In a letter sent to the Internal Revenue Service today, Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center charged the IRS with an “indefensible abdication of responsibility” in failing “to include the section 501(c)(4) regulations dealing with political activity on the agency’s Priority Guidance Plan” for the next twelve months. The failure to include a review […]
Center for Public Integrity Gridlocked election commission awaits action by Obama By Michael Beckel November 20, 2012 The nation’s enforcer of election laws was largely paralyzed during the 2012 election, despite a Supreme Court ruling that left several key money-in-politics issues open to interpretation. With five of six Federal Election Commission members working on expired […]
The New York Times Result Won’t Limit Campaign Money Any More Than Ruling Did By Nicholas Confessore November 12, 2012 When the votes were counted, President Obama’s campaign declared victory over the conservative “super PACs” that had sought to bury him in negative ads and win the White House and the Senate for the Republican […]
NPR Outside Groups Spend Big On Elections, But Don’t Have Much To Show For It by Peter Overby November 07, 2012 This presidential election attracted $1.5 billion in outside spending — TV ads, robocalls and other political activity by groups created to take advantage of the new rules of campaign finance law. On the day after […]
A Campaign Finance Reform Agenda for 2013 Statement by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer The Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case has had a disastrous impact on our political system. As a result of the decision, Super PACs and 501(c) nonprofit groups spent $1 billion in unlimited contributions from millionaires, billionaires, corporations, labor unions and […]
In Speech at Holland Lecture Series, Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer Calls for Small Donor Revolution to Counter Corrupt Campaign Finance System In a speech given last week at the Holland Lecture Series in Omaha, Nebraska, Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer said we are at “a crossroads for our democracy” as a result of the misguided […]
ProPublica Dark Money Group Told IRS It Wouldn’t Be Political—Then Spent $1 Million on Campaign Ads Justin Elliott October 4, 2012 A dark money nonprofit group that has run more than $1 million in ads in the Ohio race for U.S. Senate told the IRS last year it did not plan to spend any money […]
FEC Deadlocks on Issuing New Contribution Disclosure Rules for Outside Spending Groups Van Hollen Case Returns to Federal District Court for Decision About Whether Existing Regulation is Valid Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer [quote]”The FEC regulations have allowed massive evasion of the contribution disclosure requirement by allowing donors to make their contributions that […]
Today, a federal court in Wyoming dealt another setback to groups challenging disclosure laws nationwide. Citing a “wall of precedent” upholding disclosure laws, U.S. District Judge Scott Skavdahl refused to preliminarily enjoin a number of FEC regulations and policies that implement the federal disclosure laws in Free Speech v. FEC. Specifically, Free Speech is challenging the […]
A Summary of H.R. 6448, the Empowering Citizens Act The Empowering Citizens Act (H.R. 6448) introduced in the House on September 20, 2012 is comprehensive campaign finance reform legislation to empower citizens to play a central role in financing presidential and congressional elections by matching their small contributions with multiple public funds. The Act also […]
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