Press Releases Archive

Reform Groups Urge Senators to Co-sponsor and Support the Lobbying and Campaign Finance Reform Act

In a letter sent today to Senators, reform groups strongly urged members of the Senate to support the Lobbying and Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2015, sponsored by Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), which would limit the ability of lobbyists to use bundled contributions to buy influence with members of Congress. The groups included the Campaign […]

Watchdog Groups Urge DOJ to Name Special Outside Counsel to Investigate Legality of Bush Super PAC Scheme

Democracy 21, joined by the Campaign Legal Center, today called on the Justice Department to investigate whether former Governor Jeb Bush and his associated Super PAC, the Right to Rise Super PAC, are engaged in knowing and willful violations of the campaign finance laws. The groups also requested Attorney General Loretta Lynch to exercise her […]

D.C. Circuit Court Urged to Reject Challenge to Disclosure Provisions Upheld by Supreme Court in Citizens United

Today, Democracy 21 and Public Citizen joined the Campaign Legal Center in filing an amici brief in Independence Institute v. Federal Election Commission (FEC),urging theU.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to dismiss a challenge to the federal “electioneering communications” disclosure provisions upheld by the Supreme Court in its 2010 decision in Citizens United v. […]

Reform Groups Urge Members of Congress to Support the EMPOWER Act to Revitalize the Presidential Public Financing System

In a letter sent to Senators, nine reform groups strongly urged Senators to support and cosponsor the EMPOWER Act (S. 1176), introduced by Senator Tom Udall (D-NM). The EMPOWER Act would establish a small donor, public matching funds system for presidential candidates. A similar letter was sent to House members urging them to support and […]

Treasury Department Inspector General’s Report Suggests IRS is Headed to Denying Crossroads GPS Status as 501(c)(4) Tax-Exempt Organization

According to articles in the BNA Money & Politics Report and Bloomberg News, a report released on April 30, 2015 by the Treasury Department’s Inspector General suggests that the IRS is headed towards denying Crossroads GPS status as a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt “social welfare” organization. Crossroads GPS has used its claim of eligibility for 501(c)(4) tax-status […]

Democracy 21 Praises Supreme Court Decision Upholding Ban on Judges Soliciting Contributions

Democracy 21 praises the Supreme Court’s decision in Williams-Yulee v. The Florida Bar today that will help to protect the integrity of elected judiciaries throughout the country. The Supreme Court’s 5 to 4 decision vote upheld the Florida Bar’s ban on judges soliciting campaign contributions for their judicial elections. Chief Justice Roberts in his opinion recognized Florida’s […]

Fred Wertheimer on On Point with Tom Ashbrook

The segment is entitled “Money In Politics: The Gyrocopter’s Complaint” and focuses on the role of money in politics on the road to the 2016 election. According to On Point, “[Money in politics] is a big issue already in the 2016 campaign. This hour On Point: the mailman’s complaint. Big money, dark money, in American […]

FEC Complaint Filed Against Pras Michel and Super PAC Black Men Vote for Apparent “Straw Donor” Contributions of $875,000

Democracy 21 joined with the Campaign Legal Center in urging the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate possible violations of campaign finance laws by rap artist Pras Michel, his company SPM Holdings LLC, the Super PAC Black Men Vote and its Treasurer, William Kirk Jr. relating to “straw donor” contributions […]

Reform Groups Strongly Oppose Efforts in the States to Call a Constitutional Convention

Statement Issued by the Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause, Democracy 21, Issue One, People For the American Way, Public Citizen and USAction Our reform organizations strongly oppose the efforts to pass resolutions in the states calling for a constitutional convention. The organizations include the Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause, Democracy 21, Issue One, […]

Reform Groups Call on IRS to Clarify 49 Percent Approach

In a letter sent today to the Internal Revenue Service, Democracy 21, the Campaign Legal Center and Public Citizen called on IRS Commissioner John Koskinen to clarify his remarks that Congress created a framework that allows 501(c)(4) groups to spend up to 49 percent of their expenditures on campaign activities. According to a report in […]