WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, along with 6 partners, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) submitted a letter to the campaigns and transition teams of the major party presidential candidates competing in 2024. The letter calls for the next President of the United States, whoever that may be, to make strengthening executive branch ethics a top priority in their administration. 

Despite the immense power that members of the executive branch have in impacting the lives of the American people, there are shockingly few mechanisms in place to ensure these senior-level government officials are held to high ethical standards, which is essential for public trust. 

The reforms that this group of cross-partisan organizations want to see from the next U.S. president include the creation of an enforceable ethics code for the presidential transition team, the strongest ethics pledge to date to guide the work of senior-level executive branch and federal agency officials and an ethics czar to oversee and enforce the incoming administration’s new ethics program. 

“Voters have a right to know that both the elected and appointed officials serving in the executive branch of our federal government are doing so in ways that serve the public first and foremost,” said Kedric Payne, Vice President, General Counsel, and Senior Director of Ethics at Campaign Legal Center (CLC). “The status quo, for administrations from both major parties, has been one of poor enforcement, which has been detrimental to public trust. The next administration must champion reforms aimed at strengthening executive branch ethics because transparency and accountability are essential to our nation’s democratic institutions.”

"The Office of the Presidency is a profound public trust. Americans deserve a President who will commit to the highest standards of conduct,” said Gregg Nunziata, Executive Director of the Society for the Rule of Law. “Especially in these sharply divided times, citizens across the ideological spectrum must unite to demand leadership that upholds the rule of law and strengthens our democratic institutions."

"In a moment of historic mistrust in government it just makes sense for the incoming administration to prioritize anti-corruption and democracy reform,” said Lisa Gilbert, Co-President at Public Citizen. “The executive branch has a unique role to play to show regular Americans that ethical government is a core value. We hope and expect to see true leadership on the subject by our next President.”  

"The future of our democracy, and our democratic institutions, will rely on the next president's implementation of a strong ethics pledge that will bring accountability to the executive branch, and serve as a model for ethical conduct in public service," said Virginia Canter, Chief Ethics Counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). "The failure to establish an ethics pledge that is both transparent and enforceable will further decay public trust in our government. By establishing a binding ethics regime and appointing an ethics czar, the next president will demonstrate a commitment to making government officials more accountable to the public they serve."   

“No matter who the next president is, all Americans deserve to have faith and confidence that any administration is prioritizing ethics and accountability in our government,” said Virginia Kase Solomón, President and CEO of Common Cause. “The reforms we propose here would greatly help improve public trust in government, and we urge candidates from both parties to adopt these commonsense steps.” 

“High ethical standards and effective mechanisms for enforcing those standards are essential to the integrity of government,” said Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Director of Government Affairs at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO). “The American people have an extraordinarily dim view of the federal government in general. Much of that distrust is based on a perception that corruption and self-dealing are pervasive among public officials. While this is true at times and less so at others, the negative consequences of that public sentiment are all too real. Whether the incoming administration is helmed by a Democrat or a Republican, ethics and integrity should be a top priority. POGO is glad to join this group of organizations in calling on both major party nominees to make ethics and high standards of conduct a centerpiece of their potential administration.” 

"Americans deserve to have confidence that members of the executive branch are working for the people, not personal gain," said Nick Penniman, Founder and CEO of Issue One. "Without rigorous oversight and the highest ethical standards, accountability falters, and public trust erodes. Regardless of who takes the presidential oath next January, the next president has a duty to guard against corruption and uphold the trust placed in our nation's highest office."

Alexandria, VA — Today, Campaign Legal Center, the Virginia Coalition of Immigrants Rights (VACIR), the League of Women Voters of Virginia (LWVVA) and African Communities Together (ACT) successfully defended naturalized Americans who were unfairly targeted in Virginia’s illegal and last-minute purge program. 

A judge just ruled to temporarily halt the program and put voters back on the rolls. The plaintiffs are represented by Campaign Legal Center (CLC), Protect Democracy Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Advancement Project.

“Every American citizen, regardless of where they were born, has the freedom to vote. Virginia broke the law by conducting a last-minute purge that targeted naturalized citizens. We’re glad the court acted so every Virginian can make their voice heard in this upcoming election,” said Paul Smith, senior vice president of Campaign Legal Center. 

“This is a major victory for our community! Today, naturalized citizens, including the over 85,000 registered African voters in Virginia have had their voices heard,” said Gigi Traore, National Civic Engagement Director at African Communities Together. “The ruling returns access to the ballot box back to voters, allowing them to exercise their fundamental right to vote.”

"Today's court decision affirms that newly naturalized citizens have the same rights as every other voter,” said Joan Porte, president of the League of Women Voters of Virginia. “Purging newly naturalized Virginians is an attack on our democracy. We are proud this ruling protects Virginia voters and ensures their voices are protected and heard"

"Last-minute voter purges not only violate the law but also undermine the core principles of our democracy, especially when they are premised on xenophobic lies," said Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters of the United States. "We are pleased with the court's decision today to protect naturalized Americans and ensure that they are fully represented in the electoral process."

Background:  
The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) bans voter purges (the systematic removal of voters) within 90 days of an election. This period is referred to as a “quiet period.” On the very first day of the quiet period, Virginia Governor Youngkin directed the Department of Elections (ELECT) to identify and purge voters on a systematic and ongoing basis.   

 
There are already strict laws in place that ensure only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections. Last minute voter purges that occur within 30 days of election day, when early voting is already underway, inevitably deny qualified Americans their freedom to vote.   
When Congress passed the NVRA in 1993, it ensured that states can’t conduct last-minute illegal voter purges, and Virginia clearly violated that law.  

CLC filed suit earlier this month on behalf of VACIR, LWVVA and ACT alongside Protect Democracy Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Advancement Project to challenge the state’s policy of illegally and systematically removing voters from the rolls only one month before the upcoming election.