As you undoubtedly know by now, Donald Trump was found guilty last Thursday of 34 felony counts related to the conspiracy he orchestrated to interfere with the 2016 election by paying an adult film actress and falsifying business records to cover up those payments.

Trump was afforded every right our justice system allows. In fact, he was granted more leniency throughout his trial than most defendants could hope to receive.

And he was found guilty. On all counts. By a unanimous jury.

Contrary to virtually any other convicted criminal, Trump was able to turn a guilty verdict into a veritable goldmine.

His campaign reports that it got $52.8 million in online donations in just the first 24 hours after the verdict was announced. (And they might actually be telling the truth.)

That shatters Trump’s previous political fundraising records. (Though let’s remember that when Trump announced his candidacy in 2015, he claimed he wouldn’t need to fundraise at all because of how rich he was. Good one.)

For comparison, here’s how much Public Citizen raised online last Thursday and Friday:

$6,745

Now, we obviously weren’t the ones prosecuting Trump in that Manhattan courtroom.

But Public Citizen is fighting — day in and day out, in public and behind the scenes — to see Trump held accountable for his offenses against the law and the American people.

For example:

• Back in 2017 — recognizing that holding Trump accountable would require a coordinated, sustained movement — we helped found the Not Above the Law coalition. Because the rule of law, and the foundational principle that no one is above the law, are at the very heart of our democracy. We continue to lead this diverse, nationwide group of over 30 partner organizations, including Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Common Cause, Indivisible, and People For the American Way.

• We worked with members of the bipartisan January 6 committee in Congress leading up to and during its historic hearings on Trump’s attempted coup.

• Our ongoing advocacy directed at government officials has built public demand around criminal liability for Trump. This includes pressure leading to the Department of Justice eventually investigating and indicting Trump for his illegal attempts to remain in power despite losing the 2020 election.

• I was at the courthouse the day Trump’s trial began, where I addressed the national media to highlight the fact that the trial was about far more than payments to a porn star — it was about a criminal conspiracy to interfere with the 2016 election that may well have been the difference in Trump becoming president.

• And, through strategic field organizing and online activism — including dozens of emails you’ve gotten from me (if you’ve been on our list for a while) — Public Citizen has built a nationwide grassroots force of everyday Americans calling for Trump to be held accountable.

Look, I know I’m not going to wake up one morning and find that Public Citizen got millions in online donations overnight.

But I also know that it does take a baseline level of real-world financial strength to keep being one of the drivers of the movement to hold Trump accountable and to keep standing up in the face of Trumpism. (Along with continuing to fight corporate power and government inaction as we have been for over half a century.)

And — very much unlike Trump — we neither solicit nor accept money from billionaires or Big Business. Everything we do together depends on everyday folks like you chipping in what they can, when they can.

So I’m asking:

Please donate today to help Public Citizen continue fighting Trump and Trumpism.

A group of longtime supporters will match anything you contribute today dollar-for-dollar.

I’ll say that again:

Every donation made today in response to this message will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR MATCH — CONTRIBUTE NOW
Or sign up as a Monthly Donor today and your contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar each month for a full year!

If donating today is not a good fit, that’s okay.

Either way, I hope you appreciate knowing a little more about the work you and Public Citizen are doing together.

Thank you for being part of this shared project called Public Citizen.

For democracy, justice, and progress,

- Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen
 
 
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