News

Democracy 21 and Campaign Legal Center Pleased that Secret $1 Million Donor Identifies Himself Following Request by Groups for Justice Department and FEC Investigations

Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer   Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center are pleased that the secret $1 million donor who funded the corporate contribution by W Spann LLC to the pro-Romney Super PAC, Restore Our Future, has identified himself following the request by the two organizations for investigations by the Justice […]

Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center Call on the FEC and the Justice Department to Investigate $1 Million Contribution to Pro-Romney Super PAC

Today, Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center called on the Federal Election Commission and the Justice Department to investigate whether a $1 million contribution made by Spann LLC to Restore Our Future, a Super PAC, violated the campaign finance laws. The groups filed a requesting an investigation. Restore Our Future was formed by supporters […]

Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer on Million Dollar Contribution to Pro-Romney Super PAC

Below is an article by Michael Isikoff for NBC Newsentitled, "Firm gives $1 million to pro-Romney group, then dissolves." According to Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer: This story involves a $1 million donation apparently made in a manner designed to blatantly circumvent the campaign finance disclosure laws. The apparent effort to keep secret the actual donor or donors […]

OpenSecrets: Interview with Top Campaign Finance Attorney Trevor Potter

By Kathleen Ronayne on August 3, 2011 3:00 PM  Attorney Trevor Potter has been a part of the campaign finance world for two decades.  During the early 1990s, he served as a commissioner on the Federal Election Commission, and was chair of the FEC in 1994.   During the 2000 and 2008 presidential elections, Potter served as general […]

Democracy 21 and Campaign Legal Center Challenge Legality of IRS Regulations as Failing to Properly Limit Campaign Activity by 501(c)(4) Organizations

Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center filed a petition today with the Internal Revenue Service challenging the legality of IRS regulations that define whether an organization that conducts campaign activity is entitled to obtain or maintain tax-exempt status as a section 501(c)(4) organization. Under Section 553(e) of the Administrative Procedure Act, “Each agency shall […]

Reform Groups Call for Outside Counsel to Complete Ethics Committee Investigation of Representative Maxine Waters; Groups Urge Strengthened Role for OCE

Campaign Legal Center – Common Cause – CREWDemocracy 21 – League of Women Voters  Public Citizen – U.S. PIRG Enclosed for your information is a letter sent today by reform groups to the Chairman and Ranking Democrat on the House Ethics Committee in light of recent press reports indicating severe "partisan dysfunction and accusations of […]

Open Secrets: Several Presidential Campaigns Rev Small-Dollar Donor Engines, While Others Sputter

By Michael Beckel  President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign made waves for the sheer volume and magnitude of individuals who gave him small-dollar donations — and who repeated this giving during the course of the two-year primary and general election campaign.  As he runs for re-election, Obama is hoping to recapture the magic, and early indications suggest he is. […]

Super-PACs and Dark Money: ProPublica’s Guide to the New World of Campaign Finance

By Kim Barker and Marian Wang The nation is gearing up for yet another "most expensive election in history," the quadrennial exercise in which mind-numbing amounts of money pour into the political system. But this year promises more than just record spending-more money will be flowing from more players with more opportunities to hide the source. […]

Roll Call: Public Funds Dwindle for 2012 Campaigns

         By Amanda Becker          Roll Call Staff           The federal program providing public money to presidential campaigns is dying. Going into next year’s elections, taxpayer participation is at an all-time low, the funds available are a pittance compared with what candidates can raise themselves, and the only candidates eligible this year […]