Hi there Democracy Advocates!

This week the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) has stories for you about two powerful Republican groups that help elect GOP state candidates and coordinate with state politicians. Both groups have been busy lying about widespread voter fraud and attempting to suppress the vote in numerous states.

We also published a piece on a strategy for reducing atmospheric CO2 as an important piece of the overall response needed to grapple with the growing climate crisis.

Meanwhile, we are filing the last of our 15 state complaints against the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and its legislative leaders for illegally giving and receiving sophisticated voter management campaign software linked to the Republican National Committee to help their campaigns. We have already filed complaints in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah, Texas, and Wisconsin, which followed our IRS complaint.

Plus, CMD joined civil rights groups on an important sign-on letter, and our work made it into plenty of other news outlets. 

Here’s the latest!

The Latest From CMD 

Companies That Publicly Opposed Voter Suppression Continue to Fund Voter Suppression Group

Major companies and law firms, including General Motors, Google, Facebook, and Holland & Knight, signed statements supporting voting rights while funding the Republican State Leadership Committee, which aggressively backs voter restrictions.

Group Run by Trump’s “Judge Whisperer” Leonard Leo Provides More Than a Third of RAGA’s Revenue So Far in 2021

The Republican Attorneys General Association reported $6.7 million in revenue in the first half of 2021, according to a mid-year IRS filing examined by the Center for Media and Democracy, $2.5 million of which came from came from a dark money group run by Trump’s go-to man for packing the federal courts with right-wing judges.

Misconceptions Shouldn’t Hold Up Key Climate Solution

As part of Covering Climate Now, CMD published a piece by Alex Carlin about Ocean Pasture Restoration, a nature-based strategy to avoid climate ruin.

 

The Center for Media and Democracy is working to file campaign finance complaints in 15 states. Please donate now to help CMD expose ALEC's illegal campaign contributions!

If you'd like to send us a check, please mail it to:

Center for Media and Democracy
P.O. Box 259010
Madison, WI 53725-9010

 

More Coverage from CMD

CMD Joins Dozens of Civil Rights Groups to Defend Free Speech

CMD joined dozens of other organizations in signing a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice opposing a slew of anti-protest bills filed by conservative state lawmakers in response to Black Lives Matter marches and pipeline protests. Color of Change, MediaJustice, and Free Press organized the letter.

"As a result of our collective repudiation of white supremacy and efforts to end the police terror of Black communities, we’re now facing an unprecedented backlash from Republican lawmakers," it says.

 

ICYMI: At Least 100 ALEC Lawmakers Signed Letter Opposing Worker Protections in PRO Act

ALEC Action organized a letter signed by 100 lawmakers to members of Congress urging them to oppose the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act).

 

CMD Around the Web

Our ALEC complaints continue to generate national, state, and local news coverage around the country.

  • The Daily Record: Ohio Elections Commission to review campaign finance complaint against Rep. Wiggam, others
  • Florida Phoenix: A brazen scheme? ALEC software giveaway to GOP lawmakers violated FL campaign-finance laws
  • Milwaukee Independent: Watchdog groups file campaign finance complaint in Wisconsin against ALEC’s voter software scheme
  • Politico: Florida Playbook
  • The Spokesman Review: A year later, Innovia foundation says it’s closed the pipeline to hate groups
  • Sun Sentinel: ALEC and the FEC: Did right-wing organization violate campaign law and its own tax-exempt status? (A non-paywalled version is here.)
  • UnKoch My Campus: The Koch Network and the Capture of K-12 Education (report)
  • Wisconsin Examiner: What does it cost to be sued by WILL? 
 

Thank you for supporting the Center for Media and Democracy and reading our work at Exposed by CMD! Have a great week.

Arn H. Pearson
Executive Director
 

CMD is a 501(c)(3) national watchdog and media group that conducts in-depth investigations into corruption and the undue influence of corporations on media and democracy. Our work is regularly cited by news outlets, policymakers, and grassroots activists working to build a more sustainable future and just society. CMD is reader-supported. Please make your tax-deductible donation today. Thank you!

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Center for Media and Democracy
P.O. Box 259010  | Madison, Wisconsin 53725-9010
608-260-9713 | [email protected]

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