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Broadcasting & Cable: Trump Accused of Using PAC To Evade Facebook Ban
Common Cause, joined by almost two dozen more groups, have called on Facebook to prevent political action committees (PACS) affiliated with suspended accounts--the target is former President Trump--to violate the site's community standards. "If Facebook’s content moderation policies for public figures are to have any legitimacy, they must not be so easily circumvented. We urge Facebook to close this loophole and align its content moderation policies with campaign finance law to prevent politicians from using political committees under their control to evade enforcement actions," said Yosef Getachew, Common Cause media and democracy program director.
Found in: Common Cause
Wall Street Journal: Broadband Internet Bill Too High? Here’s How You Can Fix That
“The ability for consumers to actually get lower prices or take action is somewhat limited at the moment,” said Yosef Getachew, media and democracy director at Common Cause, a government watchdog group. One effective solution, he says, is municipal networks—publicly owned fiber-optic networks deployed by local governments—such as the one Mx. Cadena is awaiting. “Service providers aren’t investing in areas that aren’t profitable to them. And there are cases where muni networks come in, and then the incumbent lowers their prices,” said Mr. Getachew. However, 20 states restrict or prohibit these networks, on the grounds that government-run broadband discourages private investment.
Found in: Common Cause
Texas Tribune/Salon: Greg Abbott promised “transparency" for border wall funding — but donors clearly using fake names
"It makes sense, certainly, that you have an executive saying that we are going to disclose where the funds are coming from," Rotman said. "But if that's not meaningful disclosure ... when it's just a pledge, then it's not really worth the paper that it's written on." Rotman said Abbott could start by adding language to the website asking donors to certify that they use their legal name. His office could also list donor names on the website contemporaneously for the public — as opposed to only providing them in response to open records requests — and add software that would prevent donors from listing incomplete names. "If you think it's important, then you have to say I'm not going to let somebody write down Donnie Darko and give me the cash," she said. "There are a lot of well-developed states and a lot of well-developed models. It's very possible for Texas to do this in a way that Texans will have disclosure in the way that the governor has promised."
Found in: Common Cause
Associated Press: Complaint alleges group funneled data from RNC to lawmakers
ALEC could face additional legal jeopardy from complaints making similar allegations that the Center for Media and Democracy, in conjunction with the watchdog group Common Cause, says it is also filing with 15 Attorney General offices.
Found in: Common Cause
VICE: Report Finds Big Telecom Spends $230,000 on Lobbying Every Day
“For years, Congressional efforts to pass legislation needed to address the nation’s long-standing disparities in connectivity have been stopped dead in their tracks in part because of aggressive industry lobbying and the oversized political influence of the largest ISPs,” Common Cause Media and Democracy Program Director Yosef Getachew said of the study. Getachew noted that efforts to improve broadband mapping, fund the deployment of competitive fiber, or even improve the standard definition of broadband have all repeatedly been scuttled by industry lobbying. At the same time, telecom lobbyists have worked tirelessly to undermine federal and state regulatory oversight of the heavy monopolized telecom industry.
Found in: Common Cause
New Report: How Lobbying and Political Influence By Broadband Gatekeepers Has Shaped The Digital Divide
A new report from Common Cause in partnership with the Communications Workers of America, “Broadband Gatekeepers: How ISP Lobbying and Political Influence Shapes the Digital Divide,” examines lobbying and political spending by the largest ISPs and their trade associations and how these activities have shaped the digital divide.
Found in: Common Cause
HuffPost: Here’s What Key Republican Legislatures Are Plotting Next On State Voter Restrictions
“They have vocally expressed the intention to go that route, and I think the expectation for us and for many of our voting rights allies is that that option is on the table,” said Quentin Turner, a program director for Common Cause’s Michigan chapter. “But the window is closing for them to have it on the ballot for 2022.” “For us, the good news is that they have so much disorganization in their camp that they can’t get behind actually making this process work,” Turner said. “The Republicans fully realize that everything they send to the governor this year or next will get vetoed. They want to run on this in 2022,” said Jay Heck, the executive director of Common Cause Wisconsin. “They think Evers is vulnerable, so a lot of this is just campaign fodder for the 2022 election, and then of course for the Trump allies for 2024.”
Found in: Common Cause
Living History: First Person of Color to Lead Census Bureau Awaits Confirmation
Need an example of how systemic racism works? Consider the fact that it is 2021 and Robert Santos is the first person of color ever nominated to lead the Census Bureau, the agency responsible for making sure every person counts. It's not overt racism, but given historic undercounts, why hasn't anyone thought to nominate someone who might be able to help reach hard to reach communities?
Found in: Common Cause
CNN: Porsches, Gucci rings and billions of robocalls: Inside the PAC operation that raised millions by impersonating Donald Trump
"Self-enrichment is the defining characteristic of a scam PAC, regardless of what they're saying they're doing or in fact doing with the money," said Paul S. Ryan, the vice president of policy and litigation at the watchdog group Common Cause. "Just saying that you spent the money on robocalls doesn't negate allegations of scam PAC-i-ness." But a worst-case scenario, according to Ryan, of the watchdog group Common Cause, would play out like this: the FEC fines would continue to grow but a PAC "so deep in the red could just shut down. It could close its bank account, close its office or P.O. Box and, for all intents and purposes, disappear," said Ryan. And because PACs are typically corporations, said Ryan, "The people who set up the PAC are only personally financially liable under campaign finance law if they've knowingly and willfully violated the law."