Washington, D.C. — The Center for American Progress welcomes Liz Kennedy as the new Director of Government and Democratic Reform, working on advancing reforms designed to improve Americans’ trust in government institutions and the democratic process.
Kennedy comes to CAP after having served as counsel and campaign strategist at Demos, working on voting rights, money in politics, and corporate accountability, among other issues. There, she worked to expand political participation by eliminating barriers to voting and empowering voters; to increase transparency and accountability for money in politics to fight corruption of democratic government; and to fulfill America’s promise of political equality.
“Liz is a fervent advocate for increasing the transparency and accountability of the democratic process at every level, from defending the rights of voters to fighting against the harmful influence of money in politics,” said Carmel Martin, Executive Vice President for Policy at the Center for American Progress. “At a time when it is crucial that all Americans have an opportunity to participate in the democratic process, Liz’s passion and expertise will be an invaluable asset to our organization.”
Prior to joining Demos, Kennedy was an attorney in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, working on issues of money in politics and democratic accountability. Kennedy was deputy director of voter protection for President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign in Ohio; has represented unions in industrial bankruptcy cases; and was a litigation associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. Before law school, she spent several years running campaigns as a student organizer and canvass director with the Public Interest Research Group.
Kennedy frequently speaks on panels and at conferences, testifies in legislatures, and appears on radio and television. She has authored or co-authored numerous papers, such as “Automatic Voter Registration: Finding American’s Missing Voters,” “Top 5 Ways Citizens United Harms Democracy & Top 5 Ways We’re Fighting to Take Democracy Back,” “Millions to the Polls: Practical Policies to Fulfill the Freedom to Vote for All Americans,” “The Racial Equity Impact of Secret Corporate Political Spending by Government Contractors,” “Bullies at the Ballot Box: Protecting the Freedom to Vote Against Wrongful Challenges and Intimidation,” “Stop the Next Citizens United: McCutcheon v. FEC and the Crisis of Confidence in American Democracy,” “Democracy at Stake: Protecting Democracy in the Super PAC Era,” and “Citizens Actually United: The Bi-Partisan Opposition to Corporate Political Spending and Support for Common Sense Reform.”
For more information or to speak to an expert, please contact Tanya S. Arditi at [email protected] or 202.741.6258.
###