics, and easier for eligible Floridians to exercise their freedom to vote. 

But that’s the opposite of what’s happening in Florida, with state lawmakers erecting a slew of unnecessary and confusing barriers for Floridians looking to participate in our democracy.

States Newsroom/Wisconsin Examiner: GOP-led states plan new voter data systems to replace one they rejected. Good luck with that.

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States Newsroom/Wisconsin Examiner: GOP-led states plan new voter data systems to replace one they rejected. Good luck with that.

“We would have no problem with the state setting up something that followed federal law and somehow getting a bunch of other states to go along with it,” said Julia Vaughn, the executive director of Common Cause Indiana, which brought the lawsuit against the state. “But good luck doing that with one individual state with no real expertise in this, and no reputation as some entity that other states should trust their voter registration lists with.”

The Mercury News: Court upholds California’s anti-pay-to-play law barring votes benefiting campaign contributors

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The Mercury News: Court upholds California’s anti-pay-to-play law barring votes benefiting campaign contributors

The law was backed by the good governance organization California Common Cause, which described it as “a common sense and long overdue pro-democracy reform” that already exists in other states and in certain California cities.

Striking down the law would go against the “will of the people,” said Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director of California Common Cause.

“This law protects Californians from the pay-to-play corruption and the appearance of corruption that plagues our cities and counties, and...

Oregon Capital Chronicle (Op-Ed): Oregon legislative proposal would expand voter rolls

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Oregon Capital Chronicle (Op-Ed): Oregon legislative proposal would expand voter rolls

If we want Oregon elections to fully reflect the will of the people, then every eligible Oregonian who wants to participate should have easy access to register and vote.

Registering to vote shouldn’t be a chore – for you, me, or anyone else.

Common Cause Files Amicus Brief Defending Independent Redistricting in High-Stakes Anti-Gerrymandering Case

Press Release

Common Cause Files Amicus Brief Defending Independent Redistricting in High-Stakes Anti-Gerrymandering Case

Common Cause has filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court of the State of Utah to protect the 2018 voter-approved citizens redistricting commission in League of Women Voters of Utah v. Utah State Legislature. In the brief, the national, anti-gerrymandering group underscores how the state has ignored the will of the people by passing legislation that imposes impartial voting maps and abandons the key principles of fair redistricting.

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