The Rest of Us :: Press Clips

Elder Bush to Highlight Governor's Fundraisers, San Jose Mercury News, 7/20/2006

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will receive some high-profile help raising cash today as former President George H.W. Bush headlines fundraisers for him in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. Schwarzenegger was swept into office, in part, because of disgust over former Gov. Gray Davis' prodigious fundraising -- which Schwarzenegger has since outpaced. Since pushing the after-school initiative Proposition 49 in 2002, Schwarzenegger has raised more than $110 million for his campaigns and causes, according to an analysis by the government watchdog group TheRest ofUs.org.

Now, he aims to collect $75 million for his re-election bid, with the help of GOP heavyweights including Bush and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Because donors can give only two $22,300 contributions to the governor's re-election account, Schwarzenegger is also raising funds for the California Republican Party.

Democrat Phil Angelides, who hopes to deny the governor a second term, is bringing out his party's luminaries for fundraising help, too. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton headlined a $1,000-a-head breakfast for Angelides this month, and former President Bill Clinton will star in an Aug. 1 dinner in Los Angeles.

``It's more of the same from these guys,'' said Ned Wigglesworth, an analyst with TheRestofUs.org. ``Both Phil and Arnold have said that they're interested in campaign finance reform. Neither has done anything about it, while at the same time raising money hand over fist at glitzy fundraisers.''

Governor's Campaign Advisor Under Scrutiny For Consulting Job, KXTV, 7/18/2006

At a time when the governor's office is negotiating legislation that would ease regulations on the telecommunications industry, Gov. Schwarzenegger' top campaign adviser is receiving money from AT&T to consult on marketing strategy, according to a report in The Los Angeles Times.

Government watchdogs say the relationship, at the very least, gives the appearance of a conflict of interest. "Depending on the scope of his duties within the Schwarzenegger operation, Dowd’s contract may or may not be a conflict of interest, but it looks corrupt regardless," said Ned Wigglesworth of the watchdog group, TheRestofUS.org. "Not only is Dowd getting paid to advise the governor on a broad swath of issues, he’s on the payroll of a telecom giant that is pushing Gov. Schwarzenegger to sign legislation worth billions."

"These implications are nonsense -- pure and simple," said Katie Levinson, a spokeswoman for the governor's campaign. His campaign staff also said neither Dowd nor his consulting firm have done anything improper.

TheRestofUS.org is skeptical. "As anyone who’s been watching Gov. Schwarzenegger’s actions this year will tell you, there’s an undeniable connection between the governor’s policy and political agendas in this election year, making it even more likely that Dowd’s actions cross the line," Wigglesworth said.

Issue revisits Lewis - Lobby concern raised in 1974, San Bernardino Sun, 7/5/2006

The criticism centered upon Jerry Lewis' close ties with lobbyists. The claim suggested he was being bought by lobbying interests who were more than willing to fill his campaign coffers. The accusation was made in 1974 by his opponent in a race for the state Senate, which Lewis eventually lost. Ruben Ayala, Lewis' opponent in 1974, noted that two-thirds of the $130,000 that Lewis raised came from 43 donors - 22 of whom were Sacramento lobbyists.

Ned Wigglesworth, executive director of the Sacramento watchdog group TheRestofUs.org, said the issue shows Lewis has a track record of trading on his relationships with lobbyists. "He gets the campaign funds, and the lobbyists are getting some return on their investments," Wigglesworth said.

Schwarzenegger Campaign to Pay $202,200 Fine, Los Angeles Times, 7/1/2006

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign has agreed to pay a $202,200 penalty for failing to properly report more than $25 million in campaign donations during the special election last year, the state Fair Political Practices Commission said Friday. In documents released Friday, the commission found that Schwarzenegger's California Recovery Team, created to advance the governor's causes, failed to report in a timely way millions of dollars in donations that were used to buy TV advertising pushing four initiatives on the November ballot. It found 143 delinquent reports on $25.6 million in expenditures.

Ned Wigglesworth, a campaign finance expert with TheRestOfUs.org, a Sacramento nonprofit, said voters "weren't walking into the ballot box blind," but for a time "they were deprived of some of the information they should have had" about the governor's donors.

Prison guards give $22,300 to Angelides--but don't endorse him, Capitol Weekly, 6/29/2006

California's prison guards have given Democratic gubernatorial challenger Phil Angelides a maximum $22,300 donation, but representatives for the powerful union say the contribution does not constitute an endorsement. Ned Wigglesworth, an analyst with TheRestofUs.org, a campaign-finance watchdog group, said the donation is "a drop in the ocean" for the union and part of its complex political gamesmanship.

"It blows up the argument that campaign contributions are some form of free speech," said Wigglesworth. "They are not. In this case, they are a way to gain favor with Mr. Angelides or to send a message to Schwarzenegger. This is all part of their political game."

World Cup Tickets to Help Fund Ballot Measures, Los Angeles Times, 6/17/2006

In a new twist on political fundraising, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez is selling World Cup soccer-match tickets to raise money for measures on the November ballot — including, possibly, a measure to adjust lawmakers' term limits. For $25,000, corporations can send representatives to Berlin to attend three World Cup matches with Nuñez, an avid soccer fan. The package includes the match tickets, three nights in a hotel, travel to the soccer stadium and tickets for pregame parties, but not the airfare to Europe.

Ned Wigglesworth, an analyst with the campaign-finance watchdog group TheRestof US.org, said it seems that Nuñez is "ramping up the bells and whistles" to entice donors. ... "Certainly there's a level of access that's being bought here," said Wigglesworth. "But people who have this much money to give already have access." Nuñez "is the second- or third-most powerful person in California politics," said Wigglesworth. "He shouldn't have to hawk vacation packages in order to get people to give him political donations."

Nuñez said he supports pending legislation that aims to lessen special-interest influence by financing political campaigns with taxpayer money.

Tsakapoulos Committee Getting Donations From Other Longtime Angelides Supporters, Capitol Weekly, 6/15/2006

The independent-expenditure (IE) committee set up to support Phil Angelides gubernatorial bid remains alive--and has been taking in significant donations from people not named Tsakopoulos.

That donors are supporting both theAngelides campaign and the pro-Angelides IE: "It's just further evidence that independent-expenditure committees are being used as a way to evade contribution limits," said Ned Wigglesworth, an analyst with the campaign finance watchdog group TheRestofUs.org. He added "We're going to see a lot of this."

California has all of the ingredients that lead to extensive use of IE, Wigglesworth said. That is, it's a big, high-stakes state that combines donation limits with expensive costs for running campaigns. The only other large state with similar circumstances is Florida, he said, where use of IE has rapidly expanded in recent years.

The New Political Money Game, San Francisco Chronicle, 6/12/2006

The race for governor this fall could be the most expensive in state history despite new contribution limits aimed at taking big money out of California politics. But some note that Schwarzenegger has maneuvered carefully in an effort to put some of his foes on the sidelines. Blessed with a flood of unanticipated dollars in the upcoming budget, the governor has proposed paying back billions of dollars to public schools, removing a sore point with the teachers union. He's proposed an increase in the minimum wage in an appeal with other labor groups, and he's set to begin contract talks next month with the prison guards.

"There are some disincentives for labor in this race," said Ned Wigglesworth, spokesman for TheRestofUs.org. "Schwarzenegger's strategy may be effective. Labor spent a lot of money last year, and there are some depleted coffers. I'm not sure that Angelides will have all the support he might be depending on."

Independent Spending Tarnishes Golden State Politics, California Progress Report, 6/12/2006

Commentary by Ned Wigglesworth on role of Independent Expenditures in California elections.

Dems, Gov. Tapped Same Spots for Campaign Cash, Capitol Weekly, June 1, 2006
The two leading Democratic candidates for governor have spent months trying to outline the differences between their candidacies and that of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. But breaking down their campaign contributions by ZIP code shows that, although the donors are different, the three candidates are filling their campaign treasury at many of the same troughs.

Ned Wigglesworth, an analyst with TheRestofUs.org, a campaign-finance watchdog group, says that Downtown Sacramento's vested interests and the rich residents in areas like Beverly Hills 90210 and are "easy pickings" for campaign cash. "Political fund raising is an easy cocktail to mix: one part lobbyists, one part millionaires," said Wigglesworth. "You can't spit in Sacramento without hitting a lobbyist, Beverly Hills is the same for millionaires, so it's no surprise that they're among the top donor ZIP codes."

Lewis Subject of Earmarks Investigation, San Diego Union-Tribune, May 12, 2006
But a federal government source told The San Diego Union-Tribune that investigators were probing Lewis' dealings with lobbyist and former Republican Rep. Bill Lowery of San Diego. The source said the investigation was a spin-off from the corruption probe of now-imprisoned former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham.

Since 1993, Lewis has received $88,252 in contributions from Wilkes and his associates. Only two other legislators received more: Cunningham and Republican Rep. John Doolittle from the Sacramento suburbs, both of whom have admitted steering millions of dollars in contracts to ADCS. During the same period, ADCS received more than $90 million in federal contracts, most of it through earmarks from the Appropriations Committee.

“From the standpoint of the average American citizen, that smells,” said Ned Wigglesworth, executive director of TheRestofUs.org, a liberal political watchdog group in Sacramento. “It's good to see that federal investigators have broadened the investigation into Lewis. His relationship with Wilkes has many of the same hallmarks that Cunningham's relationship had.”

Big Money Still Finds Its Way to Hot Races, Sacramento Bee, May 26, 2006
Business, labor, environmentalists, Indian tribes and others are funneling millions of dollars through dozens of independent expenditure committees, exercising influence at arm's length from political candidates who either benefit from the big money or feel its bite. ... "The spending by these committees blows a hole in California's contribution limits," said Ned Wigglesworth of the campaign reform group TheRestofUs.org.

Lawmaker Vargas' Ties to Insurers Questioned, San Diego Union Tribune, April 30, 2006.
Vargas doesn't see a problem with taking campaign money and gifts from an industry affected by legislation that his committee considers, but Reimus and consumer and watchdog groups certainly do. .... Ned Wigglesworth, an analyst with TheRestofUs.org, a nonprofit government watchdog group, said such perks “(make) it all the more likely that the insurance industry believes that it will benefit from its campaign contributions to Vargas and his election to office.”

AT&T, Nunez Swing for Green, Los Angeles Times, April 29, 2006.
Ned Wigglesworth, analyst with the campaign finance watchdog group therestofus.org, called the appearance of Nuñez's attendance at the AT&T fundraiser "awful." "From the perspective of it actually influencing Nuñez, we have no way of knowing," said Wigglesworth, "but it very well could. When you're speaker of the California Assembly you're held to a higher standard and you have a responsibility to avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest."

Report: 'Duke' Investigated in Links to Prostitutes, North County Times, April 27, 2006.
After reading the story, the Sacramento-based watchdog organization TheRestofUs.org called on any elected officials with ties to Wade and Wilkes to declare if they had any knowledge of what the Journal reported. "We call on all those elected officials with ties to Brent Wilkes and Mitch Wade to come clean about whether Wade and Wilkes procured 'in any fashion' sexual partners on their behalf ... particularly those members among the top recipients of campaign contributions from these men," TheRestofUs spokesman Ned Wigglesworth said in a prepared statement.

No Surprise in Bush Visit Given Area's History, Palm Springs Desert Sun, April 21, 2006. "Ned Wigglesworth, an analyst for TheRestofUs.org, a nonpartisan watchdog group opposed to the role of big money in politics, said California is one of four 'mega-donor' states 'that the parties tend to use as cash machines' - joining Florida, Texas and New York. ... Only a handful of people can afford to donate even $1,000 to a candidate or party, let alone the $25,000 maximum allowable contribution to national political committees, Wigglesworth said.

'When you see the same people contributing the big bucks year after year, it's just more evidence that government in Washington and Sacramento isn't as representative as it should be,' he said."

Another Call for Passage of SB 1, Wisconsin Radio Network, April 20, 2006. "Derek Cressman, director of TheRestofUs.org, notes that ten current legislators were mentioned in the trial of former Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen. Cressman is calling on those lawmakers to demand an up or down vote on Senate Bill 1."

That legislation, authored by state Senator Mike Ellis, would combine the state ethics and elections boards. SB-1 has passed the state Senate but faces an uncertain future in the Assembly. That's where Cressman believes a little pressure will help. "I think a handful of phone calls from citizens to those legislators could make a big difference," said Cressman.

Backers of Ads Skirt Rules on Disclosure, Los Angeles Times, April 16, 2006. Ned Wigglesworth, an analyst with TheRestofUs.org, a government watchdog group in Sacramento, called the chamber campaign a "sham." "We have limits so that wealthy interests don't gain a disproportionate say in the election process," he said. "These sham issue ads are a way to enable wealthy interests to have a disproportionate say."

California Campaign Finance, Insight with Jeffrey Callison - Capitol Public Radio, April 13, 2006.
Wide-ranging roundtable discussion of California campaign finance law and possible reforms with Duf Sundheim (Chairman of California Repulbican Party), Ned Wigglesworth (TheRestofUs.org), John Burton (former president pro tem of CA Senate), Donna Gerber (California Nurses Association), Shane Goldmacher (reporter for Capitol Weekly), Armando Viramontes (Legislative aide for Loni Hancock, author of clean money bill), and John Simms (professor at McGeorge School of Law).

(See Derek's blog on the show for some interesting details.)

Mega-Deal Eyed on Term Limits, Campaign Finance, and Redistricting, Capitol Weekly, April 13,2006. Though still a long shot, it is increasingly likely that efforts to change the state's election-financing system, the state's initiative process, the way the state draws legislative and Congressional districts and a possible tweak of the state term-limits law may all be folded into a monster
end-of-session package. Though the measures would not literally be linked, there are now talks under way to try to move all four measures as a group. Many in the activist community aren't popping champagne corks just yet. "I'm not holding my breath," says Ned Wigglesworth of therestofus.org.

Only Rich Need Apply - CA Gubernatorial Elections, San Jose Mercury News, April 5, 2006
"Critics charge that the rise of wealthy candidates is skewing the state's lawmaking apparatus in favor of the financially powerful and leaving the interests of the poor even more remote to politicians.

'At its most base level, the sheer wealth of these candidates shows that representative democracy in California isn't representative at all,' said Ned Wigglesworth, an analyst with TheRestofUs.org, a non-partisan government watchdog group. 'These are wealthy, white individuals and that makes it that much harder for them to represent all of California's diversity.''

Rob Reiner Resigns from State Commission, Sacramento Bee, March 30, 2006
"Actor-director Rob Reiner resigned Wednesday as chairman of the California Children and Families Commission following months of controversy over whether the state agency improperly spent $23 million of public money on advertising that benefited the campaign for Reiner's universal preschool initiative....

.... 'Reiner's resignation does nothing to undo the damage done to the initiative process by spending public dollars for campaign purposes,' said Ned Wigglesworth of TheRestofUs.org, a nonpartisan campaign watchdog group.

As first reported by The Bee in December, the furor arose after First 5 spent $23 million on a television and radio advertising campaign touting the merits of preschool that aired throughout the winter. Though the ads did not mention the ballot initiative, opponents of Proposition 82 - anti-tax groups among them - charged that it was clearly connected."

Personal Funds Give Edge to Westly in CA Democratic Primary, San Jose Mercury News, March 23, 2006
Democractic gubernatorial candidate Steve Westly has an $8.5 million advantage over opponent Phil Angelides as of March 17 campaign filings, due largely to Westly sinking more than $22 million of his personal fortune into the race. From the article: Both Democrats are flush with cash, and their fundraising will probably only intensify, but political observers say it's increasingly clear Westly's wealth could decide the June 6 election. He already has poured nearly $22.5 million into his campaign.

``It's a big enough discrepancy now it could affect the outcome of the race,'' Ned Wigglesworth, an analyst with TheRestofUs.org, a nonpartisan government watchdog group, said of Westly's $8.5 million advantage. ``Commercials are very influential, and most people say it takes a couple million bucks a week to run a television campaign. . . . Angelides may have to start picking his markets.''

Reporters Grill Reiner Over First 5 Preschool Ad Funding, ABC 10, KXTV - Sacramento, March 14, 2006
Same story as below.

Reiner Defends Spending Public Dollars on Ad Campaign Supporting Ballot Initiative, ABC7 News, KGO-TV - San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, March 14, 2006
Rob Reiner, the actor-director turned preschool activist, defended himself Tuesday and a series of ads touting universal preschool -- ads that were paid for with taxpayer money. Reiner insists the ads aren't connected to Proposition 82 on the June ballot. Ned Wigglesworth, campaign finance analyst, "These are taxpayer dollars being used to push a ballot initiative. That's illegal, in general."

New California Assembly Minority Leader Has Ties to Cunningham-Linked Contractor Brent Wilkes, San Diego Union-Tribune, March 8, 2006.
New California Assembly Minority Leader George Plescia received nearly $20,000 in campaign contributions from Brent Wilkes and his associates. Wilkes has been identified as a co-conspirator in Cunningham's bribery case. Plescia's wife, Melissa Dollaghan, formerly served as government relations manager for ADCS, Wilkes' company. Ned Wigglesworth, spokesman for TheRestofUs.org, a campaign watchdog group, said his research showed that Plescia received a total of $19,000 from Wilkes, his employees and his associates. He called on Plescia to give the money back to charity. “We aren't aware of any evidence that Plescia has done anything wrong,” Wigglesworth said. “However, Plescia can and should clear up any hint of impropriety by returning all the Wilkes-related contributions."

California Assemblymember Vargas Under Fire for Connections to Insurance Industry, San Diego Union-Tribune, March 4, 2006.
Assemblyman Juan Vargas, criticized by some homeowners for opposing consumer-oriented changes in insurance laws, accepted nearly $2,000 for a golf trip and more than $500 in meals from the insurance industry last year, state documents show. Vargas is chairman of the Assembly Insurance Committee, which oversees legislation affecting the industry. During the past three years, Vargas has received $254,660 in contributions from insurance industry sources to his state campaign funds and $73,458 to his federal campaign fund, according to figures compiled by TheRestofUs.org, a campaign watchdog group.

“The insurance industry's enormous clout in Sacramento is tied to their political contributions, like those they gave to Mr. Vargas,” said Ned Wigglesworth, from TheRestofUs.org.

Wade Names Two Other Lawmakers, North County Times, February 25, 2006.
In addition to Duke Cunningham, two other Republican representatives, Virgil Goode of Virginia and Katherine Harris of Florida, received a combined $78,000 in illegal campaign contributions from Mitchell Wade, federal authorities said. Wade funneled $46,000 to Goode between 2003 and 2005. Harris, the former Florida election official at the heart of the 2000 presidential vote count controversy who later was elected to Congress, received $32,000 from Wade, according to court documents filed in Washington. "It is more than a bit disingenuous for Harris and Goode to claim they were completely innocent when they were getting so much money from MZM and Wade and his company," said spokesman Ned Wigglesworth. "Their 'I know nothing' defense might not wash with their constituents."

Pursuit of Cash Outlives Defeat, Sacramento Bee, February 21, 2006.
Although Prop 77 was defeated three months ago, California congressional representatives continue to contribute money to the No on 77 committee. Steve Bing, Hollywood producer and mega-donor, loaned the committee $4 million last year, which members of Congress are scurrying to pay back. In an opinion to California Reps. Howard Berman and John Doolittle last year, the FEC gave members of Congress the go-ahead to raise money for the initiative. The FEC's reasoning was that an earlier FEC opinion prohibiting federal officeholders from soliciting contributions for state ballot measure campaigns was not applicable because members of Congress were not on last year's ballot. Ned Wigglesworth, TheRestofUs.org: ""The FEC gave them the green light, in part on the idea that the members of Congress were not on the ballot."

Pioneering Corruption, TomPaine.com, February 6, 2006.
"I suppose it comes as no surprise that in his State of the Union address, George W. Bush somehow managed to avoid talking about the two biggest scandals rocking the union: Enron's fraud and Jack Abramoff's greed. Both came to a crescendo the same week as his speech, and both involve men who have been important to George W. Bush the politician. "

Big Money, Endorsements, Kick off Campaign Season, KGO-TV, February 2,2006.
Although laws limit individual donations to candidates to $22,300, the campaign watchdog organization TheRestOfUs.org is pushing for more campaign finance reforms. Ned Wigglesworth, TheRestOfUs.org: "Regular California voters don't play any role in determining what kind of candidates we see on the ballot. All the candidates we're going to see right now, Westly, Angelides, Schwarzenegger, all either have tons of their own money or are going out to raise this money from wealthy interests."

Violation of Campaign Donor Limits Suspected, San Diego Union Tribune, January 27, 2006. "TheRestofUs.org alleges that PerfectWave co-founder Max Gelwix of Poway and his business associate William Bain Adams of Bonita might have exceeded campaign contribution limits in 2002 as the company vied for its first federal contract. Federal election laws prohibit individuals from spending more than $25,000 each year on federal political contributions. Gelwix and Adams each contributed $28,000, which doesn't include their contributions to state or local campaigns. 'These guys clearly needed to put as much money as they could into the hands of politicians as quickly as possible, but that pushed them over the limit,' said Ned Wigglesworth, analyst for TheRestofUs.org. "

Vikings Hire High Profile Firm to tout Stadium, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, January 16, 2006. "'They're a big fish, for sure. It's kind of like hiring [nationally known political operatives] Karl Rove or James Carville to run your ballot measure campaign,' said Derek Cressman of TheRestofUs.org, a California-based watchdog group."

Gov's Top Aide to Woo Donors, Los Angeles Times, January 12, 2006. ""The concern is that you are offering donors, in exchange for campaign contributions, access to a decision maker that the rest of us don't have," said Derek Cressman, founder of TheRestofUs.org, a Sacramento nonprofit organization that monitors state and federal campaign finance laws."

Editorial on Redistricting Reform, Orange County Register and Desert Sun, January 9, 2006. "'Everybody agrees something has to be done' to change the system, Derek Cressman, director of TheRestofUs.org, said. ... Mr. Cressman said that, if the Legislature itself crafts something similar to be placed on the ballot, the reformers’ initiative could be withdrawn. 'But the key thing is that it [any redistricting commission] has to be truly independent, not just a sham reform,' he said."

Bush Asked to List Sources of Noe, Abramoff Gifts, Toledo Blade, January 8, 2006. "An activist group called on President Bush yesterday to disclose the sources of all campaign contributions collected by former Toledo-area coin dealer Tom Noe, lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and other Bush "Pioneers" and "Rangers" convicted, indicted, or under investigation on corruption allegations. 'The President should not fall victim to the Nixonian tendency to keep bad things secret,' said Ned Wigglesworth, analyst for TheRestofUs.org, a watchdog group based in California. 'He owes it to himself and the American people to disclose this information so the public can take a closer look at the Pioneers.'"

Redistricting Backers Renew Effort to Change Process, Associated Press, January 5, 2005. ""I think there is broad agreement across the political spectrum that our current political system is broken, and that one of the reasons it is broken is that we have politicians drawing their own political boundaries,' Derek Cressman, director of TheRestofUs.org, a political watchdog group, said Wednesday. 'Democrats, Republicans, independents - everyone agrees that is an inherently corrupt process and it must be changed.'"

Another Remap Plan is Offered, Sacramento Bee, January 5, 2005. "'This effort is a truly independent, grass-roots effort that's not affiliated with any politician or party,' said Derek Cressman, director of TheRestofUs.org, who has helped craft the proposal."

Dow Jones Heir Bought House for Cunningham, San Diego Union Tribune, December 9, 2005. "A reform group called TheRestofUs.org has called on Schwarzenegger to give contributions from Wilkes, his wife, Regina Wilkes, and his company, ADCS Inc., to veterans organizations.Those donations came from money "very likely obtained fraudulently from the taxpayers of the United States," wrote Ned Wigglesworth and Derek Cressman, two officials with TheRestofUs.org.But Schwarzenegger's top fundraiser, Marty Wilson, said the governor has no plans to return money from Wilkes, who served as the co-chairman of fundraising for Schwarzenegger in San Diego County during the 2003 recall election."

Cunningham Figure Gave to Gov, Got Two Board Seats, Los Angeles Times, December 8, 2005. "Ned Wigglesworth of the watchdog group TheRestofUs.org called on Schwarzenegger to return the donations. "'In light of Cunningham's plea agreement … it is certainly incumbent upon the governor to answer whether these appointments were related to the contributions," Wigglesworth said. 'At the very least it is the appearance of quid pro quo and at the very least the governor should answer questions.'"

Ex-Congressman's Home is Sold, San Diego Union Tribune, December 8, 2005. "Meanwhile, a nonprofit watchdog group called on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday to give up campaign donations from Wilkes, one of the contractors identified as a co-conspirator in Cunningham's case. TheRestofUs.org also asked the governor to remove Wilkes from the Del Mar Race Track Board and the State Race Track Leasing Commission. They said Wilkes, his wife and his companies have donated $77,400 to Schwarzenegger's campaign committees, including $21,200 toward his 2006 re-election campaign. "In light of Cunningham's plea and the role Wilkes played in bribing a U.S. congressman to rip off the United States, we call on you to give any money you or your political committees received from Wilkes or any of his companies – money very likely obtained fraudulently from the taxpayers of the United States – to a veterans organization," the group's leaders said in a letter to the governor. "

Donations linked to Checks, Dayton Daily News, November 21, 2006. "'I think it's an unavoidable conclusion that there is a correlation between the amount of campaign cash that is going into Petro's pocket and special counsel contracts that these firms are getting,' said Ned Wigglesworth, an analyst with TheRestofUs.org, a newly formed campaign finance watchdog group based in California. 'Even if everybody else is doing it doesn't make it right,' he said."

The Politicians are Lying to You about Prop. 77, Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Weintraub, November 3, 2005. "While Proposition 77 has been endorsed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, against the advice of many of his Republican Party colleagues, it is also backed by Common Cause, TheRestOfUs.org and CalPIRG, three very independent, grass-roots groups that have been fighting for years to put the job of redistricting in the hands of an independent commission. Some power grab."

Issue 4 supporters cite study to support their stand, Associated Press, October 26, 2006. "The study written by Derek Cressman, founder of an online nonpartisan government watchdog group, said election results last year showed that district boundaries are rigged to favor one party. The candidate favored by the partisan composition of the district won in 115 out of 126 districts considered safe or leaning safe for either the Republican or Democratic parties, according to the study."

Study Highlights Limited Competition in Ohio Election -- System tends to Squeeze out Moderates. Columbus Dispatch, October 26, 2005. "The candidate favored by the partisan composition of the district won in 115 out of 126 districts considered safe or leaning safe for either the Republican or Democratic parties, according to the study written by Derek Cressman, founder of the RestofUs.org, a nonpartisan government watchdog group. "

Some See Link Between Governor's Fundraising and Political Favors, KXTV, October 13, 2005. "'Governor Schwarzenegger is taking millions of dollars from campaign contributors who are getting legislative favors from him,' said Ned Wigglesworth of TheRestofUs.org."

Speaker Nunez Returns Contributions from 5 Dem Politicians, San Francisco Chronicle, September 30, 2005. "'If the speaker is serious about leveling the playing field to compete with Governor Schwarzenegger's initiatives, he should step up his support for a bill like AB709, which Senate Democrats killed in committee this past year, which would apply limits on all donations to candidate-controlled committees,' said Ned Wigglesworth, an analyst with TheRestofUs.org."

Governor Spells Out His Strategy for November Election, KGO-TV, September 21, 2005. "Derek Cressman, TheRestOfUs.org: "It's not that they can't afford it. These people are pretty well off. They just get a bit tired of it."

Failed State, The New Republic, September 5, 2005. "But, as Schwarzenegger began touring nationally to raise money from wealthy donors for his initiatives, erstwhile supporters like Derek Cressman, director of the nonpartisan watchdog group TheRestofUs.org, expressed their disillusionment. 'He told us that he would not need to take money from special interests,' Cressman wrote on his organization's website last February, 'Yet now he's become the Donald Trump of campaign cash--he just can't get enough.' Schwarzenegger's following among independents fell accordingly. In a mid-June Field poll, only 36 percent of moderates and 35 percent of independents said they would vote for his reelection."

California Governor bypassed charities, gave cash back to Noe, Toledo Blade, September 3, 2005. "Ned Wigglesworth, an analyst with California watchdog group TheRestOfUs.org, said the fact that Mr. Schwarzenegger returned the money to Mr. Noe rather than the bureau is a “slap in the face” to Ohioans. "Returning money to a man who appears as though he stole at least $4 million from the people of Ohio is not the best way to make sure the people of Ohio get their money back,' Mr. Wigglesworth said. 'I think it is ridiculous.'”

Signatures Expected to Exceed Number Needed, Associated Press Ohio, August 31, 2005. "Also on Wednesday, a group supporting Reform Ohio Now, which proposed the amendments, said Petro had awarded millions of dollars in contracts and his campaigns have collected thousands of dollars from law firms whose attorneys represent Ohio First. Ned Wigglesworth, a spokesman for TheRestofUs.org, said the relationship 'was threatening to subvert the people of Ohio's clearly expressed demand for reform.'"

Officials React to Charges, New Philadelphia Times-Reporter, August 18, 2005. “Gov. Taft has breached the public trust and very possibly the law. In the absence of a recall process, the people’s representatives in the Ohio General Assembly must investigate and determine whether the governor’s conduct warrants impeachment.” – Ned Wigglesworth of TheRestofus.org, a government watchdog group.

$100k to Watch Stones Concert with Gov, KGO-TV, August 11, 2005. "Derek Cressman, TheRestOfUs.org: 'I don't have a problem if they spend that money to see the stones, but when they're paying that kind of money to influence our election outcomes, there's distortion of democracy.'"

Noe Charged $10,000 Gift to California Governor, Toledo Blade, August 9, 2005. "A California watchdog group said the more-detailed information about Mr. Noe’s contributions to Mr. Schwarzenegger is “another sign of how money has surpassed ethics as the guiding principle” for political candidates. 'It is awful for the people of Ohio that their elected officials have made decisions that put the money belonging to the people of Ohio at risk,’ said Ned Wigglesworth, an analyst with TheRestofUs.org.The group was critical of Mr. Schwarzenegger for initially saying that his campaign would not return the money from Mr. Noe.In a June 2 statement, Mr. Wigglesworth said the $10,000 in contributions “was likely stolen from the people of Ohio.' TheRestofUs.org is working with a coalition of groups called Reform Ohio Now to lower the cap on how much donors can give to political candidates, to set up a nonpartisan commission to draw congressional and legislative boundaries, and create a nonpartisan elections board to administer elections."