Culver Center urges for public reports of foreign interference in 2020 election

Simpson College’s John C. Culver Public Policy Center is among a group of 11 bipartisan congressional centers that sent a letter urging the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) to inform the public “as soon as possible” if foreign influence is detected in the 2020 election.

The letter sent by the congressional centers — addressed to acting committee chair Marco Rubio (R-FL) and vice-chair Mark Warner (D-VA) — stressed that “now is the time” for the SSCI to share information of possible foreign interference with appropriate parties. The congressional centers applauded the efforts of the committee in producing the four-volume SSCI report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, calling the reports “well-documented and fact-based.” 

An early alert to the public is one of the recommendations contained in the committee’s report, released in 2019. 

“Our congressional centers are committed to safeguarding the integrity of U.S. elections and ensuring that American voters are promptly alerted to any attempted or actual foreign interference,” said Culver Center Director Seth Andersen. “Simpson College students contribute to this work by publishing research on disinformation campaigns and helping their peers evaluate the credibility of different sources of political speech, particularly in the digital realm.”

Read the letter here.

The eleven centers, established to honor the legacy of former Senators and Representatives whose distinguished service in Congress represents 284 years, are devoted to strengthening U.S. democracy and promoting an informed electorate.  Signers of the letter are:  

    The Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center
    The Howard H. Baker Jr. Center
    The John Brademas Center of New York University
    The John C. Culver Public Policy Center at Simpson College
    The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate
    The Levin Center at Wayne State University Law School
    The Lugar Center
    The McCain Institute
    The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute 
    Marquette University Les Aspin Center for Government
    The Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement

About the Culver Center
Simpson College established the John C. Culver Public Policy Center in 2010 to honor the service of John C. Culver, who served the people of Iowa for 16 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Simpson College strives to honor the example of John C. Culver by inspiring young people to pursue careers in public service with integrity and moral courage. The Center’s nonpartisan programs seek to educate and inspire young people to actively participate in our democracy and encourage them to consider public service as their life’s work. For more information, please visit: simpson.edu/culver-center.

Contact Information
Seth Andersen
Director, Culver Public Policy Center
Cell: 515-961-1354
Email: seth.andersen@simpson.edu