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CCP STAFF
Bradley A. Smith, Chairman and Co-Founder
Bradley Smith is one of the nation’s foremost experts on campaign finance law. He was a Commissioner on the Federal Election Commission, resigning as of August 21, 2005. Smith served as Vice Chairman of the Commission in 2003 and Chairman of the Commission in 2004. His 2001 book, Unfree Speech: the Folly of Campaign Finance Reform, was lauded by George Will as the year’s “most important book on governance.” Once called, “the most sought after witness in Congress” on campaign finance issues, Smith has authored over 40 articles on campaign finance reform, appearing in academic publications such as the Yale Law Journal and Georgetown Law Journal, and popular publications such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and National Review. He has appeared on The O’Reilly Factor, Hardball, Hannity & Colmes, Bill Moyers, the Lehrer News Hour, Fox News Special Report, ABC News, Washington Journal, and numerous other national and local television and radio programs. As a FEC Commissioner, he won plaudits for his integrity and refusal to put partisan interests ahead of his duties, as well as his steadfast support for free speech. For his honesty and integrity, the Wall Street Journal dubbed him, “the only honorable man in this bordello.” Smith now serves as the Josiah H. Blackmore II/Shirley M. Nault Designated Professor of Law at Capital University Law School. He has won numerous awards for his scholarship and teaching, and is a past member of the Advisory Committee to the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Election Law. He currently serves on the Editorial Board of the Election Law Journal, and the Editorial Advisory Board of the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy. Smith also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Studies, is a senior fellow at the Goldwater Institute and is a member of the Board of Scholars of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Smith is a cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School and Kalamazoo College and holds an honorary doctorate from Augustana College.
Sean Parnell, President
Sean Parnell joined the Center for Competitive Politics as president in May of 2007. As president he has conducted original research on contribution limits, taxpayer financed political campaigns, government regulation of talk radio, and other topics related to the First Amendment political rights of speech, assembly and petition. He has appeared in major media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and USA Today, as well as political publications such as Congressional Quarterly, The Hill, Politico, and Roll Call. He has testified in front of or submitted testimony to several state legislatures considering campaign finance laws or other restrictions of First Amendment political rights.
Sean was previously vice president for external affairs at The Heartland Institute, a free market think tank in Chicago. His primary responsibility for Heartland was fundraising. At Heartland, Sean also spent time researching, writing, and speaking on public policy issues. He wrote Congressional testimony and numerous articles and op-eds. He also authored a research paper for the Texas Public Policy Foundation on health care and briefed public officials and trade groups on policy issues. Prior to joining Heartland, Sean worked on political campaigns in Iowa. He managed a successful congressional campaign and served as finance director for a U.S. Senate race. Sean received an economics degree from Drake University.
Contact: sparnell [at] campaignfreedom.org
Stephen M. Hoersting, Vice President and Co-Founder
Stephen M. Hoersting served as general counsel to the National Republican Senatorial Committee under its Chairman, Senator George Allen (R-Va.), during the 2003 - 2004 election cycle. He advised 51 Senate offices and 34 campaigns, including candidates, vendors, pollsters and consultants in the first election after the passage of McCain-Feingold, and helped win seven of eight open seat races for U.S. Senator. As a former counsel to then Vice Chairman Bradley A. Smith of the Federal Election Commission, Mr. Hoersting has a detailed understanding of campaign finance law, its jurisprudence, and the enforcement and regulatory processes of the Federal Election Commission. He has published on campaign finance issues for the Cato Institute, the Election Law Journal, The Washington Times, Roll Call, and National Review Online; has appeared on C-SPAN's Washington Journal, and offered expert testimony on Capitol Hill. Mr. Hoersting earned a J.D. from Capital University Law School, cum laude, in 1996, and a B.A. in economics from The Ohio State University in 1990. He is an alumnus of the Institute for Humane Studies, and served as The Federalist Society’s Publications Chairman for the Free Speech and Election Law Practice Group.
Benjamin Barr, Of Counsel
Benjamin Barr serves of counsel to the Center for Competitive Politics. Barr acted as advisor and counsel to two chairmen of the Federal Election Commission and practiced election law with Bopp, Coleson & Bostrom, where he challenged unconstitutional election and campaign finance laws nationwide. As a litigator, he participated directly in three constitutional challenges to campaign finance laws before the Supreme Court. Barr advises several state-based think tanks on issues of constitutional law, serves as a senior fellow with the Goldwater Institute, is a constitutional scholar with the Wyoming Liberty Group, and maintains a small law practice focusing on the development of strategies for the protection of civil liberties.
Erik S. Jaffe, P.C., Litigation Consultant
Erik S. Jaffe is a 1990 graduate of the Columbia University School of Law. From 1990 to 1991 he was a law clerk to Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Following that clerkship he spent five years in litigation practice with the Washington, D.C. law firm of Williams & Connolly. In the summer of 1996 he left Williams & Connolly to clerk for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. At the end of that clerkship he started his own practice, and has been a sole practitioner since 1997. Mr. Jaffe's legal practice consists primarily of appellate litigation and motions work in trial courts and administrative fora. His appellate practice includes work in state and federal courts of appeals, including the United States Supreme Court. His motions practice includes work in a variety of state and federal venues, including administrative proceedings. Mr. Jaffe also provides consulting on legal issues arising in anticipation of litigation with an eye towards shaping the subsequent litigation in a way that favorably frames the legal issues for motions and appeals. Mr. Jaffe's overall practice covers a wide variety of substantive issues involving both federal and state law. A particular emphasis within the practice, however, involves the First Amendment and related state constitutional provisions protecting freedom of speech. Mr. Jaffe earned a B.A., as a senior fellow in the field of molecular genetics, cum laude, from Dartmouth College in 1986.
Amanda Robey, External Relations Director
Amanda Robey comes to CCP from The Susan B. Anthony List, where she was the director of development starting in 2007. Before that, Amanda worked as the executive director and in other positions at The Rainmakers, a Washington, D.C. fundraising firm serving political candidates, nonprofits and other clients. She is a graduate of Liberty University, where she received a B.S. in government.
Contact: arobey [at] campaignfreedom.org
Michael Tokarchick, External Relations Associate
Michael graduated from Marquette University with a degree in political science. While completing his studies, he interned on a number of political campaigns in Wisconsin as well as in Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner's Washington, D.C. office. He worked briefly in political advertising after graduation and recently completed an extended internship with Congresswoman Candice Miller.
mtokarchick [at] campaignfreedom.org
William Vogel, External Relations Associate
William graduated from Purdue University with a degree in construction management. While attending Purdue, he participated in the school's Objectivist Club and subsequently become more interested in politics. After moving to the D.C. area and working for a year as a project manager for a private construction firm, William joined the Center for Competitive Politics bceause of an interest in politics and nonprofit advocacy.
Contact: wvogel [at] campaignfreedom.org
April Owens, Office Manager
April Owens joined the Center for Competitive Politics in Jan. 2008 after working at an event planning company in Annapolis, Md. She is also working on a business degree through Liberty University.
Contact: aowens [at] campaignfreedom.org
Laura Renz, Research & Government Relations Director
Laura Renz holds a degree in government-sociology from Skidmore College and also earned a master's degree in public policy from George Mason University. As an undergraduate, she interned for former Rep. Nancy Johnson of Connecticut as well as a former New York state senator. Laura also worked as a legislative assistant at the law firm of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. Laura is a member of both Women in Government Relations as well as the American League of Lobbyists.
Contact: lrenz [at] campaignfreedom.org
Martha Corrao, Government Relations Assistant
Martha Corrao graduated from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in political science and philosophy. As an undergraduate, she worked for the Wisconsin Advertising Project researching judicial campaigns. She joined the Center for Competitive Politics after a stint as a government affairs associate at Americans for Tax Reform in Washington, D.C.
Contact: mcorrao [at] campaignfreedom.org
Matt Nese, Research Associate
Matt Nese is a senior majoring in political science at The George Washington University. As an undergraduate, Matt interned in the Washington, D.C. office of Congressman Charles Dent. He also serves as a peer adviser for George Washington.
Contact: mnese [at] campaignfreedom.org
Jeff Patch, Communications Director
Before joining the Center for Competitive Politics, Patch was a budget fellow at the Cato Institute. Patch started his career as a journalist, working for Politico, the Des Moines Register and the Telegraph Herald in his hometown of Dubuque, Iowa. He also worked as the press secretary for Rep. Tom Latham of Iowa. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and political science from the University of Iowa.
Contact: jpatch [at] campaignfreedom.org
Josh Zinman, Communications Associate
Josh Zinman is a senior majoring in political science at The George Washington University, originally from the great state of New Jersey. He is a cast member of The Real Deal on WRGW, a sports radio show which airs weekly. Upon graduation, Josh plans to attend graduate school.
Contact: jzinman [at] campaignfreedom.org
