Common Cause Mourns the Passing of John A. Payton, President of NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund

San Francisco – Common Cause President and CEO Bob Edgar issued the following statement today after learning of the death of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s President, John A. Payton.

“The weight of the sudden loss of John Payton will be felt for a long time by the entire civil rights community. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Common Cause have worked closely on essential civil rights issues for many years and John Payton’s leadership was a cornerstone of our collaboration. We will miss John’s passion for justice and faith in our common humanity. I will also miss his kindness and friendship.

We send our sincere condolences to John’s wife, Gay McDougall, and to our friends and partners at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.”