Democracy Happy Hour - July 29, 2020

Fix Democracy First hosts a weekly Democracy Happy Hour on Wednesdays @ 5-6pm PT. Grab a drink and join us and  learn about the latest democracy efforts, challenges, solutions, as well upcoming events and actions.

Recording from Wednesday, July 29th, 2020:

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Links from Discussion:

Media coverage of the 2016 campaign was disastrous. Now’s the last chance to get 2020 right. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/media-coverage-of-the-2016-campaign-was-disastrous-nows-the-last-chance-to-get-2020-right/2020/07/24/f215f068-cd17-11ea-b0e3-d55bda07d66a_story.html

GOP sparks backlash after excluding election funds from COVID-19 bill - https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/509466-gop-sparks-backlash-after-excluding-election-funds-from-covid-19-bill

Strengthening Democracy: What Do Americans Think? - https://www.publicagenda.org/reports/strengthening-democracy-what-do-americans-think/

Election in Peril Procedural Risks to the 2020 Presidential Election - https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/maplight.org/MapLight_ElectioninPeril.pdf

Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century - https://www.amacad.org/ourcommonpurpose/report

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Foreign Money in Elections

Who can and can't contribute in U.S. elections - https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/candidate-taking-receipts/who-can-and-cant-contribute/

Foreign Money and U.S. Campaign Finance Policy - https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/IF10697.pdf

CRACKS IN THE DAM: Three Paths Citizens United Created for Foreign Money to Pour Into U.S. Elections - https://theintercept.com/2016/08/03/citizens-united-foreign-money-us-elections/

Foreign Money Flows Into US Politics - https://www.voanews.com/usa/us-politics/foreign-money-flows-us-politics

Following Citizens United, foreign-owned corporations funnel millions into US elections - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/03/citizens-united-foreign-owned-corporations-put-millions-in-us-elections/

Ending Foreign-Influenced Corporate Spending in U.S. Elections - https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/democracy/reports/2019/11/21/477466/ending-foreign-influenced-corporate-spending-u-s-elections/

Trump Admin Finalizes Rule That Could Protect Foreign Dark Money in Elections - https://readsludge.com/2020/05/28/trump-admin-finalizes-rule-that-could-protect-foreign-dark-money-in-elections/

Here’s what you need to know about shell companies and foreign election spending - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/06/shell-companies-foreign-election-spending/

Foreign-Connected PACs - https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/foreign-connected-pacs

‍Getting Foreign Funds Out of America's Elections - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/policy-solutions/getting-foreign-funds-out-americas-elections

Campaign finance loophole allows for foreign election interference, report finds - https://www.issueone.org/mystery-money/

MYSTERY MONEY: How a loophole could allow foreign money to flow into super PACs through secretive shell companies - https://www.issueone.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Mystery-Money-Report-Tipsheet.pdf

UNCOVERING MYSTERY MONEY – Tip Sheet - https://www.issueone.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Uncovering-Mystery-Money-Tip-Sheet.pdf  

KEEPING FOREIGN MONEY OUT OF OUR ELECTIONS H.R. 2852: The Election Protection & Integrity Certification (EPIC) Act - https://www.issueone.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/EPIC-foreign-money-elections.pdf

CHALLENGING FOREIGN INFLUENCE IN ELECTIONS - https://freespeechforpeople.org/foreign-influence/

Seattle City Council bans ‘foreign-influenced’ companies from most political spending - https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-city-council-bans-foreign-influenced-companies-from-most-political-spending/

Blow to Amazon as Seattle passes new political spending restrictions - https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/13/blow-to-amazon-as-seattle-passes-new-political-spending-restrictions.html

Seattle Takes On Citizens United - A new law knocks “foreign-influenced” corporations out of city politics by working with the decision, not fighting it. - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/14/opinion/seattle-citizens-united.html

Written Testimony of Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub - Before the Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties U.S. House of Representatives on Citizens United at 10: The Consequences for Democracy and Potential Responses by Congress - https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU10/20200206/110456/HHRG-116-JU10-Wstate-WeintraubE-20200206.pdf