News

FEC Rules Correctly Today that Federal Officeholders and Candidates, and National Party Officials, Cannot Solicit Unlimited Contributions for Super PACs

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Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer By a vote of 6-0, the Federal Election Commission ruled correctly today that federal officeholders and candidates, and national party officials, are prohibited by law from soliciting unlimited contributions for Super PACs, which spend money to influence federal elections. The ruling came in the form of a response […]

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FEC Hearing Thursday on Advisory Opinion Request Regarding Legality of Federal Officeholders and Candidates Raising Unlimited Contributions for Super PACs

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On May 19, 2009, Majority PAC and House Majority PAC, two Super PACs established to raise unlimited contributions and make independent expenditures in support of Senate and House Democratic candidates, submitted an Advisory Opinion (AO) request to the Federal Election Commission.   In their request, the two pro-Democratic PACs asked the FEC for an advisory […]

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Supreme Court Today Denies Review of Second Circuit Court of Appeals Decision Upholding the Constitutionality of the Connecticut Public Financing Law

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The Supreme Court today denied a request for the Court to review the decision by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Green Party v. Lenge that upheld the constitutionality of the provisions of the Connecticut public financing law for the financing of minor party candidates. This is an important victory for the people of […]

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Democracy 21 Attacks Misguided Supreme Court Decision Today on Arizona Public Financing Law; Other Forms of Public Financing Laws Remain Intact and Unaffected by Decision

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Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer In another seriously misguided campaign finance decision, the Supreme Court today by a 5 to 4 vote has misinterpreted the Constitution to hold unconstitutional a form of public financing of elections enacted by the voters of Arizona to prevent government corruption. The Court in Arizona Free Enterprise v. […]

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Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer on Federal Judge’s “New” Misguided Decision to Overturn the Ban on Corporate Contributions

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Today, a federal district court judge in Alexandria,Virginia reaffirmed an opinion he issued on May 26, 2011 that held unconstitutional the 100 year old ban on corporate contributions to federal candidates. In so doing, the judge, in essence, overruled an existing Supreme Court decision issued less than a decade ago in FEC v. Beaumont, which […]

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Federal Officeholder and Candidate Fundraising for Super PACs Clearly Illegal: Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21 Submit Comments to FEC

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Today, the Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21 submitted comments to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) clearly outlining that it is illegal for federal officeholders and candidates to solicit unlimited contributions for Super PACs. The comments address Advisory Opinion Request (AOR) 2011-12 submitted on behalf of Majority PAC and House Majority PAC asking the Commission’s […]

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FEC Urged to Deny Stephen Colbert’s Request to Expand ‘Press Exemption’ in Comments Filed by Campaign Legal Center & Democracy 21

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The Campaign Legal Center[1], together with Democracy 21, today urged the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to deny a request by comedian Stephen Colbert to significantly expand the so-called “press-exemption” to a number of federal election laws.  The two organizations filed comments with the FEC in response to an advisory opinion request by Mr. Colbert seeking […]

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Statement by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer: Federal District Court Judge Inappropriately Attempts to Overrule Supreme Court Decision

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A federal district court judge in Alexandria, Virginia issued an opinion yesterday ruling that the ban on corporate contributions to federal candidates enacted in 1907 is unconstitutional. The ruling was issued in United States v. William Danielczyk, Jr, et al. Less than a decade ago, the Supreme Court in Federal Election Commission v. Beaumont (2003) explicitly upheld the […]

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Democracy 21 and Campaign Legal Center Inform Members of Congress it is Illegal for Them to Solicit Unlimited Contributions for a Super PAC

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In a letter sent today to members of Congress, Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer and Campaign Legal Center President Trevor Potter informed Senators and Representatives that it would be a violation of law for a Member to solicit unlimited contributions for a Super PAC. Noting that Members may be approached to make such solicitations for […]

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National Journal: Transparency v. Free Speech; Talking Points Memo: GOP FEC Commissioner To Campaign Reformers: You’ve Wasted Your Life

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By Eliza Newlin-CarneyMay 22, 2011 The argument that secrecy and non-disclosure are necessary to uphold the First Amendment rings hollow. It’s become popular in certain circles to assail political transparency as a nefarious threat to free speech.Once a bipartisan touchstone, campaign finance disclosure rules are now the target of court challenges, lawmakers, and opinion leaders […]

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