Press Releases Archive
Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer The provision in the House Republicans’ reconciliation bill to restrict the ability of the federal courts to enforce their decisions through contempt of court findings is an outrageous attack on the judiciary and our constitutional system of government. It is a blatant power grab. With the cooperation of […]
President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he intends to accept the gift of a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet, dubbed a “Palace in the Sky” and reportedly worth $400 million, from the ruling family of Qatar. Trump said Qatar is making a gift of the luxury jet to the United States to be used by […]
More than 300 organizations, including Democracy 21 Education Fund, have joined together in a statement against the government’s attack on Harvard University and improper efforts to remove its tax-exempt status. In recent weeks, President Trump has repeatedly called for Harvard’s tax-exempt status to be revoked. According to the statement: When the federal government tries to […]
On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Democracy 21 President Wertheimer received the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government for 2025. Previous recipients of the nonpartisan award include President Barack Obama, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Senator John McCain, and Representatives John Lewis and Liz Cheney. The following are Wertheimer’s remarks at the award […]
Democracy 21 joined with Campaign Legal Center and 18 other good government partners to urge U.S. Representatives to approve the board of the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC) so that the House of Representatives can conduct investigations and review allegations of misconduct. As Roll Call recently pointed out, House leaders have yet to appoint members […]
This op-ed is adapted from a piece that first appeared in Courier Newsroom. How The Opinions Of Two Supreme Court Justices Paved the Way for the Musk Era By: Fred Wertheimer, President, Democracy 21, and Don Simon, Counsel, Democracy 21 It took Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, to illustrate to Americans just […]
In a letter to U.S. Representatives, the Declaration for American Democracy (DFAD) — a coalition including Democracy 21 and more than 260 organizations working to strengthen U.S. democracy — strongly opposed the SAVE Act which the House is expected to vote on this week. According to the letter: “Congress has a constitutional responsibility to safeguard […]
Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer Kash Patel’s 51-49 confirmation today as FBI Director – nominated by President Trump and confirmed by all but two of the Republican Senators – is a dangerous threat to the nation and a disaster for the FBI. Patel is an outspoken enemy of the FBI he now leads, […]
Ahead of Friday’s Senate confirmation hearing on Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for FBI director, 58 civil and human rights organizations, including Democracy 21, have urged the Senate to oppose Patel’s confirmation. Given the FBI’s vast authority, “the bureau’s leadership must be entrusted to someone who will uphold the U.S. Constitution, respect the rule of law, […]
Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer has been awarded the 2025 Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government. The prestigious award is given annually by the University of Illinois System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs. The award honors “government and private citizens who significantly contribute to the practice and understanding of ethical behavior and […]
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