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Trevor Potter Profile picture
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7 Jan, 4 tweets, 4 min read
Throughout my time in money-in-politics & democracy advocacy (from @FEC to Colbert to @CampaignLegal), it's become clear to me that too many Americans see our political system as rigged, corrupt, secretive & unaccountable.

This is why we need #FreedomToVoteAct + #JohnLewisVRAA.
I noted in my July 4, 2016 speech to @chq ("A Republic—If You Can Keep It!") that, at the time, 79% of Americans thought gov't is “run by a few big interests looking out for themselves" & 75% believed “corruption is widespread throughout the government”.
campaignlegal.org/document/repub…
Both Trump & Sanders capitalized on this anger. Having supermajorities of dissatisfied Americans is a real problem for our democracy. But it does not have to be this way! The Senate can pass #FreedomToVoteAct & #JohnLewisVRAA to help make the promise of democracy real for us all.
The #FreedomToVoteAct & #JohnLewisVRAA will help ensure voters have the #FreedomToVote, and the #FreedomToVoteAct will also help stop #gerrymandering & secret spending in our elections. Voters see a rigged system, & these are good solutions. Time to pass!
campaignlegal.org/update/freedom…

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More from @thetrevorpotter

Trevor Potter Profile picture
30 Dec 21
Much attention in 2022 will be paid to what politicians are doing about democracy.

But you may be wondering: what can *I* do to support #democracy in 2022?

I put some ideas down here in a thread:
In 2022, you can #volunteer. Whether that’s helping your neighbors register to vote or becoming a poll worker, your time and talent can help advance democracy. Connecting with local groups or your local election office can help you find an opportunity you like.
Likewise, support and join groups who are advocating for voters in your state. There are many great state-based organizations, and many pro-democracy groups like @CommonCause & @LWV organize state chapters. @CampaignLegal works in partnership with state & local groups.
Read 7 tweets
Trevor Potter Profile picture
20 Oct 21
While today’s lack of bipartisan support for a vote on the #FreedomToVoteAct was not an enormous surprise, it was still disappointing to see this reaction to the most significant #votingrights bill in a generation. 1/5 #FreedomToVote
campaignlegal.org/update/senates…
This is a transformative piece of legislation that, if enacted, will increase Americans’ access to the ballot box, neutralize partisan and racial gerrymandering and increase transparency in our campaign finance system to counteract the impact of dark money secret spending. 2/5
In an era where we see politicians erecting deliberate barriers to voting, with both parties enacting partisan gerrymanders and dark money pouring into elections in as-yet-unseen amounts, this compromise legislation would provide some of the most comprehensive advances... 3/5
Read 5 tweets
Trevor Potter Profile picture
15 Oct 21
The @FEC is responsible for enforcing campaign finance laws for presidential & congressional campaigns.

Today is its "birthday," but there's not much to celebrate: it has repeatedly failed to do its job, w/ real consequences that impact our lives. Thread:
campaignlegal.org/update/lets-ce…
Its commissioners routinely deadlock and fail to hold bad actors accountable. The @FEC is not just another example of a dysfunctional government bureaucracy: the problem at the @FEC is about commissioners who do not believe in the role of the agency.
This matters. The @FEC's failure to enforce our campaign finance laws has led to an explosion in secret spending, and our politics are increasingly rigged in favor of special interests.

This tilts the playing field and affects almost any issue we care about, regardless of party.
Read 6 tweets
Trevor Potter Profile picture
21 Jul 21
Yesterday, top Trump donor & fund-raiser and inaugural committee chairman Thomas #Barrack was arrested & charged with illegally working to influence the foreign policy of the U.S. government.

Here's a thread with some of my thoughts 👇 #BarrackIndictment
nytimes.com/2021/07/20/us/…
This case is about transparency and ethics, but this is also a tale of the problems and dangers of our current campaign finance system: a system that enables wealthy interests to gain outsized influence with our government, creating the conditions for the privileged access and...
...influence they enjoy and often utilize for their own personal gain.

Thomas Barrack, a billionaire, is close to Trump & was a major donor to Trump’s joint fundraising committee (Trump Victory) & Republican groups: since the 2016 cycle, he has personally given over $1 million.
Read 9 tweets
Trevor Potter Profile picture
2 Jun 21
Substantively, this matter is about the importance of transparency—the voters obviously should have known about McDougal’s allegations well before the elections, and AMI’s illegal hush money payment meant they did not.
But this isn’t an example of @FEC enforcement—it is almost five years after the 2016 election, and all the investigative work was done by the federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. The FEC is just free-riding here.
The @FEC is supposed to be responsible for enforcing laws that govern campaign finance for campaigns for president & Congress. Yet, this is another example of the @FEC being an afterthought in campaign finance enforcement as DOJ takes the lead, with all the problems that creates.
Read 6 tweets
Trevor Potter Profile picture
31 Mar 21
A7: #S1TownHall #S1’s small-donor program builds on programs that have been successful in cities and states across the country. Because candidates are incentivized to seek support from small donors and small donors are empowered by the matching funds to provide impactful...
...financial support to their preferred candidates, these programs have led to big increases in small donors and significantly decreased reliance on wealthy special interests. Freed from dependence on a few big donors, elected officials can focus on implementing policies that...
…benefit their constituents, not just those that bankroll their campaigns. For example, following the first election after Connecticut implemented its Citizens’ Elections Program...
Read 4 tweets

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