Legislation
The CLEAN Act
The CLEAN Act will hold members of Congress to the highest ethical standards.
Ethics & Accountability
Public officials should act in all of our interest, not to line their own pockets. Common Cause is fighting to ensure that all of our leaders are held to high ethical standards.
From city councils to the U.S. Congress and the Supreme Court, the people making decisions that affect our lives and our families need to be held to the highest ethical standards. Common Cause works to ensure that those empowered to act on everyone’s behalf disclose their personal finances, uphold the rule of law, and cannot turn their public service into a personal profit scheme.
What We’re Doing
Legislation
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
Government agencies abuse Section 702 by conducting hundreds of thousands of“backdoor” searches for Americans’ private communications every year. Congress must pass real reform with protections for Americans against government abuse.
Campaign
Supreme Court Ethics
Supreme Court Justices make decisions that impact millions of people every year—but they are not held to the same ethical standards as other federal judges.
Take Action
Letter To The Editor
Write Your Letter: Stop Anti-Democracy Project 2025
Project 2025 is a 1,000-page agenda handcrafted by the Heritage Foundation for a Trump presidency – and we have every reason to believe Trump will try to follow through on it.
Petition
Add Your Name: No One Is Above the Law
No one is above the law, including Donald Trump.
But the Supreme Court’s dangerous presidential immunity ruling puts that principle at risk and goes against accountability, the rule of law, and our Constitution.
Congress must pass a constitutional amendment to permanently declare that no American is above the law – not even former presidents – and prohibit presidents from pardoning themselves.
Petition
Tell Congress: Wealthy donors shouldn’t control our Supreme Court
The Judicial Conference’s weakened disclosure rules are unacceptable and will make it easier for wealthy donors to secretly buy influence over the Supreme Court – at the expense of everyday Americans.
Congress must put a stop to this now by passing the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act and creating the strongest possible Code of Conduct for our highest court.
Your financial support helps us make an impact by holding power accountable and strengthening democracy.
Updates
Article
Elon Musk Bought the Oval Office – How Is He Using It?
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has set his sights on a new venture: the United States government.
Blog Post
Trump’s Plan to Take Over USPS: How Congress Can Stop It
Article
10 Things That Federal Workers Do For You
Federal workers play a vital role in ensuring public safety, health, and essential services like Social Security and national parks. Despite political attacks, their work remains indispensable. Common Cause is pushing back against efforts by Donald Trump and Elon Musk to undermine these workers and dismantle key government programs.
Related Resources
Letter
Common Cause Urges Congress to Include 7 Criteria in Next Government Funding Bill
Common Cause urges Congress to uphold democracy in the next government funding bill by enforcing the rule of law, protecting judicial independence, and ensuring executive accountability.
Guide
Explainer: Trump’s Executive Order on Controlling Independent Agencies
Independent agencies are meant to serve the American people free from political influence. Presidential control of these agencies will get in the way of their crucial missions, and let Wall Street crime go unchecked, drive up prices, and open our elections up to cyber-attacks.
By Alton Wang
By Alton Wang
Letter
LETTERS: Justice Thomas’ Alleged Conflicts of Interest
Report
Highlights and Accomplishments From 2022
Press
Press Release
“Law & Order President” Trump Pardons January 6 Insurrectionists
WASHINGTON—The Trump administration today issued a sweeping series of pardons for those involved in the January 6, 2021, attack by armed insurrectionists seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Many already convicted for their role in the attack will see their sentences commuted. The following is a statement from Common Cause President & CEO Virginia Kase Solomón:
“In pardoning those who took part in the January 6, 2021, attack to overturn the vote and the voices of 80 million Americans, President Donald...
“In pardoning those who took part in the January 6, 2021, attack to overturn the vote and the voices of 80 million Americans, President Donald...
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.
Press Release
Government Accountability Groups Urge House to Strengthen the Office of Congressional Ethics and Make It Permanent
Today, Common Cause and other government accountability groups urged every member of the U.S. House of Representatives to strengthen the independent Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) and make the office permanent. Even if Congress does not codify the OCE into law at this time, the groups stress the importance of maintaining the office’s continued existence and the importance of not weakening it in the 119th Congress. The letter emphasizes overwhelming public support for increased ethics and accountability measures and touts the success of...
