Press Releases

Task Force Leads Effort to Stop Controversial Spending Bill Provisions That Would Increase Secret Money in Politics

More Than 100 Members Urge Congressional Leaders to Remove Harmful Policy Riders That Would Give Wealthy Special Interests Even More Power in Washington
Mar 14, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today led more than 100 Members of Congress in opposing several controversial campaign finance provisions that might be slipped into this year’s spending bill. The provisions would allow wealthy and well-connected donors to pump billions of dollars in additional campaign money into our elections and would increase the amount of secret money in politics.

New “Sunshine Week” Video Highlights the Trump Administration’s Unprecedented Cloud of Secrecy

Mar 13, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Rep. John Sarbanes, Chair of the Democracy Reform Task Force, released a new “Sunshine Week” video detailing the cloud of secrecy surrounding the Trump Administration.

Task Force Chair Statement on House Intelligence Committee Republicans Shutting Down the Russia Investigation

Mar 13, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) released the following statement today after Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Committee announced that they would prematurely end the investigation into Russia's 2016 election meddling.

New Democracy Reform Task Force Report Lists 400 Ways the Trump Administration Has Emboldened Lobbyists and Corrupted Politics in Washington, D.C.

Latest Report on Trump Administration’s Conflicts of Interest and Ethical Abuses Shows That President Trump Has Totally Failed to ‘Drain the Swamp’
Feb 26, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today led House Democrats in releasing a new report listing 400 ways that the Trump Administration’s has increased big money in politics, lobbying, backroom dealing and special-interest influence in Washington. The new report, “400 Ways in 400 Days: How the Trump Administration Keeps Flooding the Swamp in Washington,” builds on previous reports unveiled by the Democracy Reform Task Force in November, August and April of 2017.

Task Force Chair Sarbanes Statement on Mueller Indictments of Russian Nationals for 2016 Election Meddling

Feb 16, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) released the following statement today after special counsel Robert S. Mueller III charged 13 Russian nationals and 3 Russian companies with conspiracy for illegally using social media to spread discord among the American public and to support Donald Trump’s campaign while maligning Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

Task Force Chair Sarbanes Joins Bipartisan Group Calling on President Trump to Immediately Fill Vacant Seats on Federal Election Commission

Feb 15, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today joined a bipartisan group of 14 lawmakers in calling on President Donald Trump to fully staff the Federal Election Commission.

Valentine’s Day Special: Wealthy Donors Gush Over the #GOPTaxScam, and Republicans Cash In

Update from the Democracy Reform Task Force Illustrates That Republicans Are Receiving Campaign Donations and Political Support from Wealthy Donors for Passing the #GOPTaxScam
Feb 14, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Democracy Reform Task Force released an update today that shows how Republicans in Congress are raking in campaign donations and political support from wealthy and well-connected campaign donors who are personally benefitting from the GOP Tax Scam that passed Congress in late 2017.

Sarbanes Statement on Trump’s Decision to Block the Release of House Intelligence Democratic Memo

Feb 10, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) issued the following statement today after President Donald Trump blocked the release of a memo authored by House Intelligence Committee Democrats that refutes a misleading and distorted memo authored by House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes:

Sarbanes Statement on the Release of the Nunes Memo

Feb 2, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) released the following statement today after President Donald Trump approved the release of a misleading memo authored by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes.

Democracy Reform Task Force Issues Update Showing the Staggering Amount of Time President Trump Has Spent at His Personal Properties

Trump Spent a Third of His First Year in Office at Trump Properties, Promoting His Businesses and Profiting Off the Presidency
Jan 30, 2018
The Democracy Reform Task Force, led by Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.), today issued an update highlighting the astounding amount of time that President Donald Trump spent at Trump Organization properties during his first year in office.

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