June 12, 2020

Contact: Michael Beckel, Research Director

mbeckel@issueoneaction.org, p: 202-888-6770

Issue One Action launches its “Spotlight on the Swamp” project 

The new project finds that D.C. has unequivocally gotten swampier — and outlines ways to fix it

After three years of the Trump administration, the D.C. swamp is getting worse, not better, Issue One Action’s new “Spotlight on the Swamp” project found. 

To make this determination, Spotlight on the Swamp asked three simple questions: 

1. Has lobbyist influence been reduced and the revolving door slowed?

2. Has donor access and the “pay-to-play” system been reduced?

3. Is D.C. more ethical and accountable?

The answer to all three is a resounding no.

“The durability of our democracy is being tested on a daily basis,” said Issue One Action Founder and CEO Nick Penniman. “These practices didn’t start with President Trump, but his time in office has seen the problem dramatically escalate in direct conflict with his campaign promises. Compounded by this failure of leadership, the twin crises of COVID-19 and systemic racism continue to rock our nation. But our country has a history of repairing and renewing itself in times of crisis. We must do so again — and we must do so in a way that includes all voices, including communities of color, who are often cut out of the policymaking process because they can’t pay to play.”

“The facts are abundantly clear. More than ever, Washington, D.C., is a place where wealthy special interests buy access and influence and have an outsized say in government policymaking,” said Issue One Action Executive Director Meredith McGehee. “Congress remains mired in dysfunction, woefully unprepared to fix the systemic problems plaguing our democracy or to assert itself to hold the executive branch accountable. The last few months have laid bare the failures of our current politics. Spotlight on the Swamp seeks to hold our elected leaders in Washington accountable and to show the path forward on government functioning.”

Among Spotlight on the Swamp’s findings: 

• The dividing lines between private business interests and duty to the country are being blurred, including by the president

• Too many members of Congress from both parties spend too much of their time dialing for dollars from special interests

• A troubling number of key officials in the Trump administration have been dogged by conflicts of interest

• Poll after poll shows that Americans’ trust in government remains near historic lows, with Washington paralyzed by partisan polarization

These facts make clear: the time for action is now. To demand accountability and publicize these concerns — as well as the slate of solutions Washington should embrace to address them — the Spotlight on the Swamp project will launch a robust public education campaign, centering on national social media and in states across the country. Spotlight on the Swamp will also be taking the campaign directly to Capitol Hill and the White House, sharing our findings with members of Congress from both parties and administration officials.

Learn more about the range of steps the executive and legislative branch can and should take to drain the swamp.