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
Stop Matt Gaetz
Rep. Matt Gaetz is an election denier and far-right ideologue who belongs nowhere near the Department of Justice.
Article
5 Ways Common Cause Defended Democracy in the First Trump Administration
Here’s just a few examples of how members like you made a positive impact during the first Trump Administration.
Article
What is Project 2025?
Understanding this new threat to our rights. Project 2025 is a dangerous policy playbook being pushed by conservative extremists. It could threaten basic freedoms by gutting checks and balances and consolidating power in the office of the president, like other authoritarian governments.
Related Resources
Letter
LETTERS: Justice Thomas’ Alleged Conflicts of Interest
Report
Highlights and Accomplishments From 2022
Report
Highlights and Accomplishments From 2021
Report
Ten Principles for Reforming the Rules of the House of Representatives
The following recommendations to reform the rules of the House of Representatives will do much to restore the capacity, incentives, and capability of representatives to fulfill their roles as legislators.
Press
Press Release
Common Cause Statement on Trump Re-Election
"As a twice-impeached former president with multiple felony charges, his return to office brings unprecedented risks to our nation’s foundational values."
Press Release
Common Cause Releases Candidate “Democracy Survey 2024”
Common Cause today released current results of its “Democracy Survey 2024,” the fourth biennial candidate questionnaire it has conducted on democracy issues in the leadup to November elections. With over two weeks to go before Election Day, more than 200 candidates for state and federal office have responded regarding their commitment to defend and strengthen our democracy. Common Cause expects many more surveys to be completed in the coming days from the more than 2,000 candidates and 1,100 federal and state races tracked in the survey.
Press Release
High Scores for Washington on Common Cause’s 2024 Democracy Scorecard
Washington — Common Cause, the nonpartisan watchdog, released its 2024 “Democracy Scorecard," recording every member of Congress’ support for voting rights, Supreme Court ethics, and other reforms.
