John,

Between Donald Trump’s fraud trial in New York and our 14th Amendment trial in Colorado seeking to disqualify Trump from the ballot, it’s been a busy few weeks in accountability news.

We’ve continued to move forward with our disqualification efforts, and just yesterday, we submitted hundreds of pages to the court of proposed factual and legal findings, and we expect to make closing arguments next week in the case. We also filed an amicus brief supporting the 14th Amendment lawsuit brought in Michigan by another nonprofit.

But beyond the biggest headlines, there are important stories that you may have missed.

Ben Carson, who served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under former President Donald Trump, just endorsed Trump again. Carson went on CNN to talk about it, and was asked what he thought about Trump's call to terminate the Constitution.

Instead of condemning Trump’s call to terminate the Constitution, Carson said: “Well, I think you have to look at the context of what things were said, how they were said, and which parts of the Constitution are you talking about.

But here’s the thing: You don’t get to pick and choose what parts of the Constitution apply. If we ignore the Constitution, our democracy starts to break down. That’s one of the principles we’re fighting for in our Colorado 14th Amendment lawsuit: The Constitution is not optional.

Here’s some other news we’re following:

• The government is barreling towards a shutdown, with only 8 days left until funding runs out. That would be a disaster for government ethics and accountability.
• Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is facing scrutiny because her office bought a $19,000 podium, and apparently tried to cover it up. You may recognize her name from her time in the Trump administration…
• North Carolina's recently passed state budget jeopardizes public access to records, making it challenging to reveal corruption and ensure accountability. It also undermines the voting rights of its citizens.
• In Virginia, Governor Glenn Youngkin’s elections team admitted in the run-up to General Assembly elections earlier this week that it removed nearly 3,400 qualified voters from the state’s rolls.
• It’s been nearly a month since we reported that Representative George Santos was the only member of Congress who had failed to file a personal financial disclosure. He still hasn’t filed the form, even as a finding is expected within days from the House Ethics Committee’s extensive investigation into his conduct.

Thanks for your support,

CREW HQ