Common Cause

Campaigns

• Stop Donald Trump's conflicts of interest

  Americans deserve elected officials that are beholden to voters, not outside influences or their own personal financial interests. That’s why we’re worried about the massive conflicts of interest looming over a Trump presidency. President-elect Trump controls more than 500 businesses, with assets valued at over $1.5 billion. There are simply too many opportunities for Trump to use the powers of his office to increase his personal wealth. The only solution is to sell these assets off and set up a blind trust. Just one example: The Trump Organization just opened a new hotel in the Old Post Office Pavilion in Washington DC. The property is leased from the federal government through the U.S. General Services Administration, the head of which will be appointed by President-elect Trump. That’d make Donald Trump both landlord and tenant -- and any questions or disputes regarding the terms of the lease or maintenance costs of the property will directly impact President-elect Trump’s personal finances AND U.S. taxpayers' finances. We cannot tolerate this massive conflict of interest. Nearly every president in modern times has set up a "blind trust" to avoid this -- where an independent trustee manages the officeholder’s assets without the officeholder's involvement or knowledge of where they're invested. Trump’s proposed solution is to put his children in charge of his company -- but that's not even close to the same thing. A truly blind trust must be managed independently, not by his family. And even if the President-elect were to put an independent manager in control of the Trump Organization, it still wouldn't qualify as a blind trust because Trump has full knowledge of the Trump Organization's assets, holdings and business partners. Voters deserve better -- Donald Trump must sell all of the Trump Organization's assets, and set up a blind, independent trust to manage his wealth while he serves as President. Add your name today to demand that President-elect Trump put his assets into a blind trust.

  2,795 of 3,000 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause
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  Don’t let Republican poll watchers intimidate voters

  Imagine this: you arrive at the polls on Election Day, ready to do your civic duty and vote for your member of Congress -- but as soon as you try to cast your ballot, a stranger who has been watching you from the moment you walked in reports you to a poll worker, wrongly claiming you have no right to vote there. No eligible voter should have to face this needless obstruction and intimidation. But right now, the Republican Party is building a network of partisan “poll watchers” who could do just that. That’s right: Republican efforts to keep Donald Trump in office through voter intimidation, groundless lawsuits, and rampant disinformation failed -- so now, they’re setting their sights on the 2022 midterms. And according to a top GOP official, the Republican National Committee has already appointed staff in at least nine states who will recruit and train poll watchers to send to polling places across the state next fall. [1] We’ve seen what these GOP-backed poll watchers do on Election Day: intimidate eligible voters, make unsubstantiated accusations, and help fuel frivolous lawsuits that seek to overturn the will of the people. Voters shouldn’t have to get through partisan vigilantes who have been trained to perpetuate harmful disinformation just to cast a ballot. And those hardworking volunteers and election workers who run the polls, assist voters, and tally votes should be able to do their jobs without interference. Here’s what we can do about it: The Freedom to Vote Act -- a modified version of the For the People Act -- includes several new and strengthened protections for voters, poll workers, and vote tabulators. If Congress passes it immediately, states can implement these vital protections ahead of the 2022 midterms. But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell -- who is committed to putting the Republican Party’s interests before free and fair elections -- has made it clear that he’ll do everything in his power to shut this bill down. We need to make sure our senators respond by doing whatever it takes to pass the Freedom to Vote Act -- or voters’ and poll workers’ safety could be at risk. Please help us pressure the Senate by adding your name today. 1) https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/09/24/republican-poll-watching-election-integrity-mackinac/5849414001/

  372 of 400 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause
• We the people demand to see Donald Trump's taxes

  President Donald Trump has refused to release his tax returns ever since he entered the presidential race, breaking decades of bipartisan precedent. Now, Trump's top advisors say he'll never release them, claiming that “we litigated this all through the election." So instead, public interest watchdogs are doing some litigating of their own. They're suing President Trump for violating the Constitution's ban on elected officials taking money from foreign governments, and demanding to see his tax returns as part of the discovery process. We deserve a clear picture of President Trump’s background, experience, and business interests -- and we have a right to know about any potential conflicts of interest. Without a full accounting of Trump's assets, there's no way to know the extent of his personal foreign entanglements, or if he is using the presidency to enrich his own wealth. Trump says he can’t release his returns because the IRS is currently auditing them -- but he didn’t have a problem doing that when his private business interests were at stake. And the commissioner of the IRS gave him the go-ahead too, saying “if you’re being audited, and you want to... share that information with your returns, you can do that.” We can't let Trump's "alternative facts" deny us our right to transparency. He wants to conduct the people's business from the White House, so we deserve to know how he's conducted his private business too. Donald Trump must release his tax returns to the American people.

  36,406 of 40,000 Signatures

  Created by Jack Mumby
• Devin Nunes must be removed from Russia probe

  The House Intelligence Committee just voted along party lines to release the so-called “Nunes memo” -- a document drafted at the direction of the committee’s chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA). Many who have seen the memo say it gets basic facts wrong, cherrypicks information and has absolutely zero credibility. This memo is just the latest in a long string of attempts by Republicans in Congress to undermine and smear Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Donald Trump and Russian election meddling. It’s especially telling that during last night’s partisan vote, Committee Republicans blocked release of the Democratic members’ memo which rebuts Nunes' claims. We cannot afford to let this become a partisan fight -- our democracy was attacked and Americans deserve the full truth. We can't allow Devin Nunes to continue spreading unfounded innuendo about the Russia probe to undermine its credibility as Mueller investigates the President for obstruction of justice. Please speak out and pressure Speaker Paul Ryan to remove Nunes from participating in the Russia investigation.

  177,803 of 200,000 Signatures

  Created by Aimee Martinez
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  Sign the Petition: Facebook must do more for our democracy

  The Facebook Oversight Board just made a major decision that exposes serious flaws in the way that Facebook operates. And if we want the social media giant to make real changes to protect its users -- we must speak out right now. The Oversight Board has officially upheld Facebook’s decision to suspend Donald Trump’s account. But board members gave an important caveat: they found that making the suspension “indefinite” was inappropriate -- and within six months, Facebook must decide whether to ban Trump permanently or let him back on the platform. The simple fact is: we did not have to get to this point, had Facebook just implemented thorough civic integrity policies -- and committed to strongly and unilaterally enforcing them. But before, during, and after the 2020 election, Facebook constantly looked the other way when Trump and other bad actors abused the site to spread lies and amplify hate speech. Disinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms has silenced voters, weakened trust in our civic institutions, and even incited real-world violence -- like the horrific January 6th attack on our Capitol. But Facebook has yet to show that it’s up to the task of consistently using its policies to protect its own users For the sake of our democracy and the safety of the American people, Facebook must strengthen its civic integrity policies and close dangerous loopholes -- like the exception that allows political figures to put blatant disinformation in their ads. And the platform must stop relying on its Oversight Board -- a wholly inadequate body that is accountable to Mark Zuckerberg, not the public -- to make its content moderation decisions. Plus, Facebook must start vigorously enforcing the policies it has already put in place to protect voters. That means consistently applying misinformation labels to inaccurate posts, cracking down on groups that glorify violence and amplify conspiracy theories, and more. It’s time to demand better from this powerful social media giant. If you believe that Facebook must be held accountable for failing our democracy -- and must commit to protecting it going forward -- add your name today.

  52 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause
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  Sign if you agree: Top election officials must reject Trump’s lies

  The politicians who tried hardest to undermine Americans’ faith in our elections may soon be the ones running them. You read that right: Republicans who are pushing Trump’s Big Lie and still question our nation’s election integrity -- despite countless audits and evaluations -- are running for Secretary of State in swing states like Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Nevada. This could have a devastating impact on our freedom to vote. Secretaries of State have an enormous amount of power over state elections -- and if they start to put Trump’s conspiracy theories at the center of their policymaking, they’ll churn out harmful, far-reaching rules that silence eligible voters, especially Black and Brown voters. They’ll come after mail-in voting, ballot drop boxes, and more. They could give Republican state legislatures the power to override the will of the people if they’re unhappy with an election result. Their intentions are clear: Republicans are furious that they couldn’t rig our democracy to keep Trump in office -- and now, they’re trying to seize enough power in swing states to make sure they get their way next time. That’s why we’re demanding that Secretaries of State nationwide recommit to putting voters’ rights first, not Trump’s whims. We believe that the top voting official in every state should run elections that are accessible to all eligible voters, should speak out against voter suppression -- and should work hard to pass proven pro-voter reforms that make our democracy more representative. If you agree and want to join the nationwide outcry, add your name today.

  1,632 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause
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  BREAKING: Supreme Court lets Trump end 2020 Census early -- tell the Senate to act now

  The Trump administration is trying to end the 2020 Census count as soon as possible -- so that already vulnerable communities lose out on representation in Congress and vital funding for things like schools, fire trucks, and COVID-19 relief. This is just the administration’s latest attempt to intimidate, exclude, and erase immigrant families and young people out of the 2020 Census. And now, the Supreme Court has given Trump and his administration the go-ahead to halt the census count. Remember: rigging the census is part of a years-long effort by far-right political operatives to rig our system and silence millions of Americans. We’ve uncovered documents from the GOP’s top redistricting strategist, Thomas Hofeller, that outline this exact strategy -- and we took this fight to court. And despite this setback, we’re not done fighting. But we need to prepare for the worst: that the Administration might shut down the census immediately. We have one path to stop this -- put maximum pressure on the U.S. Senate to save the Census. We must go all out -- right here and right now -- to protect the 2020 Census from political manipulation. We must make sure senators know that their seats are on the line -- and the American people expect them to put the integrity of our democracy before Trump’s partisan schemes. We don’t have a moment to waste. There is bipartisan legislation right now that would save the U.S. Census -- and passing it just got far, far more urgent. If we can get it to the Senate floor, it has the support to pass. Demand that GOP senators add their support to the bipartisan 2020 Census Deadline Extensions Act (S. 4571) -- which would extend the census count through October 31st -- and insist Majority Leader Mitch McConnell holds a floor vote.

  830 of 1,000 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause
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  Stop Trump's attacks on transparency and the COVID-19 response package

  President Trump is once again waging a war against legitimate, independent oversight of his administration. His latest target? Glenn Fine -- the acting inspector general who was set to watchdog the administration's management of the $2 trillion COVID-19 response package that Congress passed last month. Fine, a longtime and dedicated public servant, was chosen by a panel of inspectors general to lead these oversight efforts. But Trump just had Fine removed from his position -- without explanation. This is just the latest attempt by Trump to eliminate any and all supervision over his actions. He also recently fired Michael Atkinson, the inspector general who brought the Ukraine whistleblower’s complaint to Congress -- and he attacked inspector general Christi Grimm on Twitter after she released a report describing widespread COVID-19 testing delays in the U.S. Trump took one lesson from his party’s lockstep defense of his impeachable conduct: there’s no line you can’t cross that Republicans in Congress won’t back you up on. We’re seeing the consequences of that inaction now -- as Trump continues to openly abuse his power. Unless we speak out, Trump won’t stop until there isn’t a single watchdog left in the White House -- no one overseeing his administration's decisions, and nobody to put a stop to waste, fraud, or abuse of power. The Special IG must aggressively oversee the administration of this money and use their subpoena power to get necessary information. Similarly, both the SIGPR, the Congressional Oversight Commission and the PRAC must be given live access to the computer servers of the Treasury and any agency shoving money out its doors. Add your name to condemn Trump’s firing of Glenn Fine -- and to demand strict oversight of the Trump administration.

  108,027 of 200,000 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause
• Limit Tax Money Spent on Trumps

  Trump's family business trips and vacations cost taxpayers over $11 million in just his first month in office. That $11 million paid for security on Trump's children's business trips on behalf of the Trump business organization and for Trump's three trips to the Mar-a-Lago resort, which he owns. By contrast, the Obamas' personal travel expenses averaged $12 million per year through eight years in office. In light of this exorbitant spending, Representative Earl Blumenauer introduced the No Taxpayer Revenue Used to Monetize the Presidency Act, or, the No TRUMP Act, to prohibit the use of taxpayer funds to pay for events, overnight stays, food, and other miscellaneous expenses at hotels owned or operated by a president or his or her relatives. What's worse, while the taxpayers continue to pay millions for him to play golf, Trump recently unveiled his cruel and immoral budget plan that would cut funding to PBS, NEA, Meals on Wheels, heat assistance, and other important social services. Essentially, we, the taxpayers, are paying exorbitant sums for the wealthy Trumps to further enrich themselves personally. It's hypocrisy and it's unfair to taxpayers. Lawmakers must find a way to limit extravagant spending by this administration—especially when it profits the president personally—and prevent similar behavior by future administrations and presidents.

  219,069 of 300,000 Signatures

  Created by Maja Seif
• Donald Trump: Stop lying about our elections

  Americans deserve, and largely have, elections systems that are safe & accurate. There’s always room for improvement -- and we’re working to ensure that all states implement reforms ensuring the fairness and accessibility of the franchise -- but it doesn’t help to spread lies that undermine confidence in our democracy and pave the way for voter suppression. That’s why it’s so alarming that, according to the New York Times, President Trump “asserted that between three million and five million unauthorized immigrants voted for Mrs. Clinton” at a meeting with Congressional leaders. The Times continues, “Voting officials across the country have said there is virtually no evidence of people voting illegally, and certainly not millions of them.” It’s more than just “alternative facts” -- there are no facts at all that support what President Trump is saying. As President, Trump should be working to improve our elections systems -- not telling lies that undermine confidence in them. And this lie should worry you more than most: because lawmakers have invoked the myths Trump is pushing to justify a wave of voter suppression laws in states across the nation. Between this and his nomination of lifelong voting rights foe Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, we must stand vigilant against any attempts by the Trump Administration to limit our right to vote. We expect and demand better from our leaders at the top. That’s why it’s so important to call out Donald Trump’s election lies for what they are. Please add your name and tell President Trump to stop lying about our elections, and give up his witch hunt after voters.

  11 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Common Cause