Opening Brief Filed in U.S. Supreme Court in Challenge to the Federal Biennial, Individual Aggregate Limits on Contributions to Political Parties and Candidates

Today the Republican National Committee filed its opening brief in McCutcheon v. FEC in the U.S. Supreme Court. The case, brought by the Republican National Committee and Shaun McCutcheon, challenges the federal biennial, individual aggregate limits on contributions to candidates and national political party committees (such as RNC). These aggregate limits restrict how much an individual may spend on political contributions over a two-year election cycle, even though the contributions are...
Continue reading
  6626 Hits
6626 Hits

U.S. Supreme Court to Review Biennial Individual Aggregate Limits on Contributions to Candidates and Political Parties

Today the U.S. Supreme Court granted full review of McCutcheon v. FEC. The case, brought by Shaun McCutcheon and the Republican National Committee, challenges the biennial individual aggregate limits on contributions to candidates and national political party committees (such as RNC). Under these biennial expenditure limits, even though a contributor can give up to $2,600 per election to a candidate, a contributor may only give $48,600 to all federal candidates in a two year election...
Continue reading
  7166 Hits
7166 Hits

Supreme Court Asked To Consider Constitutionality of NYC’s Low Contribution Limits for People Doing Business with the City

PRESS RELEASE  Tuesday, March 20, 2012 Contact: James Bopp, Jr. Phone 812/232-2434; Fax 812/235-3685; jboppjr@aol.com In 2007, New York City created a blacklist. It singled out nearly 12,000 of its most prominent citizens and said that they were the most likely to try to bribe politicians with campaign contributions. So the City published their names on the Internet for everybody to see and reduced the amount of contributions they can make...
Continue reading
  5910 Hits
5910 Hits

Lawsuit Says New Mexico’s Campaign Finance Law Unconstitutional

Thursday, October 13, 2011 A group of plaintiffs has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of New Mexico’s new campaign finance laws. The lawsuit alleges that the new limits on contributions to political parties and from political parties to their candidates, as well as the new limits on contributions to committees that spend money independently of any candidate, are unconstitutional. Political parties in New Mexico used to be able to accept...
Continue reading
  5058 Hits
5058 Hits

Federal District Court Rules Wisconsin Campaign Finance Law is Unconstitutional

For the second time in as many years, a federal judge in Wisconsin has ruled that a Wisconsin campaign finance law unconstitutional. On September 14, the court ruled that Charles G. Hatchett, a resident of Whitewater, cannot be made to register with the state and include a disclaimer on post cards and flyers urging his fellow residents to vote against a referendum. Mr. Hatchett filed suit in March, 2010, arguing that...
Continue reading
  5121 Hits
5121 Hits

Right to Life Groups Renew Challenge to North Carolina Matching Funds

Last Friday, North Carolina Right to Life’s independent expenditures committees filed a federal suit in North Carolina against the state’s matching funding scheme as an unconstitutional infringement on their First Amendment free speech rights. North Carolina’s Public Campaign Finance Fund provides state supreme court candidates with the option to receive public funding if they agree to limit how much money they raise and spend on their campaigns. The Fund’s matching fund...
Continue reading
  4541 Hits
4541 Hits

Pro-Market Group Victorious in Albuquerque Public Funding Challenge

Late Tuesday a federal district court in New Mexico declared unconstitutional a provision of Albuquerque’s system of public funding for elections that provides taxpayer funding to legislative candidates based on opposition speech. Albuquerque’s Open and Ethical Election Code provides taxpayer funding for Albuquerque city council and mayoral candidates who agree to limit how much money they raise and spend on their campaigns. Under the scheme, city council candidates receive $1 for...
Continue reading
  4334 Hits
4334 Hits

Tea Party Candidate Much Closer to Being Able to Circulate Own Petitions

Wednesday, July 6, 2011. Today, a federal appellate court in Richmond, Virginia, gave new life to a candidate’s efforts to vindicate his constitutional rights. In August 2010, a lower court ruled that Herb Lux, who sought to run for Congress in the 2010 general election, did not have a constitutional right to personally collect signatures in furtherance of his own candidacy. Today, an appeals court held that the lower court must...
Continue reading
  4267 Hits
4267 Hits

Citizens to Federal Court: Do Not Allow Government to Release Petition Names

Thursday, June 30, 2011. On Wednesday, a citizen coalition led by Protect Marriage Washington asked a federal court to prevent Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed from publishing the names and addresses of thousands of citizens who signed a controversial referendum petition in 2009. Approximately 138,000 Washingtonians signed a petition in 2009 to repeal a law that gave same-sex partners all the legal rights of married couples. The petition was successful...
Continue reading
  4270 Hits
4270 Hits

Supreme Court Sides With Bopp on Public Funding

Today the United States Supreme Court declared unconstitutional an Arizona system of public funding of elections because it gave money to candidates based on the First Amendment speech of others.  The Arizona Clean Elections Act, passed in 1998, provides taxpayer funding for any Arizona statewide candidates who agree to limit how much money they raise and spend on their campaigns. Under the scheme, Arizona’s gubernatorial candidates receive $638,222.50, plus additional “matching...
Continue reading
  4958 Hits
4958 Hits

Public Funding For Albuquerque City Council Challenged

New Mexico Turn Around, a free market oriented advocacy organization, filed suit in federal court on Friday against Albuquerque’s public funding scheme for city council candidates, asserting it is an unconstitutional infringement of their First Amendment free speech rights. Albuquerque’s Open and Ethical Election Code provides taxpayer funding for Albuquerque city council and mayoral candidates who agree to limit how much money they raise and spend on their campaigns. Under the...
Continue reading
  4318 Hits
4318 Hits

Republican Super PAC Comments on FEC Advisory Opinion Request

Last Friday, the Republican Super PAC (RSPAC) submitted comments on the advisory opinion request of Majority PAC and House Majority PAC. On May 19, the two Democratic PACs asked the Federal Election Commission for an advisory opinion approving their plan to receive lawful federal contributions solicited by federal candidates, officeholders, and national political party officials. In its comments, RSPAC explained why the PACs’ planned activities are legal. The so-called super PACs...
Continue reading
  4084 Hits
4084 Hits

WRTL Urges Injunction of Law Funding State Supreme Court Races

PRESS RELEASE Tuesday, March 4, 2011 Contact: James Bopp, Jr. Phone: 812/232-2434; Fax: 812/235-3685; jboppjr@aol.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE As detailed here, on Wednesday, a federal court heard oral argument on Wisconsin Right to Life PAC’s request to enjoin Wisconsin’s rescue funds for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court candidates. Says Jim Bopp, counsel for WRTL, “the rescue funds, which give an opposing candidate money based on what individuals and groups like WRTL spend, discourages...
Continue reading
  4478 Hits
4478 Hits

Justice Kennedy Orders Response on Request to Halt Maine Public Funding Scheme

PRESS RELEASE Tuesday, October 19, 2010 Contact: James Bopp, Jr. Phone 812/232-2434; Fax 812/235-3685; jboppjr@aol.com Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy today ordered responsive briefing on an emergency request to halt unconstitutional aspects of Maine’s public funding scheme for state candidates. The Maine Clean Elections Act, passed in 1995, provides taxpayer funding for Maine legislative and gubernatorial candidates who agree to limit how much money they raise and spend on their campaigns....
Continue reading
  4801 Hits
4801 Hits