Campaign Legal Center
@campaignlegal.org
We're a nonpartisan nonprofit advancing democracy through law, focused on voting rights, redistricting, campaign finance, government ethics and the rule of law
NEW: Galveston County, Texas officials are trying to force voters to cast ballots under a different—and discriminatory—map for the general election than the one used in the primaries. That's illegal. CLC and @uclavrp.bsky.social are suing to stop it. 1/
Galveston Voters Are Still Fighting for Fair Maps and an Equal Say
2025 marks the 160th anniversary of Juneteenth — and voters are still fighting for equality in Galveston all these years later.
campaignlegal.org
I really enjoyed discussing @campaignlegal.org’s efforts to safeguard the 2026 midterm elections and many other topics with Martin Puris on his “Interviews With the Disruptors” podcast. Hope you will give it a listen! youtu.be/nW5ODh8jpoU?...
Interviews With The Disruptors: Trevor Potter
YouTube video by America The Possible
youtu.be
VICTORY: We blocked an illegal Trump administration rule that attempted to prohibit nonpartisan civic engagement organizations such as our client, @lwv.org, from registering new U.S. citizens to vote at administrative naturalization ceremonies.
BREAKING: 56 bipartisan former judges urge SCOTUS to leave Trump's mail in voting EO blocked The EO is anti-voter & anti-constitutional. POTUS is attempting to seize power he does not have @democracydefendersfund.org @campaignlegal.org & Platkin LLP are proud to rep the judges
VICTORY: Today, in a win for voters, a federal court blocked a Trump administration rule that illegally prohibits civic engagement organizations such as our client, @lwv.org, from registering new U.S. citizens to vote at administrative naturalization ceremonies. 1/
BREAKING: Campaign Legal Center endorses new legislation to end pay-to-play pardon corruption, the No Payoffs For Pardons Act, introduced by @schumer.senate.gov and other congressional leaders today. More from CLC Executive Director Adav Noti: 1/
President Trump has abused the pardon power and turned it into a tool for rewarding allies. It's time for reforms to ensure clemency decisions are guided by merit and justice, not money or loyalty. https://campaignlegal.org/update/inside-pardon-playbook-analysis-president-trumps-clemency-abuses
Inside the Pardon Playbook: An Analysis of President Trump’s Clemency Abuses
When voters elect a president, they expect presidential power to be used to serve the public good — not to advance the narrow interests of political loyalists or wealthy donors.
campaignlegal.org
Trump's Department of Justice is now 0-18 in lawsuits attempting to overstep its authority and seize sensitive, private voter data. This is a victory for voters and the rule of law. We hope that other courts do the same.
The Trump Administration’s Attempts to Get Sensitive Voter Data Threaten the Rule of Law
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has a responsibility to protect Americans’ freedom to vote, but recent actions by the DOJ — taken at the behest of President Donald Trump and other members of his ...
campaignlegal.org
"A Court that called partisan gerrymandering incompatible with democracy in 2019, and in 2026, a legitimate exercise of state power and safe harbor for racial discrimination, has necessitated congressional action," writes @thetrevorpotter.bsky.social and Paul Smith.
The Supreme Court’s Striking Regression on Partisan Gerrymandering
Once viewed as contrary to basic tenets of democracy, partisan gerrymandering is now deemed a legitimate government purpose.
justsecurity.org
For no particular reason, we're reminded that we filed a complaint against Sen. Rand Paul for a suspicious stock trade his wife made in February 2020 to a drug company that would go on to make the first approved treatment for COVID-19. campaignlegal.org/press-releas...
BREAKING: Campaign Legal Center Files Complaint Against Sen. Rand Paul for Failure to Comply with the STOCK Act
Under the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, members of Congress must disclose a stock trade within 45 days of the trade with no exceptions. Washington D.C. – Today, Campaign Legal C...
campaignlegal.org
The Trump administration and its allies are exploring every avenue, whether legal or blatantly unconstitutional, to meddle in the midterms. But these efforts have consistently been defeated. The good guys are winning, says @thetrevorpotter.bsky.social: www.linkedin.com/pulse/fight-...
In the Fight to Protect Elections, the Good Guys Are Winning
Fears about President Trump interfering with the midterm elections have been building since the early days of his second term. The concern is absolutely justified.
linkedin.com
The Trump playbook for sowing doubt in our elections while attempting to manipulate the process is coming into focus. In the latest edition of my newsletter, I explain why this effort has largely failed, @campaignlegal.org’s role in this fight, and what this means for the midterm elections. READ:
In the Fight to Protect Elections, the Good Guys Are Winning
Fears about President Trump interfering with the midterm elections have been building since the early days of his second term. The concern is absolutely justified.
linkedin.com
Among the many outrages from the Supreme Court’s last term was an astonishing U-turn on the issue of partisan gerrymandering, deemed by the majority in Callais to be a legitimate state interest. My colleague Paul Smith and I explain in @justsecuritythings.bsky.social:
The Supreme Court’s Striking Regression on Partisan Gerrymandering
Once viewed as contrary to basic tenets of democracy, partisan gerrymandering is now deemed a legitimate government purpose.
justsecurity.org
We're in Chicago this week at the NCSL Legislative Summit, connecting with policymakers from across the country, exchanging ideas, and discussing ways we can strengthen our democracy, together. If you see us, stop by and say hi! (We have swag!)
We filed an ethics complaint against Rep. Lance Gooden in 2021, alleging he violated federal law by not disclosing his stock trades as required. Now, he's being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for an unknown reason. Interesting. 👀
House Ethics Committee says it is investigating Texas Republican
The House Ethics Committee announced Monday that it is investigating Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas), though it did not disclose the nature of the probe. The panel said in a statement that it had rece…
thehill.com
For years, the Supreme Court said partisan gerrymandering was harmful to democracy, even as it declined to stop the practice. But, in Callais, the Court embraces it as a legitimate state goal, argue @thetrevorpotter.bsky.social and Paul Smith in @justsecurity.org.
The Supreme Court’s Striking Regression on Partisan Gerrymandering
Once viewed as contrary to basic tenets of democracy, partisan gerrymandering is now deemed a legitimate government purpose.
justsecurity.org
Lost amidst the discussion of the Supreme Court's Callais decision, write Trevor Potter and Paul Smith, is its treatment of partisan gerrymandering as a legitimate objective. They analyze the opinion -- and make a case for congressional legislation in response:
The Supreme Court’s Striking Regression on Partisan Gerrymandering
Once viewed as contrary to basic tenets of democracy, partisan gerrymandering is now deemed a legitimate government purpose.
justsecurity.org
Campaign Legal Center is recommitting to the campaign for democracy we've been leading for nearly a quarter century. Not just for the next year or the next election, but for the long term. That's our commitment. That's our calling. That's our campaign for America.
We already have strict laws in place to ensure every voter's eligibility is verified. The SAVE America Act would impose unnecessary barriers to the registration process, requiring voters to provide documentation that millions of Americans do not have.
What You Need to Know About the SAVE Act
campaignlegal.org
Spotted at the @oversightdemocrats.bsky.social hearing. 👀 @repyassansari.bsky.social highlighted CLC’s analysis on how Trump’s legacy projects have opened the door to wealthy special interests seeking to pay for access and influence the administration, flouting ethics laws in the process.
As we've said before, the Stop Insider Trading Act “purports to address congressional stock trading without actually preventing members of Congress from profiting off of their offices.” The Senate should reject this bill and instead focus on real reform.
House passes stock-trading restrictions for lawmakers, but not a full ban
The bill would bar future stock purchases by lawmakers and their families but let them keep existing holdings. An added voter ID provision clouds its prospects in the Senate.
washingtonpost.com
We're tracking President Trump's most unabashedly corrupt pay-to-play transactions. And there are many.
Exposing President Trump’s Pay-to-Play Administration
President Donald Trump has made it clear that favorable treatment from his administration is readily available — for a price. This pay-to-play relationship is a defining feature of how Trump’s second ...
campaignlegal.org
The House just effectively passed the so-called SAVE America Act, which was cynically shoehorned into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). We're urging the Senate to once again reject this anti-democratic bill and instead focus on protecting Americans' freedom to vote.
Forcing the SAVE America Act into a defense bill? Sneaking parts of it into the flawed Stop Insider Trading Act? Trump allies are trying to Trojan horse anti-democratic bills into unrelated bills because they know they won't pass otherwise. Congress should reject this scheme.
BREAKING: House Republicans voted to attach the so-called SAVE America Act to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This is a cynical attempt to pass a deeply unpopular, dangerous bill by shoehorning it into unrelated legislation. Congress should reject it.
1 in 6 voters have a disability. Yet, voters with disabilities are often met with a range of disproportionately burdensome barriers to voting. As federal protections weaken, states can pass their own Voting Rights Acts to safeguard the freedom to vote. 🧵1/5
"There is plenty of reason to be suspicious of the claims from the administration, and every reason for voters to have confidence in our elections," said @brendanfischer.bsky.social in @latimes.com.
Trump escalates election attacks, threatens California over voter data
Trump delivered a prime-time address on Thursday night about vulnerabilities in the election system, claims that largely were not backed up by the evidence he provided.
latimes.com
The House is set to vote this week on the so-called “Stop Insider Trading Act” and "Voter ID Act," two bad bills that would undermine our democracy. Congress should reject both of them. Here's what you need to know.🧵
Currently, every DOJ lawsuit seeking sensitive voter data to be decided by a trial court — now totaling 16 — has been dismissed, a victory for voters and the rule of law. We hope that other courts do the same.
The Trump Administration’s Attempts to Get Sensitive Voter Data Threaten the Rule of Law
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has a responsibility to protect Americans’ freedom to vote, but recent actions by the DOJ — taken at the behest of President Donald Trump and other members of his ...
campaignlegal.org
Does the president play a role in our elections? Not really! The Constitution grants states and Congress the authority to set the rules for our elections, not the president. Campaign Legal Center's Jonathan Diaz explains. #AskAnElectionLawyer