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Watchdog Groups Call on IRS to Ignore Efforts to Dissuade the Agency from Investigating Eligibility of Political Groups for Tax-Exempt Status as 501(c)(4) “Social Welfare” Groups

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In a letter sent to the IRS today, Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center called on the agency to ignore any “pushback” against IRS investigations that are necessary to determine whether groups are attempting to improperly claim tax exempt status as 501(c)(4) “social welfare” organizations. According to the letter, an article in The New […]

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Democracy 21 Submits Additional Information to Justice Department Regarding Requests to Investigate Coordination by Super PACs with Santorum and Obama Campaigns

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Democracy 21 letter to Justice Department on Super PACs Supporting Santorum and Obama Campaigns.pdf

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Democracy 21 Again Calls on Justice Department to Investigate Whether Super PACs are Engaging in Illegal Coordination; Submits Additional Information on super PAC Supporting Mitt Romney

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Democracy 21 letter to Justice Department on Romney Super PAC.pdf

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Attacks on Media Coverage of Citizens United’s Pivotal Role in Rise of Super PACs Are Misguided and Wrong

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By Fred Wertheimer President, Democracy 21 On January 21, 2010, the Supreme Court in the Citizens United case struck down the ban on corporate spending in federal elections and opened Pandora’s Box. The Supreme Court’s decision played a pivotal role in the rise of Super PACs. Super PACs are federally registered political committees that raise […]

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Reform Groups Join over 25,000 Americans in Call for President Obama to Replace Lame Duck Commissioners at the FEC

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Americans for Campaign Reform – Campaign Legal Center CREW – Common Cause CREDO Action Network – Democracy 21 League of Women Voters – MapLight Public Campaign – Public Citizen United Republic – U.S. PIRG   In a letter sent to President Barack Obama today reform groups joined over 25,000 Americans in a renewed call to […]

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Restore Our Future Super PAC Illegally Coordinates with the Romney Campaign

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Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer According to published reports, the candidate-specific Super PAC supporting the presidential campaign of former Governor Mitt Romney, Restore Our Future PAC, has paid to broadcast a campaign ad prepared by the 2008 Romney for President campaign. Under federal law, any such re-broadcast of a Romney campaign ad by […]

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How the Citizens United Decision Unleashed Campaign Spending in Federal Elections by Tax-Exempt Organizations

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By Fred Wertheimer President, Democracy 21 The Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission has changed the landscape of American politics. The decision has brought enormous amounts of unlimited contributions and secret money back into our elections, the kind of political money that has resulted in corruption and scandals in the past […]

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Democracy 21 Calls on Justice Department to Investigate Whether Candidate-Specific Super PAC Supporting Santorum Is Engaged in Campaign Finance Violations

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In a letter sent today to Attorney General Eric Holder, Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer called for an investigation by the Justice Department “into whether a candidate-specific Super PAC supporting former Senator Rick Santorum is engaged in violations of the campaign finance laws.” The letter states that the Justice Department has “has the jurisdiction and […]

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