Disclosure & Transparency

"What did Donald Trump know and when did he know it?” said Paul S. Ryan, a campaign finance expert at Common Cause, which has filed complaints with the Justice Department and Federal Election Commission. “Did Donald Trump knowingly violate campaign finance law, and did he commit a crime?"

In the wake of the irresponsible and dangerous conduct of President Donald Trump at the Helsinki Summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Common Cause today called on Congress to take concrete steps to check Russian aggression and safeguard our election systems.

Today, Common Cause urged Congress to hold hearings to investigate new Treasury Department rules that gut disclosure requirements for tax-exempt organizations that have pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into U.S. elections in recent years. The move also comes at a time when serious concerns have been raised about foreign money being illegally funneled into U.S. elections through these groups.

“Large amounts of foreign national donations to a politically active nonprofit could be a red flag to IRS staff that could trigger greater scrutiny,” Paul S. Ryan, vice president at the watchdog group Common Cause said. “But such red flags will no longer be visible to IRS staff. President Trump’s Treasury Department has struck a blow to US democracy with this rule change.”

"All sides play the game," said Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina. "The world we live in these days."