In September, MWEG members across the nation began focusing attention on the impeachment process. Our response to this historic event was driven by a desire to help transform citizens as much as leaders.
As the Ukraine scandal began to unfold, our members began crowd-sourcing neutral and comprehensive information about actors, processes, norms, and political relationships. As the House moved toward impeachment, we discussed together what the process would look like as well as historical precedent. Members communicated together on our Facebook discussion group, and leadership reached out with our newsletter, Facebook live events, and presentations on our internal platform. Our objective is always to learn together, gain knowledge and skills, and allow each woman the opportunity to formulate her own positions. We then encourage each other to articulate those opinions clearly and independently.
As impeachment developed, our leadership decided collaboratively to advocate forcefully for a full and fair impeachment trial. Once women felt informed, they were increasingly willing to join us in this. Initially, MWEG focused our attention on states with Republican senators who showed interest in conducting an evidentiary-based trial. (Senators were selected based on past comments, impending retirement, or being in a tough race for re-election in a swing state). That list included Senators Alexander, Collins, Murkowski, Sasse, Portman, McSally, Romney, and Gardner.
During our first op-ed campaign (launched in November), we specifically reached out to MWEG members in those key states and worked to encourage them to write and submit op-eds and letters to the editor. We continued our nationwide call throughout December and early January but started to focus in as specific senators gave signs of voting for witnesses in the Senate trial. Members in Tennessee, Alaska, Colorado, Maine, and Utah were particularly active and committed during that period as they wrote and called their senators regularly. After Romney and Collins voted for witnesses on January 31, 2020, we narrowed in our focus even more closely on Senator Romney, as evidenced by the timeline below.
Here is a timeline (with details and selected links) of MWEG’s advocacy surrounding impeachment:
9.2.2019 – Official statement calling for transparency re: whistleblower
10.11.2019 – Published Utah op-eds supporting Romney’s tweets re: whistleblower:
11.21.2019 – Launched nationwide op-ed campaign re: impeachment (including a tutorial with prompts to inspire writers). Selection of pieces published:
11.26.2019 – Official statement re: testimonies of Yovanovitch and Hill
12.10.2019 – First D.C. letter delivery re: impeachment. Open only to MWEG members
12.18.2019 – Official statement re: House impeachment vote
This statement generated significant web traffic and attention on social media. It was released on a Wednesday evening following the House vote to impeach. By Friday afternoon, the MWEG website had crashed a dozen times, and comments of support and appreciation began pouring in. By Sunday evening, there had been over 100,000 website views, 2,800 Facebook shares, 20,000 Facebook users reached, and over 250,000 Twitter users reached. The statement continues to be shared by individuals and leaders across the political spectrum.
1.6.2020 and 1.14.2020 – Second and third D.C. letter delivery re: impeachment. We opened up these deliveries to friends and family of MWEG members and delivered over 1,000 letters in one week to senators’ offices. Each letter peacefully called for a full and fair impeachment trial.
Early January – Launched a social media campaign highlighting words and pictures of individual citizens who submitted letters via MWEG. Response to these posts was significantly higher than average, reaching an audience outside our typical reach.
1.16.2020 – Organized and participated in a day of activism in Salt Lake City, urging Senators Romney and Lee to push for a full and fair trial at a prayer breakfast, press conference, and rally. Media coverage, both local and national.
1.16.2020 – Launched We Witness website dedicated to amplifying the individual voices of citizens who are speaking truth to their leaders. In one of the letters from Utah read at the rally (and which we shared in many formats), MWEG Utah member Rebecca urged Romney and Lee to “do what is right, let the consequence follow,” quoting the same hymn Romney would later use to explain his choice to vote for witnesses.
1.21.2020 – Call to action for full and fair impeachment trial
Week of January 27–31 – Five-day call to action — pray and act for truth
1.31.2020 – Senators Romney and Collins vote for witnesses. MWEG launched a thank you letter campaign.
2.4.20 – MWEG members delivered chocolate milk and brownies directly to Senator Romney in D.C., thanking him for his vote for witnesses. Our members read our letter of thanks directly to Romney the day before the vote. Lots of Utah news coverage and on social media.
2.5.20 – MWEG Utah members delivered constituent letters to Romney’s staff in SLC. Covered by local TV channel.
2.5.20 – Romney voted to convict on Article 1
MWEG immediately began a campaign of support:
Religion News Service opinion piece (also picked up by SL Tribune)
Media interviews re: U.S. prayer breakfast picked up by Washington Post, Yahoo News, Time Magazine, and a myriad of local papers throughout the country.
Video ad (collaboration with Republicans for the Rule of Law) from Utah Republican women:
Released on social media 2.7.20 – Received over 100K impressions on social media over the weekend and continues to be shared.
Ran on Fox News in Utah for one week (see coverage in Deseret News)
On their own, MWEG members began to send in letters to the editor.
Throughout the impeachment process, it became clear that the nation needs more educated voices advocating for ethical government and for the protection of the institutions that defend the right to vote. Our members are able and willing to be those educated voices. Their clear and moral calls for action have also drawn new voices into the process of civic engagement.
Mormon Women for Ethical Government is a rapidly growing organization uniquely positioned to address the challenges our nation currently faces. We are so proud of our members and their sisterhood. In our community we work together to provide our members with a peaceful and reasoned space where we can gain the knowledge and skills necessary for forceful advocacy. Because we are strictly nonpartisan, we analyze policies, actions and processes against our standards for ethical government, rather than according to traditional ideological patterns. This pattern has proved to be very effective at motivating citizens both within our organization and without.
During the impeachment proceedings and in the weeks following, our membership has significantly increased, as has our following. Many of the individuals responding to our calls to action and replying to our efforts are not, in fact members of our faith. We believe they will enrich us, and we are excited to join with women who share a faith-driven focus on ethics and our dedication amplify the individual voices of peaceful women. The last few months have given us a vision of what is possible as women work together to become a force for civic good.
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