John,

It may not feel this way, but in the last few weeks, we’ve had some big wins for accountability. Read on for an ethics pep talk!

First of all, last month Donald Trump was convicted in the New York hush money case. He was charged with 34 counts of falsification of business records in the first degree, which is a felony in New York.

For the first time in our country’s history, a jury of regular Americans has convicted a former president of crimes. It is sad for our country that a former president committed those crimes, but it’s a critically important victory that he was held accountable for doing so.

Here’s some more encouraging news that may have flown under the radar:

In the wake of the Capitol insurrection on January 6th, nearly two hundred corporations and industry groups said they would pause or altogether stop making political contributions to the 147 members of Congress who voted against certifying the election and continue to propagate the Big Lie that led to the attack.

Since then, we’ve tracked donations from those corporations to see if they stuck to their promises. Thirty seven companies – such as Nike, Lyft, Clorox and more – have kept their promises. While no company should be donating to the Sedition Caucus, it’s good to see that some companies are choosing our democracy over “business as usual.”

Click here to listen to CREW President Noah Bookbinder talk about this work on MSNBC – and after you’ve listened, click here to donate to support our work.

At the end of last month, the House passed the Federal Prison Oversight Act, a vital step towards enhancing transparency and accountability within the federal prison system. By establishing new, independent oversight mechanisms, the Act would combat corruption and tackle issues of widespread sexual and physical abuse within federal prisons. That’s good news, and we urge the Senate to follow suit in swiftly passing the Federal Prison Oversight Act.

Here’s another win that’s been a long time in the making: a big Hatch Act loophole is being closed!

Since its inception in 1939, the Hatch Act has been a cornerstone in maintaining the separation between official duties and political activities. But during the Trump administration, we saw rampant Hatch Act violations go unpunished, especially from Kellyanne Conway and Ivanka Trump.

Well, now that won't happen again.

The Office of Special Counsel, the independent agency responsible for enforcing the Hatch Act, is updating the agency’s enforcement approach, making changes to clarify and strengthen the ethical boundaries for White House officials.

Finally, last month we took a stand against the Federal Election Commission’s attempts to block the disclosure of large political donors through secret proceedings. Following CREW’s letter opposing the change, the proposal failed to move forward at the FEC by a 3-3 vote. For once, the FEC deadlocking is a good thing!

As we move forward, CREW remains steadfast in our dedication to promoting ethical governance and accountability. Whether it’s advocating for legislative reforms, challenging unethical practices, or pushing for greater transparency, our mission is more important than ever – and we need your help to continue this work.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement. Together, we can make a significant impact in building a more ethical and accountable government. Stay tuned for more updates and actions in the coming months,

Team CREW