Sample Inquiry Letter to Request a Meeting with an Elected Official

Use this letter as a template to help you schedule a meeting with an elected official to discuss their endorsement of either your local act or the federal American Anti-Corruption Act.

Dear [TITLE] [LAST NAME],

We represent a group of concerned citizens from [CITY, STATE] who are deeply troubled by the corruption and money in politics. We would like to schedule a meeting with you to discuss your potential support for the American Anti-Corruption Act — a comprehensive, new proposal drafted by a cross-partisan team of constitutional lawyers including Former FEC Chairman Trevor Potter and Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig. The Act would reshape campaign finance and lobbying transparency laws, and strengthen FEC oversight. You can find the detailed provisions for the Act at http://AntiCorruptionAct.org.

As you know, constituents of all political stripes are becoming more aware of the corrosive influence of money in our government and the increasing role it has in federal and state policy-making decisions. Our country is perennially on the verge of political crisis, in part because money triumphs over good ideas in Congress. The outcome: A Congress plagued by approval ratings hovering at 10%1 and a citizenry that rightly believes their own government no longer represents them.2

In America, the government is supposed to represent the people. However, ‘We The People’ will continue to be drowned out unless we take a stand against the unbridled corruption. That is exactly why we are writing to you today.

We represent just one chapter of the national cross-partisan movement, RepresentUs, that are working with elected officials and community leaders to build a national, cross-partisan, anti-corruption movement. We are a politically diverse group — including [enter other local supportive orgs here] — and some 400,000 members nationwide. We are grassroots Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Tea Partiers, Occupiers and Libertarians. We are environmentalists, economists and religious leaders. We are white collar, working class and everywhere in between.

This is a law of, by and for The People. This is your moment to stand with The People and take a stand on behalf of every one of your constituents. We understand that–though you are not a member of Congress–your support will help build momentum among the broader public.

We are available to meet [INCLUDE DAYS AVAILABLE] Please let us know what other information we can provide to move this request forward. We look forward to meeting with you.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAMES]

Represent {CHAPTER NAME]

 

Sources:

  1. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/congressional_job_approval-903.html
  2. http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/06/14/rel10d.pdf

 

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