News Center

Blogger Protection Act of 2008 Introduced

Posted On April 3, 2008

The "Blogger Protection Act of 2008" was introduced today.  The bill would protect bloggers from dangerous campaign finance regulations.

The proposed legislation, introduced today, guarantees blogs the same protections granted to other forms of media under federal campaign finance laws. 

"Bloggers deserve to have their First Amendment rights secured in statute," said Bradley A. Smith, chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics. "Blogs have transformed the political process and made communication among citizens exponentially easier."   

The legislation also protects bloggers from ever being considered to have made a contribution or expenditure on behalf of, or in opposition to, a candidate by simply linking to campaign websites or writing about the positions of federal candidates.   

More after the jump.

Group Asks Supreme Court to Review Case with Major Campaign Finance Implications

Posted On March 12, 2008

The Voter Education Committee (VEC) asked the Supreme Court on Monday to review a case that has major implications for "McCain-Feingold" and state campaign finance laws throughout the nation.
 
The VEC challenges a Washington state law which requires any organization that supports or opposes a candidate or ballot issue to register as a "political committee" absent of express advocacy.
 
"The implications are huge for all of the states that, after McCain-Feingold, thought they could use broad standards to muzzle political speech," said Bradley A. Smith, former chairman of the Federal Election Commission and chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics.
 
More after the jump.

SpeechNow.org Files Lawsuit

Posted On February 14, 2008

SpeechNow.org is a new group of citizens formed to protect the First Amendment at the ballot box on Election Day 2008 and beyond.  But before it can advocate for or against candidates based on their stand on free speech, it must go to court to secure its own First Amendment rights.

Represented by the Institute for Justice and the Center for Competitive Politics, SpeechNow.org, along with members and supporters, will file a federal lawsuit today challenging the campaign finance law that requires SpeechNow.org to become a "political committee" in order to advocate for or against candidates.  So that SpeechNow.org can begin its advocacy as soon as possible, IJ and CCP will request a preliminary injunction and ask that an expedited hearing on that request be scheduled within 20 days.

More below the fold.

Split FEC Vote Leaves SpeechNow.org Silenced

Posted On January 24, 2008

Chairman's Dissent Says Limits on Independent Citizens Groups Unconstitutional 

In a public hearing today, Federal Election Commission Chairman David M. Mason argued that the U.S. Constitution prohibits the FEC from imposing the contribution limits faced by "political committees" on SpeechNow.org, a new independent speech group that wishes to advocate for or against federal candidates on the basis of their support for free political speech.

"Limiting the contribution limits given to an organization like SpeechNow would impose an intolerable, and constitutionally unjustifiable, burden on the independent spending of this citizen organization," wrote Mason in a draft "dissenting opinion" released at the hearing.  In oral remarks, he said that the proposed activities of SpeechNow.org, a group of individual citizens independent of corporations, unions, candidates and parties, are analogous to independent expenditures by individual citizens-which are constitutionally protected and not bound by government limits.

Mason therefore voted against adopting a draft "advisory opinion" issued Tuesday that would silence SpeechNow.org.  Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub voted in favor of adopting the opinion.  But without a quorum, the commissioners can neither officially adopt the opinion, nor approve SpeechNow.org's operational plan by the legal deadline of January 28.  That leaves SpeechNow.org without the legal protection it sought by asking for an FEC opinion, and therefore vulnerable to a future enforcement action if it speaks.

More after the jump.

FEC Draft Opinion Would Silence SpeechNow.org, Independent Speech Groups

Posted On January 22, 2008

The Federal Election Commission today released a draft "advisory opinion" that would, if adopted, effectively silence SpeechNow.org, a new independent speech group that wishes to advocate for or against federal candidates on the basis of their support for free political speech.

The draft opinion asserts that SpeechNow.org and any similar groups must organize and register as "political committees" and may not accept contributions larger than $5,000 per person per calendar year.  The opinion would for the first time explicitly extend the full array of federal campaign finance regulations to groups of individual citizens acting independently of candidates and parties without corporate or union support.

"This opinion would leave practically no room for Americans to exercise our First Amendment rights to join together and speak freely to other Americans about who to elect to office," said David Keating, president of SpeechNow.org.

More after the jump.

Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Millionaire's Amendment

Posted On January 11, 2008

The Supreme Court announced today that it will hear a challenge to the so-called "Millionaire's Amendment" provisions of federal campaign finance law.

The provisions, which increase contribution limits by at least 300 percent for candidates facing a self-financed opponent, are being challenged by Jack Davis, a former Democratic congressional candidate in New York's 26th district.

In court filings, Davis argues that the Millionaire's Amendment does not limit "the corrupting influence of campaign contributors" and instead, "serves to protect well-financed incumbents who wrote the statute."

"This case exposes and undermines the ‘corruption rationale' used to justify most campaign finance laws," says Bradley A. Smith, chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics, which will file an amicus brief in the case. 

Mixed FEC Decision on Request to Ease Fundraising Restrictions on Union and Corporate PACs

Posted On December 14, 2007

 Alexandria, VA. -  The Federal Election Commission (FEC) issued an advisory opinion today that eases some restrictions, but keeps intact other restrictions, on the ability of union and corporate political action committees (PACs) to raise money.

The FEC ruled that ActBlue, an organization that makes it easier for citizens to contribute to political campaigns, may coordinate with the "Separate Segregated Funds" (SSF) of corporations, labor unions, and other membership organizations to solicit contributions from within the SSF's "restricted class." 

ActBlue had also requested permission to independently solicit the general public for earmarked contributions to SSFs from outside the "restricted class."  The FEC ruled that request was "not permissible."  

Federal Election Commission Agrees to Decide Rights of Independent Speech Groups

Posted On November 29, 2007

The Federal Election Commission yesterday agreed to decide whether a new independent speech group may advocate for or against candidates free of contribution limits imposed on political committees under federal law.  The Commission has 60 days to issue an "advisory opinion" responding to a request from SpeechNow.org and its lawyers with the Center for Competitive Politics and the Institute for Justice.

SpeechNow.org is a nonpartisan independent speech group that supports free speech and associational rights.  It plans to speak out in support of candidates who favor free political speech and oppose those who back so-called campaign finance "reform" legislation that restricts the rights to speech and association.

Predictable Results in NJ “Clean Elections” Experiment

Posted On November 7, 2007

New Jersey's "clean elections" pilot program concluded yesterday with predictable results - massive amounts of government funds spent and elections that were not competitive.

Center for Competitive Politics Files Comments Supporting ActBlue’s Campaign Finance Innovation

Posted On November 5, 2007

The Center for Competitive Politics (CCP) filed comments with the FEC today supporting ActBlue's Advisory Opinion Request (AOR 2007-27), which focuses on the ability of union and corporate PACs to raise money.

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