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Jun 16, 2006 -- Legal Center Weekly Report: June 16, 2006
On June 12, 2006, the BCRA sponsors, Sens. McCain (R-AZ) and Feingold (D-WI), and Reps. Shays (R-CT) and Meehan (D-MA) filed a motion for partial judgment in Christian Civic League of Maine v. FEC. Rep. Tom Allen (D-ME) is also a defendant intervenor with the BCRA sponsors and joined in the motion. The motion urged the three-judge court to enter a partial judgment in favor of the defendants with regard to unspecified, hypothetical broadcast ads that the Maine group claims it plans to run in future elections. We informed the court also that the motion could be decided whenever the court decides the case on the merits. The district court denied the Maine group a preliminary injunction, a decision which is presently on appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Legal Center, along with other counsel, is serving as legal counsel to the defendant-intervenors.
To view documents in this case, click here.
In a letter to the House Ethics Committee, the Legal Center joined other reform groups in opposing a pre-approval process by the Ethics Committee to legitimize privately funded trips for Members. The reform groups urged committee members "to recommend an end to the serious abuses arising from privately-funded trips for Members." Joining the Legal Center in the letter are Democracy 21, the League of Women Voters, Public Citizen, and U.S. PIRG.
These reform groups remain committed to a ban on privately funded travel, opposing the pre-approval for two reasons: first, the pre-approval process is ineffective in preventing the widespread corruption currently plaguing Congress; and second, the House Ethics Committee does not have any public credibility, as they have failed to act on numerous violations by several Members in recent months.
The letter concludes, "Our organizations strongly urge the House Ethics Committee not to establish a system of pre-approval for privately-funded travel by Members, and instead to recommend new House ethics rules to prevent private interests from funding trips for Members."
To view the full press release, click here.
To view the full letter, click here.
This week, the Campaign Legal Center , along with Common Cause, Democracy 21, Public Citizen and U.S. PIRG, sent a letter to all House Members asking them to oppose an amendment designed to kill the Presidential Public Funding System. The amendment to the Transportation, Treasury and HUD Appropriations Bill, sponsored by Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), was seen as a back door attempt to kill the system. According to the press release, "The Doolittle amendment is a blatant and inappropriate effort to circumvent and evade regular order and any serious consideration of the presidential system on its merits by using a backdoor manipulation on an appropriations bill to kill the system." Ultimately, Rep. Doolittle pulled the amendment before offering it on the floor.
In December 2005, the Campaign Legal Center along with Democracy 21 and FEC Chairman Scott Thomas and Vice-Chairman Michael Toner, co-hosted a conference on the urgent need for reform of the Presidential Public Funding System. The conference focused on the system's history, its current status and problems, public opinion of the system and key principles for its reform.
To view the press release and letter, click here .
To view video from the December 2005 conference, click here .
Legal Center Blog Highlights
Each week, the Campaign Legal Center staff is posting blog entries on its site, www.clcblog.org . To read the latest entries, "Newt Gingrich's Wrongheaded Attack on BCRA" and "Disclosure Is No Match For Capitol Hill," or to sign up for blog updates, click here .
Week in the News
To read a variety of this week's editorials and articles on campaign finance, please click here. |
