Dear John,
When I represented Rhode Island’s 2nd district for a decade in Congress as a Republican, my experience was that most people who entered either Congress or government did so to serve the public.
Unfortunately, that’s no longer always the case. Over the last ten years, we’ve seen dark money come to dominate our elections resulting in policies reflecting their special interests, not the public interest.
Political contributions for the purpose of "gaining access" or to influence policy? Shameful!
This is an unprecedented time and our democracy is at risk.
During the Trump presidency, we saw what happened when the most corrupt president in history appointed an administration full of people who shared his priorities: profit and personal gain.
It was disastrous—but CREW’s work highlighting wrongdoing and shining the spotlight on abuses helped protect our country.
That’s why I’m writing to you today. I’m both passionate about and grateful for CREW’s work. I’m honored to serve on their board—and I want to make sure that they remain a leading champion of the people. Please make a donation now towards CREW’s $75,000 match before this Saturday. Your gift will go twice as far, ensuring CREW can keep up the fight for a more equitable democracy.
Now the assumption is that since the last administration is gone, we can relax. Not so!
This Congress has not yet passed legislation to protect voting rights, strengthen ethics, or reform campaign finance laws…and dark money continues this fraying of our democracy.
I understand everyone is busy, focused on their jobs and families and you cannot be constantly attentive to what’s going on in Washington. But CREW does that for us.
Take CREW’s work exposing the corporations funding the members of Congress who voted to reject the 2020 election results. Dozens of companies in very public statements said they would not fund seditionists. But then some of them turned around and gave tens of thousands of dollars to re-elect members who demonstrated utter contempt for our democracy.
Thanks to CREW’s work, their donations have been exposed. As a result of the visibility and public reaction, Toyota has backed down from funding these insurrectionists. Transparency alone isn’t enough to save our democracy, but it’s a crucial battle.
And of course, CREW’s work goes far beyond that. I don’t know of any other group so focused on holding our government accountable and making sure people know the truth about dark money, special interests, and corruption.
If you believe we need a watchdog shining a light on corruption, exposing abuses of power, and fighting for an accountable, transparent government, then now is the time to act.
Today there is no "fence sitting": you are either part of the problem, or part of the solution.
With only a few days left to reach the $75,000 match goal, please make a difference with your most generous contribution, if you’re able.
Thank you in advance for your generosity,
Claudine
The Honorable Claudine Schneider
