Press Releases Archive

O’Malley Issues Strong Campaign Finance Reform Plan, But Fails to Address Presidential Financing

Former Governor Martin O’Malley issued a strong campaign finance reform plan today that addresses a number of  important campaign finance issues. They include creating a public financing system for congressional races based on matching small contributions and addressing the dysfunctional campaign finance enforcement system by restructuring and strengthening the Federal Election Commission and making enforcement […]

Reform Groups Urge President Obama to Reject Campaign Finance Riders in Appropriation Bills

Reform groups today wrote to President Obama strongly urging him to reject all riders in appropriations bills, including four damaging campaign finance riders, and to insist that clean FY 2016 appropriations legislation is sent to him for his signature. The reform groups include: Campaign Legal Center, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Common Cause, Democracy 21, Demos, […]

Reform Groups Call on IRS to End Misuse of Nonprofits to Launder Secret Contributions into Federal Elections

  In a letter sent today to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, reform groups called on the IRS to end the misuse use of nonprofit groups to launder secret contributions into federal elections. The reform groups included the Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause, Demand Progress, Democracy 21, League of Women Voters, People For the American Way, […]

Fred Wertheimer: Democracy 21 Praises Campaign Finance Reform Plan Issued by Clinton

  Democracy 21 applauds the very important and valuable campaign finance reform policy plan former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued today. The plan contains essential elements to repair our corrupt campaign finance system and to restore the integrity of our elections. On July 23, 2015, Democracy 21 and eleven other reform organizations sent a […]

Fred Wertheimer statement: FEC Reports Confirm Billionaires and Millionaires Playing Dominant Role in Presidential Campaigns

The FEC reports filed by individual-candidate Super PACs confirm that billionaires and millionaires have become the dominant players in financing the 2016 presidential campaigns. The FEC reports also reveal that individual-candidate Super PACs are in the process of replacing candidate committees in the financing of the 2016 presidential campaigns. As of June 30, individual-candidate Super […]

Democracy 21 Joins with Reform Groups in Releasing Reform Agenda for 2016 Candidates

Today, Democracy 21 joined with eleven other reform groups in releasing “Fighting Big Money, Empowering People: A 21st Century Democracy Agenda.” The Agenda sets forth a comprehensive policy agenda developed by the groups to advance reforms that are vital to addressing fundamental problems in our political system. The Agenda is based on the concept that the […]

Reform Groups Urge Senators to Strike McConnell Campaign Finance Rider

In a letter sent today, reform groups strongly urged members of the Senate Appropriations Committee to oppose a McConnell rider inserted into the Senate Financial Services Appropriations bill. The McConnell rider would seriously undermine longstanding campaign finance provisions that limit spending by parties coordinated with candidates. The groups included the Brennan Center for Justice, Campaign Legal […]

Reform Groups Urge Senators to Co-sponsor and Support Leahy Bill, the Stop Super PAC-Candidate Coordination Act

In a letter sent today to Senators, reform groups strongly urged members of the Senate to support AND CO-SPONSOR the Stop Super PAC-Candidate Coordination Act introduced today by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), which would essentially shut down individual-candidate Super PACs. Similar legislation (H.R. 425) has been introduced in the House by Representatives David Price (D-NC) and […]

Watchdog Groups Send More Information to DOJ to Support Request for Investigation of Bush Super PAC Scheme

In a letter sent today to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Democracy 21, joined by the Campaign Legal Center, cited the recent formal appointment of Mike Murphy to head the Rise to Rise Super PAC as further evidence of the need for a Justice Department investigation into the Bush Super PAC scheme.  The two groups previously […]

Democracy 21 Urges Senator Wyden to Help Block Efforts to Prevent the IRS From Acting on New 501(c)(4) Regulations

Enclosed for your information is a letter sent by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer to Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), ranking Democratic member on the Senate Finance Committee. Today in the markup for the Senate Finance Committee that begins at 11 a.m., Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) are expected to offer an amendment […]