Michigan Supreme Court decides Trump can stay on primary ballot

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/27/us/michigan-trump-ballot.html

The Michigan high court upheld a lower court ruling that under Michigan law the Secretary of State does not have authority to remove Donald Trump from the presidential primary ballot and that the question of his eligibility to appear on the general election ballot is not ripe. [Thus, Michigan might still find that Trump is not eligible to be President and might remove him from the general election ballot. However, U.S. Supreme Court consideration of the Colorado case could possibly decide the question of eligibility to serve as president on a nationwide basis.]

Charlie Cooper

Clarence Thomas threatened to quit Court over money woes; "friends" responded

https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-money-complaints-sparked-resignation-fears-scotus

Clarence Thomas made a behind the scenes plea for higher salaries for Supreme Court justices. He also found several ways to garner gifts and income, and his wife made a 6-figure salary with the conservative Heritage Foundation.

Charlie Cooper

Democratic candidate for Congress using AI bot for phone calls

https://www.reuters.com/technology/meet-ashley-worlds-first-ai-powered-political-campaign-caller-2023-12-12/?utm_campaign=wp_the_daily_202&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_daily202

Her creators, who intend to mainly work with Democratic campaigns and candidates, use data about the person being called to customize a conversation. It discloses that the "caller" is an AI bot. The bot can speak 20 languages.

Charlie Cooper

New poll shows that voters abhor big money in politics

https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/09/19/money-power-and-the-influence-of-ordinary-people-in-american-politics/

80% say big money has too much influence on politicians; 72% say that limits should be placed on the amount that can be spent by individuals and organizations; and almost 60% believe that the problem can be fixed by enacting laws.

Charlie Cooper

Election worker testifies to death threats in civil suit against Rudy Giuliani

https://news.yahoo.com/georgia-poll-worker-lynching-threats-214727610.html

Two Black election workers from Georgia are suing Rudy Giuliani for defamation. He falsely accused them of fabricating votes for Biden. She testified to receiving lynching messages such as: "I pray I will be sitting close enough to hear your neck snap." The jury in this case will determine how much Giuliani owes the women.

Charlie Cooper

The Judicial Conference fails to uphold accountability for the federal judiciary

https://www.propublica.org/article/judicial-conference-scotus-federal-judges-ethics-rules

ProPublica reports on an investigation of the Judicial Conference and its lack of enforcement of judicial ethics. The Conference is chaired by the Chief Justice. Previously undisclosed information has led to the conclusion that it has protected judicial perks rather than enforce accountability. The Judicial Branch undergoes the least oversight of the three branches. The Administrative Office that reviews judges' disclosure statements is purposely kept weak. The Judicial Conference has never referred a single case to the Department of Justice for investigation in 45 years.

In 2011-2, the Financial Disclosure Committee of the Judicial Conference refused to examine evidence after Clarence Thomas failed to disclose the source of his wife's income. She had received $700,000 from the conservative Heritage Foundation. An official appointed by President Clinton helped to kill this investigation. The reports on this incident are illegally kept from public view, and the Administrative Office routinely flouts public disclosure requirements.

Charlie Cooper

Corporations file law suits to nullify Maine referendum law on foreign influence

https://www.lmtonline.com/news/politics/article/lawsuits-target-maine-referendum-aimed-at-curbing-18551783.php

"The referendum, which was approved by about 84% of voters who cast ballots, bans foreign governments — or companies with 5% or more foreign government ownership — from donating to state referendum races. [Sic. The referendum actually bans spending -- not merely donating.]

"The proposal was put on the ballot after a Canadian government-owned utility, Hydro Quebec, spent $22 million to influence a project on which it's a partner in Maine. That hydropower corridor project ultimately moved forward after legal challenges."

Charlie Cooper

W. Virginia Sec. of State accuses CIA of stealing 2020 election for Biden

https://wvmetronews.com/2023/12/11/gubernatorial-candidate-mac-warner-the-election-was-stolen-and-it-was-stolen-by-the-cia

In a gubernatorial debate leading up to the Republican Party primary election, West Virginia's Secretary of State made the charge that the CIA  helped President Biden in the election.

"By pointing toward the Central Intelligence Agency, he is making an argument that information about Hunter Biden's laptop recovered from a repair shop in October 2020 was suppressed from full consideration by voters."

Charlie Cooper

Cyber security experts warn of voting software vulnerabilities

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/voting-experts-warn-of-serious-threats-for-2024-from-election-equipment-software-breaches 

The threat stems from attempts by Trump supporters to access proprietary voting machine software.

Charlie Cooper

Leonard Leo network funnels money for echo chamber around SCOTUS

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/03/supreme-court-amicus-briefs-leonard-leo-00127497

The power of advocacy groups to influence the Supreme Court is on the rise. The Leonard Leo network of Christian and right-wing groups has disproportionate influence in this current moment. The article delves in to the controversy over whether abortion was a crime under English common law or in medieval periods. Mainstream historians dispute the religion-tinged interpretations that impacted the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

The charitable income tax deduction allows self-dealing for billionaires

https://popular.info/p/uncharitable-giving

Very few have high enough income to benefit from the charitable deduction. Billionaires and charity executives have now figured out how to game the system for self-dealing.

Charlie Cooper

Senate Judiciary Committee probe must overcome Republican obstacles

https://www.propublica.org/article/senate-judiciary-harlan-crow-leonard-leo-subpoenas-scotus-thomas-alito 

If Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo defy the subpoenas, send a Democrats would normally need 60 votes on the floor of the house to enforce them. But there may be a way to have the Department of Justice enforce them.

The Committee has discovered that Clarence Thomas did not repay a large portion of a $267,000 loan from a wealthy acquaintance that he used to buy a recreational vehicle.

Charlie Cooper

Minnesota bans foreign-influenced corporations from campaign spending; Chamber fights back

https://freespeechforpeople.org/minnesota-chamber-of-commerce-v-choi/

In May 2023, Minnesota enacted a bill banning foreign-influenced corporations from spending money to influence state elections. The Chamber of Commerce is challenging the bill in court. Free Speech for People has filed an amicus brief opposing the Chamber arguing 3 main points:

First, Minnesota has an established "compelling interest in limiting the participation of foreign citizens in activities of American democratic self-government," and that this interest justifies laws prohibiting any money from foreign nationals entering U.S. elections.

 

Second, corporations with foreign shareholders and owners are not "associations of citizens" under Citizens United and have no vested right to influence Minnesota elections.

 

Third, the challenged law requires corporations to ascertain the percentage of its foreign ownership based on information that corporations have or can easily obtain. It is therefore far from being burdensome.

Charlie Cooper

Flawed Insurrection Act gives President to much power

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/03/opinion/insurrection-act-trump-president.html?campaign_id=39&emc=edit_ty_20231204&instance_id=109266&nl=opinion-today&regi_id=33603389&segment_id=151669&te=1&user_id=a2639148267bad823b53e9ae1e246e50 

There are no checks on the Presidential power to use military force to crush dissent. Authoritarian rhetoric from Trump makes the case more urgent. The Brennan Center has drafted legislation that Congress should enact.

Charlie Cooper

FEC enforcement of campaign finance laws lacking

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/02/us/politics/george-santos-campaign-finance.html

George Santos was expelled from Congress partially for using campaign funds for his own benefit. The story explains that there is very little enforcement in general on the spending side of campaign finance and that there is an increasing trend to funnel campaign spending through private corporations that may easily divert money to friends and family members or to the candidate him or herself.

Charlie Cooper

Georgia county adopts controversial method of removing people from voter rolls

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/02/georgia-county-eagleai-program-ineligible-voters 

The program, EagleAI, is associated with Trump. Ally Claeta Mitchell. It uses publicly available databases, like the US Post Office change of address database to present candidates for removal from the voter rolls. Many election officials think that it removes people from the voter rolls who are still eligible to vote.

Charlie Cooper

Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenas billionaire Crow and Leonard leo

https://accountable.us/senate-judiciary-committee-votes-to-authorize-subpoenas-for-leo-crow/

Despite Republicans' offering up 177 amendments, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a motion to issue subpoenas to billionaire Harlan Crow and dark-money manipulator Leonard Leo, two linchpins of the successful right-wing effort to influence the federal judiciary. This news release contains a good overview of Crow's and Leo's activities since 2008.

Charlie Cooper

Review of organizational and individual influencers of Clarence & Ginni Thomas

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/11/09/clarence-thomas-ginni-harlan-crow-gifts/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most

Useful survey of past several months' news of scandal.

Charlie Cooper

Why are U.S. courts afraid of the 14th Amendment? Because it’s radical.

Why are U.S. courts afraid of the 14th Amendment? Because it's radical.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/11/24/us-courts-fear-14th-amendment-radical/

Sherrilynn Iffel reviews the history of courts in the United States refusing to accept the full thrust of the 14th Amendment and bowing to white racist sentiment among the majority population. She applies this analysis to cases trying to remove Trump from the presidential ballot for 2024..

Charlie Cooper

 

Ranked choice voting is gaining in cities

https://thefulcrum.us/rank-choice-voting-a-day-of-wins

Ranked choice voting has now won 27 city ballot questions consecutively and is in use in 20 cities.

Charlie Cooper

Election officials quitting and election deniers trying to replace them

https://missoulian.com/opinion/column/mary-sheehy-moe-foxes-and-doggies-and-frogs-oh-my/article_20c7458a-83d4-11ee-b306-6fae355738ea.html

Describes problems with experienced election officials quitting in Montana and inexperienced people having to do the work. Many election deniers ran in the primaries, but only 8% of the general elections were won by deniers. Vignettes describing problems in Great Falls, where an election denier did win, are concerning.

Charlie Cooper

State of NY seeks partisan gerrymander

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/11/new-york-democrats-redistricting-congress-00126682

Because of a change in personnel in its highest court the State of New York is roiled in a battle over rare mid-decade redistricting of seats in Congress. Mirroring the partisan gerrymandering completed in North Carolina, New York Democrats are asking the high court to allow a redrawing of the map that could give them up to six more seats.

Charlie Cooper

Stinging critique of SCOTUS ethics announcement

https://www.afj.org/article/the-insufficiences-of-the-supreme-courts-so-called-code-of-conduct/

The Justices have modified the Code of Conduct applied to lower court federal judges but have replaced "shall" with "should" many times and have added modifiers like "knowingly" to give Justices an out when they are caught. 

Regarding recusal, the article says, "Canon 3(B)(3) holds that 'The rule of necessity may override the rule of disqualification.' If this sentence sounds like it means whatever the justices want it to mean, that's because that's exactly what it means. The 'rule of necessity' renders the Court's supposed disqualification and recusal rules meaningless." 

The code provides no enforcement mechanism.

Charlie Cooper

Despite economic growth, U.S. inequality worsens

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/opinion/why-voters-arent-buying-bidens-boasts-about-bidenomics.html

Inflation is down and GDP up, but the fruits of growth go overwhelmingly to the already-well-off. Tens of millions of middle- and working-class people are feeling worse off -- despite the aggregate numbers. People don't vote so much on aggregate numbers as they do on their own situation. Biden and his political advisors need to stop looking at aggregates and enforce their own measures to promote equality.

Charlie Cooper

The impact of McCutcheon on big-money fundraising

https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?u=7fdad23a80f54c4dc24833bd8&id=b4f9578fee

Fred Wertheimer shows how the 2014 McCutcheon decision of the Supreme Court, allowing unlimited aggregate contributions to political committees to influence elections allows politicians to legally sell influence to high-rollers. [This portion of the article starts after several paragraphs on Trump's rhetoric.]

Charlie Cooper

Brennan Center discussion of Supreme Court reform with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AUSgei4YL4

Charlie Cooper

Virginia voters question a state senator's residence

https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/ghazala-hashmi-home-address-nov-14-2023

Four voters have filed a petition alleging that the senator is not eligible to represent her district because she does not live there. She has a house outside the district and an apartment in the district. The dispute does have a partisan element because the petitioners are Republicans while the senator/candidate is a Democrat.

Charlie Cooper

Supreme Court adopts voluntary ethics code

https://www.propublica.org/article/supreme-court-adopts-ethics-code-scotus-thomas-alito-crow

After years of pressure from Democratic members of Congress (led by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse), and after startling revelations about how right-wing billionaires have provided lavish gifts and financial benefits to Clarence Thomas and other  justices, and after the press has exposed the right-wing network of dark money organizations led by Leonard leo seeking to influence the court, the Supreme Court has adopted a voluntary code of ethics. It contains slight wording changes compared to the ethics code imposed on all lower judges of the federal judiciary, and it is less stringent than the code applied to employees of the legislative and executive branches. There is no enforcement mechanism.

This article also gives a brief overview of the questionable practices by several justices that have uncovered over the past years.

Sen. Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary, said the Committee would continue efforts to issue subpoenas for Leo and for billionaire Thomas benefactor Harlan Crow. Republicans on the Committee have delayed the process by introducing 90 amendments to the motion authorizing the subpoenas.

Charlie Cooper

Constitutional scholar Rep. Jamie Raskin on priorities for amending the Constitution

https://thefulcrum.us/constitution-day-conversation-with-jamie-raskin

His remarks on Constitution Day, 9/17/23, all focus on expanding democracy.

Charlie Cooper

Senate Judiciary subpoenas and GOP delaying tactics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uArOi5OAnDY

At 36:00 in this video, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a key member of the Senate Judiciary Committee explains that the motion to subpoena billionaire Harlan Crow and right-wing kingpin Leonard Leo regarding gifts to Justice Clarence Thomas (among others), have been delayed because Republican senators have introduced 90 amendments. Whitehouse expects the roadblocks to be overcome and for the subpoenas to be issued.

Charlie Cooper

Move to Amend hits Josh Hawley bill

https://www.movetoamend.org/hawley_masks_corporaterule?utm_campaign=josh_hawleys_bill&utm_medium=email&utm_source=movetoamend 

Move to Amend argues that only a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United and banning the concept of corporate constitutional rights can restore balance to our politics and government. 

 

Hawleys bill, which only bans certain kinds of political spending by for profit corporations, they argue, will not do the trick.

Charlie Cooper.

Senate Judiciary Committee will subpoena Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo

https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/press/releases/durbin-announces-judiciary-committee-will-no-longer-vote-to-authorize-subpoena-for-robin-arkley-following-cooperation-in-supreme-court-ethics-investigation

The Senate Judiciary Committee will issue subpoenas to principal figures in the Supreme Court ethics scandal.

Charlie Cooper

Public Citizen praises Meta and Microsoft on deep fakes

https://www.citizen.org/news/meta-microsoft-back-disclosure-for-election-deepfakes/

Public Citizen thinks that Meta and Microsoft are sincerely supporting effective regulation of deep fakes, which are a potential serious threat to our elections and to the entire concept of democratic control of government.

Charlie Cooper

Overview of threats to 2024 Presidential election

https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/11/07/one-year-out-how-a-free-and-fair-2024-presidential-election-could-be-under-threat/

Congress fixed a major problem with the Electoral Count Reform Act, but the desire of Trump partisans to win an election by any means and their belief in conspiracy theories mean that a host of threats at every stage of the process looms. Also, four key states have made it more difficult to vote by mail.

Charlie Cooper

Audit of Maryland State Board of Elections

https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/11/03/audit-raises-concerns-about-efforts-to-purge-the-dead-from-voter-rolls/

Out of more than 4 million registered voters, State auditors claimed to have found 2,400 dead people. SBE staff disputes the number and says it is just under 1,000. The audit found 134 people who voted more than once in the 2020 election out of 1,371 who tried to vote more than once. (The election occurred during the pandemic.) None of these findings suggest that the outcome of an election could have been changed by fraudulent voting.

Charlie Cooper

McConnell warns GOP senators not to back Hawley bill to limit outside money from corporations

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/31/politics/mitch-mcconnell-josh-hawley-citizens-united/index.html

McConnell bragged about how much outside money he had been able to funnel to colleagues. In an interview, Hawley defended his bill and said that corporate influence should be limited in elections.

"I think that's wrong," Hawley told CNN. "I think it's wrong as an original matter. I think it's warping our politics, and I see no reason for conservatives to defend it. It's wrong as a matter of the original meaning of the Constitution. It is bad for our elections. It's bad for our voters. And I just think on principle, we ought to be concerned."

Charlie Cooper

Household survey shows expenses rising faster than income

https://apnews.com/article/inflation-debt-poll-personal-finance-economy-dd4c88e2076d1fd3f85c51fb8992583b

AP household survey shows debt rising and income not keeping up with expenses. High interest rates are part of the story.

Charlie Cooper

Justice Thomas's benefactor forgave a $267,000 loan

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/25/us/politics/clarence-thomas-rv-loan-senate-inquiry.html

In 1999, Anthony Welters lent Clarence Thomas $267,000 to be an RV. Thomas made some interest payments, but in 2008 the loan was mysteriously "satisfied." Senate Finance Committee investigators (Democrats) now question whether Thomas violated Supreme Court ethics requirements (such as they are) and whether Thomas evaded income taxes.

Charlie Cooper

Report gives overview of attempts to hold Trump and allies accountable for election denial

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/trump-and-his-allies-are-starting-to-face-accountability-for-their-plot-to-overturn-the-2020-presidential-election/

Charlie Cooper

Review of how changes in voting laws will affect swing states in 2024 electin

https://votingrightslab.org/battleground-2024-how-swing-states-changed-voting-rules-after-the-2020-election/

Four key swing states have made it harder to vote: GA, NC, NH, WI.

Charlie Cooper

Colorado suit to exclude Trump from ballot will proceed to trial

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/21/politics/colorado-lawsuit-trump-ballot/index.html

The judge has rejected several motions from Trump and the Republican Party to throw out the case, and it will proceed to trial on October 30.

Charlie Cooper

Historical overview of Amendment XIV, section 3

https://www.pogo.org/reports/the-constitutions-disqualification-clause-can-be-enforced-today#heading-5

How it has been enforced in the past and how it can be enforced today.

Charlie Cooper

2 Supreme Court justices own stock in companies that stand to gain in Moore case

https://www.levernews.com/justices-have-financial-interest-in-major-tax-case/

 Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito together own shares in 19 companies that could see combined tax relief of more than $30 billion if the court issues a broad ruling in the Moore v. United States tax case and strikes down a one-time corporate tax imposed in 2017."

Charlie Cooper

Election staff turnover and inexperience threatens 2024 elections

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4254685-alarms-sound-over-high-turnover-among-election-workers/

A variety of factors have election officials very worried about the 2024 election. Conspiracy theories lead to threats from the public, mistakes by election officials are blown out of proportion, resignations and turnover are already high, and existing staff are relatively inexperienced. The article sites swing states such as Pennsylvania and Arizona where problems are especially acute.

Charlie Cooper

Billionaires get huge tax breaks for donating to fake charitable groups

https://open.substack.com/pub/popularinformation/p/charles-kochs-5-billion-tax-loophole?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=cw8n 

Everyone knows these groups are mainly doing electioneering work, but it's hard to prove, and the IRS has given up pursuing them because of political pressure from right wing billionaires and their allies in Congress. Charles Koch recently donated over 5 billion to new groups that will carry on his libertarian politicking long after he is dead..

Charlie Cooper

Democratic National Committee refuses to ban dark money in primaries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T4W8ftTvzU&t=20s

The Young Turks (TYT) reports that the DNC recently passed a symbolic resolution condemning dark money. But it continues to allow dark money to be used in Democratic primary races. TYT alleges that the dark money is especially valuable to the DNC to defeat progressives who run against mainstream Dems.

Charlie Cooper

"We Don't Talk about Leonard"

https://www.propublica.org/article/we-dont-talk-about-leonard-podcast

Series of 3 podcasts on Leonard Leo, the man at the center of a vast, right-wing dark money network that influences every phase of federal judicial operations in the United States.

Leadership Conference on Civil Rights reports on aftermath of Shelby Co. v. Holder

https://civilrightsdocs.info/pdf/reports/Shelby-County-Report-2023.pdf

In 2013, the Supreme Court gutted the preclearance provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in Shelby County v. Holder. The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights has now issued a report on the massive voter suppression campaign that has ensued in about half of the states in the 10 years since the myopic decision.

Charlie Cooper

Right-wing network challenged 100,000 individual voters in Georgia

https://www.propublica.org/article/right-wing-activists-georgia-voter-challenges

A few activists, supported by a right-wing organization, challenged almost 100,000 voters in Georgia. Most of the challenges were not valid. By selecting the geographical area on which to focus and by other algorithmic means these challenges can disproportionately impact Democratic-leaning voters.

Charlie Cooper

Wealthy GOP donor bankrolled Cyber Ninjas' effort to get voting data, whisteblower says

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2023/10/04/stefanie-lambert-sued-by-xrvision-in-pennsylvania-voting-machine-dispute/71051050007/

In addition, a GOP lawyer is charged with asking a data firm to give false testimony about voting machines. When they refused to comply, she spread information that caused the firm to lose business.

Charlie Cooper

Considerations in applying section 3 of Amendment XIV to disqualify insurrectionists from office

https://thefulcrum.us/could-the-constitution-itself-defeat-trump-in-2024 

Charlie Cooper

Conservative group sued for trying to remove voters from Georgia rolls

https://fairfight.com/ttv/

Fair Fight, a nonprofit founded by Stacey Abrams, opposes " [v]oter suppression, particularly of voters of color and young voters." The group is suing True the Vote, a self-described "election integrity" nonprofit organization that has attracted a great deal of controversy for its techniques that some say target voters of color. The lawsuit by Fair fight alleges that "True the Vote and the other defendants in the lawsuit took affirmative steps to intimidate voters and try to keep them from voting in violation of § 11(b) of the VRA." The lawsuit further alleges that True the Vote challenged the voting eligibility of 364,000 mostly black, brown, and younger voters based on flimsy evidence such as the filing of a change of address form at the Post Office and that such tactics amount to voter intimidation. So far, the Georgia court has agreed with Fair Fight and ordered that the case can move to a trial stage.

Charlie Cooper

No Labels seems to be a front for Wall Street and other big money

https://popular.info/p/no-labels-makes-its-choice?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1664&post_id=137608006&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=cw8n&utm_medium=email

No Labels wants to qualify for the presidential ballot in all 50 states. It has big, dark money from very wealthy donors. However, leaks have indicated what types of interests are behind No Labels.

". . . .in 2018, the Daily Beast obtained "internal documents" that revealed "prominent executives from Fortune 500 companies and leading financial-services firms have contributed to No Labels' 501(c)(4) dark-money group and its affiliated 501(c)(3) charitable arm." The group received large donations from top executives running hedge funds and private equity firms, including Bain Capital, Centaurus Advisors, Oaktree Capital Management, Trian Fund Management, and Apollo Global Management." The group has also solicited donations from prominent Trump supporters, "including PayPal founder Peter Thiel, businessman Foster Friess, and Home Depot founder Ken Langone." The New Republic, citing an internal document, reported that between 2019 and 2021, No Labels received $130,000 from right-wing billionaire Harlan Crow."

In Arizona, No Labels was forced to register as a political party in order to get ballot access. Now, people have joined the No Labels Party and submitted applications to appear on the ballot. No Labels is suing because running candidates for state office would force them to comply with Arizona disclosure laws. The Secretary of State, Adrian Fontes, ruled that they cannot keep these party members off the ballot.

[NOTE: GMOM and its allies in For the People -- Maryland recruited volunteers to support the candidacy of Adrian Fontes as Secretary of State of Arizona.]

Charlie Cooper

Clarence Thomas has yet another conflict of interest

https://prospect.org/power/2023-10-02-clarence-thomas-another-conflict-of-interest/ 

Clarence Thomas provides major fundraising assistance for the Horatio Alger association. Research now shows that wealthy members of the association stand to gain from a case that could reduce the powers of the consumer financial protection bureau. Yet Thomas has not recused himself from this case.

Charlie Cooper.

Chief Justice asked to Make Alito and Thomas recuse in mega donor cases

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2023/sep/29/us-supreme-court-john-roberts-ethics-scandal-recuse-thomas-alito-donor-cases 

Charlie Cooper 

Ohio Commission issues 6th unfair state legislative map

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/09/27/ohio-redistricting-commission-adopts-sixth-version-of-statehouse-maps-with-bipartisan-support/

A Commission with 5 Republicans and 2 Democrats issued a state legislative map that slightly reduces the Republican supermajority but that is still overwhelmingly gerrymandered for partisan advantage to the Republicans. Citizens are planning a ballot measure campaign to amend Ohio's Constitution to create a commission that takes the maps out of the hands of politicians.

Charlie Cooper

Despite two rulings by the Supreme Court, Alabama refuses to draw fair map

https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/60-years-later-alabama-lawmakers-defy-the-u-s-supreme-court-again/

Alabama's Governor and legislature have defied two orders of the U.S. Supreme Court and a federal lower court order. They are refusing to draw a Congressional district map with two "black opportunity" districts. Federal courts have rejected Alabama's latest maps, and it is unclear how a fair map can be put into place before the 2024 election.

Charlie Cooper

Federal District Court delays hearing on Louisiana's Congressional map

https://www.npr.org/2023/09/28/1201969253/louisiana-congressional-districts

Louisiana's Republican legislature has drawn a Congressional map that seems to violate the Voting Rights Act in the same way as does Alabama's map -- which has twice been rejected by the Supreme Court as a racial gerrymander that is unfair to African Americans. Nevertheless two conservative judges on a federal circuit court panel agreed to postpone a hearing that is a necessary step to forcing Louisiana legislators to allow a fair map to be put into place. The case can now be reviewed by the full circuit court or the Supreme Court.

Charlie Cooper

Poll shows super-majority support for ending Electoral College

https://www.lex18.com/growing-number-of-americans-want-to-end-electoral-college

Charlie Cooper

Why voting by Internet is not secure

https://www.npr.org/2023/09/07/1192723913/internet-voting-explainer

An Internet entrepreneur convened a group of experts at University of California at Berkeley to come up with a secure system for voting by Internet. They concluded that it is not possible at this time. Hundred of thousands of U.S. voters, however -- mostly disabled people or overseas military personnel -- do vote via the Internet.

Charlie Cooper

Conservative author argues that expanding SCOTUS more effective than term limits

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/09/25/supreme-court-term-limits-life-tenure/

Charlie Cooper

Clarence Thomas attended Koch brothers fundraising event

https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-secretly-attended-koch-brothers-donor-events-scotus 

This group was involved in in bringing numerous suits and funny amicus briefs suits and funding amicus briefs to influence the Supreme Court.

Charlie Cooper

Jamie Raskin wants several Constitutional Amendments

https://thefulcrum.us/constitution-day-conversation-with-jamie-raskin 

He loves it, and it must be amended or it will be lost. 

Charlie Cooper

Virginia Thomas and Leonard Leo collaborated to found Leo's dark money network and influence the Court

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/10/ginni-thomas-leonard-leo-citizens-united-00108082

In late 2009, just a few weeks after oral arguments in Citizens United v. FEC, Ginni Thomas and Leonard Leo founded what became a vast network of technically nonprofit conservative advocacy organizations with financial backing from Thomas's "dear friend," Texas billionaire Harlan Crow.

The story raises questions of whether Justice Clarence Thomas is corruptly profiting from his wife's efforts to influence the Court as well as the propriety of his deciding cases that her funders and associates are trying to impact. Both Leo and Thomas subsequently founded their own for-profit companies. The network of nonprofits has since funneled tens of millions of dollars to Leo's company, and Ginni Thomas has received an unknown amount exceeding $100,000. Democrats in Congress are now seeking to investigate these relationships. Thomas's and Leo's initial nonprofit, Liberty Central, was chartered just a few days before the Citizens United decision was published, and Crow contributed the first $500,000. Thomas soon switched her focus to her for-profit company. Although Justice Thomas now reports that his wife receives income through the for-profit company, the amounts and sources are not disclosed.

Leo's well-heeled groups have compiled extensive research and have flooded the Court with amicus briefs on behalf of conservative causes and in opposition to legislation passed with majority Democratic support.

The sources of funds for these activities are mostly unknown because of laws shielding donors and also because the IRS staff responsible for assuring that "nonprofit" groups are adhering to the law had been decimated by Congressional policies and budget cuts. The campaign to neuter the IRS was led by Cleta Mitchell, an associate of Leo and Virginia Thomas.

Some of Leo's groups – rebranded as "Honest Elections Project" – also led campaigns to pass "election security" laws in the states that Democrats think are well-calculated to suppress votes for their candidates. These efforts anticipated and reinforced the Trumpist claims that Biden stole the 2020 presidential election.

Between 2013 and 2021 Leo's Judicial Education Project gave $7 million to the Center for the Rule of Law, a group whose nonprofit status was revoked in 2011.

When asked why his groups hide their funding sources, Leo replied "'It's not to hide in the shadows,' he said. 'It's because we want ideas judged by their own moral and intellectual force.'"

Charlie Cooper

Clarence Thomas is still misclassifying money he received on his disclosure forms

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/09/clarence-thomas-ruth-bader-ginsburg-travel-violations.html?cx_testId=3&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=0&cx_experienceId=EX6NH8ULG1D7#cxrecs_s

The fact that some former justices who were Democrats made similar errors does nothing to mitigate the problems for Thomas.

Charlie Cooper

Reprise of recent Politico blockbuster news on Virginia Thomas and Leonard leo

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/09/ginni-thomas-ethics-supreme-court-hats.html?cx_testId=3&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=1&cx_experienceId=EX6NH8ULG1D7#cxrecs_s

This one tries to put the new information in context.

Charlie Cooper

A new tool to purge voter rolls

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/new-antidemocracy-tool

The Brennan Center says that Republican-led states that have dropped out of ERIC have developed a new tool to purge voter rolls. Trump ally Cleta Mitchell was involved in developing the tool. Critics charge that inaccurate public databases will be used by Republican partisans to raise challenges to voters and that invalid removals will occur.

Charlie Cooper

Federal lawsuit filed to bar Trump from appearing on Colorado presidential ballot

https://apnews.com/article/trump-insurrection-constitution-2024-election-primary-ballot-19ca3f17881e8818302cb1260e7c2aed

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed suit in Colorado charging that Donald Trump is

ineligible to appear on a presidential ballot because he has engaged in insurrection against the United States.

" The lawsuit, citing the 14th Amendment, is likely the initial step in a legal challenge that seems destined for the U.S. Supreme Court. The complaint was filed on behalf of six Republican and unaffiliated Colorado voters by the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington."

Charlie Cooper

Elections workers are receiving death threats from MAGA devotees

https://apnews.com/article/election-workers-threats-justice-department-trump-f17df44d63156a28eaa0862b0aa08f0b

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating and prosecuting threats to elections officials and workers, and a few people have been sentenced to prison terms.

Charlie Cooper

Barbie is Right, Money is Not Speech | by Public Citizen | Aug, 2023 | Medium

https://public-citizen.medium.com/barbie-is-right-money-is-not-speech-1f09fd2e1c93#:~:text=And%20as%20Supreme%20Court%20Barbie,billion%20at%20the%20box%20office. 

Lawyers for Arizona election deniers are sanctioned by the court

https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/election-deniers-sanctioned-in-all-three-arizona-election-contests-from-2022/?utm_source=Democracy+Docket+Newsletters&utm_campaign=6af3c45f7d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_07_18_06_01_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-9336cb8284-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=6af3c45f7d&mc_eid=309d78f259 

Kari Lake, Mark Finchem, and Abe Hamadeh lost their bids to become Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General of Arizona. They then alleged election fraud and tried to get the results overturned with no success. Now their lawyers have been sanctioned by the Arizona  Supreme Court.

GMOM and FTP-MD actively opposed these candidates and mobilize volunteers to help elect their opponents because of their record of fabricating election fraud stories.

Charlie Cooper

Survey of states' susceptibility to election denialism

https://thefulcrum.us/nearly-every-battleground-state-is-at-risk-of-election-denialism-interfering-in-2024

This appears to be a comprehensive review of a spectrum of voting and elections laws, policies, and procedures to protect against threats of election denialist such as voter suppression, threats to election officials and workers, misinformation, hacking. Maryland scores fairly low in risk but has partisan primaries, partisan gerrymandering, discrimination in favor of the two majority parties, and allows guns in polling places. Maryland lacks risk-limiting audits and policies to limit length of lines and lags on procedures for voters with disabilities. Maryland lacks a statewide voting rights law that can counter local racial/ethnic discriminatory policies in districting, poll location, etc.

Charlie Cooper

Colorado elections official sounds off on threats of violence to election workers

https://arkvalleyvoice.com/letter-to-the-editor-colorado-county-clerks-need-our-support/ 

Charlie Cooper

Document dump reveals smarmy details of DeSantis fundraising operation

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/20/ron-desantis-donors-lobbyists-florida/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most

Charlie Cooper

Washington Post: "What's wrong with American democracy?"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/18/american-democracy-political-system-failures/?utm_campaign=wp_evening_edition&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_evening

This first of a series of long essays focuses on analysis of confirmation votes in the Senate that were dominated by small-state senators (i.e. mostly Republicans), thus showing that anti-democratic of the Constitution are becoming more prominent and leading to dissatisfaction. Inequality is mentioned but downplayed. A chart shows that government handling of social issues is more contentious than handling of health and climate change -- surely a result of distorted media focus.

Charlie Cooper

New polling finds strong support for legislation to impose ethics on SCOTUS

https://afjactioncampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/SCOTUS-Ethics-Memo.pdf

The polling was conducted by Hart Research for a group of left-liberal organizations that oppose the right-wing majority on the Court. It shows that trust in the Court has plummeted in the past 3 years.

Charlie Cooper

How section 3 of the 14th Amendment might be used to bar Trump from appearing on Presidential ballots

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/08/15/trump-ineligible-14th-amendment-unconstitutional-presidency/

An election law professor at the Ohio State University argues that President Trump is ineligible to be President under section 3 of the 14th Amendment and that state election officials should not place his name (i.e. his electors) on their respective ballots. He goes on to describe how to execute this idea:

"If a state statute has not already authorized administrative officers to seek disqualification of presidential candidates, then — as the Supreme Court signaled this year — it might be a usurpation of the state legislature's prerogative to determine the "manner" of conducting presidential elections for these officials to assert this power on their own.

"Consequently, the safest course is for a state legislature to clarify, by enacting a new statute as soon as possible, that its election officials have the power to remove insurrectionists from the presidential ballot. A new statute could create an expedited timetable to ensure that the case reaches the Supreme Court in time for a decision before the Republican convention in July."

Charlie Cooper

Petition demanding Justice Thomas recuse himself from Moore v. U.S.

https://actionnetwork.org/forms/demand-clarence-thomas-recuse-himself-from-moore-v-us

This case Moore v. U.S. before the Supreme Court will determine whether it is constitutional to tax increases in financial wealth before gains are realized for individuals with over $100 million in assets. (It is, evidently, constitutional to tax YOU on increases in the value of your house and other real estate before gains are realized.) Clarence Thomas personal relationships with at least four billionaires who would be impacted by such a tax should cause him to recuse himself.

Charlie Cooper

Trump-affiliated groups have spent $130 million on legal fees

https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2023/08/trump-political-operation-steers-130-million-in-donor-money-to-cover-legal-fees/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=trump-political-operation-steers-130-million-in-donor-money-to-cover-legal-fees%2f8%2f4%2f2023&emci=0da95f34-7238-ee11-a3f1-00224832eb73&emdi=29f221de-7f38-ee11-a3f1-00224832eb73&ceid=8234144 

Charlie Cooper

Clarence Thomas got many more luxury vacations from more billionaires

https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-other-billionaires-sokol-huizenga-novelly-supreme-court

Thomas failed to disclose "At least 38 destination vacations, including a previously unreported voyage on a yacht around the Bahamas; 26 private jet flights, plus an additional eight by helicopter....

"This accounting of Thomas' travel ... is almost certainly an undercount.

"....Thomas appears to have violated the law by failing to disclose flights, yacht cruises and expensive sports tickets, according to ethics experts.

"Perhaps even more significant, the pattern exposes consistent violations of judicial norms, experts, including seven current and former federal judges appointed by both parties, told ProPublica."

Charlie Cooper

Poll shows much more support for Freedom to Vote Act than for Republican's ACE Act

https://navigatorresearch.org/most-americans-oppose-the-republican-proposed-american-confidence-in-election-legislation/

A self-described "progressive" research group  conducted polling. They found majority support for the Freedom to Vote Act and also that, "More Americans oppose the Republican-proposed American Confidence in Elections Act than support it...."

Charlie Cooper

Justice Thomas again under scrutiny

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/05/us/clarence-thomas-rv-anthony-welters.html 

Justice Thomas bought a 267, 000 recreational vehicle about 20 years ago. He barred money from his wealthy friend Anthony Welters to finance the purchase. Neither Mr. Welters or Justice Thomas will discuss the terms of the loan or confirm that it was paid back. Thus, there's a question of whether Justice Thomas received a gift or income that should have been disclosed to the public.

Charlie Cooper

Deepfakes threaten democracy

https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-deepfake-disaster-20230804-zstsc6lpq5ga7fjtw6ylfr3owy-story.html

The President of Public Citizen (an ally with GMOM in Declaration for American Democracy) highlights the threat to democracy from artificial intelligence, which can produce fake video and audio that is hard to detect. Our current problem with discerning truth originates in a media landscape that can multiply lies very quickly and can insulate subsets of the population from the truth. However, the era of deep fakes threatens to make it very difficult for anyone to determine the truth. The author says that Congress, state legislatures, and agencies must regulate artificial intelligence.

Charlie Cooper

Cartoon skewering Samuel Alito

https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/bs-ed-cartoon-0802-wednesday-20230801-uwfdncjzofgrze2oh7batznini-story.html

Charlie Cooper

NJ Star-Ledger editors sound off on Samuel Alita

https://www.nj.com/opinion/2023/06/supreme-corruption-glacier-ice-martinis-and-1000-bottles-of-wine-on-a-billionaires-dime-editorial.html

Alito is from New Jersey, and the Star-Ledger editors take particular care and interest in dissecting his lame denials about accepting gifts from billionaire Paul Singer and then sitting on a case involving one of his corporations.

Charlie Cooper

Polling on specific provisions of Dem, GOP voting bill

https://navigatorresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Navigator-Update-08.01.2023.pdf?emci=a9ec4d1f-ac2f-ee11-b8f0-00224832eb73&emdi=3fc2e913-5030-ee11-b8f0-00224832eb73&ceid=1527315

This polling was commissioned by a Dem-leaning group and may be biased. It shows Dem ideas with a big lead and Freedom to Vote Act is much more popular than ACE Act.

Charlie Cooper

GOP ACE Act has provisions to limit voting and encourage dark money

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/house-republican-election-bill-ace-act_n_64aff5a3e4b07bb333965076

This op-ed writer says ACT Act would:

• Ban third party ballot collection
• Impose new voter ID requirements on states
• Ban 501(c)(4) disclosure
• Raise from $5K to $50K the threshold for requiring nonprofits to register
• Increase contribution limits
• Completely rewrite DC's local election laws with no input from residents/voters.

Charlie Cooper

Justices use staff too support lucrative book deals

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/27/us/politics/supreme-court-justices-book-deals.html  

Charlie Cooper

PODA Act reintroduced

https://schiff.house.gov/news/press-releases/rep-schiff-introduces-landmark-bill-to-strengthen-and-protect-our-democracy

This bill is worth analyzing and possibly presenting to For the People -- Maryland for endorsement.

Charlie Cooper

Dems introduce Freedom to Vote Act in 118th Congress

https://rollcall.com/2023/07/20/democrats-rally-around-election-proposal-as-counterpoint-to-gop-plan/

Dems held press conference and touted the benefits of the bill to expand voting rights in federal elections, ban gerrymandering, and limit dark money. Dems say that Republican ACE bill, which may pass the House would limit opportunities to vote in order to skew elections toward the GOP.

Charlie Cooper

Judiciary Committee reports Whitehouse SCOTUS ethics bill out to Senate floor

https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/07/21/ethics-rules-for-supreme-court-justices-approved-on-party-line-vote-by-u-s-senate-panel/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=e7df8173-7f38-4fb0-9c97-e15df376addb

Here is an account of the Senate Judiciary Committee markup of the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act authored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D, RI). Republicans were unanimous in their condemnation of the bill, calling it an attack on the justices because of their conservative views.

[GMOM Board member Tina Coplan and I attended the session. The article does not begin to describe how hyperpartisan and ridiculous some of the senators' statements were. Republicans senators completely ignored the obvious ethical lapses by justices who benefit by association with billionaire donors.]

Charlie Cooper

New survey on opinions about the Supreme Court

https://navigatorresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Navigator-Update-07.18.2023.pdf?emci=6ac7c570-bb24-ee11-a9bb-00224832eb73&emdi=736558be-4f25-ee11-a9bb-00224832eb73&ceid=1537598

As of July 2023.

Charlie Cooper

Could National Popular Vote Interstate Compact backfire on Dems?

https://www.latimes.com/politics/newsletter/2023-07-14/democrats-despise-the-electoral-college-perhaps-they-should-get-over-that-essential-politics

LA Times editor poses scenarios where Dems lose the national popular vote but win the Electoral College. He also argues that Dems should gerrymander where they have an advantage.

Charlie Cooper

GOP ethics expert criticizes payments to Clarence Thomas aide

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/12/clarence-thomas-aide-venmo-payments-lawyers-supreme-court

An aide to Clarence Thomas received several payments via Venmo in connection with a "CT Christmas Party." The payments were from former Thomas law clerks who now may have business before the Court, including one who recently successfully argued the case on affirmative action in university admissions.

"Richard Painter, who served as the chief White House ethics lawyer in the George W Bush administration and has been a vocal critic of the role of dark money in politics, said it was 'not appropriate' for former Thomas law clerks who were established in private practice to – in effect – send money to the supreme court via Venmo. . . . [sic]

"Painter said he would possibly make an exception if recent law clerks were paying their own way for a party. But almost all of the lawyers who made the payments are senior litigators at big law firms."

Charlie Cooper

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