Author Archive for: mbeckel

Issue One condemns FEC’s inaction on cases of alleged illegal coordination between 2016 presidential candidates and supportive outside groups

Dark money & super PACs, Federal Election Commission

In the wake of the news that the statute of limitations has run out on two cases of alleged illegal coordination with big-money outside groups in the 2016 presidential race that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) had been investigating, Issue One issued the following statement: “It’s shameful that the FEC was missing in action for 15 months during the 2020

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Outsized Influence: 12 political megadonors are responsible for $1 of every $13 in federal elections since Citizens United and 25% of all giving from the top 100 ZIP codes — a total of $3.4 billion

Campaign fundraising & spending

As Congress debates potential changes to the nation’s campaign finance system designed to empower ordinary Americans, new research from Issue One shows the extent to which wealthy, overwhelmingly white donors dominate political giving in the post-Citizens United era. In fact, just 12 megadonors — at least eight of whom are billionaires — contributed a combined $3.4 billion to federal candidates and

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After Letlow’s swearing in, 90% of current House members now operate leadership PACs

Leadership PACs

With her swearing in today, Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) became the newest member of Congress, filling the vacancy left after the death of her husband, Luke Letlow, who won the election in Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District last fall.  Letlow also becomes the latest member of Congress to operate a leadership PAC — a political committee separate from a lawmaker’s official

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Trump’s PAC may be “a textbook example of a political slush fund” says Issue One’s Meredith McGehee as group raises $31.5 million in less than 8 weeks

Campaign fundraising & spending, Leadership PACs

A campaign finance report filed on Sunday night shows that Save America PAC, a leadership PAC formed by President Donald Trump on Nov. 9 that has few restrictions on how it spends the money it raises, collected a jaw-dropping $31.5 million from donors between its creation and the end of 2020. That’s the equivalent of roughly $600,000 every day of

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Issue One expands communications team, hires Cory Combs to lead media relations

Issue One staff

Communications professional Cory Combs this week joined Issue One as its new senior communications manager.  Combs will manage Issue One’s media relation efforts, including serving as the main point of contact for reporters seeking comment from Issue One officials, as well as members of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus and National Council on Election Integrity. “As we build up our communications

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Bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity urges Americans to “refrain from violence”

National Council on Election Integrity

In the wake of the FBI announcing that right-wing militias are planning activities in Washington, D.C., and state capitals across the country ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, the National Council on Election Integrity — a bipartisan group of more than 40 former elected officials, former Cabinet secretaries, retired military officials, and civic leaders — issued the following

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Issue One joins 70 groups in urging Congress to impeach President Trump, praises corporations’ decisions to withhold campaign contributions

2020 election, Executive branch ethics

Issue One today joined with 70 other organizations in calling for the U.S. House of Representatives to act immediately to impeach President Trump for his role in inciting last week’s violent attack on the Capitol. “President Trump must be removed from office immediately and prevented from ever serving in public office again. Our organizations strongly urge you to begin this

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Bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity condemns violence in D.C. as “un-American and reprehensible,” calls for attacks on our democracy to end

National Council on Election Integrity

In the wake of a violent mob storming the U.S. Capitol and disrupting today’s joint session of Congress to count the Electoral College votes, the National Council on Election Integrity — a bipartisan group of more than 40 former elected officials, former Cabinet secretaries, retired military officials, and civic leaders — issued the following statement:  “Today was a dark day

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“Attempts to Overturn the Will of the People Must Stop,” Says Bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity in Wake of Electoral College Vote

2020 election, National Council on Election Integrity

The bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity — a group of more than 40 former elected officials, former Cabinet secretaries, retired military officials, and civic leaders — issued the following statement today in the wake of the Electoral College’s affirmation of the results of the 2020 presidential election: “The American people have spoken. The Electoral College has voted. It’s time

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Issue One praises Congress for passing new bipartisan corporate transparency measure, which may help shine a light on political dark money

Dark money & super PACs, Federal Election Commission

Issue One today praised Congress for including a new corporate transparency provision targeting secretive shell companies in the newly passed annual defense policy bill. “This new corporate transparency provision passed by Congress with bipartisan support will help shine a light on the owners of secretive shell companies. By adopting this measure, Congress has given the Federal Election Commission and other

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