Issue One is an organization that advocates for restricting election-related speech activity. It also seeks to restrict lobbying on local, state, and federal levels. While it purports to be bipartisan and works with former centrist Republican lawmakers, the group is associated with the Democracy Alliance network of liberal mega-donors, which classifies Issue One as a “recommended organization.”¹

History

Issue One was founded in 2014 when two organizations, Fund For The Republic and Americans For Campaign Reform, merged.² The Democracy Alliance, a collection of left-of-center political donors, provided institutional backing to Fund For The Republic, coordinating $1.6 million in financial support for the group in 2014.³ The Democracy Alliance coordinates spending and strategy between the groups in order to defeat conservatives. Issue One has kept its association with the Democracy Alliance.⁴

Influence

Issue One works by educating the public on the issue of campaign finance reform. It also networks with like-minded organizations and people to promote its issues. It also works to make grants to supporting organizations promoting campaign finance reform. Finally, it organizes lawmakers and other “thought leaders” into advocates for campaign finance reform.⁵

One of the ways Issue One tries to draw attention to the issue of campaign finance reform is by coordinating a group of ex-Congressmen to lobby their former colleagues on the issue. The ReFormers Caucus is a bipartisan group of former members of Congress that has been organized by Issue One to promote campaign finance reform on the state, local, and Federal level. ⁶ According to the Huffington Post, former U.S. Senators who are part of ReFormers include former Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), Obama administration Secretary of Defense and U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska), Bill Bradley (D-N.J.), John Danforth (R-Missouri), Richard Lugar (R-Indiana), Carl Levin (D-Michigan), and Alan Simpson (R-Wyoming). Former U.S. Representatives Tim Roemer (D-Indiana), Connie Morella (R-Maryland), Chris Shays (R-Connecticut) and Mike Castle (R-Delaware) are also involved in the campaign.⁷

Finances

In 2015, Issue One raised $4 million and spent $3.3 million. Among the organizations who received grants were the environmentalist organizing group League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, which received $925,000. The liberal Center For American Progress (CAP) received $20,000. The Common Cause Education Fund received $200,000. ⁸

In the past Issue One has received support from Jonathan Soros.⁹ The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation has also funded the group, contributing $1.2 million in 2017.¹⁰

People

Nick Penniman serves as the CEO. Michael Beckel serves as the Manager of Research, Investigations, and Policy Analysis. Kelly Smith Bell is the Development Manager.

Whitney Hatch is the chairman of the board. J.B. Lyon serves as the treasurer. Elisabeth Reynolds serves as the secretary.

The co-chairs for the advisory board are former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley (D-N.J.), former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Nebraska), and former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyoming).

1. “Issue One – Democracy Alliance”. 2017. Democracy Alliance. Accessed August 8 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20210228132905/http://democracyalliance.org/organization/issue-one/.
2. “Issue One – Ballotpedia”. 2017. Ballotpedia.Org. Accessed August 8 2017. https://ballotpedia.org/Issue_One.
3. Markay, Lachlan. “Democracy Alliance Network Revealed.” Washington Free Beacon. May 20, 2014. Accessed April 29, 2019. https://freebeacon.com/politics/exclusive-democracy-alliance-network-revealed/.
4. “Issue One – Democracy Alliance”. 2017. Democracy Alliance. Accessed August 8 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20210228132905/http://democracyalliance.org/organization/issue-one/ .
5. “Issue One – Democracy Alliance”. 2017. Democracy Alliance. Accessed August 8 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20210228132905/http://democracyalliance.org/organization/issue-one/.
6. “Campaign Finance Reform Brings Former Lawmakers Together”. 2015. Huffpost. Accessed August 8 2017. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/campaign-finance-reform-former-lawmakers_us_563bf067e4b0b24aee49b7e7.
7. “Campaign Finance Reform Brings Former Lawmakers Together”. 2015. Huffpost. Accessed August 8 2017. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/campaign-finance-reform-former-lawmakers_us_563bf067e4b0b24aee49b7e7.
8. 2017. Pdfs.Citizenaudit.Org. Accessed August 8 2017. http://pdfs.citizenaudit.org/2016_07_EO/32-0384285_990_201506.pdf.
9. Vogel, Kenneth. 2014. “Fighting Big Donors With Big Dollars”. POLITICO. http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/fundraising-campaign-contributions-money-in-politics-103350.
10. “Issue One – For General Operating Support”. 2017. Hewlett Foundation. Accessed August 8 2017. http://www.hewlett.org/grants/issue-one-for-general-operating-support/.