InProgress

from the Center for American Progress

In this edition:

• New speakers added to the CAP IDEAS Conference
  
• Q&A with Tom Moore on Hawaii’s move to undo Citizens United
  
• There could be a financial cost to Trump weaponizing the DOJ
  

Hear how Congress can deliver on affordability at CAP IDEAS

The 2026 CAP IDEAS Conference is less than two weeks away.

As the Trump administration drives up prices on everything from groceries to housing, we need lawmakers who will fight to make life more affordable for working families.  

When you tune into CAP IDEAS, you'll hear directly from Reps. Greg Casar (D-TX), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), and Lauren Underwood (D-IL) in conversation with MS NOW’s Catherine Rampell on how to tackle this affordability crisis. 

Tom Moore answers your questions about Hawaii’s plan to undo Citizens United

For more than a decade, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission has shaped the role of money in U.S. elections. But Hawaii’s S.B. 2471 is trying a different approach to limiting corporate political spending.

CAP’s Tom Moore explains how the proposal works and what’s at stake.

Q: What is Hawaii aiming to do with S.B. 2471?
A: Corporations are creations of state law and only have the powers the state grants them. S.B. 2471 no longer grants corporations operating in Hawaii the power to spend in elections.

Q: How does this approach differ from past efforts to overturn Citizens United?
A: Rather than directly challenging the Supreme Court’s decision, this approach focuses on the underlying assumption that corporations have political spending power. Hawaii’s S.B. 2471 is asserting that because states create corporations, they can define and redefine their powers from the outset.

Q: What impact could this have if it succeeds?
A: If upheld, Hawaii’s model could give other states a viable path to limit corporate influence in elections without waiting for federal action. It would shift the conversation from corporate “rights” to state-defined corporate powers.

Q: What’s the latest with S.B. 2471 in Hawaii?
A: It’s very close to passing the Hawaii legislature. The House and Senate are voting on floor amendments today, and if that goes as expected, legislators will vote on final passage on Friday. Then the bill is off to Gov. Josh Green’s desk for his signature. 

Trump’s DOJ strategy could come with a cost

Photo: Getty Images

President Donald Trump’s effort to use the Department of Justice (DOJ) to target political opponents may carry an unexpected consequence: It could revive a little-used law that forces the government to pay for wrongful prosecutions.

The politically driven cases that have become the norm for the Trump administration’s DOJ are inherently more vulnerable in court. When prosecutions lack clear legal footing, they can open the door to claims that the government acted unjustifiably, triggering potential financial liability under the Hyde Amendment.

As courts grow more skeptical of the DOJ’s conduct, and as high-profile witch hunts like the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey come into focus, these politicized prosecutions could turn into costly liabilities.