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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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Washington Monthly: Could Ballot Images Loosen the Grip of Disinformation?

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Washington Monthly: Could Ballot Images Loosen the Grip of Disinformation?

“Bad actors could easily abuse this data,” wrote Alex Gulotta, Arizona state director of All Voting is Local Action, and Jenny Guzman, program director of Common Cause Arizona, in a mid-March Arizona Republic commentary. “This is not a far-fetched reality.”

Honolulu Star-Advertiser (Op-Ed): Support public financing for elections

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Honolulu Star-Advertiser (Op-Ed): Support public financing for elections

Senate Bill 1543 is the most significant public financing bill currently being considered throughout the nation. There are only a few days left in the legislative session for it to be scheduled for a hearing in the House Finance Committee. If that does not happen this very important bill dies. And that would be a serious blow to efforts to get big money out of politics.

The Guardian: ‘A truly incredible amount of money’: millions ride on one US judicial election

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The Guardian: ‘A truly incredible amount of money’: millions ride on one US judicial election

“When the Republicans rewrote the laws in 2015 … they did it with the expectation that it would advantage them. They felt that the sources of money they could rely on, both outside groups and big contributors, would mean they would always have financial advantages in races like this. Just the opposite has happened,” said Jay Heck, the executive director of the Wisconsin chapter of Common Cause, a watchdog group. “That is the reason why [Wisconsin Democratic party chair] Ben Wikler and the Democrats have been able to be such a...

Tribune News Service/Inside Sources/MSN (Op-Ed): No American is above the law, not even former presidents

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Tribune News Service/Inside Sources/MSN (Op-Ed): No American is above the law, not even former presidents

At the height of the Watergate crisis, the Department of Justice determined that the indictment or criminal prosecution of a sitting president “would unconstitutionally undermine the capacity of the executive branch to perform its constitutionally assigned functions.” That policy has not changed, but that is not the policy for candidates for the nation’s highest office. Running for president cannot and must not serve as a shield to allow criminal conduct to go unpunished.

New York Post: Gov. Kathy Hochul slammed for fundraising pitch amid tense budget talks

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New York Post: Gov. Kathy Hochul slammed for fundraising pitch amid tense budget talks

“Governor Hochul — and all lawmakers — should be focused on passing the state budget as soon as possible, not fundraising,” said Susan Lerner, executive director of NY Common Cause.

Lerner noted that part of the budget would help fund a new public campaign finance program aimed at reducing the role of fat cat donors in elections. Candidates who accept lower dollar donations would get public matching funds.

“If we had a successful and robust public financing program, lawmakers would be concentrated on...

The Record/Gannett: Some NJ officials will no longer have to disclose their addresses. This is why

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The Record/Gannett: Some NJ officials will no longer have to disclose their addresses. This is why

There needs to be an effort to find a balance, said Heather Ferguson, director of New Jersey operations for Common Cause, a Washington, D.C.-based ethics advocacy group.

“There’s a good way to balance the transparency aspect and also help out elected officials as I think we have been entering some unprecedented times where they’re rightfully concerned about their safety and security,” she said.

Miami Herald (Op-Ed): Speak up, Floridians, before the Legislature takes away our right to speak freely

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Miami Herald (Op-Ed): Speak up, Floridians, before the Legislature takes away our right to speak freely

We are being silenced in Florida, with dangerous legislation making its way through the state Legislature that could stifle the ability of everyday Floridians to speak freely.

House Bill 991 and the companion bill Senate Bill 1220 would dramatically change our state’s defamation laws and allow for monetary judgments when elected officials or others think they’ve been slighted on social media or in critical press reports.

By doing away with the long-held standard of proving actual malice or ill intent in a...

Texas Tribune: Texas may be about to scrap a voting security system it can’t replace

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Texas Tribune: Texas may be about to scrap a voting security system it can’t replace

“ERIC was somehow bad because some people here characterized Pew as this ultraliberal foundation funding all of this ultraliberal and crazy stuff," said Julia Vaughn, executive director of Common Cause Indiana. The organization was a plaintiff in the lawsuit against the state in 2017.

“[IDEA] was a political stunt. And our voter rolls continue to need attention,” Vaughn said. “We gave up on trying to convince [Indiana state officials] to join ERIC a long time ago. They proactively said, ‘We don’t want anything to do...

Colorado Politics: Proposal to cap candidate contributions in Colorado’s local elections advances

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Colorado Politics: Proposal to cap candidate contributions in Colorado’s local elections advances

Elizabeth Steele with the nonprofit Colorado Common Cause said even if HB 1245 doesn’t apply to all cities, it will make a difference in leveling the playing field for voters and candidates alike. Steele said it will increase the value of support from everyday citizens, and make it easier for candidates who aren’t independently wealthy to run for office.

“HB 1245 might not address some of the issues we are reading about related to money in the mayoral races in Denver and Colorado Springs … but it will address other...

The Oregonian: Port of Morrow commissioners, already under investigation, keep voting on Amazon’s data center tax deals

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The Oregonian: Port of Morrow commissioners, already under investigation, keep voting on Amazon’s data center tax deals

Kate Titus, of the good government organization Common Cause Oregon, said elected officials should consider more than just their minimum legal requirements when conducting the public’s business.

“There’s what the law mandates, but above and beyond that, there’s also what’s ethical. Just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s ethical or in the best interest of the people,” Titus said.

“Public perception matters. Elected officials can’t just follow the letter of the law, they need to follow...

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