Our democracy works best when every voter can participate in it, yet tens of thousands of Americans were removed from voter registration rolls just this year due to an unfair practice called voter purging.
Voter purges, or efforts to remove a significant number of voters from the registration rolls all at once, ultimately threaten Americans’...
On November 13, the Supreme Court of the United States released a "code of conduct" that would seem to govern the behavior of its justices. Coming at the end of a year plagued with reporting on ethical lapses and missteps by these justices, Campaign Legal Center and others who have been long calling for such news should have seen cause to celebrate...
Our democracy works best when everyone can participate in it and when there are as few barriers to participation as possible. But in Montana, HB 892, a state law passed earlier this year, erects new, unnecessary barriers to Montanans trying to register to vote and make their voices heard in our democracy — punishing innocent voter behavior (with...
Campaign Legal Center (CLC) has long been calling for ethics reform at the U.S. Supreme Court. After all, justices are appointed for life, but there is little structure in place to hold them accountable when ethics concerns arise and little guidance in place for the justices to follow.
Following a growing national concern (and multiple scandals...
In an op-ed for The Hill, Campaign Legal Center President and Founder Trevor Potter takes a closer look at the risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) being used to create political communications and advertising as we head into the 2024 elections. Potter’s op-ed makes the point that the ease with which AI technology can be used to make...
Last week, Rep. Mike Johnson — a “key architect of Republicans’ objections to certifying Mr. Biden’s victory on Jan. 6,” according to the New York Times — was elected speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
It’s important to understand that our elections are safe, secure and accurate. Yet someone who refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy...
The U.S. Senate has a well-established ethics enforcement problem. Campaign Legal Center has been highlighting the Senate Ethics Committee’s inadequacies since 2014, when we found the committee’s enforcement process limited and opaque.
In early 2021, CLC conducted a comparative study to evaluate 10 years of ethics enforcement in the U.S. House...
Everyday Americans keep our elections fair — and they take this responsibility seriously. In recent years, however, individuals who have spent their careers safeguarding the electoral process are facing unprecedented levels of harassment and are leaving the profession in droves.
A recent poll reveals a high rate of turnover among election workers...
Real transparency about the ever-increasing amount of money spent to influence elections — including the large sums raised and spent by national political parties for things like conventions and party headquarters — leads to more accountability. When voters know who is cutting big checks to help Democrats buy office space or fund a Republican...
Our democracy is meant to be of, by, and for the people — meaning voters have a right to be free from discrimination and to make their voices heard.
In January, a federal court panel unanimously ruled that South Carolina used racial gerrymandering to discriminate against Black voters in the state’s 1st Congressional District — a clear affront to...
We can't have a fair and inclusive democracy unless all voters have an equal voice.
Black and Latino voters in Galveston County, Texas have long been denied a voice in county government — an unjust reality considering those groups comprise nearly half of the county’s population.
But today, in a victory for the voters of Galveston County, Texas and...
When Senator Robert Menendez was indicted on federal corruption charges on September 22, 2023, the shocking details revealed by the allegations seemingly had no end. Wads of cash totaling almost half a million dollars stuffed into clothing pockets and closets.
A $60,000 car gifted in the aftermath of a fatal crash caused by Senator Menendez’s wife...
To ensure integrity in Congress, the U.S. Constitution gives the House and the Senate authority to establish ethics rules and impose discipline for improper behavior in each chamber. This broad mandate has produced numerous laws that provide guardrails against corruption, including mandatory financial disclosures, limitations on fundraising...
Democracy is at its strongest when diverse voices collaborate. This week, CLC officially launches a new live streaming event series called Campaign Legal Conversations.
Campaign Legal Conversations is a forum featuring dialogues about American democracy. As we head into the 2024 presidential election, this series features change-makers, authors...
Federal campaign finance laws uphold the fundamental right of voters to meaningfully engage in the democratic process, including by ensuring voters know who is paying to influence our elections and our government when deciding who to vote for.
But our elections are also at risk from bad actors that seek to manipulate and deceive voters...
Our federal campaign finance laws ensure transparency about who’s spending money to influence elections and are an essential tool for holding candidates accountable for the money they raise and spend in pursuit of public office.
These laws are also crucial for ensuring our system is fair and representative and protecting every American’s right...
Our democracy works best when every voter can participate. Yet Arizona, in 2022, passed two anti-voter laws, H.B. 2492 and H.B. 2243, that undermined Arizonans’ access to the ballot box.
These laws, effective since January 1, 2023, severely restricted the ability of Arizonans—particularly Latino and Native Arizonans—from exercising their freedom...
Since the Supreme Court opened the doors to unlimited corporate election spending in 2010 with its decision in Citizens United v. FEC, corporations can generally spend as much money as they want to influence elections, provided such spending is done independently from the candidates they support.
But there are some exceptions to this right to...
The city of Atlanta’s Ethics Office recently celebrated its 20-year anniversary. CLC’s Vice President, General Counsel, and Senior Director of Ethics, Kedric Payne, was invited to speak to the accomplishment.
Kedric’s speech, given at a ceremony held September 12, highlighted the city’s swift response to a corruption scandal involving a former...
Nonpartisan civic engagement groups form the bedrock of our democracy.
These groups — composed of civic-minded, democracy-loving, everyday Americans — do the hard work of fighting to ensure that every American can access the fundamental freedom to vote.
Their efforts have a long and storied history. In fact, as long as America has had...
Today, the democracy community lost one of its greatest leaders, J. Gerald (Gerry) Hebert, a fierce defender of voting rights and a titan of election law. Our thoughts today are with Gerry’s wife, Victoria, his children and grandchildren, and the many friends and colleagues who adored him.
Gerry served as the executive director of CLC from...