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ACLU weighs in against DISCLOSE Act
Published on July 23, 2010 05:42 PM
Category: Disclosure, Expenditure, Issue Advocacy
The American Civil Liberties Union today sent to the U.S. Senate a letter urging them to vote against the DISCLOSE Act when it comes up for a vote next week (or at least is scheduled to). A few of the key points raised by the letter: 1. The DISCLOSE Act fails to preserve the anonymity of small donors, thereby especially chilling the expression rights of those who support controversial causes. ...Anonymity is important to many supporters of organizations that advocate for both
Chamber of Commerce web video targets 'DISCLOSE Act'
Published on June 25, 2010 01:49 PM
Category: Disclosure, Expenditure, First Amendment, Independent Speech
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce premiered a new web video on the DISCLOSE Act, the unconstitional campaign finance bill that the House narrowly passed Thursday. Check it out:
Revisions to DISCLOSE on eve of House vote
Published on June 23, 2010 08:20 PM
Category: Contributions & Limits, Disclosure, Expenditure, First Amendment, Independent Speech, Political Parties, Stand By Your Ad
No fireworks exploded at this afternoon's House Rules Committee hearing on the DISCLOSE Act (H.R. 5175). First Amendment political rights, though, remain at serious risk of going up in smoke as the majority moves forward with an ill-advised bill to ban a significant amount of political speech that was legal even before Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. After two false starts (one before Memorial Day and the second last week), the Committee adopted a rule that provides for an
Gale forecast to hit campaign finance house of cards in AOR 2010-11
Published on June 16, 2010 03:59 PM
Category: Contributions & Limits, Coordination, Disclosure, Expenditure, Independent Speech
Perkins Coie's Mark Elias (the tall one) has submitted to the FEC an Advisory Opinion Request on behalf of "Commonsense 10." This group, unlike many, wants to be a federal political committee. They just want to behave like none before it, but raising and spending corporate, union and large individual contributions without regard to the limits imposed on committees by federal law. Then, they want to make unlimited independent expenditures in federal elections. "That's
Press Exemption Existentialism: Who Can Speak?
Published on June 9, 2010 02:46 PM
Category: Expenditure, First Amendment
Tomorrow, the FEC will consider two competing drafts for Advisory Opinion 2010-08. This responds to a request from Citizens United to find that their film production and distribution activities are exempt from classification as an "expenditure" or an "electioneering communication." Draft A says "Exempt." Draft B says "sort of Exempt." That is, in draft B the FEC reads the exemption as applying only to news commentary or editorials distributed "by any broadcasting station (in
DISCLOSE mark-up blow-by-blow
Published on May 24, 2010 10:41 AM
Category: Disclosure, Expenditure, Independent Speech
On Thursday, the nine-member Committee on House Administration held a mark-up for the "Democratic Incumbents Seeking to Contain Losses by Outlawing Speech in Elections" (DISCLOSE) Act, also known as H.R. 5175. In a 5-3 vote, the committee approved a manager's amendment, introduced by Chairman Robert Brady (D-Pa.). The committee also debated and eventually approved 7 additional amendments. Brady characterized the changes in his manager's amendment in detail—some of which were technic
Unions getting taxpayer dollars exempt from Schumer-Van Hollen “contractor” ban?
Published on April 27, 2010 11:40 AM
Category: Expenditure, Independent Speech, Pay to Play
Rick Hasen, law professor at Loyola University and proprietor of Election Law Blog, had an interesting comment in The Hill newspaper today relating to the pending (for quite some time) DISCLOSE bill, as Senator Schumer and Congressman Van Hollen's effort to undermine Citizens United is now cleverly known as. Hasen was addressing the legislation's ban on government contractors engaging in independent expenditures. The ban only covers for-profit corporations it seems (or so we've
Hoersting joins PRI's panel on Citizens United
Published on March 19, 2010
Category: Expenditure, Independent Speech, Jurisprudence & Litigation
Today's discussion on Public Radio International's "To the Point" program featured a diverse range of views —including CCP's Steve Hoersting—on the Supreme Court's recent decision in Citizens United and its implications for politics and campaign finance. From the show's description: The US Supreme Court: Free Speech and Money in Politics (12:07PM) The US Supreme Court has taken the limits off campaign spending by corporations and unions. Has that liberated a major cause of corru
Video of last weeks ACS panel on Citizens United
Published on February 28, 2010
Category: Coordination, Disclosure, Enforcement, Expenditure, Independent Speech, Jurisprudence & Litigation, Political Committees & 527s, Political Parties, Stand By Your Ad
The Center for Competitive Politics covered the panel in two posts last week: "Lawyers offer mixed reviews of post-Citizens United leg. at ACS event" and "ACS panel features strong supporters of free political speech."
ACS panel features strong supporters of free political speech
Published on February 24, 2010 05:03 PM
Category: Coordination, Expenditure, Independent Speech, Jurisprudence & Litigation, Political Committees & 527s, Political Parties
The American Constitution Society, the leading liberal legal organization, hosted a remarkable and informative panel on the impact of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission today at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Notably, the panel included four defenders of the Court's majority opinion (in whole or in part) who spoke from a real-word perspective: experience as campaign finance lawyers, FEC staffers and congressional committee aides. The First Amendment Four - Jan Baran of W
