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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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Delaware News Journal: Voting rights for Delaware corporations being weighed; Bill advanced to allow artificial entities say in Seaford elections

News Clip

Delaware News Journal: Voting rights for Delaware corporations being weighed; Bill advanced to allow artificial entities say in Seaford elections

Claire Snyder-Hall, executive director of Common Cause Delaware, an organization that advocates for open government, called this an "outrageous attempt to get wealthy property owners, some of whom don't even live in Delaware, an unfair say in town elections."

"We're seeing attacks on freedom to vote all over the country, and mostly Republicans trying to create barriers to voting," she told Delaware Online/The News Journal. "And this is kind of a different way of getting at the same thing, right?

"It's like 'Oh, we...

The Guardian: ‘Impossible to hold him accountable’: DeSantis signs laws to ease 2024 run

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The Guardian: ‘Impossible to hold him accountable’: DeSantis signs laws to ease 2024 run

“It looks like they’re laying the groundwork to transfer the money to some sort of vehicle that would support his presidential run,” said Stephen Spaulding, a campaign finance expert at Common Cause, a government watchdog group. “What that, again, goes to show is how loose the coordination rules are, how they need to be strengthened, and how existing rules need to be enforced.”

Texas Tribune: Eliminating countywide voting in Texas would make the process harder on voters, cost more money, election leaders say

News Clip

Texas Tribune: Eliminating countywide voting in Texas would make the process harder on voters, cost more money, election leaders say

“It is stunning to me that this bill has moved forward,” said Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas. “Countywide voting is the solution to so many problems.”

“If we end countywide voting, we are just ramping up more and more confusion for Texans,” Gutierrez said. He pointed to a study by the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs, which found that confusion over voter ID laws kept some people from voting in Harris County.

Politico: The Supreme Court has an electoral ‘bomb’ on its hands. Will it defuse it before 2024?

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Politico: The Supreme Court has an electoral ‘bomb’ on its hands. Will it defuse it before 2024?

The North Carolina state court ruling “makes it even more clear that the Supreme Court needs to make a decision about whether or not that legislature should be able to rule over federal elections without any checks or balances or if we still want courts to have a role,” said Kathay Feng, the vice president of programs at the good government group Common Cause. Common Cause is one of the parties in the federal lawsuit opposing the ISL theory.

“We need to have a definitive answer from the Supreme Court,” she continued.

Associated Press: Air Force One doubles as a campaign jet for Biden’s reelection run. Who pays what?

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Associated Press: Air Force One doubles as a campaign jet for Biden’s reelection run. Who pays what?

When it comes to paying back the government for travel, “it’s always somewhat of an opaque process for how it’s reimbursed,” said Aaron Scherb, senior director of legislative affairs at the watchdog group Common Cause. “It’s a little bit more of an art than a science.”

Roll Call: DOJ urges Supreme Court not to decide case on federal elections

News Clip

Roll Call: DOJ urges Supreme Court not to decide case on federal elections

Only one party in the case, Common Cause, argued for the Supreme Court to decide the issue — and rule against North Carolina. In a brief filed Thursday, the group argued that the mere fact that North Carolina’s high court ruled in the case means the U.S. Supreme Court can still decide it.

“Petitioners’ core contention before this Court is that the Elections Clause prohibits state constitutions—and state courts—from imposing limits on the authority of state legislatures over congressional redistricting. But the North...

Common Cause Testimony for House Hearing on  Political Speech

Press Release

Common Cause Testimony for House Hearing on  Political Speech

Today at 9:30 a.m., the Committee on House Administration will hold a hearing on “American Confidence in Elections: Protecting Political Speech.” Stephen Spaulding, Common Cause Vice President for Policy & External Affairs, will be testifying. His testimony submitted in advance of the hearing discusses the myriad threats that undermine public confidence in our democracy and offered several solutions as well. He includes voter suppression and gerrymandering as hugely detrimental to public confidence and focuses his testimony on the...

CBS: Rep. George Santos pleads not guilty to 13 federal charges including using campaign donations for personal expenses, including designer clothes and cash

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CBS: Rep. George Santos pleads not guilty to 13 federal charges including using campaign donations for personal expenses, including designer clothes and cash

"Mr. Santos' breathtaking scope of lies has left his constituents -- and all New Yorkers -- gasping for air and calling for accountability. Now that the Eastern District of New York has appropriately indicted him, Mr. Santos should resign. It's been clear for a long time that the voters have been defrauded, and Mr. Santos' seat in Congress is tantamount to an ill gotten gain: he should not be allowed to profit from the fruits of his deception. Voters deserve a representative who doesn't lie and deceive their way into power, and unfortunately...

Politico: Top New York City Hall aide worked quietly with state super PAC

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Politico: Top New York City Hall aide worked quietly with state super PAC

“I don’t think that any New York City resident would question whether the real estate interests were giving this money out of the goodness of their heart, or if they felt they were going to get access in return,” said Susan Lerner, head of Common Cause New York, a good government group.

“This is just an end run around the limits,” Lerner said. “And it’s wrong.”

With City Council elections coming up this year and state races again on the horizon in 2024, Lerner, the good government watchdog, argued...

New York Times: Texas Republicans Push New Voting Restrictions Aimed at Houston

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New York Times: Texas Republicans Push New Voting Restrictions Aimed at Houston

“It’s definitely one of the most damaging,” said Katya Ehresman, the voting rights program manager at the advocacy group Common Cause Texas, because by limiting voters’ options it could decrease turnout. The bill, like others that have made it through the Senate, must still pass the more moderate, Republican-controlled State House.

Charlotte Observer: NC abortion bill didn’t need to move at ‘light speed,’ transparency advocates say

News Clip

Charlotte Observer: NC abortion bill didn’t need to move at ‘light speed,’ transparency advocates say

Common Cause NC, an open government advocacy group, has pushed for legislation to require 24 hours between the time a bill has been introduced and the time it goes to committee and at least 24 hours before a bill goes to a floor vote.

“We didn’t even have 12 hours with this bill — and it was a 40-page-long bill,” Jane Pinsky, a program director with Common Cause, said. “It’s impossible to expect a legislator to do their job if they have 10 minutes to read a 40-page bill.”

Pinsky said that people,...

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