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

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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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Bloomberg/Miami Herald: Supreme Court election case in doubt with NC’s high court ruling

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Bloomberg/Miami Herald: Supreme Court election case in doubt with NC’s high court ruling

However, Neal Katyal, who argued against the map on behalf of Common Cause in December, said he believes the high court still has jurisdiction. “It’s a pretty dangerous thing to allow state supreme courts to essentially test drive their opinion and go through oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court and then pull it back,” Katyal, a partner at Hogan Lovells, said in an interview for Bloomberg’s “Cases and Controversies” podcast.

CNN: GOP-controlled North Carolina Supreme Court reverses rulings that struck down partisan gerrymanders by Republican lawmakers

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CNN: GOP-controlled North Carolina Supreme Court reverses rulings that struck down partisan gerrymanders by Republican lawmakers

One of the voting rights groups that brought the original challenge to the GOP-drawn map said Friday’s ruling was “one of the gravest assaults on democracy ever in North Carolina.”

“Now, extreme partisan gerrymandering has been legalized and it will be weaponized against voters. That’s wrong,” said Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina. “Undoubtedly, the justices who wrote this shameful decision know it’s wrong, as do the self-serving legislators who embrace gerrymandering.”

Washingtonian Magazine: Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2023

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Washingtonian Magazine: Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2023

Aaron Scherb
Common Cause
Senior Director, Legislative Affairs

Scherb was critical of the House GOP’s changes to the Office of Congressional Ethics, saying the revisions on hiring would handcuff its ability to function. He’s a leading voice in the media on areas of corruption and potential ethical troubles on Capitol Hill.

Hometown: South Bend, Indiana. Education: Haverford College; Johns Hopkins. First job: “Delivering newspapers for the South Bend Tribune.”

Texas Tribune: Illegal voting in Texas likely to be a felony again after state House vote

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Texas Tribune: Illegal voting in Texas likely to be a felony again after state House vote

“Instead of improving election administration with funding for training, resources, and staff — lawmakers are wanting to criminalize voting and inject fear into our elections,” said Katya Ehresman, Common Cause Texas’ voting rights program manager, prior to the vote.

Ballotpedia: Ohio considering measure to raise ballot measure approval requirement to 60% ×

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Ballotpedia: Ohio considering measure to raise ballot measure approval requirement to 60% ×

Catherine Turcer, executive director of Common Cause Ohio, an organization that has opposed raising the threshold for passing constitutional amendments, said, “citizen-led ballot measures aren’t overused. We haven’t had one on the ballot since 2018. It’s unnecessary to make the process more complicated and it’s disrespectful of voters.”

Who What Why: Does the FEC Have a Plan to Deal With Crypto?

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Who What Why: Does the FEC Have a Plan to Deal With Crypto?

“It’s just such an unregulated sphere that I think it poses challenges to all three pillars of our campaign finance law,” said Stephen Spaulding, a campaign finance expert at Common Cause. 

“We know that its value is what it is on the day it’s received by the campaign, but then its value can fluctuate wildly and be manipulated in a way that redounds to the benefit of the campaign,” Spaulding said.

“We have contribution limits in place for a reason, to guard against corruption and the appearance of...

The Oregonian: Oregon Democrats weigh competing proposals to cap political donations

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The Oregonian: Oregon Democrats weigh competing proposals to cap political donations

“It’s great to see Senator Golden offering an alternative that could create meaningful limits and doesn’t create a way to bypass that,” said Kate Titus, executive director of Common Cause Oregon, which partners with Honest Elections.

However, she noted that past negotiations with Democrats have fallen short. Two measures fell by the wayside in 2021: House Bill 3343, sponsored by now-U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas, and House Bill 2680, a weaker proposal spearheaded by Rayfield.

Indianapolis Star: Lawmaker pushes bills that can benefit his businesses

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Indianapolis Star: Lawmaker pushes bills that can benefit his businesses

"He's not the only artisan distiller in the state, but it's a pretty small universe," Common Cause Indiana's executive director Julia Vaughn said. "It certainly leaves an appearance of impropriety, which causes people to wonder about motive."

Tribune News Service/Inside Sources/Las Vegas Sun (Op-Ed): Election denialism is still a threat

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Tribune News Service/Inside Sources/Las Vegas Sun (Op-Ed): Election denialism is still a threat

The lifting of bans on former president Trump by Twitter and Facebook hammers home the point that there is little interest from social media platforms in combating election disinformation. The platforms are scaling back content moderation at a time when consistent enforcement of civic integrity policies can be most impactful. The next year is pivotal, not just in state legislatures but for people's attitudes toward democracy and the information they receive about it.

Spectrum News: Texas House panel debates quitting election cross-check program ERIC

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Spectrum News: Texas House panel debates quitting election cross-check program ERIC

“It’s been helpful and necessary in making sure that our administration of elections is more safe and secure,” said Katya Ehresman, the voting rights program manager at Common Cause Texas.

But some Republicans say Texas should no longer be a member of this group. A bill by Houston-area Rep. Jacey Jetton would put an expiration date on the state’s participation in ERIC. Texas would need to create its own alternative cross-check program. Ehresman said other states, such as Kansas and Florida, that have left ERIC have seen...

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