democracy21--2020-04-15--President Trump, in a Surprise Move, Apparently Embraces Public Financing of Elections – But Only fo

President Trump , in a Surprise Move , Apparently Embraces Public Financing of Elections – But Only for Himself In a surprise move , and in the face of Senate Majority Leader McConnell ’ s longstanding opposition , President Trump now appears to have embraced public financing of elections – but only for his own re-election .
It appears , some say , that the only plausible reason for Trump ’ s unprecedented decision to have his unneeded name added to the Treasury stimulus checks being mailed to 70 million Americans is to promote himself and his re-election .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on everything in sight as a means of shameless self-promotion .
With a presumptive Democratic nominee now in place , the presidential general election is underway , and Trump appears to be putting his name on the stimulus checks to start his own version of presidential public financing – for Trump only .
The cost of printing and mailing these checks will be borne by taxpayers .
Hopefully , Trump will arrange for the reimbursement of the mailing costs to the financially struggling Post Office .
There is , of course , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections .
It is found in H.R .
1 , the comprehensive democracy reform legislation which was enacted last March by the House and which has 47 sponsors for its companion measure in the Senate .
This legislation would create a small donor , public matching funds system available to all presidential and congressional candidates who meet fair , non-partisan eligibility criteria .
The system would not be paid for by taxpayers but would be wholly funded by penalties and settlements paid to the government by corporate lawbreakers and wealthy tax cheats .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ matching funds system and all of the other essential democracy reforms contained in H.R .
1 to repair our broken political system .
Who knows ?
Perhaps with his apparent new embrace of using public financing for his presidential campaign , Trump will see the light and join the movement to repair our corrupt campaign finance system by creating a small donor , public matching funds system available for all federal candidates .

President Trump, in a Surprise Move, Apparently Embraces Public Financing of Elections – But Only for Himself
Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer
In a surprise move, and in the face of Senate Majority Leader McConnell’s longstanding opposition, President Trump now appears to have embraced public financing of elections – but only for his own re-election.
It appears, some say, that the only plausible reason for Trump’s unprecedented decision to have his unneeded name added to the Treasury stimulus checks being mailed to 70 million Americans is to promote himself and his re-election.
Trump is well known for placing his name on everything in sight as a means of shameless self-promotion. With a presumptive Democratic nominee now in place, the presidential general election is underway, and Trump appears to be putting his name on the stimulus checks to start his own version of presidential public financing – for Trump only.
The cost of printing and mailing these checks will be borne by taxpayers. Hopefully, Trump will arrange for the reimbursement of the mailing costs to the financially struggling Post Office.
There is, of course, a better way to provide public financing of elections. It is found in H.R. 1, the comprehensive democracy reform legislation which was enacted last March by the House and which has 47 sponsors for its companion measure in the Senate.
This legislation would create a small donor, public matching funds system available to all presidential and congressional candidates who meet fair, non-partisan eligibility criteria. The system would not be paid for by taxpayers but would be wholly funded by penalties and settlements paid to the government by corporate lawbreakers and wealthy tax cheats.
Democracy 21 strongly supports this new public matching funds system and all of the other essential democracy reforms contained in H.R. 1 to repair our broken political system.
Who knows? Perhaps with his apparent new embrace of using public financing for his presidential campaign, Trump will see the light and join the movement to repair our corrupt campaign finance system by creating a small donor, public matching funds system available for all federal candidates.
###


Protect the Vote

“ No voter in America should have to risk their life in order to cast their vote .
“ The despicable actions taken by Republican Wisconsin officeholders forced Wisconsin voters this week to make a terrible choice : either risk your life to vote in person or forfeit your sacred right to vote .
Some courageous voters took the risk .
Others were not able to and had to forfeit their votes .
Then there was the nurse who reportedly worked all day , took the risk to vote and nevertheless was denied the ability to vote because she showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place .
The Wisconsin fiasco is a forerunner for the battles that lie ahead .
President Trump has made clear that central to his reelection effort is making it as hard as possible for eligible voters to vote .
Trump recently attacked voting by mail as “ corrupt ” and called for every person to vote in person at the voting booth and have voter ID .
Trump somehow neglected to mention that he himself , “ corruptly ” in his own words , voted absentee by mail in New York in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applied to vote absentee by mail this year in Florida .
What is good enough for President Trump must be good enough for every other voter in our country .
Maximizing the difficulty of voting is Republican party gospel for the 2020 elections , with Trump in the lead , and his agent in Congress , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , playing his usual destructive role .
This makes it all the more important to win the battle that Democracy 21 and many other groups are fighting to have Congress quickly send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the states to use to run safe and secure elections .
States desperately need these funds to protect voters and to ensure the integrity of the unprecedented election we are facing in November .
A major congressional battle lies ahead in the coming weeks over including in the next big relief package up to $ 4 billion necessary for the states to run their elections .
In the end , this will come down to a showdown between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Trump .
This fight to protect voters and ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter in America should have to risk their life in order to cast their vote .

FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | April 9, 2020
“No voter in America should have to risk their life in order to cast their vote. “
The despicable actions taken by Republican Wisconsin officeholders forced Wisconsin voters this week to make a terrible choice: either risk your life to vote in person or forfeit your sacred right to vote. Some courageous voters took the risk. Others were not able to and had to forfeit their votes. Then there was the nurse who reportedly worked all day, took the risk to vote and nevertheless was denied the ability to vote because she showed up 3 minutes late at the polling place.
The Wisconsin fiasco is a forerunner for the battles that lie ahead.
President Trump has made clear that central to his reelection effort is making it as hard as possible for eligible voters to vote. Trump recently attacked voting by mail as “corrupt” and called for every person to vote in person at the voting booth and have voter ID.
Trump somehow neglected to mention that he himself, “corruptly” in his own words, voted absentee by mail in New York in 2018 and that he and his wife have applied to vote absentee by mail this year in Florida. What is good enough for President Trump must be good enough for every other voter in our country.
Maximizing the difficulty of voting is Republican party gospel for the 2020 elections, with Trump in the lead, and his agent in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, playing his usual destructive role.
This makes it all the more important to win the battle that Democracy 21 and many other groups are fighting to have Congress quickly send as much as $4 billion to the states to use to run safe and secure elections.
States desperately need these funds to protect voters and to ensure the integrity of the unprecedented election we are facing in November.
A major congressional battle lies ahead in the coming weeks over including in the next big relief package up to $4 billion necessary for the states to run their elections. In the end, this will come down to a showdown between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Trump. This fight to protect voters and ensure honest elections must be won.
No voter in America should have to risk their life in order to cast their vote.
###


democracy21--2020-04-07--President Trump, Who Voted By Mail in 2018 and Plans to Vote By Mail in 2020, Opposes Voting By Mail

President Trump Opposes Voting Absentee by Mail in 2020 Elections , Yet Voted by Mail in New York ( 2018 ) and Has Applied to Vote by Mail in Florida ( 2020 ) Melania Trump , Ivanka Trump Voted Absentee ( Unsuccessfully ) in NY ( 2017 ) , Jared Kushner Registered to Vote in NY and NJ Simultaneously ( 2017 ) On Friday , April 3 , 2020 , President Trump said at the coronavirus task force briefing that he opposed using mail-in ballots in the November elections and that every person should vote at the booth and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in voting allows “ a lot of people to cheat , ” he made clear earlier on March 30 his real reason for opposing mail-in ballots .
Trump said “ you ’ d never have a Republican elected in this country again , ” if you made it easier for people to vote .
However , Trump is practicing “ do as I say not as I do.
” At the very time he opposed absentee voting by mail for the 2020 elections , he had already applied in Florida to vote absentee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to a Palm Beach Post article published on March 11 , 2020 , “ President Donald Trump , now a Palm Beach resident registered to vote in Florida , has requested a vote-by-mail ballot for the Florida Republican presidential primary.
” Furthermore , Trump voted absentee by mail in New York in 2018 .
According to a Quartz article published on November 6 , 2018 , White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said that “ Donald Trump voted ‘ absentee a couple of weeks ago.
’ ” What is good enough for President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every American voter .
Trump ’ s position on absentee voting by mail is not only blatant hypocrisy but also makes clear that Trump has zero credibility in opposing absentee voting by mail , based on his own past actions .
Furthermore , Trump is not the only member of his family to pursue absentee voting by mail .
Both Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump submitted absentee ballots by mail in 2017 in New York .
Unfortunately , both reportedly were unsuccessful voters as Melania Trump failed to sign the envelope containing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot too late to be counted .
And then there is Trump ’ s son-in-law Jared Kushner , who was reportedly registered to vote in New York and New Jersey simultaneously in 2017 .
President Trump has , without evidence , labeled this as an indication of widespread voter fraud even though it is likely often done without intent or consequence .
President Trump has already attempted to rig the 2020 presidential election and was impeached by the House for his efforts .
Trump ’ s continuing efforts to rig the November election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sacred right to vote , must be defeated .
Every eligible voter must have a safe and secure opportunity to vote in November .
In order to accomplish this , it is essential for Congress to provide the states with additional funding of at least $ 1.6 billion in the next relief bill , which is necessary to ensure that fair and honest elections occur in November , unrigged by President Trump and his allies .

President Trump Opposes Voting Absentee by Mail in 2020 Elections, Yet Voted by Mail in New York (2018) and Has Applied to Vote by Mail in Florida (2020)
Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump Voted Absentee (Unsuccessfully) in NY (2017), Jared Kushner Registered to Vote in NY and NJ Simultaneously (2017)
Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer
On Friday, April 3, 2020, President Trump said at the coronavirus task force briefing that he opposed using mail-in ballots in the November elections and that every person should vote at the booth and have voter ID.
While Trump baselessly claimed mail-in voting allows “a lot of people to cheat,” he made clear earlier on March 30 his real reason for opposing mail-in ballots. Trump said “you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again,” if you made it easier for people to vote.
However, Trump is practicing “do as I say not as I do.”
At the very time he opposed absentee voting by mail for the 2020 elections, he had already applied in Florida to vote absentee by mail in Florida in 2020. According to a Palm Beach Post article published on March 11, 2020, “President Donald Trump, now a Palm Beach resident registered to vote in Florida, has requested a vote-by-mail ballot for the Florida Republican presidential primary.”
Furthermore, Trump voted absentee by mail in New York in 2018. According to a Quartz article published on November 6, 2018, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said that “Donald Trump voted ‘absentee a couple of weeks ago.’”
What is good enough for President Trump must also be good enough for every American voter.
Trump’s position on absentee voting by mail is not only blatant hypocrisy but also makes clear that Trump has zero credibility in opposing absentee voting by mail, based on his own past actions.
Furthermore, Trump is not the only member of his family to pursue absentee voting by mail.
Both Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump submitted absentee ballots by mail in 2017 in New York. Unfortunately, both reportedly were unsuccessful voters as Melania Trump failed to sign the envelope containing the ballot and Ivanka Trump mailed her absentee ballot too late to be counted.
And then there is Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who was reportedly registered to vote in New York and New Jersey simultaneously in 2017. President Trump has, without evidence, labeled this as an indication of widespread voter fraud even though it is likely often done without intent or consequence.
President Trump has already attempted to rig the 2020 presidential election and was impeached by the House for his efforts. Trump’s continuing efforts to rig the November election, in this case by suppressing the sacred right to vote, must be defeated.
Every eligible voter must have a safe and secure opportunity to vote in November.
In order to accomplish this, it is essential for Congress to provide the states with additional funding of at least $1.6 billion in the next relief bill, which is necessary to ensure that fair and honest elections occur in November, unrigged by President Trump and his allies.
###


democracy21--2020-04-02--Safe, Honest, & Fair Elections In 2020

Safe, Honest, & Fair Elections In 2020

“ He or she who does the draft rules the world.
” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is moving quickly to prepare the next relief package for the country .
The importance of the Speaker ’ s quick action can be seen by the fact that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , who accurately calls himself the Grim Reaper , has dismissed Pelosi ’ s call for quick action and said she should “ stand down.
” McConnell demonstrated the value of moving first and working from his own bill in negotiating the recent $ 2 trillion relief bill .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of very important changes in negotiations over the McConnell draft bill , the broad parameters of the bill were nevertheless set and preserved by McConnell .
And , when it came to the money needed for the states to prepare for the 2020 elections and ensure safe voting in very changed circumstances , McConnell , by working from his own bill , had the leverage he needed to limit those funds to a woefully inadequate $ 400 million , when an estimated $ 2 billion is needed .
Speaker Pelosi is not about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next round of legislation .
Rep. Phil Burton , the legendary legislator who served in the House in the 1970s , taught a rule that goes something like this : “ He or she who does the draft rules the world.
” Speaker Pelosi is moving to go first next time with a bill she plans to have ready to go in late April when the House returns .
This bill is expected to provide another round of massive economic relief to the country and will also include robust funding for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting in November .
The Speaker ’ s quick action will put strong pressure on McConnell and the Senate Republicans to act , rather than to go slow as McConnell prefers .
And , it will give Speaker Pelosi much more leverage in designing the final legislative package than the Democrats had on the last relief bill .
Democracy 21 is working with a broad and diverse group of organizations to ensure that the next relief bill includes the funds necessary to provide for safe , honest , and fair elections in November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2020 .

FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | April 2, 2020
“He or she who does the draft rules the world.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is moving quickly to prepare the next relief package for the country.
The importance of the Speaker’s quick action can be seen by the fact that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who accurately calls himself the Grim Reaper, has dismissed Pelosi’s call for quick action and said she should “stand down.”
McConnell demonstrated the value of moving first and working from his own bill in negotiating the recent $2 trillion relief bill. While Democrats were able to make a number of very important changes in negotiations over the McConnell draft bill, the broad parameters of the bill were nevertheless set and preserved by McConnell.
And, when it came to the money needed for the states to prepare for the 2020 elections and ensure safe voting in very changed circumstances, McConnell, by working from his own bill, had the leverage he needed to limit those funds to a woefully inadequate $400 million, when an estimated $2 billion is needed.
Speaker Pelosi is not about to let McConnell have similar control in the next round of legislation.
Rep. Phil Burton, the legendary legislator who served in the House in the 1970s, taught a rule that goes something like this: “He or she who does the draft rules the world.”
Speaker Pelosi is moving to go first next time with a bill she plans to have ready to go in late April when the House returns.
This bill is expected to provide another round of massive economic relief to the country and will also include robust funding for the states to use to provide for safe voting in November.
The Speaker’s quick action will put strong pressure on McConnell and the Senate Republicans to act, rather than to go slow as McConnell prefers. And, it will give Speaker Pelosi much more leverage in designing the final legislative package than the Democrats had on the last relief bill.
Democracy 21 is working with a broad and diverse group of organizations to ensure that the next relief bill includes the funds necessary to provide for safe, honest, and fair elections in November.
This is THE democracy reform battle of 2020.
###


democracy21--2020-03-27--House Passes Historic $2 Trillion Relief Legislation

The House today passed historic legislation to address the coronavirus crisis – an historic problem for the United States and the world.The unprecedented $ 2 trillion economic relief package will provide essential assistance to immeasurable millions of struggling Americans , as well as health providers , states and municipalities , and small businesses .
Unfortunately , our ability to deal humanely and effectively with the health and economic crisis facing the nation has been seriously undermined by President Trump .
The President has refused to propose and implement a national plan to address the health crisis , even though there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is needed to fight the virus .
The President and his administration should be leading the nation ’ s battle against the coronavirus .
Instead Trump has abdicated this role , saying “ I don ’ t take responsibility at all ” for problems that arise in dealing with the virus , and telling the nation ’ s Governors that the federal government is the “ second line ” of defense in dealing with the virus .
The President also has continued the pattern of his presidency by repeatedly lying , dissembling , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation regarding the health crisis .
Fortunately , a polarized and often paralyzed Congress has risen to the occasion and produced a $ 2 trillion , bipartisan stimulus relief package .
They have done so at what is warp speed for the institution .
Members of Congress , led by the Senate and House Republican and Democratic leaders , did not let deep-seated partisan divisions or policy differences stand in the way of getting the job done at this moment of national crisis .
The Congress stands tall today .
The President does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leader Schumer and House Speaker Pelosi for the forceful and effective leadership they have provided to make sure that the interests of ordinary Americans were the top priority for the legislation .
Democracy 21 joined with many other organizations in urging that this legislation include $ 2 billion in funding for the states to take necessary steps to protect the health of our democracy by ensuring fair and honest elections in November .
These funds would have been used to make necessary adjustments in voting procedures including increased opportunities for absentee ballots , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Senate Majority Leader McConnell , however , blocked the requested amount , as he has repeatedly blocked legislation in this Congress to strengthen election security and to prevent foreign interference in our elections .
Instead , McConnell held the election funding in this bill to $ 400 million , a wholly inadequate amount to protect the November elections .
In doing so , Senator McConnell has done a grave disservice to our democracy and the sacred right to vote .
Another stimulus relief package will likely be required in the next month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many other organizations in demanding that the next relief legislation include the funds necessary to protect the integrity and fairness of the coming November elections .

House Passes Historic $2 Trillion Relief Legislation
Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer
The House today passed historic legislation to address the coronavirus crisis – an historic problem for the United States and the world.The unprecedented $2 trillion economic relief package will provide essential assistance to immeasurable millions of struggling Americans, as well as health providers, states and municipalities, and small businesses.
Unfortunately, our ability to deal humanely and effectively with the health and economic crisis facing the nation has been seriously undermined by President Trump.
The President has refused to propose and implement a national plan to address the health crisis, even though there is widespread belief that such a plan is needed to fight the virus.
The President and his administration should be leading the nation’s battle against the coronavirus. Instead Trump has abdicated this role, saying “I don’t take responsibility at all” for problems that arise in dealing with the virus, and telling the nation’s Governors that the federal government is the “second line” of defense in dealing with the virus.
The President also has continued the pattern of his presidency by repeatedly lying, dissembling, misleading and making false statements to the nation regarding the health crisis.
Fortunately, a polarized and often paralyzed Congress has risen to the occasion and produced a $2 trillion, bipartisan stimulus relief package. They have done so at what is warp speed for the institution. Members of Congress, led by the Senate and House Republican and Democratic leaders, did not let deep-seated partisan divisions or policy differences stand in the way of getting the job done at this moment of national crisis.
The Congress stands tall today. The President does not.
Democracy 21 thanks Senate Democratic Leader Schumer and House Speaker Pelosi for the forceful and effective leadership they have provided to make sure that the interests of ordinary Americans were the top priority for the legislation.
Democracy 21 joined with many other organizations in urging that this legislation include $2 billion in funding for the states to take necessary steps to protect the health of our democracy by ensuring fair and honest elections in November. These funds would have been used to make necessary adjustments in voting procedures including increased opportunities for absentee ballots, voting by mail and safe in-person voting.
Senate Majority Leader McConnell, however, blocked the requested amount, as he has repeatedly blocked legislation in this Congress to strengthen election security and to prevent foreign interference in our elections. Instead, McConnell held the election funding in this bill to $400 million, a wholly inadequate amount to protect the November elections. In doing so, Senator McConnell has done a grave disservice to our democracy and the sacred right to vote.
Another stimulus relief package will likely be required in the next month or two. Democracy 21 will join many other organizations in demanding that the next relief legislation include the funds necessary to protect the integrity and fairness of the coming November elections.
###


democracy21--2020-03-26--Congress Worked, But The 2020 Elections Paid A Price – Wertheimer piece

Enclosed for your information is a piece by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer entitled , “ Congress Worked , But The 2020 Elections Paid A Price , ” which was published on Medium today , March 26 , 2020 .
Read the full piece below or here .
This happened because of the extraordinary crisis facing the country and the need for swift action .
While it may not seem so to some , this is Congress acting at warp speed .
The Phase 3 stimulus package is a bipartisan bill reflecting the priorities of both parties .
The bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side or the other , and does not contain other provisions that each side sought .
But , overall it was historically important legislation to address the coronavirus crisis .
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer , working with Speaker Nancy Pelosi , did a masterful job of reaching a bipartisan agreement with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin , just as Speaker Pelosi had done a masterful job with Mnuchin on the Phase 2 stimulus .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell started the process with a highly partisan bill heavily tilted to Corporate America .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ price in the Phase 3 legislation , as McConnell refused to provide the estimated $ 2 billion necessary for the states to prepare for and ensure fair and honest elections in November .
Instead McConnell held the funding to only one-fifth of that amount – a wholly inadequate $ 400 million .
This money is essential to equip states to increase their ability to conduct absentee voting , provide for voting by mail , and take the precautions necessary to ensure in-person voting can be done safely .
McConnell apparently blocked the money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by making it harder for people to vote , particularly for minorities and low-income individuals .
Meanwhile his patron , President Trump , sees advantage in chaos and the ability to cheat .
He has already tried to rig the 2020 presidential election , for which he was impeached .
There is every reason to believe Trump will continue to try to rig , if not steal , the 2020 presidential election .
A huge number of groups led by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the Brennan Center for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the full $ 2 billion for funding the November elections to be included in the stimulus package .
The effort included the Declaration for American Democracy coalition , which Democracy 21 helps lead , and the civil rights coalition .
Another stimulus package is likely to be considered by Congress in a month or so .
Democracy 21 will again join with these groups to conduct a nationwide advocacy and grassroots campaign to demand that the next stimulus bill includes the money essential to ensure a fair , honest , and unrigged election @ @ @

Enclosed for your information is a piece by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer entitled, “Congress Worked, But The 2020 Elections Paid A Price,” which was published on Medium today, March 26, 2020.
Read the full piece below or here.
Congress Worked, But The 2020 Elections Paid A Price
By Fred Wertheimer | 3/26/2020 | Medium
Congress worked.
This happened because of the extraordinary crisis facing the country and the need for swift action. While it may not seem so to some, this is Congress acting at warp speed.
The Phase 3 stimulus package is a bipartisan bill reflecting the priorities of both parties. The bill contains some provisions objected to by one side or the other, and does not contain other provisions that each side sought. But, overall it was historically important legislation to address the coronavirus crisis.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, working with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, did a masterful job of reaching a bipartisan agreement with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, just as Speaker Pelosi had done a masterful job with Mnuchin on the Phase 2 stimulus.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell started the process with a highly partisan bill heavily tilted to Corporate America.
Democracy, however, paid a heavy price in the Phase 3 legislation, as McConnell refused to provide the estimated $2 billion necessary for the states to prepare for and ensure fair and honest elections in November. Instead McConnell held the funding to only one-fifth of that amount – a wholly inadequate $400 million.
This money is essential to equip states to increase their ability to conduct absentee voting, provide for voting by mail, and take the precautions necessary to ensure in-person voting can be done safely.
McConnell apparently blocked the money to provide partisan advantage for the Republicans by making it harder for people to vote, particularly for minorities and low-income individuals.
Meanwhile his patron, President Trump, sees advantage in chaos and the ability to cheat.
He has already tried to rig the 2020 presidential election, for which he was impeached.
There is every reason to believe Trump will continue to try to rig, if not steal, the 2020 presidential election.
A huge number of groups led by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the Brennan Center for Justice worked very hard to push for the full $2 billion for funding the November elections to be included in the stimulus package. The effort included the Declaration for American Democracy coalition, which Democracy 21 helps lead, and the civil rights coalition.
Another stimulus package is likely to be considered by Congress in a month or so.
Democracy 21 will again join with these groups to conduct a nationwide advocacy and grassroots campaign to demand that the next stimulus bill includes the money essential to ensure a fair, honest, and unrigged election in November.
###


democracy21--2020-03-19--Ensuring Fair Elections In This Time Of Crisis

“ Our democracy must continue to function properly as it has during past periods of national crisis .
We must prevent this crisis from being used by President Trump to try to rig the November presidential election.
” During this unprecedented time , we have decided to continue our weekly newsletter .
We believe it is better to communicate as this epic crisis unfolds than to go silent .
We know we are facing a health crisis and an economic crisis unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes .
But , we also know that life must go on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not end up facing a democracy crisis as well .
The presidential , congressional , state , and local elections must take place in November without interruption or interference .
Democracy 21 is working with many other concerned groups and individuals to take all possible steps to ensure that the integrity of our sacred right to vote is maintained in the November elections .
Given the efforts President Trump has already made to rig the 2020 presidential election , for which he was impeached , and given his behavior in the 2016 presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a hawk .
Trump ’ s penchant for lying , dissembling , disrupting , and cheating must not be allowed to undermine , if not steal , the 2020 presidential election .
H.R .
1 , passed by the House last year , would have made voting rights and election results far safer and more secure than they are today .
Senate Majority Leader McConnell , however , buried H.R .
1 in the Senate , thereby blocking the voting protections it would have put in place .
In order to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American people will cast in November , a major effort is underway in Congress to include up to $ 2 billion in appropriated funds in the $ 1 trillion economic relief package that is being developed and is expected to pass Congress quickly .
These funds would be used by the states to adapt their voting processes to the potential voting problems caused by COVID-19 and to ensure that the 2020 election results are honest and fair .
Our democracy must continue to function properly as it has during past periods of national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from being used by President Trump to try to rig the November presidential election .

FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | MARCH 19, 2020
“Our democracy must continue to function properly as it has during past periods of national crisis. We must prevent this crisis from being used by President Trump to try to rig the November presidential election.”
During this unprecedented time, we have decided to continue our weekly newsletter. We believe it is better to communicate as this epic crisis unfolds than to go silent.
We know we are facing a health crisis and an economic crisis unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes.
But, we also know that life must go on and we must make sure we do not end up facing a democracy crisis as well.
The presidential, congressional, state, and local elections must take place in November without interruption or interference.
Democracy 21 is working with many other concerned groups and individuals to take all possible steps to ensure that the integrity of our sacred right to vote is maintained in the November elections.
Given the efforts President Trump has already made to rig the 2020 presidential election, for which he was impeached, and given his behavior in the 2016 presidential election, we need to watch him like a hawk. Trump’s penchant for lying, dissembling, disrupting, and cheating must not be allowed to undermine, if not steal, the 2020 presidential election.
H.R. 1, passed by the House last year, would have made voting rights and election results far safer and more secure than they are today. Senate Majority Leader McConnell, however, buried H.R. 1 in the Senate, thereby blocking the voting protections it would have put in place.
In order to provide protection now for the votes that the American people will cast in November, a major effort is underway in Congress to include up to $2 billion in appropriated funds in the $1 trillion economic relief package that is being developed and is expected to pass Congress quickly.
These funds would be used by the states to adapt their voting processes to the potential voting problems caused by COVID-19 and to ensure that the 2020 election results are honest and fair.
Our democracy must continue to function properly as it has during past periods of national crisis. We must prevent this crisis from being used by President Trump to try to rig the November presidential election.
###


democracy21--2020-03-12--Trump Tries To Lie Away A Pandemic

Trump Tries To Lie Away A Pandemic

“ His lies , his dissembling , his con jobs , and his tweets can not erase the reality of this dangerous disease that has spread throughout the country.
” Coronavirus was first reported in China in December 2019 .
Today it dominates the United States and everything that is going on in Washington , not to mention dominating the world .
President Trump and his administration have been completely unprepared to deal with this pandemic , aided and abetted by President Trump firing the White House pandemic response team in 2018 and never replacing it .
Trump and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action once the virus became known , aided and abetted by President Trump ’ s efforts to pretend it was not a problem .
On February 26 , Trump said , “ [ W ] hen you have 15 people , and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero , that ’ s a pretty good job we ’ ve done.
” Pure nonsense .
Trump kept trying to make the virus go away by saying “ it is going away ” and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Not the case .
Trump has met his match in dealing with the virus .
His lies , his dissembling , his con jobs , and his tweets can not erase the reality of this dangerous disease that has spread throughout the country .
Congress is finally moving after getting a slow start itself .
House Speaker Pelosi , a real leader , is once again filling the national vacuum created by a President who lives in an alternative universe .
Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin are trying to work out an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately address the health crisis facing the country , while Trump sits in the White House fiddling with his Twitter account .
Trump has defined his presidency by the growth of the stock market and is now encountering the reality of the saying “ live by the sword , die by the sword.
” Trump is learning that he can no more bluster a pandemic out of existence than he can talk the stock market into staying high when it decides to crash .

FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | MARCH 12, 2020
“His lies, his dissembling, his con jobs, and his tweets cannot erase the reality of this dangerous disease that has spread throughout the country.”
Coronavirus was first reported in China in December 2019.
Today it dominates the United States and everything that is going on in Washington, not to mention dominating the world.
President Trump and his administration have been completely unprepared to deal with this pandemic, aided and abetted by President Trump firing the White House pandemic response team in 2018 and never replacing it.
Trump and his administration were also slow to move into action once the virus became known, aided and abetted by President Trump’s efforts to pretend it was not a problem.
On February 26, Trump said, “[W]hen you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that’s a pretty good job we’ve done.” Pure nonsense.
Trump kept trying to make the virus go away by saying “it is going away” and that it was “very well under control.” Not the case.
Trump has met his match in dealing with the virus.
His lies, his dissembling, his con jobs, and his tweets cannot erase the reality of this dangerous disease that has spread throughout the country.
Congress is finally moving after getting a slow start itself. House Speaker Pelosi, a real leader, is once again filling the national vacuum created by a President who lives in an alternative universe.
Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin are trying to work out an agreement today on legislation to directly and immediately address the health crisis facing the country, while Trump sits in the White House fiddling with his Twitter account.
Trump has defined his presidency by the growth of the stock market and is now encountering the reality of the saying “live by the sword, die by the sword.”
Trump is learning that he can no more bluster a pandemic out of existence than he can talk the stock market into staying high when it decides to crash.
###


democracy21--2020-03-06--One Year Later, The Battle For H.R. 1 Goes On

One Year Later , The Battle For H.R .
1 Goes On This coming Sunday , March 8 , marks one year since the House passed H.R .
1 , historic democracy reform legislation to repair the nation ’ s broken political system and corrupt campaign finance system .
While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has blocked Senate consideration of the bill in this Congress , we are nevertheless on the doorstep of enacting transformational reforms that will revitalize our democracy , depending on the outcome of the November elections .
H.R .
1 and its Senate counterpart S. 949 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundamental governance problems for our country .
These problems include political money corruption in Washington , voter suppression and discrimination , partisan gerrymandering , unprecedented ethics abuses by President Trump and his Administration , and election security .
The breakdown of our political system has played a central role in preventing Washington from addressing the nation ’ s biggest problems , such as health care , climate change , gun control , and fair taxes , to mention just a few .
We have a President who thinks he is a king with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress that can not reach the compromises and consensus that have been key to adopting policies to advance the interests of the American people .
We have a citizenry who believes , correctly , that the political system is rigged and that monied interests buy corrupting influence in Washington at the expense of ordinary Americans .
Our campaign finance system in the wake of the Supreme Court ’ s disastrous Citizens United decision is dominated by billionaires , millionaires , bundlers , lobbyists , Super PACs , special interest PACs and dark money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end up becoming dependent on and obligated to these influence-seeking funders .
We can not and will not curb political money corruption in Washington without providing officeholders and candidates with an alternative way to finance their campaigns .
H.R .
1 and S. 949 provide such an alternative financing system – a small donor , public matching funds available to candidates for President , House and Senate who choose to use the system .
The legislation matches small contributions up to $ 200 to federal candidates at a ratio of 6 to 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brings $ 1,400 to a participating candidate .
This new system would empower ordinary Americans by making their small contributions far more valuable to candidates .
It would free officeholders and candidates from the iron grip of influence-seeking funders .
The funding for the public matching funds would come not from taxpayers but from lawbreakers .
A small surcharge would be added to the penalties , fees and settlements paid to the government by corporations , corporate executives and wealthy tax cheats who break the law .
Another key campaign finance reform would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed huge amounts of unlimited , undisclosed contributions to pour into federal elections through 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) nonprofit groups .
These “ dark money ” contributions prevent any accountability for the potential influence-buying and selling between secret donors and the candidates being supported .
We are at a seminal moment in our history when fundamental changes must occur to keep our country moving forward .
H.R .
1 will transform our political system and rebalance the distribution of power between ordinary Americans and the wealthy .
The Declaration for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diverse organizations , including Democracy 21 , has played a major role in bringing H.R .
1 to the verge of enactment .
The coalition efforts continue .
We have a once in a generation opportunity to enact an historic package of democracy reforms that will repair our political system and renew our democracy .
That ’ s why the battle to enact H.R .
1 will be fought for as long as it takes to win .

One Year Later, The Battle For H.R. 1 Goes On
Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer
This coming Sunday, March 8, marks one year since the House passed H.R. 1, historic democracy reform legislation to repair the nation’s broken political system and corrupt campaign finance system.
While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has blocked Senate consideration of the bill in this Congress, we are nevertheless on the doorstep of enacting transformational reforms that will revitalize our democracy, depending on the outcome of the November elections.
H.R. 1 and its Senate counterpart S. 949, sponsored by 47 Senators, address fundamental governance problems for our country. These problems include political money corruption in Washington, voter suppression and discrimination, partisan gerrymandering, unprecedented ethics abuses by President Trump and his Administration, and election security.
The breakdown of our political system has played a central role in preventing Washington from addressing the nation’s biggest problems, such as health care, climate change, gun control, and fair taxes, to mention just a few.
We have a President who thinks he is a king with unchecked power. We have a polarized Congress that cannot reach the compromises and consensus that have been key to adopting policies to advance the interests of the American people.
We have a citizenry who believes, correctly, that the political system is rigged and that monied interests buy corrupting influence in Washington at the expense of ordinary Americans.
Our campaign finance system in the wake of the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United decision is dominated by billionaires, millionaires, bundlers, lobbyists, Super PACs, special interest PACs and dark money nonprofits.
Most officeholders and other candidates end up becoming dependent on and obligated to these influence-seeking funders.
We cannot and will not curb political money corruption in Washington without providing officeholders and candidates with an alternative way to finance their campaigns.
H.R. 1 and S. 949 provide such an alternative financing system – a small donor, public matching funds available to candidates for President, House and Senate who choose to use the system. The legislation matches small contributions up to $200 to federal candidates at a ratio of 6 to 1. Thus, a $200 contribution brings $1,400 to a participating candidate.
This new system would empower ordinary Americans by making their small contributions far more valuable to candidates. It would free officeholders and candidates from the iron grip of influence-seeking funders.
The funding for the public matching funds would come not from taxpayers but from lawbreakers. A small surcharge would be added to the penalties, fees and settlements paid to the government by corporations, corporate executives and wealthy tax cheats who break the law.
Another key campaign finance reform would shut down the disclosure loophole which has allowed huge amounts of unlimited, undisclosed contributions to pour into federal elections through 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups. These “dark money” contributions prevent any accountability for the potential influence-buying and selling between secret donors and the candidates being supported.
We are at a seminal moment in our history when fundamental changes must occur to keep our country moving forward. H.R. 1 will transform our political system and rebalance the distribution of power between ordinary Americans and the wealthy.
The Declaration for American Democracy Coalition, consisting of 145 diverse organizations, including Democracy 21, has played a major role in bringing H.R. 1 to the verge of enactment. The coalition efforts continue.
We have a once in a generation opportunity to enact an historic package of democracy reforms that will repair our political system and renew our democracy.
That’s why the battle to enact H.R. 1 will be fought for as long as it takes to win.
###


democracy21--2020-03-05--The Battle for H.R. 1

The Battle for H.R. 1

“ Our battle for H.R .
1 will be fought for as long as it takes to win.
” This coming Sunday , March 8 , marks one year since the House passed H.R .
1 , historic democracy reform legislation to repair the nation ’ s broken political system and corrupt campaign finance system .
While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has blocked Senate consideration of the bill in this Congress , nevertheless , we are on the doorstep of enacting transformational reforms that will renew and revitalize our democracy , depending on the outcome of the November elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counterpart S. 949 , sponsored by 47 Senators , address fundamental governance problems for our country .
These problems include political money corruption in Washington , voter suppression and discrimination , partisan gerrymandering , unprecedented ethics abuses by President Trump and his Administration , and election security .
The breakdown of our political system has played a central role in preventing Washington from addressing the nation ’ s biggest problems , such as health care , climate change , gun control , and fair taxes , to mention just a few .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a king with unchecked power .
We have a polarized Congress that can not reach the compromises and consensus that have been key to adopting policies to advance the interests of the American people .
We have a citizenry who believes , correctly , that the political system is rigged and that monied interests buy corrupting influence in Washington at the expense of ordinary Americans .
We are at a seminal moment in our history when fundamental changes must occur to keep our country moving forward .
H.R .
1 will transform our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power between ordinary Americans and the wealthy , and strengthen our democracy .
The Declaration for American Democracy Coalition , consisting of 145 diverse organizations , including Democracy 21 , has played a major role in bringing H.R .
1 to the verge of enactment .
Our battle for H.R .
1 will be fought for as long as it takes to win .

FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | MARCH 5, 2020
“Our battle for H.R. 1 will be fought for as long as it takes to win.”
This coming Sunday, March 8, marks one year since the House passed H.R. 1, historic democracy reform legislation to repair the nation’s broken political system and corrupt campaign finance system.
While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has blocked Senate consideration of the bill in this Congress, nevertheless, we are on the doorstep of enacting transformational reforms that will renew and revitalize our democracy, depending on the outcome of the November elections.
H.R. 1 and its Senate counterpart S. 949, sponsored by 47 Senators, address fundamental governance problems for our country. These problems include political money corruption in Washington, voter suppression and discrimination, partisan gerrymandering, unprecedented ethics abuses by President Trump and his Administration, and election security.
The breakdown of our political system has played a central role in preventing Washington from addressing the nation’s biggest problems, such as health care, climate change, gun control, and fair taxes, to mention just a few.
We have a President who thinks he is a king with unchecked power. We have a polarized Congress that cannot reach the compromises and consensus that have been key to adopting policies to advance the interests of the American people.
We have a citizenry who believes, correctly, that the political system is rigged and that monied interests buy corrupting influence in Washington at the expense of ordinary Americans.
We are at a seminal moment in our history when fundamental changes must occur to keep our country moving forward. H.R. 1 will transform our political system, rebalance the distribution of power between ordinary Americans and the wealthy, and strengthen our democracy.
The Declaration for American Democracy Coalition, consisting of 145 diverse organizations, including Democracy 21, has played a major role in bringing H.R. 1 to the verge of enactment.
Our battle for H.R. 1 will be fought for as long as it takes to win.
###


democracy21--2020-01-02--Sen. Murkowski Stands Up To Trump & McConnell

Lisa Murkowski is a moderate/conservative Republican Senator who votes with her party most of the time .
Senator Murkowski ( R-AK ) is also a courageous , independent-minded Senator who has been willing to break with President Trump , Senate Majority Leader McConnell , and her party on matters of critical importance .
The latest example occurred last week when Murkowski broke with McConnell to become the first Republican Senator to express concern about McConnell ’ s indefensible position of “ total coordination ” with the White House on the Trump impeachment trial .
Murkowski said she was opposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defense.
” This is by no means the first time Senator Murkowski has broken with Trump and her party .
She was one of three Republican Senators who saved Obamacare from repeal , much to the anger of Trump .
The other two were Senators McCain and Collins .
Murkowski was the only Republican Senator to vote against the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh .
And , following her improbable re-election in 2010 as a write-in candidate , after losing the Republican primary , she met with McConnell to inform him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill to require disclosure of the secret “ dark money ” contributions being spent in federal campaigns .
Murkowski knew McConnell would be adamantly opposed to her effort , as he opposes all campaign finance laws , and McConnell tried to talk Murkowski out of supporting disclosure to no avail .
Progressives will disagree with most of Murkowski ’ s policy positions .
But , they should also recognize that Senator Murkowski has been unafraid to oppose Trump on matters of great importance .
Murkowski ’ s challenge to Trump and McConnell on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes at a time when almost all Republican Senators spend their days hiding under their desks awaiting for instruction from their authoritarian leader , who is unfit to serve as President .
Fred Wertheimer is the Founder and President of Democracy 21 , a nonprofit , nonpartisan organization that works to strengthen our democracy and ensure the integrity and fairness of government decisions and elections .
See previous Notes from Fred here .

FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | JANUARY 2, 2020
“Senator Murkowski has been unafraid to oppose Trump on matters of great importance.”
Lisa Murkowski is a moderate/conservative Republican Senator who votes with her party most of the time.
Senator Murkowski (R-AK) is also a courageous, independent-minded Senator who has been willing to break with President Trump, Senate Majority Leader McConnell, and her party on matters of critical importance.
The latest example occurred last week when Murkowski broke with McConnell to become the first Republican Senator to express concern about McConnell’s indefensible position of “total coordination” with the White House on the Trump impeachment trial.
Murkowski said she was opposed to “being hand in glove with the defense.”
This is by no means the first time Senator Murkowski has broken with Trump and her party.
She was one of three Republican Senators who saved Obamacare from repeal, much to the anger of Trump. The other two were Senators McCain and Collins.
Murkowski was the only Republican Senator to vote against the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
And, following her improbable re-election in 2010 as a write-in candidate, after losing the Republican primary, she met with McConnell to inform him that she was going to prepare a bill to require disclosure of the secret “dark money” contributions being spent in federal campaigns. Murkowski knew McConnell would be adamantly opposed to her effort, as he opposes all campaign finance laws, and McConnell tried to talk Murkowski out of supporting disclosure to no avail.
Progressives will disagree with most of Murkowski’s policy positions. But, they should also recognize that Senator Murkowski has been unafraid to oppose Trump on matters of great importance.
Murkowski’s challenge to Trump and McConnell on the Senate impeachment trial, furthermore, comes at a time when almost all Republican Senators spend their days hiding under their desks awaiting for instruction from their authoritarian leader, who is unfit to serve as President.
__________
Fred Wertheimer is the Founder and President of Democracy 21, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to strengthen our democracy and ensure the integrity and fairness of government decisions and elections. See previous Notes from Fred here.


democracy21--2020-01-09--Trump Is Guilty As Charged

Trump Is Guilty As Charged

The Senate is likely to begin the impeachment trial of President Trump soon .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has prevailed with his partisan approach to establishing the rules for the trial .
McConnell is the major reason why the “ greatest deliberative body ” in the world doesn ’ t deliberate anything anymore .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , however , has also prevailed in focusing national attention on the unwillingness of the Senate Republicans to ensure that witnesses could be called .
Pelosi ’ s delay in sending the matter to the Senate has helped build the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rigged trial .
It also has left time for the new evidence that keeps surfacing .
Democrats will offer motions during the trial to call the witnesses they want .
This will put some Republican Senators in the uncomfortable position of having to deny information that may be central to the trial .
Currently , no Republican Senator is expected to vote to remove Trump from office , and one or two Senate Democrats also may oppose removing Trump .
While the result of the Senate trial looks like a foregone conclusion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has been found innocent and that this is a partisan witch hunt will not overcome the overwhelming case made in the House that Trump engaged in gross abuse of his powers and obstructed Congress .
The facts are the facts here .
Notwithstanding McConnell ’ s irresponsible close coordination with the White House on the trial and his willingness to “ take his cues ” from White House lawyers , it is clear beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump is guilty as charged and unfit to serve as President .
Fred Wertheimer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 , a nonprofit , nonpartisan organization that works to strengthen our democracy and ensure the integrity and fairness of government decisions and elections .
See previous Notes from Fred here .

FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | JANUARY 9, 2020
“It is clear beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump is guilty as charged and unfit to serve as President.”
The Senate is likely to begin the impeachment trial of President Trump soon.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has prevailed with his partisan approach to establishing the rules for the trial.
McConnell is the major reason why the “greatest deliberative body” in the world doesn’t deliberate anything anymore.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, however, has also prevailed in focusing national attention on the unwillingness of the Senate Republicans to ensure that witnesses could be called.
Pelosi’s delay in sending the matter to the Senate has helped build the case that this is going to be a rigged trial. It also has left time for the new evidence that keeps surfacing.
Democrats will offer motions during the trial to call the witnesses they want. This will put some Republican Senators in the uncomfortable position of having to deny information that may be central to the trial.
Currently, no Republican Senator is expected to vote to remove Trump from office, and one or two Senate Democrats also may oppose removing Trump.
While the result of the Senate trial looks like a foregone conclusion, the impending false claims from Trump that he has been found innocent and that this is a partisan witch hunt will not overcome the overwhelming case made in the House that Trump engaged in gross abuse of his powers and obstructed Congress.
The facts are the facts here.
Notwithstanding McConnell’s irresponsible close coordination with the White House on the trial and his willingness to “take his cues” from White House lawyers, it is clear beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump is guilty as charged and unfit to serve as President.
__________
Fred Wertheimer is the Founder and President of Democracy 21, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to strengthen our democracy and ensure the integrity and fairness of government decisions and elections. See previous Notes from Fred here.


democracy21--2020-01-13--Coalition of Groups Urges White House, Senate to Restore FEC Quorum

Groups caution against nominating FEC Commissioners who would use position to prevent enforcement WASHINGTON – Today , a coalition of good-government groups sent a letter calling on the President and U.S. Senate to restore the Federal Election Commission ( FEC ) voting quorum – but countering a call from private attorneys to confirm a “ full slate ” of six new FEC commissioners who would continue the FEC ’ s longstanding dysfunction .
The letter from Campaign Legal Center ( CLC ) , Public Citizen , Common Cause , Democracy 21 , CREW , and 16 other organizations and individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preceded its recent absence of a quorum , resulting in an explosion of secret spending that has increasingly rigged our political system in favor of wealthy special interests .
The letter urges the President and U.S. Senate “ not to respond to the FEC ’ s lack of a quorum by nominating or confirming any FEC commissioner who would use that position to prevent enforcement of the law , ” and notes that confirming commissioners opposed to election transparency “ would hinder enforcement , not enable it.
” “ To stop the explosion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interests , the practice of nominating FEC Commissioners who carry water for those interests must end , ” said Adav Noti , senior director and chief of staff at CLC , and former Associate General Counsel of the FEC .
“ The failure of the FEC is one of the best-kept secrets in Washington , and one of the most shameful .
To ensure the 2020 elections are transparent and fair , the President and Senate must prioritize restoration of the FEC ’ s quorum , but that is no excuse to re-stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commissioners who oppose campaign finance reform.
” “ It is imperative to get the campaign finance cop back on the beat as this nation enters what promises to be the most expensive election in history , said Craig Holman , government affairs lobbyist for Public Citizen .
“ But it is just as important that we get a functional campaign finance cop on the beat .
The FEC has long been rendered incapable of performing its mission by the appointment of commissioners opposed to the campaign finance laws .
Immediately restore a quorum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the appointment of additional commissioners impartial and nonpartisan.
” “ It is beyond belief that in this presidential year of enormous consequence , the nation ’ s campaign finance enforcement agency is defunct because it does not have enough commissioners for a quorum to take action to enforce the laws , ” said Fred Wertheimer , founder and president of Democracy 21 .
“ Responsibility for this indefensible state of affairs rests with two people : Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , who never met a campaign finance law he likes and who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed for the quorum necessary to act , and President Trump , who is taking his cues from McConnell and not sending any nominations to the Senate .
The American people are owed serious enforcement of the nation ’ s campaign finance laws which have been enacted to prevent corruption .
If McConnell and Trump continue to keep the FEC moribund , they will be the principal enablers of the criminal activity and corrupt practices that are likely to occur this year.
” “ As we race headlong into what will undoubtedly be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s history , the American people deserve a functioning regulator willing to enforce and administer our federal campaign finance laws , ” said Beth Rotman , director , money in politics & ethics program at Common Cause .
“ It would be reckless and irresponsible to leave the FEC without a quorum to act when Russia and other hostile foreign powers are working to sway our elections and record amounts of money will be flowing not only into congressional and presidential campaign coffers but also to outside groups including super PACs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afford to play Russian roulette with our democracy , a quorum willing to enforce the law must be appointed and confirmed at the FEC.
” “ Now is the time for Democratic and Republican lawmakers to put aside their political differences , and move forward with the FEC commissioner nominating process , ” said Noah Bookbinder , executive director CREW .
“ By shirking their responsibility to nominate and confirm FEC commissioners , the President and the Senate are allowing for campaign finance violations to continue unchecked , and for corrupt politicians and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designed to ensure fair elections .
Quick nomination and confirmation of commissioners committed to the campaign finance law enforcement mission of the FEC will help us start to get back on track.
” The FEC currently lacks the authority to pass rules , issue formal guidance to candidates , or punish lawbreakers .
But the agency ’ s problems preceded its recent absence of a quorum .
Those problems stem largely from the historical practice of nominating and confirming commissioners who are ideologically opposed to the mission of the agency and who intentionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws it is charged with enforcing .
Increasingly over the last decade , the FEC ’ s law-enforcement activity has been gutted frequently by deadlock on critical enforcement matters .
The FEC ’ s own enforcement statistics show that of the enforcement matters the commissioners consider in their official meetings , a majority ( approximately 50.6 % since 2012 ) have at least one deadlock and fail to reach the four affirmative votes necessary to pursue the matter .
Voters have an overwhelmingly negative view of the campaign finance system , as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loopholes and rigged in favor of the wealthy , corporations and special interests .
Recent polling released by CLC indicates 71 % of voters want the FEC to take a more active role in enforcing campaign finance laws .

Groups caution against nominating FEC Commissioners who would use position to prevent enforcement
WASHINGTON – Today, a coalition of good-government groups sent a letter calling on the President and U.S. Senate to restore the Federal Election Commission (FEC) voting quorum – but countering a call from private attorneys to confirm a “full slate” of six new FEC commissioners who would continue the FEC’s longstanding dysfunction. The letter from Campaign Legal Center (CLC), Public Citizen, Common Cause, Democracy 21, CREW, and 16 other organizations and individuals describes how the FEC’s problems preceded its recent absence of a quorum, resulting in an explosion of secret spending that has increasingly rigged our political system in favor of wealthy special interests. The letter urges the President and U.S. Senate “not to respond to the FEC’s lack of a quorum by nominating or confirming any FEC commissioner who would use that position to prevent enforcement of the law,” and notes that confirming commissioners opposed to election transparency “would hinder enforcement, not enable it.”
“To stop the explosion of secret election spending by wealthy special interests, the practice of nominating FEC Commissioners who carry water for those interests must end,” said Adav Noti, senior director and chief of staff at CLC, and former Associate General Counsel of the FEC. “The failure of the FEC is one of the best-kept secrets in Washington, and one of the most shameful. To ensure the 2020 elections are transparent and fair, the President and Senate must prioritize restoration of the FEC’s quorum, but that is no excuse to re-stock the FEC with yet another crop of commissioners who oppose campaign finance reform.”
“It is imperative to get the campaign finance cop back on the beat as this nation enters what promises to be the most expensive election in history, said Craig Holman, government affairs lobbyist for Public Citizen. “But it is just as important that we get a functional campaign finance cop on the beat. The FEC has long been rendered incapable of performing its mission by the appointment of commissioners opposed to the campaign finance laws. Immediately restore a quorum on the FEC, and then make the appointment of additional commissioners impartial and nonpartisan.”
“It is beyond belief that in this presidential year of enormous consequence, the nation’s campaign finance enforcement agency is defunct because it does not have enough commissioners for a quorum to take action to enforce the laws,” said Fred Wertheimer, founder and president of Democracy 21. “Responsibility for this indefensible state of affairs rests with two people: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who never met a campaign finance law he likes and who is stonewalling the appointment of the commissioners needed for the quorum necessary to act, and President Trump, who is taking his cues from McConnell and not sending any nominations to the Senate. The American people are owed serious enforcement of the nation’s campaign finance laws which have been enacted to prevent corruption. If McConnell and Trump continue to keep the FEC moribund, they will be the principal enablers of the criminal activity and corrupt practices that are likely to occur this year.”
“As we race headlong into what will undoubtedly be the most expensive election in our nation’s history, the American people deserve a functioning regulator willing to enforce and administer our federal campaign finance laws,” said Beth Rotman, director, money in politics & ethics program at Common Cause. “It would be reckless and irresponsible to leave the FEC without a quorum to act when Russia and other hostile foreign powers are working to sway our elections and record amounts of money will be flowing not only into congressional and presidential campaign coffers but also to outside groups including super PACs and dark money organizations. We cannot afford to play Russian roulette with our democracy, a quorum willing to enforce the law must be appointed and confirmed at the FEC.”
“Now is the time for Democratic and Republican lawmakers to put aside their political differences, and move forward with the FEC commissioner nominating process,” said Noah Bookbinder, executive director CREW. “By shirking their responsibility to nominate and confirm FEC commissioners, the President and the Senate are allowing for campaign finance violations to continue unchecked, and for corrupt politicians and organizations to abuse the laws and system designed to ensure fair elections. Quick nomination and confirmation of commissioners committed to the campaign finance law enforcement mission of the FEC will help us start to get back on track.”
The FEC currently lacks the authority to pass rules, issue formal guidance to candidates, or punish lawbreakers. But the agency’s problems preceded its recent absence of a quorum. Those problems stem largely from the historical practice of nominating and confirming commissioners who are ideologically opposed to the mission of the agency and who intentionally leverage its structural deficiencies to undermine the laws it is charged with enforcing. Increasingly over the last decade, the FEC’s law-enforcement activity has been gutted frequently by deadlock on critical enforcement matters. The FEC’s own enforcement statistics show that of the enforcement matters the commissioners consider in their official meetings, a majority (approximately 50.6% since 2012) have at least one deadlock and fail to reach the four affirmative votes necessary to pursue the matter.
Voters have an overwhelmingly negative view of the campaign finance system, as they believe it is corrupt, filled with loopholes and rigged in favor of the wealthy, corporations and special interests. Recent polling released by CLC indicates 71% of voters want the FEC to take a more active role in enforcing campaign finance laws.
###


democracy21--2020-01-17--D21 Files Complaint Against AG Barr for Repeated Failures to Comply with DOJ Norms, Rules and Standa

D21 Files Complaint Against AG Barr for Repeated Failures to Comply with DOJ Norms, Rules and Standards of Conduct

Democracy 21 Files Complaint Against Attorney General Barr for Repeated Failures to Comply with DOJ Norms , Rules and Standards of Conduct Complaint Cites Pattern of Bias by Barr to Protect President Trump at Expense of Carrying Out DOJ Mission to “ Ensure Fair and Impartial Administration of Justice ” Democracy 21 filed a complaint today with the Department of Justice requesting an investigation and remedial action against Attorney General William Barr for his repeated failures to comply with DOJ norms , rules and standards of conduct .
The complaint was filed with DOJ ’ s Office of Professional Responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democracy 21 complaint : The improper actions by Attorney General Barr cover a wide range of his statements and activities but all result from a single overriding impropriety : the Attorney General has eschewed the core mission of the Department of Justice “ to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.
” Attorney General Barr has instead repeatedly demonstrated bias in acting to protect the personal and political interests of President Trump , as opposed to protecting the interests of the American people .
He has done this to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ derogation of the mission and integrity of the Department he heads .
Attorney General Barr has repeatedly abused his office to provide cover for President Trump .
The Attorney General has acted in biased ways and violated Justice Department norms , standards and rules to protect President Trump at the expense of fulfilling his responsibilities to provide fair and impartial administration of justice .
Attorney General Barr has made improper attacks on the investigations of DOJ Special Counsel Mueller and DOJ Inspector General Horowitz , has made unjustified and unsubstantiated claims to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Ukraine whistleblower matter involving the President in which Barr was directly implicated by Trump .
Attorney General Barr is doing enormous damage to the integrity and credibility of the Justice Department he leads .
It is the responsibility of the Office of Professional Responsibility and the Departmental Ethics Office to hold Barr accountable for his repeated improper actions .
The complaint forwarded a letter also raising concerns about Barr that was sent by the New York City Bar Association to the congressional leaders .
The complaint stated : According to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ below , Attorney General Barr has directly contradicted , misrepresented or undermined the independent , non-partisan and credible work of both the Department ’ s Inspector General and its Special Counsel , in order to blunt conclusions by these officials which were contrary to the views and interests of President Trump .
He has publicly echoed the President ’ s inflammatory rhetoric about “ spying ” and “ collusion ” without providing any adequate legal basis for using these terms .
And he has refused to recuse himself from sensitive Department decisions about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gross abuse of power by President Trump and in which the Attorney General himself is directly and personally implicated .
It is the clear duty of the Attorney General always to maintain fidelity to the Constitution and to the nation ’ s legal system , and never to abdicate these responsibilities to protect the President ’ s personal or political interests at the expense of the impartial administration of justice .
Attorney General Barr has repeatedly failed meet this critical obligation to the American people .
Therefore , as the Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the norms , standards and rules that protect the Department ’ s integrity and credibility , it falls to you to investigate and take appropriate remedial action to address the Attorney General ’ s improper conduct .
According to the complaint , Attorney General Barr and U.S Attorney Durham publicly challenged and criticized the findings of the DOJ Inspector General that the Justice Department had sufficient basis to open the Russia investigation in 2016 and that the FBI and Justice Department had acted without political bias or impropriety in conducting the investigation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials from publicly commenting on open criminal investigations .
These rules state that Department personnel may not “ confirm the existence of or otherwise comment about ongoing investigations ” and may not comment on “ the nature or progress ” of an “ ongoing investigation.
” USAM § 1-7.400 ( April 2018 ) .
In general , this provision forbids Department officials , including the Attorney General , from engaging in any discussion about active criminal investigations , except in limited , specific circumstances that are not applicable here .
The statements issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorney Durham disagreeing with the key conclusions of the Inspector General report were clearly based on their views about the findings of the parallel criminal investigation they are conducting into the same matter that was investigated by the Inspector General .
Thus , Attorney General Barr and U.S. Attorney Durham chose to discuss an ongoing criminal investigation in order to attack the findings of the Inspector General and thereby improperly provided cover for President Trump ’ s obsessive attacks on the 2016 Russia/Trump investigation opened by the Justice Department and the FBI .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ violation of DOJ rules prohibiting Department officials from commenting on open criminal investigations .
The complaint then detailed the following actions Barr has taken since becoming Attorney General : • Barr testified before Congress , without any substantiation , that FBI and Justice Department officials engaged in “ spying ” on the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election .
• Barr sent a letter to Congress mischaracterizing the Mueller report ahead of its release , leaving it as the only information available to the public about the report for almost a month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s request to release the summaries included in the report and held a press conference hours before the release of the full report where he continued to mischaracterize it .
• Barr failed to recuse himself from overseeing matters being consideration by DOJ and related to the whistleblower complaint about President Trump ’ s call with the Ukrainian President , in which Trump mentioned Barr by name five times .

Democracy 21 Files Complaint Against Attorney General Barr for Repeated Failures to Comply with DOJ Norms, Rules and Standards of Conduct
Complaint Cites Pattern of Bias by Barr to Protect President Trump at Expense of Carrying Out DOJ Mission to “Ensure Fair and Impartial Administration of Justice”
Democracy 21 filed a complaint today with the Department of Justice requesting an investigation and remedial action against Attorney General William Barr for his repeated failures to comply with DOJ norms, rules and standards of conduct. The complaint was filed with DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility and Departmental Ethics Office.
According to the Democracy 21 complaint:
The improper actions by Attorney General Barr cover a wide range of his statements and activities but all result from a single overriding impropriety: the Attorney General has eschewed the core mission of the Department of Justice “to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.” Attorney General Barr has instead repeatedly demonstrated bias in acting to protect the personal and political interests of President Trump, as opposed to protecting the interests of the American people. He has done this to the detriment of the country and in derogation of the mission and integrity of the Department he heads.
According to Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer:
Attorney General Barr has repeatedly abused his office to provide cover for President Trump. The Attorney General has acted in biased ways and violated Justice Department norms, standards and rules to protect President Trump at the expense of fulfilling his responsibilities to provide fair and impartial administration of justice. Attorney General Barr has made improper attacks on the investigations of DOJ Special Counsel Mueller and DOJ Inspector General Horowitz, has made unjustified and unsubstantiated claims to protect President Trump and failed to recuse himself from the Ukraine whistleblower matter involving the President in which Barr was directly implicated by Trump. Attorney General Barr is doing enormous damage to the integrity and credibility of the Justice Department he leads. It is the responsibility of the Office of Professional Responsibility and the Departmental Ethics Office to hold Barr accountable for his repeated improper actions.
The complaint forwarded a letter also raising concerns about Barr that was sent by the New York City Bar Association to the congressional leaders. The complaint stated:
We enclose for your information a letter sent by the New York City Bar Association to the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate which expresses “serious concerns about the propriety of Barr’s recent actions and statements.” The letter urges Congress “to commence formal inquiries into a pattern of conduct by Attorney General William P. Barr that threatens public confidence in the fair and impartial administration of justice.”
According to the Democracy 21 complaint:
As we discuss below, Attorney General Barr has directly contradicted, misrepresented or undermined the independent, non-partisan and credible work of both the Department’s Inspector General and its Special Counsel, in order to blunt conclusions by these officials which were contrary to the views and interests of President Trump. He has publicly echoed the President’s inflammatory rhetoric about “spying” and “collusion” without providing any adequate legal basis for using these terms. And he has refused to recuse himself from sensitive Department decisions about the handling of a whistleblower complaint alleging a gross abuse of power by President Trump and in which the Attorney General himself is directly and personally implicated.
The complaint continued:
It is the clear duty of the Attorney General always to maintain fidelity to the Constitution and to the nation’s legal system, and never to abdicate these responsibilities to protect the President’s personal or political interests at the expense of the impartial administration of justice. Attorney General Barr has repeatedly failed meet this critical obligation to the American people. Therefore, as the Justice Department officials who have the responsibility to safeguard the norms, standards and rules that protect the Department’s integrity and credibility, it falls to you to investigate and take appropriate remedial action to address the Attorney General’s improper conduct.
According to the complaint, Attorney General Barr and U.S Attorney Durham publicly challenged and criticized the findings of the DOJ Inspector General that the Justice Department had sufficient basis to open the Russia investigation in 2016 and that the FBI and Justice Department had acted without political bias or impropriety in conducting the investigation.
The complaint stated:
Most importantly, DOJ rules prohibit Department officials from publicly commenting on open criminal investigations. These rules state that Department personnel may not “confirm the existence of or otherwise comment about ongoing investigations” and may not comment on “the nature or progress” of an “ongoing investigation.” USAM § 1-7.400 (April 2018). In general, this provision forbids Department officials, including the Attorney General, from engaging in any discussion about active criminal investigations, except in limited, specific circumstances that are not applicable here. The statements issued by both Attorney General Barr and U.S. Attorney Durham disagreeing with the key conclusions of the Inspector General report were clearly based on their views about the findings of the parallel criminal investigation they are conducting into the same matter that was investigated by the Inspector General. Thus, Attorney General Barr and U.S. Attorney Durham chose to discuss an ongoing criminal investigation in order to attack the findings of the Inspector General and thereby improperly provided cover for President Trump’s obsessive attacks on the 2016 Russia/Trump investigation opened by the Justice Department and the FBI. Democracy 21 believes these statements were in violation of DOJ rules prohibiting Department officials from commenting on open criminal investigations.
The complaint continued:
By publicly attacking the Inspector General report immediately upon its issuance, by specifically disagreeing with its central conclusion, and by having U.S. Attorney Durham follow with his challenge to the report, Attorney General Barr undermined his own Inspector General and attacked his own Department. Barr demonstrated his bias and fealty to President Trump, contravening the Department’s mission of promoting “fair and impartial justice for all Americans,” in favor of echoing President Trump’s irresponsible attacks on the Justice Department itself.
The complaint then detailed the following actions Barr has taken since becoming Attorney General:
Barr testified before Congress, without any substantiation, that FBI and Justice Department officials engaged in “spying” on the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election.
Barr sent a letter to Congress mischaracterizing the Mueller report ahead of its release, leaving it as the only information available to the public about the report for almost a month. Barr then refused Special Counsel Mueller’s request to release the summaries included in the report and held a press conference hours before the release of the full report where he continued to mischaracterize it.
Barr failed to recuse himself from overseeing matters being consideration by DOJ and related to the whistleblower complaint about President Trump’s call with the Ukrainian President, in which Trump mentioned Barr by name five times.
The complaint concluded:
This pattern of biased behavior by Barr is in stark conflict with his duty to ensure the “impartial administration of justice on behalf of all Americans.” It is contrary to the mission, the norms, the rules, and the standards of conduct of the Justice Department and it seriously undermines the integrity and credibility of the Justice Department in the eyes of the American people. Because you are responsible for safeguarding the institutional integrity of the Justice Department and the standards of behavior that govern its officials, Attorney General Barr’s pattern of improper behavior warrants investigation and appropriate remedial action by your offices. Democracy 21 strongly calls on you to fulfill that responsibility.
Read the full complaint here.
###


democracy21--2020-01-16--Parnas + Bloomberg + Impeachment = A Pivotal Week For Trump

An interview by MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow and a campaign spending decision by Michael Bloomberg could have a profound impact on Donald Trump ’ s presidency and his race for a second term .
Maddow ’ s explosive interview occurred last night with Lev Parnas , who is under indictment for violations of federal campaign finance laws .
Parnas worked closely with Rudy Giuliani to implement President Trump ’ s efforts to extort Ukraine President Zelensky into announcing an investigation into Trump political opponent Joe Biden .
Parnas said that “ Trump knew exactly what was going on.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credibility is coming from Trump supporters , much of what Parnas said in Maddow ’ s interview fits with testimony given by other witnesses and with documents .
This and other information recently made public is making it exceedingly difficult for Republican Senators to credibly prevent witnesses in the Trump impeachment trial which begins next Tuesday .
Meanwhile , last week , Michael Bloomberg , a Democratic presidential candidate and the eighth richest person in America , worth $ 53 billion , confirmed that whether he gets the nomination or not , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 billion to defeat Trump .
If Bloomberg does this , he would wipe out Trump ’ s current big financial advantage over the Democrats and he could play a decisive role in the outcome of the 2020 presidential election .
The idea of one individual spending $ 1 billion in a presidential election is beyond imagination .
It would be the culmination of a series of Supreme Court decisions that has resulted in candidates spending unlimited personal wealth , Super PACs funded by influence-seeking billionaires and multimillionaires spending huge amounts in federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual contributions for their parties to spend in presidential campaigns .
But these are the rules and until they are changed , candidates , parties , and outside spenders will play by these rules .
This week may go down as pivotal in the history of the Trump presidency .
Fred Wertheimer is the Founder and President of Democracy 21 , a nonprofit , nonpartisan organization that works to strengthen our democracy and ensure the integrity and fairness of government decisions and elections .
See previous Notes from Fred here .

FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | JANUARY 16, 2020
An interview by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow and a campaign spending decision by Michael Bloomberg could have a profound impact on Donald Trump’s presidency and his race for a second term.
Maddow’s explosive interview occurred last night with Lev Parnas, who is under indictment for violations of federal campaign finance laws. Parnas worked closely with Rudy Giuliani to implement President Trump’s efforts to extort Ukraine President Zelensky into announcing an investigation into Trump political opponent Joe Biden.
Parnas said that “Trump knew exactly what was going on.”
(The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report today finding that Trump broke the law in withholding military assistance to Ukraine authorized by Congress, an action Trump took as part of his campaign to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden.)
While an all-out attack on Parnas’ credibility is coming from Trump supporters, much of what Parnas said in Maddow’s interview fits with testimony given by other witnesses and with documents.
This and other information recently made public is making it exceedingly difficult for Republican Senators to credibly prevent witnesses in the Trump impeachment trial which begins next Tuesday.
Meanwhile, last week, Michael Bloomberg, a Democratic presidential candidate and the eighth richest person in America, worth $53 billion, confirmed that whether he gets the nomination or not, he plans to spend as much as $1 billion to defeat Trump.
If Bloomberg does this, he would wipe out Trump’s current big financial advantage over the Democrats and he could play a decisive role in the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
The idea of one individual spending $1 billion in a presidential election is beyond imagination. It would be the culmination of a series of Supreme Court decisions that has resulted in candidates spending unlimited personal wealth, Super PACs funded by influence-seeking billionaires and multimillionaires spending huge amounts in federal elections, and presidential candidates raising huge individual contributions for their parties to spend in presidential campaigns.
But these are the rules and until they are changed, candidates, parties, and outside spenders will play by these rules.
This week may go down as pivotal in the history of the Trump presidency.
__________
Fred Wertheimer is the Founder and President of Democracy 21, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to strengthen our democracy and ensure the integrity and fairness of government decisions and elections. See previous Notes from Fred here.