Democracy 21 developed and is fighting to enact a new, alternative way to finance presidential and congressional campaigns, based on matching small contributions with public funds.
- The system would match small individual contributions up to $200 with public funds at a ratio of 6 to 1. Thus, a $200 individual contribution would provide $1,400 to a candidate using the system.
- The new system would empower ordinary Americans and make their contributions far more valuable to federal candidates. The system would free officeholders from the iron-grip of influence-seeking, big money funders.
- The new system is financed not by taxpayers but entirely by corporate lawbreakers and wealthy tax cheats who pay a surcharge to the government on the penalties, fees and settlements they provide o the government for breaking the law.
- There is a growing, nationwide citizen demand for elections free of the taint of influence-buying, special interest money. More and more states and municipalities — from Seattle to New York City to Maryland to Connecticut to Maine — have adopted successful small-donor campaign finance systems.
- The small-donor, public matching funds system (H.R 1) passed the House in 2019 and has 47 sponsors (S. 949) in the Senate.
A Chance To Enact Critical Reforms
|Fred Wertheimer’s Weekly Note |Democracy Reforms Money In Politicsby DianeDemocracy 21 Files Complaint with Office of Congressional Ethics Against Rep. Duncan Hunter
|Press Releases |Congress Enforcement Ethics & Accountability Legal Activities Money In Politicsby DianeFederal Law Prohibits the “Solicitation” from a Foreign Source that Occurred with Regard to the June 9, 2016 Trump Tower Meeting
|Press Releases |Ethics & Accountability Executive Branch Money In Politicsby DianeReform Groups Urge Members to Support New CLEAN Politics Act to Close Lobbying Disclosure Loopholes and Restrict Lobbyist Fundraising for Members
|Press Releases |Congress Money In Politicsby DianeNationwide Vigils Against Corruption Show Public Demands Lawmakers Take Action to Protect and Strengthen Our Democracy
|Press Releases |Democracy Reforms Ethics & Accountability Money In Politicsby DianeNationwide Vigils Show That The American People Want To Repair Our Dysfunctional Political System
|Fred Wertheimer’s Weekly Note |Democracy Reforms Ethics & Accountability Money In Politicsby DianeTreasury Department Opens Massive Loophole That Makes It Easier To Launder Foreign Money Into Our Elections
|Press Releases |Executive Branch Money In Politicsby DianeOpportunities For Historic Democracy Reforms Lie Ahead
|Fred Wertheimer’s Weekly Note |Congress Democracy Reforms Money In Politicsby DianeDemocracy 21 Strongly Supports Effort Announced by Congressional Leaders Today to Enact Democracy Reforms
|Press Releases |Congress Democracy Reforms Money In Politicsby Diane25 Organizations Endorse Essential Democracy Reforms Announced Today by Congressional Leaders
|Press Releases |Congress Democracy Reforms Money In Politicsby Diane27 Reform Groups and Experts Urge Congress to Act Promptly to Pass the Bipartisan Honest Ads Act
|Press Releases |Congress Ethics & Accountability Money In Politicsby DianeDid Trump campaign and John Bolton PAC get help from overseas? – CNN Opinion by Fred Wertheimer and Norm Eisen
|Op Eds |Executive Branch Money In Politicsby DianeOmnibus Bill: Dangerous Campaign Finance Riders Were Defeated
|Fred Wertheimer’s Weekly Note |Congress Money In Politicsby DianeWill new Facebook scandal finally force tech CEOs to testify on ‘information warfare’? – USA Today op-ed by Fred Wertheimer, Roger McNamee, and Norm Eisen
|Op Eds |Ethics & Accountability Money In Politicsby DianeD21 President Fred Wertheimer Statement on PA18 Special Election: Wave Elections Override Political Money
|Press Releases |Money In Politicsby Diane