News

Van Hollen Lawsuit Challenges FEC Regulations as Contrary to Law and Responsible for Eviscerating Donor Disclosure

|, |by

Successful Court Challenge by Representative Van Hollen Would Provide Disclosure in Future Elections of Secret Contributions Funding Electioneering CommunicationsBy Non-profit Groups and Others Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) filed a lawsuit today against the Federal Election Commission challenging as contrary to law an FEC regulation that has improperly allowed nonprofit 501(c)(4) advocacy groups, 501(c)(6) business […]

Read more

Washington Post: Adapting to campaign-finance rulings, Democrats build big-spending network

|, |by

By Dan Eggen The first sign that the ground had shifted in political fundraising came last year, when conservative groups quickly took advantage of new court rulings to dramatically outspend their liberal rivals. Now comes the next tremor, as Democratic activists finalize plans for an entirely new political infrastructure in 2012. A network of liberal […]

Read more

Slate: Free Speech for Really Rich Guys

|, |by

The Supreme Court finds a cause worth fighting for. By Dahlia Lithwick There are probably only about 10 guys in America who are cheerfully unconcerned about the influence of multimillionaires on elections. One of them is Charles Koch. David Koch is another, as is Karl Rove. Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin and the guy with […]

Read more

For Second Time RNC Attacks on Campaign Finance Laws Rejected by Supreme Court, Court to Hear State Campaign Finance Case Next Monday

|, |by

By: Fred Wertheimer President, Democracy 21 For the second time in less than a year the Supreme Court has rejected a challenge brought by the RNC to the federal campaign finance laws and to past Supreme Court rulings. In Cao v. FEC, the Supreme Court yesterday denied a certiorari petition to review the case and […]

Read more

POLITICO: To right, Citizens United just a start

|, |by

By Kenneth P. Vogel Not satisfied by the 2010 Supreme Court ruling that opened the floodgates to corporate-sponsored election ads, conservative opponents of campaign finance regulations have opened up a series of new legal fronts in their effort to eliminate the remaining laws restricting the flow of money into politics. They have taken to Congress, […]

Read more

Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Constitutionality of Arizona Public Financing Law on March 28

|, |by

By Fred WertheimerPresident, Democracy 21 On March 28 the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in McComish v. Bennett, a case involving a challenge to the constitutionality of the Arizona public financing law. This will be the first time the Court has heard a challenge to the constitutionality of public financing of elections since it […]

Read more

Reform Groups Call on President Obama to Move Quickly to Nominate New FEC Commissioners to Fix Rogue, Dysfunctional Agency

|, |by

Reform Groups Call on President Obama to Move Quickly to Nominate Five New FEC Commissioners to Fix Rogue, Dysfunctional Campaign Finance Enforcement Agency. In a letter sent to President Barack Obama today, eight reform organizations expressed “our grave concern about the dysfunctional Federal Election Commission which is spectacularly failing to meet its statutory responsibilities to […]

Read more

New York Times Editorial: Trashing the lessons of Watergate

|, |by

House Republicans, pandering to the new corporate money trough legitimized by the Supreme Court, have voted to kill off public financing for presidential elections. Unless the Senate Democratic majority acts forcefully, the death of the public alternative – first adopted in the wake of the Watergate scandal – could be sealed in the rounds of […]

Read more

Reform Groups Urge Senate Democratic Leaders Reid, Durbin and Schumer to Defeat Effort to Use FY 11 Spending Bill as a Vehicle to Kill Presidential Public Financing System

|, |by

Americans for Campaign Reform – Brennan Center for Justice -Campaign Legal Center Common Cause – CREW – Democracy 21League of Women Voters – People For the American Way – Public CampaignPublic Citizen – U.S. PIRG In a letter sent today, reform groups urged Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin and Senate […]

Read more

Intervener Defendants File Brief in Supreme Court Today Opposing Request that Court Review Decision Upholding Constitutionality of Minor Party Provisions in Connecticut Public Financing Law

|, |by

Connecticut Common Cause, Connecticut Citizen Action Group and two other intervening defendants filed a brief today in the Supreme Court urging the Court to decline to review a case in which the U.S Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of Connecticut’s public financing system for state elections. Unlike the case involving a challenge […]

Read more