Media Center

Americans expect and deserve to know the truth about the Russian attacks on our democracy. Today’s indictments provide more of that truth and hammer home the seriousness of the attacks and the need to support and protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his investigation. We are hopeful that these new facts will finally drive the White House and those in Congress who have worked to hamper the investigation to admit the reality and the scope of the attack and the threat from Russia which is ongoing today as we approach our next election.

The admission by Donald Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen that he made the $130,000 payment of apparent hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election does not make the Trump campaign’s legal problems go away despite Cohen’s assertions.

Common Cause and Common Cause Pennsylvania issued statements today after Gov. Tom Wolf officially rejected the maps that Republican leadership submitted Friday to redraw the commonwealth’s 18 congressional districts in response to a state Supreme Court ruling in January that found the legislative borders to be unconstitutionally gerrymandered.

The American public must have confidence in the leadership of Census Bureau to ensure everyone is counted accurately. Public outrage met reports that Thomas Brunell would be named deputy director, a slot that does not require Senate confirmation, but that he would in fact lead the Census. The controversy was well founded. Brunell’s controversial background as an academic who regular testified in support Republican gerrymanders would have politicized the national headcount.

Today, the California Local Redistricting Project – a joint project of the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law’s Capital Center for Law & Policy and California Common Cause – announced the release of a new tool to enable local governments to fight redistricting abuse at the local level. The Project’s ordinance generator, hosted at www.localredistricting.org/generator, enables any user to easily draft a sample ordinance for establishing a local, independent redistricting commission, which is considered a vital redistricting best practice by good government watchdogs.

Common Cause is pleased to announce that Yosef Getachew has joined Common Cause as the Director of the Media and Democracy Program. Getachew will work hand-in-glove with former FCC Commissioner & Common Cause Special Advisor Michael Copps and lead campaigns to engage the public and policy makers on key initiatives including promoting an open internet, fostering competition in the media marketplace, and ensuring broadband access for all Americans.