Common Cause Takes Activist Role on Political Spending

The government-watchdog group Common Cause, which has traditionally taken a low-key, policy-oriented approach to its advocacy on ethics and campaign finance, is adopting a more activist stance amid rapid growth in political spending, particularly by right-wing groups, The Washington Post writes.

Common Cause has taken a leading role in campaigns by liberal groups that attack the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch, whose multimillion-dollar support of conservative and libertarian causes has attracted greater attention since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, which lifted limits on corporate political spending.

The groups have also stepped up criticism of justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, who voted with the majority on Citizens United and have spoken at Koch-affiliated events.

The renewed activism is “really getting back to our roots,” said Bob Edgar, the former Democratic member of Congress who heads Common Cause, which was founded in 1970 to support civil rights and oppose the Vietnam War.

From The Chronicle: David Koch ranked No. 45 on the Philanthropy 50 released this week, our annual ranking of the donors who give the most to charity.