SUMMER SPEAKER SERIES 2005
Are you in DC this summer to make a difference?
Non-profit interns and young activists are cordially invited to participate in Citizen Works' Summer Speaker Series. Hear stories from some of the most effective public-interest leaders in Washington, DC! We promise you won’t want to miss these evening events.

The People's Business comes to the Commonwealth Club
Drutman Addresses Commonwealth Club May 16^th
Citizen Works Communications Director and co-author of The People's Business Lee Drutman will address the Commonwealth Club of California Monday, May 16^th, at 6pm, on the subject of "Curtailing Corporate Power."

Tax Day 2005 Release
Citizen Works shines a light on corporate tax avoidance
April 15 is Tax Day, and if recent trends are any indicator, large corporations will pay only about half of the statutory 35 percent corporate rate in income taxes.

Letter opposing efforts to block stock options reform 13 August 2003
Consumer, investor groups urge Congress: Let FASB expense stock options
A dozen prominent consumer and investor groups this week expressed unified opposition to a bill that, if enacted, would block the Financial Accounting Standards Boards (FASB)'s efforts to require companies to count stock options as an expense.

Sarbanes-Oxley: one year later 30 July 2003
Ralph Nader, Citizen Works say more needs to be done to clean up corporate crime
In commemoration of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Citizen Works today presented a list of eleven next step reforms that are necessary to continue the crackdown on corporate crime.

On the nomination of Mark Brickell to the OFHEO ruling 22 July 2003
Freddie Mac Needs Tough Regulator, Not Derivatives Lobbyist
"President Bush should withdraw Brickell's nomination before he's stuck with another Harvey Pitt and public confidence in the markets is further undermined." said Charlie Cray, of Citizen Works' Campaign for Corporate Reform. "What we need is a tough public-spirited regulator, not an industry lobbyist."

Shareholders should vote on executive compensation 30 June 2003
Ralph Nader, Citizen Works ask SEC to go even further in curbing excessive executive pay
Citizen Works today praised the Securities and Exchange Commission for requiring shareholders to approve most stock-based compensation packages. But Citizen Works also urged the Securities and Exchange Commission to go further and require shareholders to approve the total executive compensation package, not just the equity-based part.

On the Nike v. Kasky ruling 26 June 2003
Citizen groups, Rep. Kucinich applaud Supreme Court for letting California ruling stand in Nike case
Citizen groups across the country, joined by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), applauded the Supreme Court's refusal to consider Nike's "right to lie" claim (i.e. the claim that free speech protections extend to corporate public relations and advertising).

Halliburton deals with "axis-of-evil" Press Release 30 April 2003
Citizen Works supports lawmaker's questions on Halliburton's deals with "axis-of-evil" countries
Citizen Works today echoed Rep. Henry Waxman's (D-Calif.) concerns (expressed in a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld) that Halliburton, one of the leading contractors in the war on terrorism, has itself conducted business with countries that sponsor terrorism.

SEC/ Wall Street Settlement Press Release 28 April 2003
Ralph Nader, Citizen Works criticize Wall Street settlement
as an anemic slap on the wrist
Citizen Works today criticized state and federal regulators for letting big Wall Street banks off the hook with a miniscule and potentially tax-deductible assessment with, astonishingly enough, no required admission of wrongdoing.

Big Business Day: Stop the Corporate War on Democracy Press Release 4 April 2003
Citizen Works protests corporate war profiteering
at Halliburton subsidiary
Citizen Works today gave Vice President Dick Cheney the "Daddy Warbucks" Award for corporate war profiteering in a demonstration outside the D.C. office of Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR), one of the biggest winners so far in the Iraq contracting bonanza.

Association for Integrity in Accounting Press Release
3 March 2003
Association for Integrity in Accounting outlines ambitious agenda at close of founding conference
The Association for Integrity in Accounting (AIA), a new public interest accounting group formed in the wake of the recent corporate scandals, today outlined an ambitious agenda to restore integrity to the accounting profession.

No War for Oil! Press Release 4 February 2003
Peace Demonstrators in US & UK Take Message to the Pumps: NO WAR FOR OIL
From Tuscaloosa, Alabama to Tucson, Arizona and from London, England to Logansport, Indiana, more than 100 demonstrations at gas stations in the United States and United Kingdom sent a powerful message of "NO WAR FOR OIL" today. Demonstrators condemned military action and called on the Bush and Blair Administrations to reduce their nations' dependence on oil as a key step toward sane national security and energy policies.

SEC Protest Press Release 30 January 2003
Investors and activists protest the SEC for weakening corporate reforms
Outraged investors and activists today scolded the Securities and Exchange Commission for its continued dilution of Sarbanes-Oxley regulations, chiding commissioners for heeding corporate lobbyists instead of the lessons of Enron.

Accounting Oversight Board Press Release 10 January 2003
Ralph Nader, others criticize staggering $452,000 annual salary for each of the accounting oversight board members
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader and other members of Citizen Works' Corporate Reform Commission today criticized members of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCOAB) for voting themselves an extravagant $452,000 a year salary at their meeting yesterday. The chairman of the board will receive $560,000 a year.

Unity Platform Press Release 30 October 2002
More than 200 Groups Call Attention to Corporate Accountability as Bush Tries to Change the Subject
The Unity Platform "represents a cohesive analysis shared by diverse strands of the grassroots corporate accountability movement," said Charlie Cray, director of the Corporate Reform Campaign at Citizen Works. "Despite the inertia in Washington, the popular view is that there needs to be further and deeper change in how we govern corporations."

White collar crime/Justice Department Press Release 15 August 2002
White collar crime not a Justice Department priority
“The FBI should at least be required to do an annual white collar crime report, as an analogue to its current Crime in America report, which is focused on street crime only,”says Citizen Works president Theresa Amato.

Foreign corrupt practices Press Release 6 August 2002
Foreign corrupt practices go beyond Enron
“When Congress returns to session in September, members need to take a look at this issue and determine whether there is an enforcement problem or a need to fix the law,” says Citizen Works president Theresa Amato.

Harvey Pitt Press Release 2 August 2002
Ralph Nader statement on Harvey Pitt’s one-year anniversary as SEC Chair
"[Pitt's] conflicts are so pervasive that he will need to recuse himself from many of the most important questions and issues brought before the Commission. Since he cannot be a full time arms-length chairman of the SEC, President Bush should therefore ask for his resignation."

Halliburton Offshore Tax Haven Press Release 31 July 2002
Halliburton subsidiaries in offshore tax havens increased under Vice President Dick Cheney
An analysis of Halliburton filings with the SEC indicates that while Dick Cheney was CEO of Halliburton (between 1995 and 2000) the number of company subsidiaries incorporated in offshore tax havens rose from 9 to 44.

Corporate Crime Press Conference 5 July 2002
Ralph Nader, advocates call for fundamental reforms in wake of corporate crime wave
With the crisis in corporate America reaching an ever more fevered pitch and an citizen population increasingly fed up with the greed of large corporations, Ralph Nader and other advocates today outlined a series of fundamental corporate reforms to protect workers, taxpayers, shareholders, pensions, and restore confidence in our economy.

Big Business Day Press Conference: 6 April 2002
Ralph Nader, corporate reformers speak out at first annual Big Business Day, Giant shredder shreds cherished values in relentless pursuit of profits; speakers condemn Big Bad Business practices
With a giant corporate shredder shredding away in front of the Capitol, today Ralph Nader and representatives from several public interest, consumer, and labor organizations made it clear that corporate rule in America is bad for democracy, dangerous for the environment, unfair to workers, and inimical to the Constitution.

Enron-Andersen Press Conference: 21 Jan. 2002
Nader, Citizen Advocates Say Enron/Andersen Scandals Highlight Need for Basic Reforms.
Today Ralph Nader and leading citizen advocates and scholars, called for a Citizens Reform Agenda to address the Enron/Arthur Andersen scandals. The agenda proposes reforms for the accounting industry, the banking and lending industry, pensions, campaign financing, securities reform, and energy deregulation.

Wartime Oppurtunism Press Conference: 5 Nov. 2001
National Civic Leaders Call for End of Wartime Opportunism Since September 11th Tragedy.
Citizen advocates converged today in Washington, DC to call on President Bush and Congress to end the outburst of wartime opportunism since the September 11th tragedy.