The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Oct. 23, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

There are developments in a court challenge to questionable Georgia Election Board rules recently struck down by state courts.  The rules are widely seen as inviting partisan obstruction to Georgia’s election results. 

The week of October 13th, two Fulton County judges invalidated a total of seven rules only recently approved by the Georgia Election Board, ruling them too close to the election and with not enough time to properly train election officials, which is what county election officials had warned in their testimony.   

Judge Thomas Cox also determined that the constitution doesn’t grant the Georgia Election Board the authority to pass such sweeping rules, such as giving individual county election board members the power to conduct their own investigation of election results, or to choose not to certify an election. 

The Georgia Republican Party and Republican National Committee challenged Cox’s rulings directly to the Georgia Supreme Court, which has not yet announced if it will hear the appeal.  Rulings by the second judge that the new rules were too close to the election have not yet been challenged.

With only days left before the election, the Georgia Supreme Court could opt to not take the case, or to delay the hearings until after the election, leaving the lower court’s ruling in effect for November 5th.

We’ve linked to local reporting, our past reports  and the groups taking action, at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl. Follow us on Facebook @AmericanDemocracyMinute.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – Georgia State Board of Elections Passes Hand Count Reconciliation Rule Against Recommendations of SOS and County Election Officials
American Democracy Minute –  In Case with 2024 Presidential Election Implications, Georgia Judge Blocks Controversial State Election Board Rules for Hand Counting & Certification
Georgia Supreme Court (via Democracy Docket) – GA Republican Party & RNC Appeal
Georgia Recoder – New Georgia election rules still in play with Harris-Trump election showdown now fast and furious

Groups Taking Action:

Fair Fight Action, Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington (CREW), ACLU GA,  Common Cause GA

Check Your Voter Registration:

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
• Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
• Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
  
  

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Georgia #GeorgiaElectionBoard

The post Republicans Appeal to Georgia Supreme Court to Restore Fringe Georgia Election Board Rulings Struck Down by Lower Courts appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 3, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

On the eve of former President Donald Trump’s first criminal trial, the media has focused on the salacious details, but not as much on the cover-up of less titillating campaign finance violations.  

In 2018, Free Speech for People and Common Cause filed complaints with the notoriously dysfunctional Federal Election Commission regarding campaign finance violations by candidate Donald Trump.  They alleged not only were payments made to keep affairs with Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal quiet, but were covered up with Trump’s participation.  Since the payments attempted to keep the news from affecting his election, they became unreported campaign expenditures and violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act.

While the FEC’s professional staff recommended prosecution, the commission of three Democrats and three Republicans, deadlocked and killed the complaints.   The U.S. Justice Department took action against Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who served over 2 years in jail and home confinement.  But in November 2022, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland chose not to pursue the campaign finance charges against Trump.  

Shortly after, the pending New York State case was filed, alleging not campaign finance violations, but the falsifying of business records.  Because the falsification covered up the federal campaign violations, the actions became a felony under New York law.   The trial begins April 15th in New York.

We have links to the FEC complaints and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

BallotPedia – Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971
Free Speech for People – Trump’s New York trial and the federal government’s failure to enforce campaign finance law
Free Speech for People –  Campaign Finance Complaint Regarding Donald Trump (Karen McDougal)
Federal Election Commission – FIRST GENERAL COUNSEL’S REPORT (Karen McDougal)
Common Cause – Campaign Finance Complaint Regarding Donald Trump (Stormy Daniels)
Federal Election Commission – FIRST GENERAL COUNSEL’S REPORT (Stormy Daniels)
State of New York – Trump Indictment for Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree
Associated Press – Michael Cohen ends prison term after Trump-related crimes
Associated Press – Trump’s New York hush money case is set for trial April 15

Groups Taking Action:
Free Speech for People, Common Cause

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #TrumpCriminalTrials #CampaignFinanceReform #FixtheFEC

The post Despite the Salacious Details, Trump’s Alleged NY ‘Hush Money’ Actions Covered Up Serious Campaign Finance Violations appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 15, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

We reported last month that the Republican National Committee unveiled its 2024 “Bank the Vote” campaign to encourage Republicans to vote early and by mail to mobilize elderly and disabled GOP voters.    Well, never mind.   

After firing 60 RNC staffers last week, Donald Trump’s hand-picked leadership will reportedly drop the Bank the Vote program, according to the Washington Post.  The RNC will instead create an “election integrity” unit headed by no less than notable election denier Christina Bobb, a former OAN host, Dominion Voting Systems defendant, and Trump lawyer embroiled in his classified documents case.

A new RNC lawsuit was filed in Michigan Wednesday, and suits were filed in Mississippi and Arizona earlier this year.   The RNC’s Michigan complaint argues, “Voter fraud is very real in Michigan. Several recent elections have suffered

from voter fraud.”   Since 2006, there have been only 16 voter fraud convictions among 34.9 million Michigan ballots cast, according to the conservative Heritage Foundation.  

Democracy Docket counts 23 active lawsuits in which the RNC is engaged, including mail-in voting, voter ID requirements, voter registration rules and other anti-voter challenges.  Not surprisingly, the majority of those suits are in battleground states like Michigan.

Three real voter fraud cases in Michigan, involving a 2020 ballot tabulation machine tampering scheme by Trump supporters, come to trial soon.  

We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
American Democracy Minute – The RNC Weaves a Tangled Web, Pushing Early & Mail-In Voting to Its Base, While Litigating and Legislating to Limit It In Swing States
Washington Post – (likely paywall) Trump takes control of the RNC with mass layoffs, restructuring
CNN – RNC to add new lawyers focusing on claims of election fraud – including one key figure from 2020 challenges
Democracy Docket – On the Heels of Recent Shakeup, RNC Files Lawsuit in Michigan Seeking to Purge Voters
Democracy Docket – Michigan Voter Purge (RNC)
Heritage Foundation – 16 Cases of Voter Fraud Since 2006
Michigan Secretary of State – Statistics on Michigan Voter Turnout

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #BankYourVote #RNC #ElectionDeniers #VoterSuppression #VotebyMail

The post Never Mind . . . After Trump Shake-Up at RNC, “Bank Your Vote” Mail-In Voting Campaign Dropped, “Election Integrity” Unit Created Instead appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 13, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

A Nevada circuit court judge issued a pair of eyebrow-raising orders March 6th on proposed citizen ballot measures. One order UPHELD a proposed strict and possibly discriminatory voter ID initiative, and the other STRUCK DOWN a measure proposing a pro-voter independent redistricting commission.

The voter ID measure proposes changing the Nevada constitution to implement strict voter ID requirements, limiting the forms of ID which can be used, and requiring identification be added to absentee ballots. A voter sued, arguing Nevada does not provide free IDs, and requiring ID of all voters would amount to a poll tax, prohibited by the U.S. Supreme Court. The voter also argued that the language of the initiative did not provide funds to implement such a mandate.

The judge disagreed, saying the language satisfied the law and did not violate the state constitution’s prohibition of unfunded mandates, but did not appear to address the U.S. Constitutional concerns.

Another pair of ballot initiatives proposed constitutionally establishing an independent redistricting commission. Conservative voters sued, claiming the independent commission was an unconstitutional unfunded mandate. This time, the judge DID find the commission to be an unfunded mandate, and that the ballot initiatives may NOT appear on the ballot.

Appeals in both cases are likely.

We have details on both ballot measures, and the groups taking action, at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Nevada Independent – Judge allows Nevada voter ID ballot measure to move forward
Democracy Docket – Nevada Court Upholds Photo ID Ballot Initiative and Strikes Down Redistricting Initiatives
Repair the Vote – Proposed Ballot Measure Petition Language
NV First Judicial Circuit Court, via Democracy Docket – Decision in Voter Challenge to Voter ID Ballot Initiative
Fair Maps Nevada – Proposed Ballot Measure Petition Language
NV First Judicial Circuit Court, via Democracy Docket – Decision on Challenge to Fair Maps Nevada Ballot Initiative

Groups Taking Action:
Fair Maps Nevada, Let Nevadans Vote Coalition, ACLU Nevada

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Nevada  #NevadaPolitics #FairMaps #VotingRights  #LetUsVote

The post NV Judge Upholds Discriminatory Voter ID Ballot Measure, While Striking Down Another Ballot Measure Establishing an Independent Redistricting Commission appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

Listen!

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

We’ve been spending time this week on the origins & outline of Moore vs. Harper, the important Supreme Court case testing a fringe Constitutional doctrine called the “Independent State Legislature” theory.  If embraced by the majority, it could alter American Democracy as we’ve known it for 235 years.

At stake is whether state legislatures have ultimate authority over elections:  Higher authority than federal statutes and courts, higher than state supreme courts, and higher than a Governor’s veto.    The U.S. Supreme Court has already said in 2019 that only state courts have the authority to decide partisan redistricting and gerrymandering cases.  That decision essentially greenlighted widespread gerrymandering in the 2020 redistricting process.

The Brennan Center for Justice and other scholars suggest that with unchecked power, legislatures could change the slate of electors for a Presidential election, or overturn election results.  Ballot initiatives could be nullified.  State legislatures could ignore the U.S. or state constitution’s voting rights provisions and establish new, more draconian barriers to voting.  Existing state laws like early voting or voting by mail could be repealed without the check of a gubernatorial veto.  

In short, the impact of Moore v. Harper could reshape American democracy, and it could be one of the most consequential and destructive Supreme Court decisions of our time.

More on the case and groups taking action can be found at American Democracy Minute.org.  For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.

The post ADM for Oct. 6, 2022: What are the Impacts if the U.S. Supreme Court Majority Embraces the Independent State Legislature Theory? appeared first on American Democracy Minute.