News

Hillary Clinton Super PAC Accepted $200,000 in Illegal Contributions from Government Contractor

  FEC Should Investigate Contributions Made to Priorities USA from Suffolk Construction Company  Priorities USA Action, a super PAC backing Hillary Clinton, accepted $200,000 in contributions from a government contractor in violation of federal law. While Priorities USA – following press coverage of the illegal contribution – returned the money to Suffolk Construction Company, it […]

Reform Groups File Complaint Against Donald Trump For Soliciting Foreign Money to Fund His Campaign

  WASHINGTON – Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign committee is violating black-letter federal law by sending campaign fundraising emails to foreign nationals – including foreign politicians – in at least Iceland, Scotland, Australia and Britain. The Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21 today will file a complaint with the Federal Election Commission highlighting this violation and demanding […]

Fred Wertheimer for SCOTUS Blog on McDonnell decision

Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer on June 28, 2016 published by piece in SCOTUS Blog entitled “McDonnell decision substantially weakens the government’s ability to prevent corruption and protect citizens.” In the piece, Fred Wertheimer says, “The Court has substantially weakened the legal protections that currently exist against government corruption.” The piece concludes: “The American people are […]

Democracy 21 Attacks Supreme Court’s McDonnell Decision Which Legalizes Sale of Certain Actions by Public Officials for Personal Gain

  Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer  Democracy 21 is very disappointed in today’s Supreme Court decision in the McDonnell case, which greatly undermines the interests of the American people in honest and fair public officials. The Supreme Court decision belies reality. If you show the facts in the case to any citizen, the […]

Reform Groups Urge House Members to Vote for Amendments to Strike Undermining Campaign Finance Riders

  In a letter sent today, reform groups urged House members to vote for amendments that would strike undermining campaign finance riders from the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act (HR 5485). The groups included the Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause, CREW, Democracy 21, Demos, Issue One, League of Women Voters, People For the […]

Fred Wertheimer Testifies at Democratic Platform Committee Hearing

  In testimony before the Democratic Platform Committee on Saturday, June 18, Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer supported the Clinton campaign finance reform plan and urged the Committee to include it in the party’s platform. According to the testimony, key elements of the Clinton plan include creating a small donor, public matching funds system for […]

Democracy 21 Attacks Resolution Adopted Today by House Government Reform Committee to Censure IRS Commissioner

  Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer The resolution adopted today by the House Government Reform Committee to censure IRS Commissioner John Koskinen has no merit and should be ignored by the American people. The censure resolution is an irresponsible attack against IRS Commissioner Koskinen who has served the country with great distinction and […]

Groups Urged Members of House Govt Reform Committee to Reject Resolution to Censure IRS Commissioner Koskinen

  In a letter sent yesterday afternoon to members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, groups urged the members to vote against a resolution pending before the committee today to censure IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. The groups included include Democracy 21, Americans for Democratic Action, Campaign Legal Center, Center for Media and Democracy, […]

Reform Groups Urge Representatives to Oppose Bill That Would Open Loophole for Foreign Money

  In a letter sent today, reform groups urged representatives to oppose H.R.5053, Representative Peter Roskam’s bill that would eliminate the requirement for 501(c) groups to disclose their donors to the IRS. The groups included the Brennan Center for Justice, Campaign Legal Center, Center for Responsive Politics, Common Cause, CREW, Democracy 21, Every Voice, Issue […]

Statement by Reform Groups on Campaign Finance Reform Package Unveiled Yesterday by Senate Democrats

The American people overwhelmingly want their elections to be of, by and for the people. They want everyone’s voice to have a chance to be heard in Washington, D.C. They want the barriers reduced that prevent qualified people from running for and serving in public office. In short, they object to today’s big money campaign […]