News

National Journal: Transparency v. Free Speech; Talking Points Memo: GOP FEC Commissioner To Campaign Reformers: You’ve Wasted Your Life

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By Eliza Newlin-CarneyMay 22, 2011 The argument that secrecy and non-disclosure are necessary to uphold the First Amendment rings hollow. It’s become popular in certain circles to assail political transparency as a nefarious threat to free speech.Once a bipartisan touchstone, campaign finance disclosure rules are now the target of court challenges, lawmakers, and opinion leaders […]

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Democracy 21 Challenges Attack by Senator Collins on Obama Administration’s Transparency Executive Order

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Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer  In an op-ed article in The Washington Post today, Senator Susan Collins attacked the Obama Administration’s draft proposal for an Executive Order that would require government contractors to disclose their campaign finance activities. Democracy 21 strongly disagrees with Senator Collins. The draft Executive Order is supported by Democracy […]

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Democracy 21 and Campaign Legal Center Challenge Legality of Proposed Soft Money Activities by RNC Shadow Group Formed by RNC Committeeman James Bopp

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Statement of Fred Wertheimer, President of Democracy 21 andTrevor Potter, President of Campaign Legal Center and former FEC Chairman Recent press reports have revealed the formation of a new "Republican Super PAC" whose planned operations would appear to violate multiple federal campaign finance laws because of the involvement of members of the RNC in establishing […]

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Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer Submits Written Testimony to House Hearing Strongly Supporting Government Contractor Executive Order after Chairman Issa Refuses to Allow Democratic Members of His Committee to Call any Witness

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In written testimony submitted today to a joint hearing held by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the House Committee on Small Business, Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer strongly supported “the draft proposed Executive Order of the Obama Administration to require government contractors to disclose all of the campaign contributions and expenditures […]

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Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer On Senate Ethics Committee Actions Regarding Former Senator John Ensign and Referral to the Justice Department

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Democracy 21 congratulates the Senate Ethics Committee, its leaders, Ethics Committee Chair Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and Vice-Chair Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and its Special Counsel for their serious and thorough investigation of former Senator John Ensign. It appears quite clear now why former Senator Ensign recently resigned from the Senate. Former Senator Ensign’s transgressions […]

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Hoyer vs. Hoyer: Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer on House Minority Whip Hoyer’s Opposition to Disclosure This Year Compared with House Majority Leader Hoyer’s Support for Disclosure Last Year

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Yesterday, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer announced that he opposed a draft Executive Order prepared by the Obama Administration that would require government contractors to disclose all of their campaign contributions and expenditures to influence federal elections. House Minority Whip Hoyer’s comments yesterday were in sharp conflict with the support House Majority Leader Hoyer voiced […]

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Statement of Democracy 21 President at Press Conference to Support Obama Administration’s Proposed Executive Order Requiring Government Contractors to Disclose Campaign Finance Activities

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   Democracy 21 joined today with more than 30 organizations to announce our strong support for the Obama Administration’s proposed Executive Order requiring government contractors to disclose their campaign finance activities.   We would not be here this morning if groups led by the Chamber of Commerce and Republican Senators had not blocked the DISCLOSE Act […]

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Broad Coalition Urges Prompt Action by President Obama on Draft Executive Order to Reveal Secret Political Spending by Government Contractors

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On Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. groups representing more than 30 organizations will hold a press conference on Capitol Hill in support of a draft White House executive order to require disclosure of secret political spending by government contractors.  The organizations are urging President Obama to promptly sign the executive order and will […]

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Democracy 21 Refutes Challenge by Republican Senators to Proposed Obama Executive Order Requiring Government Contractors to Disclose Campaign Finance Activities

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Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer  Last week, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), joined by 25 of their Senate Republican colleagues, sent a letter to President Obama urging him not to issue a proposed Executive Order that would require government contractors to disclose their campaign finance activities to […]

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Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer Raising Concerns about New 501(c)(4) Tax-Exempt Group Formed by Former Obama White House Officials

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Bill Burton, former White House deputy press secretary to President Obama and Sean Sweeney a former top aide of previous White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel have announced the creation of two new groups, Priorities USA, a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt group and Priorities USA Action, a section 527 political organization. The two groups clearly have […]

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