Thursday, February 20, 2025

👋 Hi Friend! Happy Thursday. We know there was a federal holiday this week, but what a week.  

We are happy to bring you the bi-weekly edition of The People’s Weekly Watchdog Newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. We bring you the news you need to know to hold power accountable from the nonpartisan source you can trust.

📰 The Ad Jeff Bezos Wouldn’t Run

If “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” then the lights are out at the Washington Post. 

If you haven’t yet heard, Common Cause and our allies at the Southern Poverty Law Center submitted an ad to the Washington Post asking the simple question: who’s running this country?

It was supposed to wrap around the edition of the Post delivered in Washington D.C. – including Congress and the White House. Last Friday, days before the ad was supposed to run, the Post said they wouldn’t run it.

Our CEO and President, Virginia, made a great point about the Post’s refusal – “At a time when the free press is already under attack, we cannot allow political or corporate influences to dictate what stories get told.”

So we’re not allowing Jeff Bezos, the Post’s billionaire owner, to dictate things. You can find a link to the banned ad here to share on social media  to print out and post around your city or town, and possibly even in your local newspaper – to be determined. 

And, if you haven’t already, call your Senators urging them to do everything in their power to hold Trump and Musk accountable for the damage they’re doing to our lives and livelihoods.

🗽 Corruption Crisis in New York

Last fall, New York Mayor Eric Adams was charged with bribery, fraud, and foreign donations. 

To quickly catch you up, the mayor accepted more than $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and luxury trips overseas from Turkish officials and businesspeople. 

They literally bought the mayor. 

And speaking of buying influence, last week, President Trump’s Department of Justice tried dropping the mayor’s charges so he could do Trump’s bidding on immigration.

You read that right: President Trump is trying to wipe away the crimes Mayor Adams committed on the taxpayer’s dime. Common Cause New York said not so fast. 

We called for a special prosecutor to have full access to all the evidence so the mayor can have his day in court and New Yorkers can hold the mayor accountable for his actions.

✈️ Protecting The People In North Carolina

Last weekend, Common Cause North Carolina organized 16 rallies across the state drawing thousands of people out for their “The People v Griffin” campaign.

Jefferson Griffin, the losing candidate in the state Supreme Court race last November, is trying to overturn the victory of his opponent, Allison Riggs, by challenging over 60,000 votes. On February 12, the State Board of Elections filed a request for the case to go directly to the North Carolina Supreme Court instead of going through the Court of Appeals. 

Now the state Supreme Court will decide whether to accept this request. If they do, Griffin would need a fourth vote to win. If the court is deadlocked at 3-3, the lower court’s ruling, which favored Riggs, will stand. Stay tuned to learn more.

👀 ICYMI 

We’re working so hard to protect our democracy, we could write you a novel instead of a newsletter. Instead, here are the top headlines you don’t want to miss:

• Massachusetts ☘️: During the pandemic, remote ways to join local government meetings became the norm, making it easier for everyday residents to get involved and speak up. This is important for everyone, but especially for folks who can’t attend in person, whether they’re disabled, sick, working, or caring for family members. Common Cause Massachusetts Executive Director Geoff Foster speaks in support of a new law that would help support accessibility and better representation for all at the local level.
  Read the story at WGBH.

• Colorado ⛷️: Colorado Common Cause is working to pass the Colorado Voting Rights Act (COVRA) to boost voting rights protections while protecting the state from any federal challenges or changes. This week, the COVRA passed its first major legislative hurdle, and Colorado’s Executive Director highlighted the importance of the potential new law. Read more at Yahoo.
• California 🐻: Big money in politics is a big problem, but we’re pushing back. California Common Cause’s resident money-in-politics expert speaks on a new bill we’re supporting that will help reduce the influence of money in politics and give qualified candidates a chance to run without being discouraged by the high cost of campaigning. Read the story in The OC Register.

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