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Groups Urge Census Changes to Accurately Count Prison Populations For Redistricting

Press Release

Groups Urge Census Changes to Accurately Count Prison Populations For Redistricting

Today, Common Cause and the Prison Policy Initiative urged the U.S. Census Bureau to change how it counts prison populations each decade. The Bureau’s use of differential privacy, the intentional infusion of inaccurate information into population data, creates unnecessary miscounts in data used by state and local officials for redistricting. In a letter to Director Robert L. Santos and other senior officials, the groups emphasized that the populations of correctional facilities are already publicly available and that differential privacy is...

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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Daily Beast: Kanye West’s ‘Independent’ Campaign Was Secretly Run by GOP Elites

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Daily Beast: Kanye West’s ‘Independent’ Campaign Was Secretly Run by GOP Elites

Paul S. Ryan, vice president of government watchdog Common Cause, called the revelations “a big deal.”

“The importance of disclosure in this matter can’t be overstated,” Ryan told The Daily Beast. “It’s no secret that Kanye West’s candidacy would have a spoiler effect, siphoning votes from Democrat Joe Biden. Voters had a right to know that a high-powered Republican lawyer was providing legal services to Kanye—and federal law requires disclosure of such legal work.”

Washington Post: GOP agrees to pay up to $1.6 million of Trump’s legal bills in N.Y. probes

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Washington Post: GOP agrees to pay up to $1.6 million of Trump’s legal bills in N.Y. probes

Paul Seamus Ryan, a campaign-law expert at Common Cause, which advocates for accountable government, said that when Trump was a candidate, it would have been illegal for him to spend his own campaign funds on legal fees. That’s because federal law prohibits candidates from spending campaign funds on personal expenses, unrelated to politics.

But Ryan said no such ban applies to political parties.

So the RNC can pay Trump’s legal bills, even for an investigation unconnected to his time as president.

The Fulcrum: Voting rights advocates believe filibuster reform is possible

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The Fulcrum: Voting rights advocates believe filibuster reform is possible

Stephen Spaulding, senior counsel for public policy and government affairs at Common Cause, echoed Effingham’s take.

“Conversations are really underway to find a way forward that restores the Senate as a place where senators come together, debate issues of the day and actually pass them, not bury them,” said Spaulding. “I think there is a desire — not just among Senate Democrats, among Republicans as well. The Senate is not working as well as it has in the past.”

Spaulding identified a number of...

Daily Beast: Adam Schiff Just Made It Easier For Politicians to Make Money

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Daily Beast: Adam Schiff Just Made It Easier For Politicians to Make Money

Paul S. Ryan, vice president of litigation at campaign reform advocacy group Common Cause, said that the decision is in line with years of FEC rulemaking, and “strikes the right balance.”

“The FEC’s opinion in this matter seems consistent with its handling of similar matters over the past decade-plus,” Ryan told The Daily Beast.

Ryan noted that the value of a campaign’s donor list, already sky-high, may certainly appear heightened in the Schiff scenario, when the candidate stands to benefit from his...

Pennsylvania Capital-Star (Op-Ed): Why we’re fighting in Commonwealth Court to protect your vote

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Pennsylvania Capital-Star (Op-Ed): Why we’re fighting in Commonwealth Court to protect your vote

We believe that our government “by the people” is stronger when more people participate. We believe in free and fair elections. We believe politicians should not be allowed to silence voters, either by nullifying our votes or by creating new barriers to the ballot box.

As advocates for the right to vote, we know a scam when we see it. That’s why we’ll do what it takes to stop these state senators’ “election review” and protect voting rights for all.

Reuters: U.S. former officials urge ‘speedy’ resolution of 5G wireless aviation dispute

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Reuters: U.S. former officials urge ‘speedy’ resolution of 5G wireless aviation dispute

Former FCC chairs Ajit Pai, Tom Wheeler, Julius Genachowski, Michael Copps, Michael Powell and Mignon Clyburn said in a joint letter they were "concerned" about the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) recent efforts to revisit the FCC’s 2020 decision to allow use of the C-Band spectrum for wireless use.

The former officials said the agencies should work to "resolve the FAA’s concerns expeditiously, but this debate should not be fought publicly in a way that undermines consumer confidence in the process."

Washington Post (Op-Ed): Democrats might lose the House because they didn’t embrace gerrymandering

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Washington Post (Op-Ed): Democrats might lose the House because they didn’t embrace gerrymandering

Note, for example, the remarks by Colorado Common Cause leader Amanda Gonzalez, who defended the latest redistricting trends: “By taking the process out of the hands of politicians, I’m sure it frustrates some people in power. But I think it’s a process that’s much more trusted by the average Coloradan. I think that’s ultimately a good thing.” 

Common Cause Urges House Members to Support Mark Meadows Criminal Contempt Charges for Ignoring Congressional Insurrection Subpoena

Press Release

Common Cause Urges House Members to Support Mark Meadows Criminal Contempt Charges for Ignoring Congressional Insurrection Subpoena

Today, Common Cause urged every member of the U.S. House of Representatives to vote “yes” on the resolution to certify a criminal contempt citation against former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows for refusing to comply with subpoenas related to his role in, and knowledge of, the January 6th insurrection at the United States Capitol - a brazen attempt to overturn the 2020 election which resulted in multiple deaths and left hundreds seriously injured. The letter emphasizes that the House Select Committee investigating the insurrection...

Bloomberg: Six Former FCC Chiefs ‘Concerned’ Over Aviation Agency 5G Stance

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Bloomberg: Six Former FCC Chiefs ‘Concerned’ Over Aviation Agency 5G Stance

“The FAA position threatens to derail the reasoned conclusions reached by the FCC after years of technical analysis and study,” the signers, a mix of Republicans and Democrats, said in the letter. They are Ajit Pai, Tom Wheeler, Mignon Clyburn, Julius Genachowski, Michael Copps and Michael Powell.

Public News Service: House Republicans Release Draft Proposals for PA Congressional Map

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Public News Service: House Republicans Release Draft Proposals for PA Congressional Map

Khalif Ali, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, said the map in its current form does not allow for a community-level dive, making it harder for residents to provide feedback.

"We don't have the underlying shapefiles," Ali explained. "We have no way again to evaluate whether and how this map divides communities of color. Particularly in Philadelphia, Allegheny County, Lancaster, Dauphin, York, all those counties are really relevant when we're talking about this question of racial equity and adhering to the Voting...

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