SpeechNow.org Resource Page

SpeechNow.org Backgrounder

United States District Court for the District of Columbia's Memorandum Order on SpeechNow.org Request for a Preliminary Injunction (7/1/08)

SpeechNow.org Complaint (2/14/08)

SpeechNow.org Memo in Support of Preliminary Injunction (2/14/08)

Democracy 21 and Campaign Legal Center Amici Curiae in opposition to Preliminary Injuction (3/05/08)

SpeechNow.org reply brief in support of Preliminary Injunction (3/12/08)

SpeechNow.org's Advisory Opinion Request

Supplement to the AOR (11/29/07)

FEC draft opinion (1/22/08)

Commissioner David Mason's dissenting opinion (1/24/08)

Press release announcing FEC's acceptance of Advisory Opinion Request (11/29/07)

Press release responding to FEC draft opinion (1/24/08)

Press release responding to FEC meeting (1/25/08)

Press release announcing lawsuit (2/14/08)

Comments by Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21 on Advisory Opinion Request

More Soft Money Hard Law (Bob Bauer): A Major Question before the FEC: SpeechNow.org's Case for Independent Activity (11/29/07)

More Soft Money Hard Law (Bob Bauer): More from and on SpeechNow.org, in the First Week (11/30/07)

BNA ($): "...The new organization's advisory request tees up a long-debated question for the FEC: whether the constitutional protection for individuals to make unlimited "independent expenditures" in campaigns also applies to groups of individuals pooling their funds to advocate for and against candidates..." (11/30/07)

Cato-at-liberty: The Politics of Free Speech Change for the Better" (12/02/07)

The Hill: New 527 group takes aim at campaign contribution limits (12/03/07)

Jacob Sullum column on SpeechNow.org in Reason, Human Events, Townhall.com (12/05/07), the New York Post (12/06/07), and the Washington Times (12/12/07)

New York Sun: New Group Seeks Changes for Political Fund-raising (12/06/07)

Redstate: An Acid Test for Campaign Finance Reform (12/06/07)

CCP Chairman Bradley Smith discusses SpeechNow.org on NPR's "On The Media" (12/14/07)

More Soft Money Hard Law (Bob Bauer): Christmas Past, Present, and Future at the Federal Election Commission (12/17/07)

SpeechNow.org and the FEC stalemate

CQ Politics: "Regulation opponents are also challenging the FEC's right to limit individual donations to groups engaging in political communication. The FEC is scheduled to rule on that request from SpeechNow.org early next year. An affirmative response could open a major loophole in the future regulation of political action committees." (12/19/07)

CQ Politics: "In December, SpeechNow.org asked the FEC if it could raise unlimited contributions from individual donors that could be used to elect and defeat candidates for office. The group doesn't expect an answer before at least February.

'They still have a huge professional staff over there,' said SpeechNow President David Keating. 'It's not as if they are just sitting there on their hands saying, ‘What do we do?'" (1/8/08)

Washington Post: "Smith represents a group called SpeechNow.org, which is seeking advice on whether individuals can band together to advocate for or against federal candidates without being subject to the contribution limits imposed on political committees under federal law. Smith said he may treat the FEC's inability to provide an opinion as a denial. That, he said, could prompt him to sue the commission for 'chilling our client's constitutional rights.'" (1/9/08) 

SpeechNow.org and the FEC's opinions

More Soft Money Hard Law (Bob Bauer): SpeechNow v. FEC: Round One (1/24/08)

More Soft Money Hard Law (Bob Bauer): (Two) Commissioners, the Staff and the Conclusion of the Administrative Phase of SpeechNow (1/25/08)

Associated Press: FEC Recommendation Could End Up in Court (1/23/08)

New York Sun editorial: Free SpeechNow (1/24/08)

BNA: Two-Member FEC Split on Whether Contribution Limits Violate Constitution (1/25/08) ($)

Redstate: SpeechNow v. FEC (1/25/08)

Reason: 50-50 Support for the First Amendment at the FEC (1/25/08)

Roll Call: Conservatives Challenge FEC Authority (2/12/08) ($)

SpeechNow.org in District Court

Washington Times: Suit aims to ease campaign fundraising limits (2/15/08)

New York Sun: Suit Could Unleash Surge of Money in 2008 Presidential Race (2/15/08)

Los Angeles Times: On message (2/15/08)

Washington Post: Op-ed by CCP's Brad Smith and IJ's Steve Simpson, Unfettered Speech, Now (2/16/08)

Wall Street Journal: Speak Easier (2/23/08)

Wall Street Journal; Conservative Group Challenges Portions of Finance Law (3/08/08)

Washington Times: Suit aims to lift campaign-finance donor limits (3/09/08)

Newsweek: McCain and the Oath (3/10/08)

Los Angeles Times: SpeechNow, or maybe later (7/1/08)

New York Sun: Judge Snubs SpeechNow.org Over Donation Limits (7/2/08)

More Soft Money Hard Law (Bob Bauer): SpeechNow Put Off for a While: a Damage Report (7/2/08)