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Feb 22, 2008 -- Legal Center Weekly Report: February 22, 2008 CLC Files Amicus Brief in Shays III Case
The Campaign Legal Center filed an Amicus brief on behalf of Senator Russell D. Feingold (D-WI) with the United States Court of Appeals at the DC Circuit on February 21. The brief was filed in support of Representative Christopher Shays' (R-CT) challenge to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations to implement the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA). The case challenges FEC regulations pertaining to "coordinated communications," federal candidate and officeholder solicitation at state party fundraising events," and "federal election activity."
The Campaign Legal Center has represented Senator Feingold as an Amicus in a series of lawsuits dating back to 2004, challenging the Federal Election Commission's interpretation and implementation of critical provisions of BCRA. Although now in the 3rd election cycle since BCRA took effect, the commission has yet to correctly and fully implement the statute.
Reform Groups Send Letters to Candidates on Presidential Public Financing
On February 20, 2008, reform groups called on presidential candidates Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR) and Representative Ron Paul (R-TX) to co-sponsor or endorse legislation pending in Congress to repair the presidential public financing system.
In the letters, reform groups also urged the presidential candidates to make a public commitment to use the public financing system in the 2008 presidential general election, if they receive their party's nomination and if their major party opponent agrees to use the system in the general election.
The reform groups include the Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause, Democracy 21, the League of Women Voters, Public Citizen and U.S. PIRG.
Campaign Legal Center FEC Director, Paul Ryan, moderated a panel at a conference sponsored by the New York Campaign Finance Board on February 21 regarding independent expenditures in the context of publicly financed elections. The day long conference marked the 20th anniversary of the New York City Campaign Finance Program, entitled "Citizen-Owned Elections: Public Financing Past, Present and Future," at Fordham's Lincoln Center Campus in New York.
The conference consisted of a series of panels that discussed issues including the creation of the New York City Campaign Finance Program, small donors and their impact on democracy, the differences between so-called "clean money" programs and matching funds programs like New York City's, the future of the public financing program for presidential elections, and disclosure.
The conference consisted of a series of panels that discussed issues including the creation of the New York City Campaign Finance Program, small donors and their impact on democracy, the differences between so-called "clean money" programs and matching funds programs like New York City's, the future of the public financing program for presidential elections, and disclosure.
On Wednesday, J. Gerald Hebert, the Legal Center's Executive Director and Director of Litigation, addressed students at American University in Washington, DC. Hebert gave an overview of campaign finance law, as well as the goals and positive consequences of the Bipartisan and Campaign Reform Act.
On February 19th, Campaign Legal Center Policy Director, Meredith McGehee, addressed the members of Montgomery Women at a panel discussion, "Women Voters, Candidates - What Difference Do We Make?" McGehee examined the state of women in politics in 2008 and the role of the media in the upcoming presidential election. The host organization is a non-partisan political leadership organization for women in Montgomery County Maryland.
Legal Center Blog Highlights
Each week, the Campaign Legal Center staff posts blog entries on its site, www.clcblog.org. To sign up for the blog, click here.
To read a variety of this week's editorials and articles on a variety of Campaign Legal Center issues, please click here. |
