Press Release

Today at 2:00 p.m., the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance’s Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight will hold a hearing on current laws and enforcement governing the political activities by tax exempt “dark money” groups. Beth Rotman, Common Cause Director of Money in Politics and Ethics, submitted written testimony to the subcommittee for today’s hearing record, detailing how a lack of enforcement by both the IRS and the Federal Election Commission (FEC) has allowed “dark money” groups to evade existing disclosure laws related to political spending.

Today, Common Cause announced Jordan Davis has been named the organization’s Vice President of People, Equity, and Inclusion. Following a national search and participation from every level of the organization, Davis was unanimously selected to lead Common Cause’s work to advance equity and inclusion across its national and state offices.

Staff members of Common Cause Education Fund (“Common Cause”) announced on Friday that they have unionized with Washington-Baltimore News Guild, Local 32035. The announcement was met with the full support and welcome of the organization’s leadership team and board members.

As 2022 congressional races ramp up, Common Cause is again tracking the positions of every Member of Congress on issues vital to the health of our democracy. Members of the House and Senate have received letters asking them to co-sponsor and support at least 15 democracy reform bills and informing them that their voting and co-sponsorship record will be published in Common Cause’s “Democracy Scorecard,” which will be distributed to our 1.5 million members, as well as to state and national media, during the lead-up to Election Day.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the Supreme Court is a victory for the American people at a time when our democracy is under siege. Soon-to-be Justice Jackson has demonstrated a longstanding and unwavering commitment to justice for all Americans. That commitment will be crucial as it has increasingly fallen to the courts to serve as a bulwark to our democracy at a time when too many politicians are passing laws to make it harder for certain Americans – particularly Black and Brown Americans - to vote and to be heard by those in power.

Today, Common Cause urged every member of the U.S. House of Representatives to vote “yes” on the resolution to certify criminal contempt citations against former Trump Administration officials Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino for refusing to comply with subpoenas related to their roles in, and knowledge of, the January 6th insurrection at the United States Capitol. The brazen attempt to overturn the 2020 election resulted in multiple deaths and left hundreds seriously injured. The letter emphasizes that the House Select Committee investigating the insurrection referred the criminal contempt charges to the full House in a unanimous, bipartisan vote. The letter also notes that Common Cause plans to key-vote this legislation in our Democracy Scorecard, which we send to our 1.5 million members.