Tom Moore

Alex Jones, who unapologetically caused Sandy Hook victims' families untold pain with the vilest of lies, has just been welcomed back to this platform with Elon Musk’s open arms. So I'm done here. I thank my dear friend @dtofig for his lead on this. Find me on Threads @thmoore.

@MaxMMillerAT @dylanhenrich @amprog I invite you to read the paper. Set aside whether or not they should be awarded any constitutional rights at all. If you cut off the power, you don’t even need to have that discussion. When a state redefines corporations instead of regulating them, it wields immense authority.

@thmoore @dylanhenrich @amprog But this is the issue as I see it with recognizing ANY constitutional rights for the corporate form. It is created by the people through an authorizing statute, but can then appeal to the Constitution to invalidate restrictions placed upon it by the people? It’s nonsensical.

It’s also important to remember that the people NEVER ratified corporate personhood under the Constitution — that idea came entirely from lobbyists and the judiciary. It’s the most harmful example of legislation from the bench America has ever had.

@MaxMMillerAT @dylanhenrich @amprog To be a little more precise: States grant corporations their powers, and rights flow from those powers. But there is no requirement that states give their corporations any particular power, including the power to spend in politics. And if there’s no power, there’s no right.

@dylanhenrich @amprog @thmoore States don’t let them have Constitutional rights really, that came from corp challenges to democratic laws. It’s the courts that bestowed that irrational power to corporations. But I’ll check out your article.

@MaxMMillerAT @dylanhenrich @amprog It’s spellbinding, man. Enjoy!

@CommishSmith Hey, that’s sweet, Brad! Thanks for noticing! Now, if you’d like to *substantively* respond to CAP’s Corporate Power Reset reform (not “reform”), I invite you to do so! Details are here: amprog.org/cpr But if you’d just like to play word games, that’s up to you.

2000: Campaign finance "reform" rhetoric: "Until we can get meaningful national campaign reform, Montana's citizens will continue to have their voices drowned out by outside spending." David Ponder, Montana Public Interest Group, 2002: Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act ("McCain-Feingold") passed. 2010: Citizens United decision by Supreme Court. 2000--2025: The entire makeup of the Federal Election Commission turns over twice; newspapers and legacy media fade and blogs and social media rise as sources of campaigning; contribution limits change; several states enact "public financing" of campaigns... 2025: Campaign finance "reform" rhetoric: "Super PACs and dark money nonprofits have poured billions into politics while ordinary citizens’ voices have been drowned out." Tom Moore, Center for American Progress, proposing campaign finance "reform" for Montana. The law changes; Supreme Court doctrine changes; the makeup of the Federal Election Commission changes; how candidates campaign changes ... but reform rhetoric never changes.

@deniskguenette @mjbeckel @davidsirota @LeverNews @IssueOneReform Thanks for the question! The Montana Plan goes a step behind rights and addresses the the powers states give their corporations in the first place. ATP v. Bullock was about regulation; this is about redefinition. Makes all the difference. Thanks for the shout-out, @mjbeckel!

@mjbeckel @davidsirota @LeverNews @IssueOneReform So my Q is: What can be done about that?

In Montana, there's a proposed ballot measure to eliminate corporate and dark money spending in elections. @davidsirota @LeverNews examine this new proposal, citing @IssueOneReform's new poll that shows Montanans overwhelming support this idea levernews.com/the-montana-pl…

The @FEC's death by decapitation is part of this Administration's broader attack on fair elections and checks on corruption. My piece in The @guardian: theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

@sesameai: Horizon 1, Project Echo, and Project Aurora sound so interesting! Good luck with your plans!

@SenWhitehouse Why didn’t Democrats hold out for the clean CR? It sounds like it’s not the Republicans who killed that option, it was the Democrats. “We are never going to vote for that” is an opening position, not a final position.

I voted against the horrible MAGA “continuing resolution” — a fake and partisan CR loaded up with executive power for Trump. I hated it. But respected colleagues voted otherwise, and not just to “cave in” versus “stand up.” 🧵

@elonmusk Fuck you, fascist.

😂💯 I’m arguably too transparent!!

@topazlabs Cool!

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Trump has launched a brand-new assault on the rule of law: Trying to illegally fire the Chair of the Federal Election Commission (@FEC).

@der_thrasher @EllenLWeintraub Who’s the replacement, sir?

@thmoore @EllenLWeintraub Commissioners serve six-year, alternating terms, which expire in odd-numbered years. Commissioners serving expired terms may choose to remain until they are replaced...by the President. Her term expired in 2007... At least TRY not to be an idiot.

Chair Ellen Weintraub (@ellenlweintraub) must be kept on the payroll and on the computer systems, her access to FEC HQ unimpeded. The FEC general counsel needs to do her job and enforce the Federal Election Campaign Act. She does NOT need a vote of the Commission to do so.

@EmmyPetrino @FEC You will miss the rule of law when it is gone and they come for you.

@thmoore @FEC Lmao cry more

@fedjudges How do you read that? The discretion’s on her side.

@thmoore "may"

@GregCohen29 @FEC You think when the rule of law is gone your ass is safe? Good luck.

This is, once again, Trump trying to assert that he doesn't need to follow laws that Congress passes, he can just assert powers he has decided the Constitution has granted him. It's breathtakingly illegal and a real step toward destroying our democracy. TIME TO ACT!

Trump is purporting to fire Chair Weintraub in direct violation of federal law: 52 USC § 30106 (a)(2)(B): "A member of the Commission may serve on the Commission after the expiration of his or her term until his or her successor has taken office as a member of the Commission."

IT IS TIME TO ACT. Tell FEC general counsel Lisa Stevenson (lstevenson@fec.gov) that she MUST enforce the law and ignore this illegal act.