Common Cause

Common Cause

Founded	1970
Location	Washington, D.C.
Area served	United States
Method	Advocacy
Key people	Karen Hobert Flynn
Website	www.commoncause.org

Common Cause is a liberal political advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.^[1] It was founded in 1970 by John W. Gardner, the former Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in the administration of President Lyndon Johnson.

Organizational overview

Mission

Common Cause's stated mission is to "work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process."^[2]

Current leadership

Karen Hobert Flynn became the organization's president in June 2016.^[3]

Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor in the administration of President Bill Clinton, is the chair of Common Cause's National Governing Board. Due to Common Cause's policy of nonpartisanship, Reich took a leave of absence from the group, starting in February 2016, in order to become involved in Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign. Reich will return to the group after the November 2016 election. Vice chair Martha Tierney (who previously served as chair from 2007 to 2010) is the acting chair while Reich is on leave.^[3][4]

Past leadership

The following individuals have served as president of Common Cause:

• John W. Gardner (1971-1975)—founder of the organization^[5]
• David Cohen (1975-1981)^[6]
• Fred Wertheimer (1981-1995)^[7]
• Ann McBride (1995-1999)—longtime Common Cause employee who served as vice president and lobbyist for the group before serving as president^[8][9]
• Scott Harshbarger (1999-2002)—served as Massachusetts Attorney General before becoming Common Cause president^[9][10]
• Chellie Pingree (2003-2007)—after stepping down as president of Common Cause, was elected as U.S. Representative from Maine^[11]
• Robert W. (Bob) Edgar (2007-2013)—served as Democratic U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania before becoming president of Common Cause; died in office in April 2013^{[12][13][14][15]}
• Miles Rapoport (2014-2016)—was president of Demos before becoming president of Common Cause^[7][16][17]
• Karen Hobert Flynn (2016–present)^[3]

The following individuals have served as chairs of Common Cause's board:

• John W. Gardner (1970-1978)—founder and chairman of the group; served two three-year terms as chairman before stepping down.^[18]
• Archibald Cox (1980-1992)—former Watergate special prosecutor.^[19][20]

Activities

The organization has sought to address climate change, gun control, student debt, and the minimum wage. Common Cause has also targeted the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative group, partially on the grounds that ALEC opposes climate change legislation.^[21]

Common Cause has lobbied for campaign finance reform in the United States.^[22] In 1974, Common Cause supported passage of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA).^[23]

Common Cause advocates a voter-verified paper audit trail for election machines in all states. The organization has documented complaints about electronic voting machines.^[24] Common Cause is in favor of establishing a national popular vote for presidential elections to replace the current electoral college system.^[25]

In 1972, Common Cause sued President Richard Nixon's re-election campaign, the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, under the Federal Corrupt Practices Act in an attempt to force Nixon's campaign to report early campaign contributions.^[26] The lawsuit forced the disclosure of the names of several Nixon donors.^[21]

Common Cause opposes modern day efforts to call a convention to propose amendments to the United States Constitution.^[27][28][29]

Common Cause Magazine

From 1980 through 1996, Common Cause published Common Cause Magazine, with Florence Graves as its founding editor.^[30] The magazine was described by Jeffrey Birnbaum of the Washington Post as "a deeply researched, finger-in-your-eye sort of periodical." The magazine won more than two dozen journalism awards.^[31]

Common Cause considered acquiring the Washington Monthly magazine,^[31] but the deal fell apart in 2008.^[32]

Investigation into Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas's personal finances

In January 2011, Common Cause filed a petition with the Justice Department, seeking an investigation about whether United States Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas should have recused themselves from the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case.^[33] Common Cause then investigated the financial filings of Thomas, saying that Thomas did not include the income of his wife, conservative activist Virginia Thomas, in his disclosure filings as required under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.^[34] Thomas acknowledged error in the failure to disclose and filed amended disclosure forms that listed his wife's employment.^[34]

In 2011, the group hosted a rally near the site of a meeting of wealthy conservative donors organized by the Koch family. A videographer for the Breitbart News Network interviewed several attendees who made racist remarks about Thomas, such as suggesting he should be lynched and that he should be "put back in the fields."^[35] Another person suggested that Fox News CEO Roger Ailes should be killed. Common Cause condemned such rhetoric.^[36]

Funding

The organization states that its annual combined budget is $12 million. This includes its sister educational foundation. Common Cause receives funding from, among other groups, George Soros' Open Society Institute.^[37]

References

External links

• Official website
• Common Cause Records (1968-1991) at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University