The origins of the group lies in various state-level organizations founded by veterans of Students for a Democratic Society and the Indochina Peace Campaign.
[2] The national group experienced various changes in membership during the 1980s due to financial and organizational ups and downs, but saw its role as putting pressure on the political system for policy issues it was concerned about.
[3] With the advent of the Clinton administration in 1993, the group began changing from being a nonpartisan grassroots organization to being a direct player in Democratic Party politics.
"[1] In 1997, Citizen Action got caught up in the Teamstergate affair, due to reports that the group was involved in improperly funding the 1996 reelection campaign of Teamsters president Ron Carey.
[4] Financial contributions collapsed, and in late October 1997, the Citizen Action national office in Washington shut down and all 20 employees were laid off.