News

RNC Court Challenge to Aggregate Contribution Limits Opposed by Reformers

RNC Court Challenge to Aggregate Contribution Limits Opposed by Reformers Today, the Campaign Legal Center, together with Democracy 21, filed an amici brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to defend the aggregate contribution limits against a challenge brought by the Republican National Committee (RNC) and Shaun McCutcheon.  Despite clear Supreme […]

RNC Lawsuit Challenging Contribution Limit Would Open Door to Corrupting Million Dollar Party Contributions

RNC Lawsuit Challenging Contribution Limit Would Open Door to Corrupting Million Dollar Party Contributions By Fred Wertheimer, Democracy 21 President In a lawsuit filed recently in federal district court, the Republican National Committee challenged the constitutionality of a long standing contribution limit that was enacted to prevent corruption and that was upheld by the Supreme […]

Fourth Circuit Overturns Decision That Struck Down Century-Old Law Banning Corporate Contributions to Federal Candidates & Parties

Fourth Circuit Overturns Decision That Struck Down Century-Old Law Banning Corporate Contributions to Federal Candidates & Parties Today, in U.S. v Danielczyk, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reversed a district court decision which had ignored U.S. Supreme Court precedent in order to strike down the century-old federal ban on corporate contributions […]

Wertheimer op-ed: Senator McConnell “Pounds the Table” in Opposing Campaign Finance Disclosure Long Upheld by Supreme Court

Senator McConnell “Pounds the Table” in Opposing Campaign Finance Disclosure Long Upheld by Supreme Court By Fred Wertheimer, Democracy 21 President There is an old saying in the legal profession that goes like this: “If you don’t have the law pound the facts, if you don’t have the facts pound the law, if you don’t […]

Statement by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer on Supreme Court’s Decision to Leave Citizens United Standing

Statement by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer The Supreme Court today has left standing the disastrous Citizens United decision and the enormous damage it is doing to our democracy and political system. Nevertheless, the battle in Congress, the states and the courts for effective campaign finance laws to prevent the corruption of our officeholders and […]

Mother Jones: “Follow the Dark Money”

Mother Jones Follow the Dark Money The down and dirty history of secret spending, PACs gone wild, and the epic four-decade fight over the only kind of political capital that matters. By Andy Kroll July/August 2012 “There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money and I can’t remember what the […]

Center for Public Integrity: “Nonprofits outspent super PACs in 2010, trend may continue”

The Center for Public Integrity Nonprofits outspent super PACs in 2010, trend may continue Micheal Beckel June 18, 2012 While super PACs were cast as the big, bad wolves during the last election, the groups were outspent by “social welfare” organizations by a 3-2 margin, a trend that may continue amid reports that major donors […]

Endorses Bill Introduced Today by Senator Mark Udall to Repair the Presidential Public Financing System

Democracy 21 Endorses Bill Introduced Today by Senator Mark Udall to Repair the Presidential Public Financing System Statement by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer June 19, 2012 Democracy 21 strongly endorses the legislation introduced today by Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) to repair and modernize the presidential public financing system. Companion legislation has been introduced in […]

Reform Groups Urge Senators to Support Sen. Mark Udall’s Bill to Reform the Presidential Public Financing System

In a letter sent today to all Senators, reform groups expressed strong support for legislation introduced today by Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) to repair the presidential public financing system. The groups include Americans for Campaign Reform, Brennan Center for Justice, Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Democracy 21, League of Women Voters, People […]

Statement by Democracy 21 Pres. Fred Wertheimer Urging Senators to Support Sen. Mark Udall’s Bill to Reform Presidential Public Financing

Statement_by_Democracy_21_President_Fred_Wertheimer_Endorsing_Bill_Introduced_by_Senator_Mark_Udall_to_Repair_Presidential_Public_Financing_System.pdf