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 again in 2021.
Omnibus 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 DianeWhat Facebook, Google, and Twitter Owe America — Politico op ed by Fred Wertheimer and Norman Eisen
|Op Eds |Ethics & Accountability Money In Politicsby DianeReform Groups and Watchdogs Urge Congress to Oppose Poison Pill Campaign Finance Riders in FY18 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
|Press Releases |Congress Money In Politicsby DianeDemocracy 21 applauds DC Circuit Court of Appeals decision to uphold constitutionality of campaign contribution limits
|Op Eds |Legal Activities Money In Politicsby DianeA 10-Point Plan to Drain the Swamp (RealClearPolicy op ed by Fred Wertheimer and Norman Eisen)
|Op Eds |Democracy Reforms Executive Branch Money In Politicsby DianeDemocracy 21 files FEC rulemaking comments on foreign spending to influence federal elections and online ad disclosure
|Press Releases |Ethics & Accountability FEC Money In Politicsby DianeU.S. Politics Are Rigged. It’s Time For a Small-Donor Revolution — Fred Wertheimer Op Ed for NBC Think
|Op Eds |Money In Politicsby DianeGroups call on Facebook and Google to support Honest Ads Act and take all steps necessary to prevent future foreign election intervention on their platforms
|Press Releases |Congress Ethics & Accountability Money In Politicsby DianeTwenty-seven reform organizations and experts urge Senators to support bipartisan Honest Ads Act
|Press Releases |Congress Ethics & Accountability Money In Politicsby DianeWertheimer op-ed: Citizens United Has Been a Disaster for the Country: A Response to Sen. McConnell Attorney Floyd Abrams
|Op Eds |Money In Politicsby DianeDemocracy 21 endorses Honest Ads Act introduced today by Sens. Klobuchar, Warner, McCain to expose and limit foreign intervention in US Elections
|Press Releases |Congress Ethics & Accountability Money In Politicsby DianeWertheimer Statement: VP Pence’s Chief of Staff Proposes Big Donors Engage in Equivalent of “Political Blackmail”
|Press Releases |Ethics & Accountability Executive Branch Money In Politicsby DianeCampaign Legal Center and Democracy 21 applaud FEC action fining government contractor for PAC contributions
|Press Releases |FEC Money In Politicsby Diane