The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 5, 2025

We reported last year that the Trump transition team had been funding itself through unknown private donations, and refused to sign a General Services Administration transition support memo which limited private donations to $5,000.  The memo was never signed, and the transition’s private donors still haven’t been disclosed.

Nonprofit news site NOTUS reports that previous transition teams disclose that information by February 19th, including for Biden and Trump’s first transition.   In November, Trump’s chief of staff promised to disclose those donors. 

The Presidential Transition Act of 1963 allows money controlled by the GSA to fund Presidential transition expenses, including office space, personnel, IT, and other support services to aid incoming and outgoing administrations.   The GSA budgeted $21.6 million dollars this cycle, according to the Congressional Research Service.  That funding is contingent on the incoming administration signing a memo of understanding, and the Transition Act limits outside donations of $5,000. 

But while Trump’s team agreed on the terms of the new administration’s move into the White House, it refused to sign GSA’s transition support memo, allowing it to sidestep the limits and disclosure requirements.      

So between November 7th and January 20th, it’s likely millions were received from wealthy donors and corporations, and Americans still don’t know who funded its transfer of power, and the influence it bought.  We’ve linked the NOTUS report and GSA’s transition page at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.  

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Oversight – (****2016 – 1st Trump Administration) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION AND DONALD J. TRUMP
U.S. General Services Administration – Transition Memoranda, Reports, and Key Documents
U.S. General Services Administration – Trump Vance 2025 Transition Team Ethics Plan
American Democracy Minute – (2024) The Presidential Transition Turns Into One Big Dark Money Special Interest Swamp
NPR – (2024)  With clock ticking, Trump transition is so far skipping background checks and briefings
NPR – (2024)  Trump team signs a key transition agreement with Biden White House
NOTUS – (Free w/registration) – Donald Trump Still Hasn’t Disclosed His Secret Transition Funders

Groups Taking Action:

Campaign Legal Center, Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (C.R.E.W), Public Citizen 

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #TrumpTransition #DarkMoney #Corruption #DonaldTrump 

The post The Deadline was Feb. 19 and the Trump Transition Team Still Hasn’t Disclosed Its Transition Donors appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for July 20, 2023

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.

Tuesday, Democratic leaders of the U.S. House and Senate re-introduced the Freedom to Vote Act, the sweeping democracy reform bill narrowly defeated in the U.S. Senate in 2022.  

The GOP’s recently introduced American Confidence in Elections Act attempts to nationalize extreme state restrictions on voting.  In contrast, the Freedom to Vote Act dramatically expands and protects access to the polls.  It mandates two weeks of early voting nationwide for federal elections, creates national standards for access to mail-in absentee voting, and outlaws recently-enacted state voter suppression tactics.

Voter ID options would be expanded, and voting accessibility for the disabled required.  Opportunities for voter registration would include automatic voter registration at the DMV, online registration, and same-day registration. New rules would prevent partisan-driven purges of voter lists without adequate notification.

The Freedom to Vote Act also bans partisan gerrymandering, and with the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, restores sections of the Voting Rights Act struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.  Dark money organizations and PACs would be required to disclose their donors, and a voluntary small-donor matching campaign finance system for Congress would be established to reduce the hold of special interests.    

While the bill came close to passage in 2022, its prospects are dimmer this time with a divided House and Senate. 

We have many other details on the bill at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Brennan Center for Justice – Summary: The Freedom to Vote Act

Brennan Center for Justice – Summary: The Many Problems with the GOP-Backed ACE Act Voting Bill
Democracy Docket – House and Senate Democrats Reintroduce the Freedom to Vote Act
U.S. Senate via Democracy Docket – Bill Text for the Freedom to Vote Act 
PBS – Press Conference of Reintroduction of the Freedom to Vote Act
Roll Call – Democrats respond to ‘MAGA extremists’ with rival election bill

Groups Taking Action:
Declaration for American Democracy Coalition*,  Common Cause, ACLU, Public Citizen, People for the American Way, League of Women Voters US *Coalition of 260+ groups

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Get ADM Radio Report email!  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FreedomtoVote #VotingRights 

The post U.S. House & Senate Democrats Reintroduce the Freedom to Vote Act, But It Faces More Hurdles This Session appeared first on American Democracy Minute.