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Trevor Potter
@thetrevorpotter
Campaign Finance & Election Law Expert, Fmr Commissioner & Chairman of Federal Election Commission, Attorney and President , Member
campaignlegal.orgJoined April 2012
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As gives his #StateOfTheUnion address tonight, we'd like to share our own #SOTU.
Here are five ways we'd like to see the promise of democracy become real for us all in 2023:
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Over a 10-year period, the Sen. Ethics Cmte. found violations in just 3% of the complaints it investigated, compared to the independent House Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) – 41%. Independence matters when it comes to ethics enforcement. 3/
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The case for establishing an independent ethics committee in the U.S. Senate is not hard to make. As ’s & explain, Senators have amassed a thoroughly underwhelming record while policing themselves. 2/
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We need effective #ethics enforcement in the U.S. Senate so that Senators will prioritize the needs of their constituents over the priorities of donors, special interests and their own personal financial interests. 1/
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By passing the Connecticut #VotingRightsAct, lawmakers can take an important step to protect and expand the freedom to vote.
As said, "The Connecticut Voting Rights Act is an important tool that will help prevent voter discrimination and strengthen our democracy.”
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From the blog: “The powerful influence of outside spending groups over elected officials’ behavior should prompt a reevaluation of whether unlimited special interest spending is genuinely compatible with democracy.”
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The spectacle of two powerful outside spending groups bargaining with each other in order to influence the race for Speaker of the House puts the weaknesses of our campaign finance system on full display. Sophia Gonsalves-Brown of explains:
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“The entire purpose of the reporting requirements is to provide voters and the public with information about how campaigns are spending their money,” said of “By definition, reporting ‘anonymous’ defeats the entire purpose.”
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Last spring, the Santos campaign reported $254,000 in 1200 payments to "anonymous."
All were just under the $200 threshold that triggers a requirement for receipts.
In later filings, the campaign removed references to "anonymous". w/ @isaacstanbecker washingtonpost.com/investigations
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#Newsletter: what we're doing to ensure accountability for ethics violations in Congress, how states can update presidential election procedures to comply with the Electoral Count Reform Act, and why straw donor schemes & redboxing undermine transparency.
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We hope, as does, that a majority on the #SupremeCourt will reject the dangerous independent state legislature theory, presented during oral argument in #MoorevHarper, as it poses a grave threat to our system of checks and balances.
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Here at , we certainly believe the law updating the #ElectoralCountAct is worth celebrating and provides a model worth emulating for future efforts to enact pro-democracy legislation.
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Great op-ed published in by Board of Trustees member addressing 2 issues of critical importance to our #democracy – the successful updating of the #ElectoralCountAct & the case of Moore v. Harper at the Supreme Court.
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George Santos’s newly amended FEC reports say little & don’t address any of the campaign finance violations raised in ’s complaint before the and . If he won’t provide clear answers about his campaign’s finances, a federal investigation must.
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“I have never been this confused looking at an F.E.C. filing”
George Santos’s campaign filed 10 amended finance reports, some of which raised new questions about the source of the $705,000 he gave his campaign. nytimes.com/2023/01/24/nyr
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Our #ethics priorities in Washington include the creation of an independent watchdog to investigate complaints involving U.S. Senators AND codifying into law, a goal endorsed in a letter signed by more than 25 groups:
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#Voters have a right to know if elected officials are acting unethically by placing their own personal financial gain over the needs of their constituents, and we cannot rely on these representatives to police themselves. That's why we support a strong office.
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Ensuring elected officials adhere to high standards of ethical conduct is a core pillar of our mission at . This goal was dealt a serious setback at the start of the 118th Congress, READ & SUBSCRIBE to my newsletter to learn more.
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Our democracy cannot function properly if the response to illegal campaign spending amounts to less than a slap on the wrist. My colleague explains what we are doing to try to get the to take a tougher stance on punishing wrongdoing.
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If someone gets caught making illegal campaign contributions, they usually get a full refund that they can use to pay an @FEC fine, or even break the law again. Refunding illegal contributions sends the wrong message & undermines efforts to deter illegal campaign spending. 1/5
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One of the ways wealthy special interests work to rig #elections in their favor is called #redboxing, and we can take action to stop it. Elected officials should be accountable to #voters, not wealthy special interests. Here's my explainer:
#CLCExplains
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#CampaignFinance law prohibits super PACs from coordinating their spending with campaigns. Redboxing is a brazen practice that flies in the face of this ban & threatens the integrity of our elections. Here to explain how it works is CLC's Aaron McKean (@Run421).
#CLCExplains
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Thanks to Elizabeth Shimek, Senior Legal Council with for sharing her expertise on campaign financing. #LWV-VA-WLRT
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The Office of Congressional Ethics would be severely undermined if House rules set to be voted on this evening are approved. led 24 partners in calling on members to reject these ill-advised changes.
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This is very much an ongoing effort as the U.S. House of Representatives has not yet adopted a final rules package.
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Today, we are grateful to the bipartisan for exposing the dangerous tactics that helped fuel the #January6th attack on our country.
The report concludes the committee's work, but the work of strengthening our democracy is far from over: campaignlegal.org/update/jan-6th
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Once (whenever) the #Speakerofthehousevote is done the House will vote to adopt rules for the 118th Congress
A rules package proposed by McCarthy would weaken the Office of Congressional Ethics, the only independent ethics investigative body in Congress
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CLC is urging members of the 118th Congress to revise language in the proposed House Rules package that will weaken the (OCE). OCE provides oversight & accountability in Congress, it is essential to preserve & protect it.
Full letter here: campaignlegal.org/document/clc-u
![A CLC-branded quote by CLC's senior director of ethics, Kedric Payne: [The Office of Congressional Ethics] is Congress’ only independent investigative body, and therefore one of the only safeguards against corruption in the House of Representatives. It is essential to protect and preserve the efficient functioning of OCE.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Flo_Ii-XEAwjUAj?format=jpg&name=medium)
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Enacting and enforcing clear ethical guidelines & laws should be a bipartisan priority, which is one of the reasons the Office of Congressional Ethics has equal numbers of Republicans & Democrats. I call on @GOPLeader Rep. Kevin McCarthy to withdraw these proposed changes.
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My colleague is absolutely right about proposed changes to the Office of Congressional Ethics () outlined in this story. The incoming House majority must not gut this important watchdog as one of its first official acts.
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Protecting & strengthening our democracy should be a NON-PARTISAN effort. We can make further progress if we all agree that our political process should be accessible to all citizens, resulting in a representative, responsive and accountable government.
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Congress made updating the #ElectoralCountAct a bipartisan priority this year, a clear recognition by both Democrats and Republicans that decisive action was needed following revelations about attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
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This is a good day for #democracy. #Congress has passed legislation to update the #ElectoralCountAct, ensuring that the outcomes of future presidential elections will be protected from manipulation. This has been a top priority for @CampaignLegalCenter.
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I submitted comprehensive testimony in April to the #January6thCommittee detailing threats to our democracy posed by efforts to distort or manipulate our electoral process & solutions the federal government must pursue.
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looks forward to reviewing the full Jan. 6 report, which includes proposals for ensuring an attack like #January6th never happens again. Although this report concludes the cmte’s work, the job of strengthening our democracy is far from over.
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The members & staff of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on our country () have done us all a great service by working in a bipartisan manner to uncover the details of that horrific event.
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We are one step closer to updating the #ElectoralCountAct! The U.S. Senate just passed an omnibus appropriations & policy package that now makes its way to the House.
This critical legislation will help safeguard future presidential elections & protect the will of the people.
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I was happy to provide some observations about #voting in 2020 and 2022 for the final episode of season 2 of “Democracy Decoded,” highlighting progress at the state level to expand access to the ballot. Please listen and subscribe!
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Season 2 of our award-winning podcast “Democracy Decoded” takes the listener through the voters’ journey to the ballot box, exploring the barriers & challenges to accessing the #freedomtovote in our nation.
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This effort by our campaign finance team was recently boosted by an important win in court. A ruling which says the improperly dismissed our complaint related to the Clinton campaign's wrongdoing.
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Here at we work tirelessly on a nonpartisan basis to ensure the does its job. This includes our ongoing battle to hold Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign accountable for illegally coordinating with a super PAC.
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Ethics commissions are vital to fighting corruption and protecting the public's trust in government.
On #AntiCorruptionDay, here's a look at 10 innovative ways state and local ethics commissions are protecting your right to responsive government: campaignlegal.org/document/top-t
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