In June of 2021, End Citizens United // Let America Vote launched the Democracy Defenders Program, a $7 million initiative to support Democratic Attorney General and Secretary of State candidates in battleground states across the country. These constitutional offices are vital to ensuring voters can make their voices heard at the ballot box, stopping efforts to sabotage elections, cracking down on political corruption and protecting families from corporate greed. Meanwhile, Republicans are running candidates who are committed to defending restrictive anti-voter laws, denying voters fair and equal representation, and siding with corporate special interests.
Currently, ECU // LAV has endorsed nine Attorney General and Secretary of State candidates. From Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson preventing election sabotage efforts, to Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul continuing to fight the opioid crisiscaused by big pharma’s greed, ECU // LAV’s Democracy Defenders are on the frontlines, working hard for the people they represent.
Click here for coverage of ECU // LAV’s Democracy Defenders program from CNN.
See below for updates on how our Democracy Defenders are fighting corruption and protecting the freedom to vote:
Jocelyn Benson, MI-SOS:
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Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has requested law enforcement and the state Attorney General to investigate reports that a third party gained unauthorized access to vote tabulator machines in a northern county.
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“Michigan law is clear about the security threats that emerge when anyone gains unauthorized access to our election machines or technology, and I will have no tolerance for those who seek to illegally tamper with our voting equipment,” [Benson] added.
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“I was instilled with a deep sense of commitment… to make democracy accessible for all… I started to see the role of administering democracy as key to making sure we have people on both sides of the aisle who are committed to democracy… I am very proud to be… able to stand firm in support of every voter’s voice and the ability to hold their elected officials accountable and protect our democracy.”
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Dana Nessel, MI-AG:
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- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has launched an investigation into Eli Lilly, one of the three largest drug companies in the United States manufacturing insulin. Nessel is looking into the role some drug companies play in charging overly high prices for these life-saving drugs.
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There’s no question a troop of faux GOP electors violated the law when they signed on to phony documents and tried to barge into the Michigan State Capitol in an effort to fraudulently award the state’s electoral votes to former President Donald Trump, says Attorney General Dana Nessel.
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Josh Kaul, WI-AG:
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Following the release of the report by a former state supreme court justice investigating the state’s 2020 election results, Wisconsin… Attorney General Josh Kaul issued a statement critical of the report: “This report is a full-throated attack on our democracy and a truly shocking example of the authoritarian mindset at work. The report provides a roadmap for attempting to overturn the will of the voters based on a fringe legal theory. It includes recommendations that would restrict access to voting and make it harder to detect fraud. And it disparages due process and public records requests because they are inconvenient to certain individuals with power. “The Vos-Gableman investigation will long be remembered as a shameful, deeply embarrassing episode for our state legislature. The Republicans in the legislature who are responsible for this train wreck have an obligation to our democracy to condemn and end this preposterous fake investigation.”
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Spectrum News 1 – Milwaukee, WI
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Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul recently announced a revamped “Dose of Reality” campaign to fight back against increasing numbers of opioid-related overdoses and deaths across the state. In a news release, Kaul said, “As the opioid epidemic evolves, we must continue raising awareness about it and working to prevent substance-use disorders. In partnering with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services on this updated initiative, we can provide Wisconsinites with improved, up-to-date tools aimed at preventing and reducing opioid use, in all of its forms.”
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Aaron Ford, NV-AG:
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Mr. Ford made the right decision by suing 42 opioid companies, which have caused thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of overdoses in Nevada. The prior Attorney General, Adam Laxalt, had sued only one company — and it has filed for bankruptcy. Mr. Ford also made the right decision by appointing a panel that reviewed applications from seven of the country’s top law firms to determine who would represent our state. After an extensive vetting process, this panel chose the Nevada-based firm of Eglet Adams. The senior partner, Robert Eglet, has obtained some of the largest verdicts in our country’s history.
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“Healthcare providers must remain cognizant that the privilege of receiving taxpayer funds for providing services comes with the obligation to maintain accurate records and submit truthful billings to Nevada Medicaid,” said Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford. “My office will hold health care companies and their owners accountable for failing to abide by their obligations as approved Nevada Medicaid providers.”
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Jena Griswold, CO-SOS:
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“Every Colorado voter, Republican, Democrat, and Unaffiliated alike, deserves accessible and secure elections. As Secretary of State, I will always protect the integrity of our election system,” Griswold said in a statement. “These rules address emerging security risks and will reinforce Colorado’s national leadership in election security.”
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Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold is leading the push for several bills aiming to increase security and access in elections, she announced Tuesday. Among the bills included in the package Griswold rolled out at a news conference is the Vote Without Fear Act, which seeks to prohibit openly carrying a firearm within 100 feet of voting centers and drop boxes. The package also includes measures aiming to protect election workers against doxing or retaliation and strengthening laws and security that protect voting equipment, elections systems and whistleblowers.
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“As Secretary of States, I’ve added 55% more drop boxes, we expanded voting centers, we increased our security. Colorado is considered the nation’s gold standard for casting a ballot and for election security… I am going to continue to make sure every Republican, Democrat, and Independent voter in the state of Colorado has access to safe and secure elections.
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With multiple eyes on Mesa County elections and on the state as a whole, Secretary of State, Jena Griswold paid the Western Slope a visit to set the record straight. Griswold says her job as the Secretary of State is to reach across political party lines, to make sure Republicans, Democrats, and Independents all have access to making their voices heard in a fair and free election.
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Phil Weiser, CO-AG:
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Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser sued 15 manufacturers of a foam used by firefighters, arguing it contains “toxic forever chemicals” that might be associated with an increased risk of cancer… In his complaint, Weiser said the 15 companies should have known their products “harmed the environment and human health.” The Attorney General also cited sampling by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, which he said detected the chemical in water across the state, as well in military facilities in Colorado Springs, the Suncor oil refinery, airports, and fire districts.
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Some of the thousands of Marshall Fire victims left without permanent housing after the Dec. 30 wildfire in Boulder County are currently trying to decipher between already sky-high rental rates in Colorado and price gouging. They’re finding it’s not all that easy to do. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser says they’ll be watching the market closely.
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Attorney General Phil Weiser today announced the final approval of the $26 billion opioid agreement with the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors – Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen – and Johnson & Johnson.
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Steve Simon, MN-SOS:
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Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon spoke at a town hall put on by the Rochester Community and Technical College student senate. The goal of the town hall was to promote voting in the 2022 election. For the third time in a row, Minnesota was number one in the country in voter turnout. Simon says he wants to keep this trend going in 2022.
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Jen Jordan, Candidate for GA-AG:
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Sen. Jen Jordan, a Democrat who represents parts of Cobb, said the redistricting process has targeted three women of color: Richardson, Davis and Rep. Lucy McBath, who was drawn out of the 6th Congressional District. She added some legislators said Richardson “committed political suicide” by moving closer to Birrell’s post, making it likely she would be drawn into a new district. “She’s a woman of color that is the first woman of color to represent this particular district and then she just gets drawn out?” Jordan asked.
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Bee Nguyen, Candidate for GA-SOS:
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