Jeffrey Clements's Page
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Postpone Gorsuch Hearings Until Russia Investigation Complete
We call upon the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to postpone the confirmation hearings for Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court until the questions of Russian interference in the election, and potential Trump campaign coordination or collusion, have been fully investigated....
April 19, 2017
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Eric Schneiderman, the New York state attorney general, has hired a top public corruption prosecutor to focus specifically on Donald Trump. In February, Free Speech For People sent an open letter to Attorney General Schneiderman, pointing out that New York state law gives the state attorney gen...
April 19, 2017
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
GSA’s Absurd Decision to Allow Trump to Continue his Hotel Lease
Today, the General Services Administration (the federal government’s property management agency) announced its long-awaited decision on whether the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., was violating its lease from the federal government. Unfortunately, the decision allows Trump to con...
April 19, 2017
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Last night, a joint committee of the Connecticut General Assembly took a big step in the movement to push back against Citizens United. The legislature’s joint Government Administration and Elections Committee approved House Bill 5589. With the leadership of Senator Ted Kennedy Jr. and House Sp...
April 19, 2017
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Texas to Consider Bill for 28th Amendment to Overturn Citizens United
Tomorrow, Thursday, March 30th, there will be a public hearing for bill HCR 34 before the Select Committee on House State and Federal Power and Responsibility in the Texas Legislature. The bill, sponsored by Representative Rafael Anchia, urges Congress to propose and submit to the states for ra...
April 19, 2017
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Boston.Com: Where did Cambridge’s Trump impeachment resolution come from—and what’s the end game?
Earlier this week, Cambridge made headlines as the fifth city in the nation and the first in Massachusetts to pass a resolution calling on Congress to launch an impeachment investigation of President Trump. Nik DeCosta-Klipa of Boston.Com reports on how “supporters oft he impeachment resolutio...
April 19, 2017
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
The following article is republished courtesy of Marla Goldberg-Jamate. The original posting can be found on The Spectator of Amherst. Amherst Town Meeting has not shied away from taking a stand on national issues, and when the body of 254 citizens assembles on April 26, it will consider a res...
April 19, 2017
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Event: Queer+Trans Concerns Around Democracy, Money & Politics
Free Speech For People will be hosting a conversation with Black and Pink, the Mass Trans Political Coalition, and Demos about how we can promote democracy for the Trans and Queer community by getting big money out of politics. Many of our current laws do not reflect the wants or needs of the q...
April 19, 2017
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Watch Ben Clements & John Bonifaz Speak in Berkeley For the Campaign To Impeach Donald Trump
On Monday, March 27th, organizers and citizen leaders from across the Bay Area packed the Center For Faith & Justice in Berkeley for a special panel and Q/A discussion on the campaign to impeach President Trump. Speakers for the event included: John Bonifaz, Co-Founder and President, Free ...
April 19, 2017
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Op-Ed: Texas Should Help Overturn Citizens United
Free Speech For People staff member and Austin resident, Aspen Webster authored an op-ed published today in the Austin-American Statesman on why “Texas Should Help Overturn Citizens United.” Texas lawmakers will decide today on whether to approve Texas Bill H.C.R. 34 for the full legislature to...
April 19, 2017
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
The Hill: We the Millennials, In Order To Form a More Perfect Democracy
Free Speech For People’s counsel and resident millennial, Scott Greytak, is published today in The Hill. Greytak explains how and why millennials will take leadership in restoring our democracy. He writes, “From the 35,000-foot view, it’s easy to see that millennials have the most to lose from ...
October 4, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Scott Greytak on the Thom Hartmann Show
The post Scott Greytak on the Thom Hartmann Show appeared first on Free Speech for People.
October 4, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Join FSFP & Ben Cohen TODAY For A Special Facebook Live Event
Today! Don’t miss the chance to ask Ben Cohen your questions about democracy reform, stamping money out of politics, and how he’s working to #FightBigMoney. Tune in to our Facebook page at 9p EST/6p PST for our live chat. You can ask your questions in the comments section. The post Join FSFP &...
September 30, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Tell Lester Holt: First Debate Democracy
“A central question facing the nation today is whether America will live up to its promise of democracy and political equality for all. We urge Lester Holt of NBC News, as the moderator of this year’s first presidential debate, to ensure that the candidates debate first the health of our dem...
September 30, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
FEC Commissioner Ann Ravel: Debate For Democracy
In an oped published to US News & World Report, FEC Commissioner Ann Ravel says that the first presidential debate “offers a signature moment” to “address people’s concerns about the state of our representative democracy.” We couldn’t agree more. Ravel writes, The presidential election sea...
September 30, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
The Intercept: FEC Republicans Kill Attempt to Block Foreign Money in U.S. Elections
Today, The Intercept published news on the latest FEC attempt to block foreign money from U.S. elections. Spoiler Alert: The commission’s Republicans killed it. As The Intercept reports, a new proposal to set new regulations that would limit the flow of money from foreign-owned or influenced co...
September 30, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
LA Times: The Story of CA’s Prop 59 Ballot to Overturn Citizens United
Today, The Los Angeles Times, tells the story of how California’s Proposition 59, The Overturn Citizens United measure, came to be and how it landed on this November’s ballot. The story begins, “Wen she sat down at a Starbucks in Torrance a few years ago, Michele Sutter was desperately looking...
September 30, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Watch FSFP & Allies Support YES on CA 59 To Overturn Citizens United
On Friday, September 23, YES On Prop. 59 coalition members held a press briefing and Q/A session to educate California voters on the ballot initiative calling on state Representatives to overturn Citizens United with a constitutional amendment. Free Speech For People joined the co-author of SB...
September 30, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
“St. Pete, let’s take a bite out of Citizens United”
Last week, The Weekly Challenger, published a piece by Councilmember Lisa Wheeler-Brown and local activist Karen Lieberman on our work in St. Petersburg, to end super PACs and foreign-influenced corporate spending. Money in politics—who doesn’t want to get money out of politics? Too many good ...
September 30, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
FSFP Welcomes Fall 2016 Interns To Our Legal Advocacy Program
Free Speech For People is proud to announce our new 2016 Fall Law Clerks. We welcome these scholars to our Legal Advocacy Program and we look forward working with them in the coming months. Ritika Bhakri, Boston College Law School Ritika Bhakhri is a second-year law student at Boston College La...
September 30, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
FSFP Proudly Welcomes Jasmine Gomez as the Winner of the 2016-18 Democracy Honors Fellowship
Free Speech For People is pleased to announce that Jasmine Gomez has joined our legal advocacy team as the recipient of the 2016-18 Democracy Honors Fellowship. Ms. Gomez, who recently graduated from Boston University Law School, will work with Legal Director Ron Fein on advancing the national...
September 9, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
The Recorder: Push is on for political finance reform
The Recorder in Greenfield, Massachusetts covers the campaign finance reform efforts across the country, from an anti-corruption measure in Washington State to local political reform efforts in Massachusetts. Free Speech For People President, John Bonifaz, discusses in the article the cross-par...
August 31, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
John Bonifaz, Scott Greytak & John Nichols Discuss A City Ordinance to End Big Money
On Friday, July 15, Free Speech For People organized a panel on, “Bold Strategies for Achieving Political Equality Through a New Supreme Court” at the Netroots Nation 2016 conference, held in St. Louis Missouri. Free Speech For People Co-founder John Bonifaz, Counsel Scott Greytak, and The N...
August 15, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Federal Appeals Court: Criminal Corruption Charge Involving Super PAC Donations Can Proceed
Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit rejected an appeal by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) in a federal corruption case. The grand jury indictment, which we’ve written about here, alleges a pattern of quid pro quo corruption and bribery involving Sen. Menendez and a contributor, D...
August 15, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Watch Our Netroots Nation 2016 Panel In St. Louis Missouri
On Friday, July 15, Free Speech For People organized a panel on, “Bold Strategies for Achieving Political Equality Through a New Supreme Court” at the Netroots Nation 2016 conference, held in St. Louis Missouri. Panelists Include: John Nichols, Journalist and Author, National Affairs Correspo...
August 15, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
John Nichols & Spencer Overton Discuss Money In Politics
The Nation Magazine’s John Nichols discusses money in politics with Spencer Overton, President President of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and George Washington University Professor of Law. The post John Nichols & Spencer Overton Discuss Money In Politics appeared firs...
August 15, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Jamie Raskin, John Nichols & John Bonifaz Discuss the Wealth Primary & Money in Politics
John Nichols of The Nation discusses the wealth primary with Free Speech For People Cofounder John Bonifaz and Jamie Raskin, Maryland State Senator and Professor of Law at American University’s Washington College of Law. The post Jamie Raskin, John Nichols & John Bonifaz Discuss the Wealth...
August 15, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Former Montana Supreme Court Justice and Free Speech For People Board Member, James C. Nelson and Free Speech For People co-founder, Jeff Clements coauthored an op-ed with the Billings Gazette on “Why Montanans Should Support 28th Amendment.” According to Nelson and Clements, “American democra...
August 15, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
Watch: St. Petersburg City Council Hearing on Proposed Ordinance to #FightBigMoney
On July 21, 2016, the St. Petersburg City Council voted 6-1 to move forward for consideration our proposed ordinance to abolish super PACs and ban foreign corporate money in local elections. Free Speech For People, American Promise-Tampa Bay, the League of Women Voters of St. Petersburg, and ot...
August 15, 2016
Jeffrey Clements posted a blog post
PAC It Out: St. Pete’s Effort to Curb Outside Spending in Local Races
Professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, Rae Claire Johnson and Darden Rice are interviewed in a new piece on the proposed St. Petersburg ordinance, posted to Tampa Bay: Creative Loafing, a news and culture blog. While some cities have responded to Citizens United either by passing symbolic resolut...
August 15, 2016
Jeffrey Clements is now a member of Berrett-Koehler Community