News Clips

Catherine Turcer, the executive director of Common Cause Ohio, said that for vote-by-mail to be successful in Ohio, should that be the default in November, the process needs to be streamlined. That means eliminating the additional back-and-forth of submitting an absentee ballot application.

Though their regularly stated goal is to relentlessly petition their state legislatures to call for an Article V convention, the coronavirus crisis presents a unique opportunity for their movement, said Jay Riestenberg of Common Cause, who has monitored the group and its involvement with other right-wing groups focused on state legislatures. “The Convention of States is interested in showing any type of image or anything that shows that people don’t like their government. I mean, that is their end goal, to overthrow the federal government and rewrite the Constitution,” Riestenberg said. “So this is a perfect opportunity for them to show that.”

The Common Cause complaint notes that the criminal code “prohibits anyone in any matter within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch of the federal government from knowingly and willfully: “Falsifying, concealing, or covering up a material fact; making any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation or making or using any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry.” Violations of the criminal code specifically include “the procurement of property or services … or a document required by law, rule, or regulation to be submitted to the Congress or any office or officer within the legislative branch,” the complaint said.

“It frustrates me that voting rights are a partisan fight,” said Suzanne Almeida, acting executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania.

“I really don’t buy the argument that it can’t be done safely, because grocery stores are open now, essential businesses are open right now,” said Sylvia Albert of Common Cause. “The businesses that are open now are considered essential, and voting is essential.”

“A lot of people close to Donald Trump are getting rich off of his campaign,” said Paul Ryan, a campaign finance legal expert at the watchdog group Common Cause. “They don’t want donors to know that they’re getting rich. Because, at the end of the day, it’s donor money.”