News Clips

"How much taxpayer money is it going to take, to convince former President Trump that he lost the 2020 election?" said Stephanie Gómez, associate director of the Common Cause Texas advocacy group. "Wisconsin taxpayers are spending almost $700,000. Arizona taxpayers are on the hook for millions. Now, using emergency powers, Governor Abbott has got Texas taxpayers on the hook for $4 million more."

“This is a bit of my reformer hat on, but if we have to go another decade with maps that are ultimately found to be unconstitutional two or three cycles later on, it's dreadful. It just completely sinks a lot of us who are doing the work's morale and hopefulness. And I think increasingly in North Carolina, because we are the most litigated state in the country, I believe, over gerrymandered maps. A lot of the big U.S. Supreme Court cases have come out of North Carolina over the years. And sure, there are a lot of people here who don't know anything about what we were talking about or they may have a vague understanding about it. I wish more did. … But I think a lot of people, it contributes to this feeling of, ‘This stinks and democracy doesn't work,’ and, ‘What do you mean the lines that get drawn are rigged?’ or, you know, when they see that literally the legislative or congressional seats are preordained. … So this is another moment, and I don't know whether I am hopeful or not, because it's an uphill struggle as litigation always is. But you know what we saw last decade in North Carolina? I don't know if we're the only state in America that can say this, and I don't say it with pride. But every single legislative and congressional election in the aughts was ultimately run under districts and maps that were found to be unconstitutional. Every single one of them. From 2012 to 2020. And you know, you just can't sustain that.” — Bob Phillips, Executive Director of Common Cause North Carolina

"Announcing a new map late in the evening, just hours before a vote, with no opportunity or possibility even for in-depth analysis or discussion, is disrespectful," said Catherine Turcer, executive director of Common Cause Ohio, after the first vote. "In 2018, Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved transparent and bipartisan mapmaking with meaningful opportunities for public input," Turcer added. "Ohio voters deserve better."

Paul Ryan, vice president of policy and litigation at Common Cause, filed the initial 2018 complaint against Cambridge and Trump. He also blamed the GOP. “It’s more of the same, with the FEC’s Republican commissioners dragging their feet, allowing the statute of limitations to expire, and hobbling or blocking investigations entirely,” Ryan said. “The result is no enforcement of the law.”

When the capitol is closed, "the public loses touch with our government, we lose confidence in our government," said Sandy Ma, executive director of Common Cause Hawaii. "We really lose a sense that the government is acting for us."

Paul S. Ryan, the vice president of policy and litigation at Common Cause, a watchdog group, called the indictment “good news for democracy and small donors,” adding that Mr. Tunstall was perhaps the best known of the fund-raising operatives taking advantage of donors in this way. “This should send a sign to potential scam artists that the Department of Justice is watching,” Mr. Ryan said. Mr. Ryan said he expected that a superseding indictment would eventually cover Mr. Tunstall’s past four years of activity. He noted that the charges filed were made under financial crimes statutes and not under campaign finance law. And he urged federal lawmakers to stiffen the existing campaign-finance rules to better protect small contributors. “Congress really needs to act here,” Mr. Ryan said.