Federal District Court Strikes FEC Regulation that Gutted Contribution Disclosure By Outside Spending Groups as Contrary to Law in Lawsuit by Representative Van Hollen

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A federal district court in Washington, DC today struck down a regulation issued by the Federal Election Commission in 2007 that gutted the contribution reporting requirements that apply to groups which make electioneering communications. “Electioneering communications” are defined in the law as broadcast ads that mention a candidate 60 days before the general election and […]

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Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer Urges Support for the DISCLOSE Act of 2012 in Senate Testimony Today

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In testimony before the Senate Rules Committee this morning, Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer urged enactment of the DISCLOSE Act of 2012 and made the case for why this is essential disclosure legislation. According to the Wertheimer testimony: The legislation restores a cardinal rule of campaign finance laws:  citizens are entitled to know who is […]

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AOR 2012-14 McCutcheon

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D21_and_CLC_Comments_on_AOR_2012-14_McCutcheon_March_26_2012(1).pdf

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FEC Reminded it has No Authority to Strike Down Contribution Limits in Filing by the Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21

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The Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21 filed comments today with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), reminding the commission that it has no authority to strike down statutory aggregate contribution limits, or any other laws passed by Congress, as requested by Advisory Opinion Request (AOR) 2012-14.  The AOR filed on behalf of Shaun McCutcheon asks […]

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New York Times editorials: When Other Voices Are Drowned Out; The Wall Between Contractors and Politics

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The New York Times March 25, 2012 When Other Voices Are Drowned Out The Supreme Court’s 5-to-4 ruling in Citizens United in 2010 was shaped by an extreme view of the First Amendment: money equals speech, and independent spending by wealthy organizations and individuals poses no problem to the political system. The court cavalierly dismissed […]

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Democracy 21 Summary of DISCLOSE Act of 2012 Introduced by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

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Democracy 21 Summary of DISCLOSE Act of 2012        The DISCLOSE Act of 2012 introduced in the Senate by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse requires any “covered organization” which spends $10,000 or more on a “campaign-related disbursement” to file a disclosure report with the Federal Election Commission within 24 hours of the spending, and to file […]

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Q and A on DISCLOSE Act of 2012 Introduced by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

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Q and A on DISCLOSE Act of 2012 Introduced by Senator Whitehouse   Q.        Is it constitutional to require outside groups that make campaign-related expenditures to disclose their donors? A.        Yes.  In Citizens United v. FEC, 130 S.Ct. 876 (2010), the Supreme Court by an 8-1 majority upheld the provisions of federal law which require […]

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