Campaign Legal Center

Voters have a right to know which wealthy special interests are spending big money to secretly influence our vote and our government to rig the political system in their favor. CLC advocates for passing and enforcing strong campaign finance reforms that help guarantee a democracy responsive to the people. These reform solutions include ensuring transparency in both the funding of and spending by political campaigns, placing reasonable limits on that funding and encouraging states and localities to adopt public financing of elections. Learn more about the specific actions we're taking to ensure transparency in our democracy: https://lnkd.in/eRf4vZY7

As we kick off the new year, Campaign Legal Center stands ready to hold the incoming administration accountable, protect our system of checks and balances and solve the wide range of challenges facing American democracy. From fighting for fair voting maps and advancing state-level democracy reform to keeping a close eye on the actions of wealthy special interests and potential conflicts of interest, we know that there is hard work ahead, but CLC is here to do it. Here's our plan to fight for democracy in a second Trump era: https://lnkd.in/e-wV6jwR

Meet Valencia Richardson, legal counsel for CLC's voting rights division. Valencia's work focuses on combatting the effects of voter suppression in the Deep South — especially after the Supreme Court gutted protections against racial discrimination in voting. Valencia was recently honored by Equal Justice Works (EJW), which shined a light on her career since becoming an EJW Fellow in 2020. Watch to learn more about Valencia's work protecting and expanding the freedom to vote for all Americans.

Ahead of the 2024 election, Alabama voters scored a huge victory when the state’s unfair and illegal voter purge program was halted. The eleventh-hour voter purge program targeted naturalized citizens, especially Black and brown voters, and put their freedom to vote in the 2024 election into jeopardy. After a federal judge put the voter purge program on pause, more voters were able to make their voices heard in November. CLC, in partnership with Southern Poverty Law Center and Fair Elections Center, filed a lawsuit to block the illegal purge program on behalf of Alabama voters, the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, the League of Women Voters of Alabama, and the Alabama Conference of the NAACP.

CLC is #hiring! We're looking for democracy advocates for the following roles: ⚖️ Executive Assistant ⚖️ Director, Major Gifts and Community Outreach Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/e2UZCeu

This year, Wisconsinites got the fair maps they deserved. After more than a decade of suffering under unfair and unconstitutional state legislative maps that essentially guaranteed one-party control, Wisconsinites had a fair shot at making their voices heard at the ballot box this year. In February, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed fair maps into law, cementing a massive win for democracy and giving a voice to Wisconsinites who had been silenced for far too long by gerrymandered maps deliberately designed to drown them out. This victory follows a lawsuit filed by CLC, in partnership with Law Forward, Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School, Stafford Rosenbaum LLP and Arnold & Porter, on behalf of several Wisconsin voters whose voices were being silenced by the old maps. All voters deserve a fair shot at making their voices hard at the ballot box — no matter where they live in their state or which party they support. Thanks to this lawsuit and tireless advocacy, Wisconsin voters had a meaningful say this year in legislative outcomes and a fair chance to determine who will govern them.

What is Campaign Legal Center's plan to protect the rule of law and the Constitution during Trump's second term? CLC President Trevor Potter and Senior Vice President Paul M. Smith discuss the specific actions we will take to ensure free and fair elections in the future and prevent the politicization of the government by the White House. Hear more about our plan to advance democracy in our latest episode of our Democracy Decoded podcast: https://lnkd.in/epizUkqi

When the new Congress is sworn in on January 3, its members will face their first test: Will they vote to keep an effective, independent ethics office? The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) serves an essential role in democracy by providing independent, nonpartisan oversight of the House of Representatives, safeguarding it against corruption and holding members accountable for ethics violations. But if the OCE isn't reauthorized every two years, it will disappear. Here's what you need to know.

✨ Best of 2024 — Democracy Decoded: The Latest: A Postelection Fight for Democracy ✨ For our Best of 2024 series, we invited podcast hosts from our network to share their favorite episodes this year. Democracy Decoded host Simone Leeper from Campaign Legal Center talks about her favorite episode with three of CLC's finest attorneys. They discuss the 2024 election result and how CLC will advance in this unprecedented time. 📍 Listen now: https://lnkd.in/eBru_Cu3 #campaignlegalcenter #democracy #podcast #pods #politics #election

In my last newsletter of the year, I focus on meaningful #democracy-advancing victories that provide some reasons for hope about the state of our union. I explain how these wins help shore up our system of self-government no matter what comes next. The lesson is that we must continue to be engaged in the fight for democracy to have a chance of winning.