State legislators nationwide have introduced 321 bills that included restrictive voting proposals called for by the Heritage Foundation.
Dark money groups have already announced $42 million in spending campaigns to restrict voting rights at the state level and block the passage of the For the People Act.
Today, End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund released a new report detailing how dark money and special interest groups are funding state-level voter suppression efforts and opposing critical voting rights and anti-corruption legislation.
Following failed efforts to suppress the vote and overturn the results of the 2020 election, the report highlights how dark money groups have launched an unprecedented attack on voting rights at the state level.
These conservative dark money groups are also working extensively to block passage of the For the People Act (H.R. 1/S. 1), federal legislation that would overturn many of their state efforts by protecting the freedom and right to vote for all Americans, as well as end dark money by requiring these groups to finally have to disclose their major donors. Just last week, Mother Jones reported on a leaked video of Jessica Anderson, the executive director of Heritage Action for America––a conservative dark money group affiliated with the Heritage Foundation that is leading efforts to oppose the For the People Act––telling donors in a private meeting that her group has led concerted efforts to pass voter suppression legislation across the country into law.
Main findings in the report include:
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Conservative dark money groups have already announced over $42 million in spending campaigns to restrict voting rights at the state level and block the passage of the For the People Act.
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State legislators nationwide have introduced 321 bills that included restrictive voting proposals called for by the Heritage Foundation.
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40 dark money groups and dozens of top conservative super PACs have publicly stated their opposition to the For the People Act. Groups that announced funding spent over $120 million in dark money during just the 2018 election cycle.
“Our findings show that the same special interests that have long rigged our democracy for the wealthy and powerful are now funding efforts to make it harder for people to vote and to block critical anti-corruption and voting rights legislation,” said Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund. “The rush to push through restrictive voting bills and oppose access to the ballot box revolves around one motive: special interests, large donors, and dark money groups trying to hold onto the outsized role and power they have had in our politics for far too long. Republicans at the federal and state levels have made suppressing voters a top priority in 2021, following the lead of their donors. But passing the For the People Act would end dark money, crack down on corruption, and make Washington more accountable and responsive to voters. It would ensure people—not just the powerful—are at the foundation of our democracy.”
Passed by the U.S House and under consideration in the U.S. Senate with a successful markup in committee happening earlier this week, the For the People Act is a critical reform package—supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans across party lines—to get dark money out of politics, crack down on corruption, protect voting rights and ensure elections are safe, accessible, and accurate.
ECU // LAV Action Fund has been leading the charge to pass this bold package of anti-corruption, voting and ethics reforms, working with candidates and elected officials to make anti-corruption reform a top priority and encouraging Americans to demand that their congressional representatives pass the bill.
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