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Trump Must Sign Ethics Pledge & Transition Documents

Press Release

Trump Must Sign Ethics Pledge & Transition Documents

President-elect Donald Trump still has not signed legal documents – including an ethics pledge - needed to formally begin his administration’s transition of power. Candidates usually file these documents well in advance of the election. As a result of this delay, the government cannot provide security clearances, briefings and resources to Trump’s incoming team before he is sworn into office on January 20th.

Media Contacts

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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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...

Florida Politics: Senate sends elections bill hiking fines on voter registration groups to floor

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Florida Politics: Senate sends elections bill hiking fines on voter registration groups to floor

“If we want a democracy that works for everyone, we should be making it harder for money to influence politics and easier for eligible voters to register and cast their ballot, but this bill gets it backwards,” said Amy Keith, program director of Common Cause Florida.

Common Cause Lauds Voter Data Revealing Youth Voting Has Increased Over the Decade

Press Release

Common Cause Lauds Voter Data Revealing Youth Voting Has Increased Over the Decade

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Common Cause, a voting rights watchdog group, applauds the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts Tisch College for its recent report on young voting.

The Guardian: Texas consider bills criminalizing voter fraud despite no evidence

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The Guardian: Texas consider bills criminalizing voter fraud despite no evidence

“These bills seem to be wanting to prosecute widespread voter fraud, yet there’s no evidence for these being needed right now other than conjecture or partisan politics,” said Katya Ehresman, the voting rights program manager for Common Cause Texas.

She said that often lawmakers like Paxton in Texas use the biannual legislative session to “create political theater” that will help them in their bids for re-election.

“It’s largely a problem in search of a solution, especially as less than 18 months...

Raw Story: Revealed: Nearly $500 million continues to sit in a bloated, unused government fund

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Raw Story: Revealed: Nearly $500 million continues to sit in a bloated, unused government fund

Nonprofit government reform group Common Cause supports citizen-funded elections, too, including campaign funding vouchers. Common Cause said it would prefer to see the current presidential public financing system modernized rather than see the fund emptied.

“The disclosure laws and regulations have not kept pace at all with outside spending,” said Stephen Spaulding, vice president of policy and external affairs at Common Cause. “A significant percentage of money comes through ‘dark money’ groups that don't have to...

Bloomberg: The GOP Is Making It Harder for College Students to Vote

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Bloomberg: The GOP Is Making It Harder for College Students to Vote

Mia Lewis, associate director of the voting rights organization Common Cause Ohio, questioned why the change was needed.

“Our secretary of state has said for years that Ohio runs model elections, setting a standard for the entire country, and yet suddenly there’s a desire to change them,” she said. “It’s perfectly legitimate to ask what’s driving these sudden changes.”

Washington Post: Clarence Thomas might have recognized law at issue in his real estate deal

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Washington Post: Clarence Thomas might have recognized law at issue in his real estate deal

Back in 2011, he updated years of his financial disclosure reports to include employment details for his wife, conservative activist Virginia “Ginni” Thomas. The updates came after the watchdog group Common Cause raised red flags. Thomas said the employment information was “inadvertently omitted due to a misunderstanding of the filing instructions.”

Despite Thomas having acknowledged the error and amended his filings, Common Cause wasn’t impressed and suggested it didn’t add up.

“Justice Thomas sits...

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