Today’s badly broken campaign finance system benefits wealthy interests, and leaves hundreds of millions of ordinary Americans on the outside looking in at Washington’s rigged system.

Tag Archive for: Money In Politics

Senator Elizabeth Warren Proposes Sweeping Campaign Finance Reform Plan

Senator Elizabeth Warren Proposes Sweeping Campaign Finance Reform Plan Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer The sweeping campaign finance reform plan proposed today by Senator Elizabeth Warren contains numerous necessary reforms to attack the corrupting influence of big money in American politics. Most importantly, the plan proposes a new small donor, public matching funds […]

FEC Regresses From Dysfunctional To Nonfunctional

With One Resignation, Federal Election Commission Regresses From Dysfunctional To Nonfunctional Statement of Democracy 21 Counsel Donald Simon With Commissioner Matthew Petersen’s resignation from the Federal Election Commission announced today, the FEC will regress from a dysfunctional agency to one that, as a practical matter, ceases to function at all. Of the six seats on […]

It’s Called Influence-Buying

FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | AUGUST 8, 2019 “How do you explain a billionaire businessman soliciting $250,000 checks to support the reelection of a President that he does not like and that he strongly disagrees with on such fundamental issues?” There are two huge loopholes in the federal limits on contributions to national party committees […]

Don’t give up on HR 1. The battle lies ahead. – Wertheimer op-ed in The Fulcrum

Enclosed for your information is a piece entitled “Don’t give up on HR 1. The battle lies ahead,” by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer, published here on July 31, 2019 in The Fulcrum. Read the full article here or below. Don’t give up on HR 1. The battle lies ahead. By Fred Wertheimer | 7/31/19 […]

Loopholes Allow Foreign Adversaries to Legally Interfere in U.S. Elections – Wertheimer op-ed in Just Security

Enclosed for your information is an article entitled “Loopholes Allow Foreign Adversaries to Legally Interfere in U.S. Elections,” by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer, published here on May 28, 2019 in Just Security. According to the article: The United States has long prohibited foreign governments – and other foreign nationals, including individuals and corporations – […]

D21 Urges FEC to Oppose Proposed Creation of New Campaign Spending Category Not Authorized by Law and Funded by Massive Contributions

  Democracy 21 sent a letter today to the four Commissioners of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) urging them to vote against a proposed new rule that would “create an entirely new and unauthorized category of spending from political party ‘building fund’ accounts which are funded by massive contributions from individuals of up to $213,000 […]

Rebuttal of Attacks on Dark Money Disclosure Requirements in H.R. 1

Rebuttal of Attacks on Dark Money Disclosure Requirements in H.R. 1 Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer Democracy 21 Counsel Donald Simon Enclosed below is a rebuttal of attacks made on the disclosure requirements included in H.R. 1, landmark democracy reform legislation scheduled to be voted on this week in the House. The DISCLOSE Act, incorporated […]

The Case for Ending Individual-Candidate Super PACs – Wertheimer opinion piece

Enclosed for your information is an opinion piece entitled “The Case for Ending Individual-Candidate Super PACs,” by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer. Read the full piece below or here. The Case for Ending Individual-Candidate Super PACs By Fred Wertheimer, Democracy 21 President | February 26, 2019 Super PACs that support an individual officeholder are the […]

The Case for a New Small Donor, Public Matching Funds System – Wertheimer piece

Enclosed for your information is a piece entitled “The Case for a New Small Donor, Public Matching Funds System,” by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer. Read the full piece below or here. The Case for a New Small Donor, Public Matching Funds System By Fred Wertheimer, Democracy 21 President An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll last fall […]

Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer Testifies in Support of H.R. 1 at the House Administration Committee

Today, Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer appeared before the House Administration Committee in support of H.R. 1, the comprehensive democracy reform bill introduced by Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and co-sponsored by 225 other House Democrats. (Watch the video here.) Wertheimer also submitted written testimony on behalf of Democracy 21 in […]