The People’s Watchdog Newsletter - February 14

This week's Common Cause newsletter is just a 6.5 minute read at 900 words.

Saturday, February 14, 2026 👋 Hi Pamela! Happy Saturday. In the Watchdog Newsletter, we share what you need to know to hold power accountable from the nonpartisan source you can trust. This watchdog doesn't give in to pressure from presidents. This week's Common Cause newsletter is just a 6.5 minute read at 900 words. 💲 Trump is Suing the IRS... And Himself In case you missed it, President Donald Trump is suing himself for $10 billion. Technically, it's actually Trump, his family, and his businesses suing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the leak of Trump's tax returns years ago. There's just one major problem: the IRS operates under the executive branch, meaning it answers to the president. As Trump himself put it, "I'm supposed to work out a settlement with myself." This isn't just unusual — it raises serious questions about conflicts of interest and abuse of power. That's why Common Cause, alongside former IRS commissioners, filed a legal brief urging the court to take a closer look. We asked the court to: Address the serious conflict of interest at the heart of the case, Scrutinize the extraordinary request over the $10 billion damages claim, Consider delaying proceedings until Trump is out of office, and Ensure that independent legal counsel — not lawyers tied to any party in the case — oversee key decisions.   No president should be able to influence a lawsuit involving an agency they control. This is how we protect the rule of law and hold power accountable. 💰The GOP Wants to Make It "MEGA" Costly to Vote Congressional Republicans' latest attempt to stop Americans from voting is taking the form of modern-day poll taxes. The SAVE and MEGA Acts would make it harder to vote by requiring Americans to present specific forms of identification, like a REAL ID, at the polls. Nearly 146 million Americans don't have a passport — that's about half the population. Millions of voters would have to track down and pay for documents like a passport, birth certificate, or marriage certificate just to cast a ballot. This creates more red tape for married women, transgender people, and naturalized citizens. Depending on the state, these documents can cost anywhere from $10 to $1,000, creating a real financial barrier for people living paycheck to paycheck. Voting should never come with a price tag. We're making sure that our democracy isn't pay to play. 🛑 No More Funding for DHS Without Accountability The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) partially shut down this weekend after lawmakers paused a funding bill amid ongoing negotiations over immigration enforcement reforms. This is a direct result of sustained efforts from Common Cause members across the country demanding accountability. By making noise over ICE's violent conduct and pushing Congress to confront these issues head-on in funding negotiations, we the people forced real scrutiny of DHS leadership and operations. Common Cause took this message directly to lawmakers and the public, including mobilizing members nationwide to urge their representatives to act. Doubling down on our demands, Common Cause and other leading civil rights groups sent a letter to congressional leadership demanding no additional funding for DHS until ICE is out of our communities and Secretary Noem is gone. Our demands include: Removing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem from leadership, Halting ICE operations nationwide until reforms are in place, Full cooperation with independent investigations into civil rights violations and deadly incidents, and Structural reforms to ensure accountability and protect our communities. We're making it clear: not one more penny for ICE until there are real, enforceable changes. Join us and tell Congress: fund accountability, not unchecked power. 📱 Our Favorite Post 👀 ICYMI We're working so hard to protect our democracy, we could write you a novel instead of a newsletter. Instead, here are the top headlines you don't want to miss: Nebraska 🌽: We're defending voter privacy by appealing a court ruling that would give the DOJ access to nonpublic voter data. Your personal information belongs to you, not to D.C. bureaucrats. Read more here. Pennsylvania 🔔: In partnership with the ACLU, we released a report outlining simple fixes to improve Pennsylvania's absentee ballot curing process, so voters are notified quickly and given a fair chance to fix mistakes. Learn how we're pushing for more accessible ballot protections. Wisconsin 🧀: We're standing up for the constitutional right to vote whether you cast an absentee ballot or vote or in person. Every eligible voter deserves to have their vote counted without political interference. See how we're defending voting rights in Wisconsin. 📊 By the Numbers 🗞️ Kicker Quote 👕 Wear Your Values If you're not following Common Cause, you're not getting the truth. If you were forwarded this newsletter and want to sign up too, click here. For updates, follow us on X [Twitter], Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and TikTok. Common Cause is a leader in fights that matter at the local and state level. Your support helps us fight special interests, hold elected officials accountable, and build a better democracy for all Floridians. DONATE Interested in volunteering with our Action Team? Sign up here. 333 3rd Ave N, Unit 427 St. Petersburg Fl, 33701 202.833.1200 https://commoncause.org Common Cause's work to defend and strengthen our democracy is powered by members like you. You can use this link to unsubscribe or let us know you'd like to receive fewer emails from us.

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